Going to Rome in February...

[LeoTheLion678]

What should I not miss please? I'm doing the colosseum audio tour on the day I get there (Friday afternoon) and on the Saturday I'm doing the vatican / Sistine Chapel, but no other paid for big attractions as I'm only there until Sunday afternoon so I want to have enough time to just soak it up, walk around Trastevere and eat pasta and gelato. I'll use the tube if necessary but I'm a big walker.

Anything else I should be doing? I'm on a bit of a budget too but not enormously so. Just don't want to be extravagant.

Thanks

You need t be really sure you want to to do Vatican / Sistine Chapel. We found it an energy sucking ordeal, shuffling around in a big crowd in a never ending one way system ending in the chapel from whence you are ushered out very quickly which was something of a relief as by that time we had lost the Will to live. I dearly wish we hadn’t bothered and had had time to go in the Pantheon. If you go to Trevi Fountain go early as again you will be there with billions of other people. Do take local restaurant recommendations from hotel staff (they will have a relative with a lovely place round the corner, mention their name for a free drink sort of thing). To cover a lot of ground a Segway Tour can’t be beaten, to cover Forum etc with a guide.

I really enjoyed a street food tour I did.

Honestly there's so much to see you probably just need a walk / explore with those two items - plenty to see for free.

And Rome has to be one of the most rewarding cities in the world to just wander around- across 2000 year old ruins in the middle of an ordinary street.

I also did a guided tour of the Colosseum, which I enjoyed much more than the Vatican.

I’d probably do one of the free walking tours. It’s worth getting to St Peter’s early one morning to avoid the crowds and climb the dome. I agree go to the Pantheon.

I'd skip the Vatican tour to be honest, even in February the queues are horrific and you don't really get to appreciate it. The area is full of really shitty tat shops.
Trastevere definitely a good shout, as is the Colisseum, the Pantheon is also interesting if you happen to be in that area.
If you're into art the Borghese Gallery is worth a look. Make sure you book.

I'd also skip the Vatican tour. Maybe go into the basilica and walk around St. Peter's square, that in itself is great. We did that on a Wednesday which is the day of the Papal mass and audience. Was packed but well organised and we had a great day. There is another service (angelus) on Sundays. Pope is there both days if you are into seeing him. The atmosphere was amazing. Better than any Sistine Chapel I'd say, and I'm not religious either!

Depends on where you are staying, but I just walked - I had to go out on my own as DP got an ankle injury second day, but he had been there before, but 1st time for me! I had to bite the bullet and go alone, but found it very easy to find my way around and it was very safe. Just be careful of your phone and bag. Pickpockets everywhere.

I did a sort of walking round trip as the Colosseum metro was the best starting point for me. So Collosseum, Roman Forum, Victor Emmanuel, Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Trevi, St. Maria Maggiore, and back to Collosseum metro. It took all day with stops for street grub and rest. It was hot and I was wrecked after it!

I'm 68 BTW so if you're younger than that you'll have no bother. Walking is best and I would avoid tours and queues TBH. Just being there soaking in the atmosphere is best. You can see the pic of the Sistine chapel on the internet lol!

It’s artichoke season 😋

You won't need to use the underground.
Just chill out and enjoy wandering around.
The Pantheon is fab, tho, and won't take too long.
I think the Vatican is worth it; Sistine Chapel and St Peter's are just incredible.

Another one saying skip the Vatican.

Google which churches have Caravaggios and do a tour of those instead. They’re not that far apart. The Madonna of the Pilgrims is particularly stunning.

Definitely visit the Jewish Quarter for some deep fried artichokes.

The Villa Borghese has a great collection (more Caravaggios, and some stunning Bernini sculptures).

I loved Keats’ House next to the Spanish Steps, but I’m a Romantics nerd.

I strongly recommend the Ristorante Trevi, close to the Trevi Fountain. Fabulous food and atmosphere. Particularly good if you’re coeliac, and their gelateria next door is amazing.

I just got back - can you tell?

Oh, and go to Vincellii Silk to buy some mega-cheap gorgeous silk scarves from Alan. He’s lovely.

I agree with many pps. I'd skip the Vatican altogether, unless you can get onto one of those early-morning restricted tours. My memory of the Sistine Chapel last time was of shuffling along in an airless human conga, rather than the pleasure of the frescoes.

The Borghese gardens are lovely even in February, and yes to just wandering. It's a great place to just wander. And there's astonishing church art everywhere for nothing. I love the risqué Bernini statue of Teresa of Avila in Santa Maria della Vittoria. Last spring we had great pizza and a nice buzz in Al Forno della Soffitta on Via Piave -- you queue, lots of locals, we had fun in the queue.

Where are you staying OP?
Can you see yourself making time to go back to Rome as that changes your approach in February.

The Vatican is a long walk through halls, corridors and rooms with display cabinets with the Sistine Chapel at the end. I don’t remember seeing exits along the way but there must’ve been ( for health and safety ) so once you’re in, you feel you’re in till the end. Like a pp we got a bit bored ( shameful really ) with yet another room of historic artefacts and just wanted to push on to the chapel. We were in the chapel probably 10 minutes , unable to get a seat at the sides. We were inside the Vatican for 90-120 minutes.
Note the Vatican tour entrance is round the back, opposite side to St Peter’s.

Oddly, when we came out there were no queues, this was about 11.30. We arrived before it opened and there were big queues- I guess everyone read the same advice as we did to get there early to beat the queues!

The Vatican is kind of out to the west , you can walk to it but depending on where you’re staying or the weather the good metro system might be better. There’s still a 10 minute walk from the nearest metro.

Time is against you - metro can get you to the sights quicker than walking.

The Roman Forum was my favourite out of all you have mentioned. It’s absolutely spectacular. That would be my top priority, then the pantheon, then the colosseum. I don’t think you have time for the Vatican in three days.

Sunday is good for lunch in Testaccio, very local, great food. Villa Borghese is lovely and we spent so much time in the park. Saturday evening wandering around Trastevere popping in and out of bars for drinks and snacks.

We went on February to see rugby, did Vatican, colluseum, trevivetc. Rome is small so didn't need underground.

I was also going to suggest a Segway tour. It was fantastic. The Scavi tour is excellent. Vatican museums is really boring and I was so tired by the time I got to the Sistine chapel I was completely underwhelmed! And it was practically empty at the time.

Did you go out to the English Cemetery to see his grave? That's the one thing I've always wanted to do and never had time for, as for one reason or another, my time in Rome is always packed with commitments.

Last Feb I saw the fabulous Carvaggio exhibition at the Palazzo Barberini.

no need for metro - walk
Do a walking tour
Skip the Vatican
Definitely see the Pantheon, and Santa Maria Supra Minerva right next to it
San Luigi delle Francese for the fabulous Caravaggios
Forum Romanum - nearly forgot…. It’s a must-see
Piazza del Popollo and the Spanish steps if time.

fabulous city!!

I agree there's no need for the metro, and it's kind of restricted to certain areas anyway due to the excavations and stuff still underground! I used the metro to get to the Collosseum stop as we were staying out on the coast in Ostia Lido and the train connected with Collosseum metro.

If anyone is going for more than a weekend, staying out on the coast is fantastic, well I thought it was anyway! Lovely town Lido, buzzing with street entertainment and tons of restaurants at night. Fresh sea air made a wonderful change from the throngs and heat in the city, yet it was only 30 minute journey on the train in.

I was being a bit me me me in going to Lido, since the ancient Roman settlement town of Ostia Antica was just two stops away, and I spent two days there. Much better IMV than Pompeii, fewer crowds but just as impressive. We were away for 8 days altogether. Had a patient to deal with who badly sprained his ankle, but he was well able to hobble down the town for eats and drinks! Just a different take on it location wise.

You can easily walk Rome. I’d do the collosseum on the first day then walk through the streets and take in the Trevi, Spanish steps and Piazza Narvono. You can do the pantheon easily that day too. Do the Roman forum on the next day, and palatine hill. Third day walk through the centro storico, taking in campo dei fiori, past castello del Angelo and on to the Vatican. Personally I liked going inside the actual basilica and especially going up to the roof. I accidentally booked the Vatican museum and the Sistine Chapel last trip and I thought it was deathly boring. I’ll never go again, whereas I’ve visited most other bits of Rome several times. But I’m more into history and architecture than religion and art. Just wandering around is fabulous in itself.

As much as I enjoyed visiting the Forum, it may be helpful to know that a fair bit of it can be viewed from the areas/ museums around it.

The Capitoline Museum in particular has great views over the Forum and towards the Collosseum, without the masses of tourists you’ll find in the Forum. Worth bearing in mind in case it rains as well. Depending on how much you like Roman history, the museum itself is phenomenal.

No, we’re saving it for next time!

Have you any recommendations for places to stay on the coast? I like the sound of this.

I went in most churches I passed. All free and each one like a museum, it can take an age and get very confusing about remembering which one was which! I used the wonderlog app to plan, I did the same for Budapest too

Screen shot of the wanderlog app
This is just one day. 2 Basilicas, colusseum, Roman forum and palatine hill

Great app, we walked the whole time 4 days in Rome