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

Original poster

Rome. Weekend break. Tell me all you know.

61 replies

ThePhantomPlopper · 17/05/2009 15:15

Give me your top tips.

Am thinking of going next March/April, Fri-Mon jobby.

Is this a good time to go?
Any recommendations for a hotel in the city centre area?

I want to go to Pompeii on an excursion has anyone done it?

Tell me anything you know.

Thanking you.

OP posts:
francagoestohollywood · 18/05/2009 11:56

If you are into art, you can't miss the Musei Vaticani here, you can buy tickets on line.

MmeLindt · 18/05/2009 12:04

I liked the area around Piazza Navona and Trastevere.

We hired a scooter for a few days and took a trip up to Frascati. It was quite the highlight of our trip. You could go on the scooter to Ostia Antica. The scooter rental was near Campo del Fiori, Via del Bovari.

We had morning coffee on the roof top garden of the Hotel Savoy. Quite a walk up the hill, but a beautiful view from there. From 11am.

We liked the touristy cafe Antico Caffee Greco near the Piazzi di Spagna. Great for people watching.

Favourite restaurant is Gino e Pietro on Via del Governo Vecchio 106. It is simple and good food and not expensive.

Original poster
ThePhantomPlopper · 18/05/2009 12:31

I want to do Pompeii, I am willing to factor in an extra day just for this. I am a volcano geek. .

Is the weather in April the same as here?

I've been reading about the queues, is it worth buying tickets for tours in advance, online?

OP posts:
francagoestohollywood · 18/05/2009 12:37

Yes, get the tickets on line. The organization of musei vaticani is mad for instance!

No, April is much milder here than the Uk, especially in rome. But it can be a very wet month, depending on the yrs.

Pompei is supposed to be fab, but I've been told it can be very busy and badly organized...

MmeLindt · 18/05/2009 12:38

I would buy the tickets for the Vatican museum in advance. We did not and did not bother going as the queue was a mile long. We would have waited at least 2 hours and we were only in Rome for 3 days. I did not want to spend an entire morning waiting in a queue.

Easter is 4th April next year. I would definitely avoid that weekend, as it will be heaving.

Do you want a hotel or would you like an appartment?

francagoestohollywood · 18/05/2009 12:39

TPP, if you are a volcano geek you need to go to Stromboli, and watch its eruption from the boat at night.
Stroboli

francagoestohollywood · 18/05/2009 12:40

I will investigate the Musei vaticani situation for you, if you are interested, I might be wrong, but I think you may have to queue even if you have the tickets !

Original poster
ThePhantomPlopper · 18/05/2009 12:44

Ohh Stroboli looks great.

We're not too fussed about accommodation TBH, just somewhere near to the action.

Is there a site to buy tickets for all the main attractions, or is it easier to just go to their main web pages and get them all individually?

OP posts:
chisigirl · 18/05/2009 12:48

This is a fantastic hotel for the price...

www.daphne-rome.com

really nice rooms and very personal service. They will organise walking tours for you as well and suggest where to go/where to eat/etc.

it's set down a very narrow cobbled street and is run by a couple.

MmeLindt · 18/05/2009 12:53

We went for an apartment, as we were doing it on a budget. We just went out of the apartment and had a coffee and pastry in one of the dozens of cafes nearby.

francagoestohollywood · 18/05/2009 12:55

can this be helpful?

loulabelle777 · 18/05/2009 13:00

I second chisigirl's recommendation for the Hotel Daphne - stayed there a couple of years ago and it was a really lovely little hotel at a great price - really friendly people running it who gave you brilliant ideas for days out / walks / restaurants etc.

Original poster
ThePhantomPlopper · 18/05/2009 13:02

That site looks good, thanks Franca.

I need to find out what DH would want on the accommodation front. He said he's not fussed, but he said that about our summer holiday and is now moaning about the apartments i picked . I'd rather do the coffee and pastry so i can people watch.

OP posts:
francagoestohollywood · 18/05/2009 13:09

and don't forget tramezzini, I'm told they make fab tramezzini in rome...

Sunshinemummy · 19/05/2009 10:44

This month's Lonely Planet magazine has a feature on Rome. Might be worth getting.

I went in March and the weather was lovely.

PlumBumMum · 19/05/2009 10:45

We stayed here it was right in the middle of everywhere 2 mins to spanish steps 2 mins to Trevi fountain

PlumBumMum · 19/05/2009 10:46

We went in March last year cold and rained

PlumBumMum · 19/05/2009 11:05

Yeap you need to book the tickets at least 6 weeks in advance for the tour of the Vatican and the queues are to get through security

Sunshinemummy · 19/05/2009 11:08

The Vatican tour must have changed as we just turned up for about 15m before opening time and got to go straight in. We didn't book in advance.

PlumBumMum · 19/05/2009 11:11

There is a small tour thats free, and then my MIL took a longer one that was 10 euros I think that told the whole story and brought underground the Vatican she said it was really interesting

gio71 · 19/05/2009 13:03

March / April usually nice here although we have had a crappy spring this year on the whole, wouldn't go any later than May-its 30 degrees and hot at the moment-July and Aug are hell on earth, you'll struggle finding a restaurant open as all the Romans escape from the heat. End of Sept/Oct are lovely times to visit as well. However they do put on a lot of extra outdoors stuff in the summer from mid june which is lovely-stalls, bars and entertainment by the river for example and outside swimming pools.
When people come and visit us here I normally advise getting a b&b instead of a hotel. If you get a good offer on a nice hotel then it's worth it but otherwise there are some real flea pits around, especially near Termini station. There are quite a few B&B websites and you could have a look at the directory on www.rome.angloinfo.com or post on the forum for advice?
Pompei for a day trip is too much I reckon. You get a train to Napoli (1.5 hrs on the high speed one) but then take the stop every 5 min local train to Pompei, you need a lot of time to do Pompei properly. Its fabulous though, if you did an overnight would be worth it.With the Forum and Ostia Antica close to home though there are plenty of things to see closer to home.
Don't eat in the main piazzas- food normally isn't as good and charge a fortune-try and find the smaller, less flash looking places in the side streets where Italians are eating-may not be as glitzy but food will be loads better value and quality on the whole. Same with bars- the flash looking bars and coffee shops often charge loads more and double to sit outside, the little neighbourhood places with 1 or 2 tables outside are loads better value.
Trastevere very lively at night-another cool place to go out at night-bit less touristy is Pigneto.
Enjoy if you do make it here, it's the best city in the world

PlumBumMum · 19/05/2009 13:19

gio71 do you live in Rome? We loved it but How on earth do you cross the roads? We had 3 small children and felt like we were taking our life in our hands every time.

gio71 · 19/05/2009 14:42

hi plum, yes live in Rome-dp is Roman born and bred so have learnt the art of road crossing from him-basically walk confidentally in front of the cars at the crossings and they will(usually)stop. Show a second of doubt or hesitation and they appear to accelerate!! . Must admit though that crossing with 3 dcs must be a challenge.

Stinkyfeet · 19/05/2009 19:58

We stayed here in December and it was fine. Great location, good breakfast, clean and comfortable. It's not luxury, but I'd happily stay there again!

We used this company for a walking tour. They were fantastic. If you read the testimonials on the site, I would echo every word. We did the Ancient Rome tour with Brian who was very knowledgable and entertaining. Wish we'd been there longer to some of their other tours. Would definitely use them again.

Take comfortable shoes - we walked for hours every day!

ladylush · 19/05/2009 20:12

I really enjoyed staying in Trastevere