Welcome to Mumsnet's holiday forum. Discuss all international travel here, including both shorthaul and longhaul trips. Related topics: UK holidays & day trips, skiing, camping & campervans.
Welcome to Mumsnet's holiday forum. Discuss all international travel here, including both shorthaul and longhaul trips. Related topics: UK holidays & day trips, skiing, camping & campervans.
Holidays
Rome Short break where to stay!
Noeuf · 25/09/2021 20:31
Hi all so thinking three nights, kids all have SEND so can’t arrange care longer. Dh and I want to go Feb outside half term. Language not a problem, just the whole overwhelming stuff to see issue. Looks like Spanish steps or piazza navone (sp?) as a base but any ideas on getting around / seeing the Vatican - dh fixated on this for some reason. I hated Barcelona and in my head this is the same - we go, we miss the good bits, and we’ve just had a ‘meh’ stay.
Noeuf · 26/09/2021 21:13
Oh I’ve looked at the Art Deco hotel. I feel like I need to do this properly as we rarely get away without kids! Will also look at the mimosa of can find it.
I do sort of like the bus idea. But also a day tour of the Vatican etc - I don’t really know what it’s all about. Dh is a bit scared of nuns! Was a bit wary when we saw one on a train before?! Weirdo.
fruitpastille · 26/09/2021 21:38
The Vatican museum is mainly lots and lots of art. You walk through the museum for quite a long time and end up in the sistine chapel. It's worth doing but I wouldn't go again.
hopeishere · 26/09/2021 21:40
@Noeuf
I do sort of like the bus idea. But also a day tour of the Vatican etc - I don’t really know what it’s all about. Dh is a bit scared of nuns! Was a bit wary when we saw one on a train before?! Weirdo.
He will hate Rome. There are a lot of nuns.
Noeuf · 26/09/2021 21:48
He will hate Rome. There are a lot of nuns.
Yeah I don’t think he’s thought this through 😂
Eek feel like I have to do the Vatican as he really wants to!
RampantIvy · 26/09/2021 22:10
@fruitpastille
I wouldn't go again either.
JazzyBBG · 26/09/2021 23:48
We stayed at Hotel Artemeide on Via Nationals - east walking distance of the collosseum and Trevi fountain etc. For the Vatican book the breakfast so you get in before the queues. It's a crap breakfast but amazing to get in so early!
Noeuf · 27/09/2021 01:12
For the Vatican book the breakfast so you get in before the queues. It's a crap breakfast but amazing to get in so early!
I can’t see that option so maybe we are saved! Am assuming the church is near the —boring— museums
Geamhradh · 27/09/2021 06:41
@Noeuf
I can’t see that option so maybe we are saved! Am assuming the church is near the —boring— museumsThe breakfast thing was on in the summer, though we didn't bother. There aren't the queues at the moment because of restrictions on ticket sales and staggered entry.
The (amazing) museums are about a 5 minute walk from the entrance to St. Peter's Square. Depending on which direction you're coming from, (from the hotels being suggested you'd get to St. P first unless you're on the metro) you just go out of the right hand side of the square, down the road following the wall and round the corner is the entrance to the museums.
Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel is part of the Museums not the Basilica (presuming that in Rome that's a must see for you!)
Noeuf · 27/09/2021 07:06
Brilliant thank you I’m going to be printing this thread out and taking it with me! Usually I’m just get up and go / see what happens / meander round the corner but dh is really keen to see some stuff so I want to get it right.
rookiemere · 27/09/2021 07:24
I'm not a great museum/art lover, but when we visited the Vatican we did it at a fairly brisk pace due to DS, and it was definitely worth a visit on those terms to see the opulent splendour of the place. Even going quickly it took us about 2 hrs to go around- I wouldn't miss it out, but it doesn't need to be a full day endurance test if you don't want it to be.
As a point of interest we stooped at a bar near the Vatican and they give you free nibbles with your drinks if you visit from about 6-8 . This is probably the same for most bars.
RampantIvy · 27/09/2021 07:28
The Vatican was so crowded when we went that we couldn't do it at a brisk pace. We could only move at the same pace as the crowd.
cptartapp · 27/09/2021 07:39
Another vote for Trastevere. We stayed in a lovely three bed apartment from Booking.com. Walked everywhere from there with two teens. Fantastic area to stay, tons of reasonably priced restaurants lining the streets and not particularly 'romantic'.
Yes, book everywhere and yes to the Baths of Caracalla.
Noeuf · 27/09/2021 07:42
Ok will extend to Trastavere, piazza Navone and Spanish Steps when looking (can’t see the apartment linked). Am v tempted to use the Saturday for a full day of coliseum and Vatican tour (or Sunday for the Pope?) paid for etc rather than doing it myself. Then can enjoy the rest of the time wandering.
rookiemere · 27/09/2021 08:33
If it were me I'd do one big attraction a day and use the city bus to get you there, then spend the rest of the day wandering. I think if you squeeze in colosseum and vatican on same day, you won't enjoy either properly.
Rome is a great city for people watching so do factor in time for aperol spritzes - worth forking out to sit somewhere with a view as then you're effectively sight seeing whilst drinking.
I'll restate the Borghese gardens when you've had enough for a battery recharge on the grass.
Geamhradh · 27/09/2021 09:20
@Noeuf
This is what we did in August:
Day 1- walked from hotel through St. P's square, through to Piazza Navona, Trevi etc. Afternoon Piazza di Spagna. Home to hotel via metro from Repubblica (5 stops I think) (so basically own walking tour)
Day 2- Pantheon am
PM out to Knights of Malta thingy via Palatine Hill(walk up big hill, there's a church and big gate with keyhole that if you look through keyhole you see St. Peter's perfectly framed)
Day 3
Pootled around Trastevere (Santa Maria di Trastevere church is stunning) then afternoon, Vatican Museums (remember if you pay for your guide you have to go at their pace and might have to listen to things you're not interested in- we paid as usual for audio guides which I prefer)
Day 4
Into St.Peters am
Colosseum and forum PM
The only thing we didn't do that I had planned on doing was visiting the Byron, Keats, Shelley museum/house at the side of the Spanish steps. You have to email in advance at the mo' for a visit and they were unhelpful so I sacked them off. "When can we visit please?" "Any day you want" "ok, Wednesday afternoon about 4?" "Only one room will be open then" etc etc.
Noeuf · 27/09/2021 15:26
There is one tour you can book which dies both which I’m kind of tempted by although maybe shorter days would be better. The itinerary is really helpful though maybe I need to revisit the tour detail
texarkana · 27/09/2021 21:24
Makes more sense to see Coliseum and Forum/palatine hill together and we preferred Vatican and St Peters (including climbing the basilica) on another day. Would have been much crammed in one day for us. Each was 3-4 hours and plenty of time to wander in the afternoon after a good lunch.
Noeuf · 27/09/2021 22:36
‘Also the Eat like a Roman food tour is fab!’
😂😂
Noeuf · 27/09/2021 22:37
I keep getting confused by Palatine and thinking Star Wars. I’m going to be v disappointed at whatever it actually is.
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.