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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Best places in Rome?

42 replies

thebluemoon · 13/01/2018 16:19

I'm going for a weekend with a friend in a couple of weeks, Saturday to Monday.

Where have you been in Rome that you loved?

Particularly interested in places to eat, galleries and museums - on a moderate budget.

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peony2325 · 13/01/2018 18:36

I was lucky enough to study in Rome for 6 months...would echo what previous posters have said about pre-booking tickets for the main tourist attractions, although as you are going out of season it should be a bit quieter.

One of my best tips is that the ticket for the Colosseum also includes entrance to the Roman Forum. There's usually a long queue at the Colosseum entrance so I would recommend walking the extra couple of minutes to the Forum entrance to get the tickets without having to queue.

In terms of restaurants, I love Spaghetteria L'Archetto and Piccolo Buco which are both near the Trevi fountain. Tazza D'Oro (close to the Pantheon) has the best coffee ever! It is also just around the corner from my favourite church, Santa Maria sopra Minerva which has beautiful painted ceilings and is well worth a visit.

Hope you have an amazing trip!

LIZS · 13/01/2018 18:39

You can get a great view across the Colosseum, Forum ruins and Circus Maximus from the Palatine and a park just behind the Colosseum where Nero's Golden House (open selected weekends by appointment) and Trajanic Baths are. The ruins just along below the road level are part of Gladiator barracks and training area. Much of Rome is viewable from the road at no charge. In front of the large Forum/Palatine area are other excavated fora and markets. If you can get below modern road level you will find ruins of ancient theatres, temples and houses (one next to Trajan's column). Look out for churches and restaurants with a basement. Churches containing amazing works of art and artefacts are free entry but access to chapels, crypts and catacombs may be charged, just pop in any you are passing.

thebluemoon · 13/01/2018 23:38

Thanks so much everyone for all your ideas and recommendations. Just been out for dinner with the friend I'm going with and super excited!

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BewitchedBotheredandBewildered · 14/01/2018 21:54

Just had a message back from MNHQ saying that in order to move the thread they need a request from you.

Would you mind?

You can just click 'Report' just above your post, and ask them

Would appreciate it GinFlowersSmile

Toddlerteaplease · 14/01/2018 22:11

The Scavi tour underneath St Peters is amazing!!

Toddlerteaplease · 14/01/2018 22:13

I was very underwhelmed by the Sistine chapel, and don't bother with the bat I can museam. Segway tours are brilliant. Also if you like Art Deco architecture, take a trip out to see the Square coliseum at EUR. Worth combining with a trip to Ostia Antica.

TalkinPeace · 14/01/2018 22:21

The Pantheon.
The best building the the world - try to go several times at different times of day.

Castel St Angelo
Hadrians mausoleum and so much more

Trevi Fountain
how did they squeeze it in there

Roof of the Vatican
just because

Colloseum
well off course

The Forum
a funny thing happened

The Pantheon
because it really is that awe inspiring

BillyAndTheSillies · 14/01/2018 22:30

Trastavere is brilliant for food, also liked the pizza by the slice restaurants just outside the Vatican walls.

For walking around, the Jewish quarter is lovely and is just down a tiny street away from the main hustle and bustle. Lovely pasticceria's and coffee shops. Then it's just a short walk across the bridge in to trastavere.

DH and I got married just outside Rome and spent a few days in Rome after the wedding so were in too much of a newlywed blur to remember names but I'd 100% go back and trawl the streets of trastavere.

Littlegreyauditor · 14/01/2018 22:38

Pizzeria Da Baffetto on the Via del Governo Vecchio, off the bottom corner of Piazza Navona is fantastic.

Looks really uninspiring, Formica tables and grumpy waiters but the queue round the block should give you a clue. Get there early (we queued for an hour and a half last time) and the Pizzas are amazing.

Obviously if you don’t like pizza then avoid it.

The bus tour will drop you off handily near all the most obvious sights. If you are doing the Vatican then see St Peter’s Basilica rather than the Vatican museum itself. They will try and lure you in with promises of The Sistine Chapel, but you could grow a beard in the queue it’s that long, and the chapel itself is heaving with people, many of whom were loud, kind of obnoxious and a bit shovey. Not the ideal venue for appreciating Michelangelo’s mastery if you have even the teensiest bit of misanthropy.

If it is raining then the Pantheon is cool. I spent far too long watching rain pour in through the demon’s hole (stop laughing) and into the rain catchers in the floor. I enjoyed that more than the low walls and broken pillars my DH is bloody obsessed with. The horses who pull the carriages that wait outside the Pantheon are lovely and friendly too.

I genuinely loved the Trevi Fountain, and the wickedly strong espresso I had in an underground cafe just opposite it.

Wear comfortable shoes, and try to avoid bringing a Roman History obsessive who wants to spend the entire time in the Forum, that’s my best advice on Rome. Grin

Skowvegas · 15/01/2018 00:01

Oh yes the Jewish Quarter is lovely. We just wandered around randomly and discovered it by accident.

GrimDamnFanjo · 15/01/2018 01:38

Ah the area I meant was Trastevere!

thebluemoon · 15/01/2018 15:23

Bewitched I've requested your request!

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LornaMumsnet · 15/01/2018 15:30

We're just sending this thread over to travel advice so that it doesn't disappear. Flowers

BewitchedBotheredandBewildered · 15/01/2018 15:48

Thank you very much bluemoon and LornaMN.

thebluemoon · 16/01/2018 17:41

Thanks!

Any more recommendations for places to eat?

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TalkinPeace · 16/01/2018 18:21

Taverna del Seminario, just up a side street by the Pantheon.
Unassuming, but worth it

BrimFire · 16/01/2018 21:19

Book the Colosseum under ground tour. You get to see below the stage and top tier not open to the public as well as all the normal ticket stuff. Same tor as the private companies offer but much cheaper.. you skip all the queues too. Coop Culture is the official website.

You can spend ages wandering round trying to find people's recommendations. What you need are places to avoid. There is one rip off place by the Vatican that is severely slated on Tripadvisor. Read up on those as good food is everywhere.

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