Rome- walk from site to site?

[CLEMM]

How far is the walk from the Pantheon to the Colloseum and from the Pantheon to Vatican City? I heard it is walkable, but that could mean any number of things.

[hkto]

How far is the walk from the Pantheon to the Colloseum and from the Pantheon to Vatican City? I heard it is walkable, but that could mean any number of things.

 

Pantheon to the Colloseum is close, Pantheon to Vatican City is slightly longer but walkable. Direction is Colloseum/Pantheon/Vatican or vice verso. Use Google Earth to get exact distances.

[Donray]

How far is the walk from the Pantheon to the Colloseum and from the Pantheon to Vatican City? I heard it is walkable, but that could mean any number of things.

 

About a four Kilometer distance. An hour or less walk.

[cruisingallover]

take the subway or bus....very easy and cheap.

[Eileen G]

Walking around Rome is really great you just need to have an order so you don't back track. Get yourself a really good map of Rome. The walk between both these areas can pass most the other places you want to see. It’s a wonderful walk from the Vatican to the Castle Angelo over the bridge of Angles to Plazza Narvona then to the Pantheon and Trevi Fountian. The Spanish Steps are a little out of the way and really not worth the detour. Next on to the Piazza Venezia where the Victor Emanuel Monument and Capital Hill is located. Capitol Hill has a great overlook of the Roman Forum. From there it's a strait walk to the Coliseum. Circle the places you want to see and make yourself a route to walk. If you go to the Spanish Steps you can always hop on the metro and take it to the Coliseum.

[CHUANJO]

You can use that site, http://www.bestlocationhotels.com/hotels/Rome/en/ , to estimate time on walking distances.

[euro cruiser]

How far is the walk from the Pantheon to the Colloseum and from the Pantheon to Vatican City? I heard it is walkable, but that could mean any number of things.

From the Pantheon to St. Peter's Basilica is a little over a mile and is completely flat.

 

From the Pantheon to the entrance of the Vatican Museums is a little more than a mile and a half, also flat.

 

From the Pantheon to the Colosseum is about a mile and a quarter.

 

This is all very easy to calculate using google maps and the walking option.

[JLC@SD]

take the subway or bus....very easy and cheap.

 

and PS........both are a great place to meet pickpockets.....beware and be careful on these....;)

[Ann262]

Hi there! I am researching my days in the Italy ports. I am also reading Rick Steves "Europe through the back door". If Rome and Vatican is walkable, that would be fine with us. How does one get from the port cvititechia (sp?) to Rome and back?

[euro cruiser]

Hi there! I am researching my days in the Italy ports. I am also reading Rick Steves "Europe through the back door". If Rome and Vatican is walkable, that would be fine with us. How does one get from the port cvititechia (sp?) to Rome and back?

Using public transit, train is (realistically) the only way to get from Civitavecchia to Rome. There are many, many posts on this with great detail, but the overview is:

- Use free port shuttle from ship to port entrance

- Walk about four or five blocks south to Civitavecchia train station

- Purchase a BIRG ticket at the newsstand for 9 Euro (per adult), which is good for train to and from Rome, as well as all mass transit in Rome for 24 hours

- Take a regional train from Civitavecchia to one of four train stations in Rome, choosing the one that is closest to your first site (Roma San Pietro for the Vatican area, Roma Ostiense for the Colosseum)

[wotaripper]

Hi there! I am researching my days in the Italy ports. I am also reading Rick Steves "Europe through the back door". If Rome and Vatican is walkable, that would be fine with us. How does one get from the port cvititechia (sp?) to Rome and back?

my husband and i visited rome via royal caribbean we took the rome on your own shore excursion which dropped us off at st. peters basilica and the picked us up 6 hours later we found it very easy to find our way round and saw the basilica the trevi fountain the spanish steps colusseum etc all at our own pace it toook nearly an hor and a half each way by coach but at least we where assured that the ship would still be there when we got back i would suggest this is a safe and reasonable way to do it be prepared it will be a long day but well worth it

[lilcheg]

my husband and i visited rome via royal caribbean we took the rome on your own shore excursion which dropped us off at st. peters basilica and the picked us up 6 hours later we found it very easy to find our way round and saw the basilica the trevi fountain the spanish steps colusseum etc all at our own pace it toook nearly an hor and a half each way by coach but at least we where assured that the ship would still be there when we got back i would suggest this is a safe and reasonable way to do it be prepared it will be a long day but well worth it

 

 

Did you do this all on foot or did you use public transport to get around??

[CathyCruises]

If you are looking to travel inexpensively, the train is the only way to go. Taking the bus from the ship into Rome can take longer than the train and is 5-10 times more expensive. Many of us on these boards have taken the train many, many times without incident and it is a fun and enjoyable way to travel as the locals do. I recommend getting off at Roma San Pietro and seeing Vatican City first, then you can walk or bus to all the other sites. The bus system is very easy to use and I have NEVER been asked for a ticket, even though your 9 euro BIRG ticket does cover all public transport for the day. You just need a decent map to have a great day. Plus each bus stop posts a list of each bus that stops there and all the places those buses go--it really is simple.

 

However, there are way more places in Rome to see than can possibly be seen in a day. Do your research ahead of time and decide which 3 or 4 places are most important to you, then plan your route accordingly. If I only had one day, I would see the inside of St. Peter's Basilica, the Forum, the Colosseum, and the Trevi Fountain/Piazza Navona/Pantheon. That is a FULL day even if you just grab a piece of pizza on the go. Then promise yourself you will come back to see all the other truly wonderful things the city has to offer. I was just there for 5 days, for my 4th visit, and still didn't see everything I wanted to see!

 

Cathy

[D4]

If you only have a day or two in Rome, I recommend taking some sort of transportation (metro, bus, taxi) to get from place to place rather than spending so much time walking.

 

You asked how walkable it is. That can really be influenced by the time of the year you're in Rome. The summer is HOT and crowded. (Because of those 2 factors, we only go to Rome in the spring and fall.)

[shemp2000]

How far is the walk from the Pantheon to the Colloseum and from the Pantheon to Vatican City? I heard it is walkable, but that could mean any number of things.

 

We started a walk at sunset. Started at the Colloseum, to the Pantheon, ended at the Vatican.

 

We saw many sites, walked small back streets, stopped for dinner (pizza), had a great time. Always felt safe.

 

I think this is a great way to see the city and collect wonderful memories

 

It took 3-4 hours,but that included dinner and exploring

[texancruzer]

I just have to add that if you walk you come across so many interesting things BESIDES the big items (ie Trevi, etc...) We have stayed a total of three nights in Rome (pre and post cruise stays) and one of the best things is to stroll the area. You never know what kind of neat thing is around the next corner....... a cool piazza with a unique elephant obelisk (Piazza della Minerva) or just a small wall fountain with clear cool (very drinkable) water........ or an old building with a few hundred year old door..... ahhhhhh I wish I was there right now !!!!!

 

anyway, the bus or metro can be quicker but to walk is to experience and enjoy Rome !

[PC168]

Using public transit, train is (realistically) the only way to get from Civitavecchia to Rome. There are many, many posts on this with great detail, but the overview is:

- Use free port shuttle from ship to port entrance

- Walk about four or five blocks south to Civitavecchia train station

- Purchase a BIRG ticket at the newsstand for 9 Euro (per adult), which is good for train to and from Rome, as well as all mass transit in Rome for 24 hours

- Take a regional train from Civitavecchia to one of four train stations in Rome, choosing the one that is closest to your first site (Roma San Pietro for the Vatican area, Roma Ostiense for the Colosseum)

 

Hi euro cruiser,

Regarding to the BIRG ticket, 9 euro per adult, would you know the fare for a child 12 and under? May be there is no children's discount?

Thanks.

[euro cruiser]

I couldn't remember the specific age, I know I didn't pay for the kids when they were younger but couldn't remember when I started.

 

I found this article on Slowtrav from a few years ago that says the age for tickets is 10 and over: http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/rome_transportation/tickets.htm

 

However, Rick Steve's web site says that children under 3'3" travel free, regardless of age: http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/italy/02kidsrome.htm

 

Trenitalia limits free travel to the under 4 crowd, and has a 50% reduction for kids 4 - 12. However, they note that the regions can override this for regional trains.

 

So, I don't think I've answered your question very well, more likely I've just made it more confusing, sorry.

 

For me, when in doubt I'd rather pay when I didn't need to, then get in trouble for not paying when I should have. But that's me.

 

One way to find out is to ask the ticket seller - point to the child in question and just ask "per il ragazzo (or la ragazza)?"

[jefsto03]

We did a combo of a lot of walking and using a lot of public transportation when we were there last yr. Its 2.5-3mile walk from Vatican City to the Colosseum. So that is certainly walkable, but I know just walking the Forum and the Colosseum tired us out so we relied on public transportation to get to/from there.

 

For 25 Euro's we bought the Roma Pass which gave us entry to 2 museums and / or archaeological sites of your choice plus reduced tickets for other sites. In addition, it gives you free use of the metro and the bus system. It paid for itself very quickly and included maps and bus schedules that made it very easy to navigate public transportation.

[CathyCruises]

We also bought the Roma pass, but I am not 100% sure it paid for itself. For one thing, the subway lines are limited; there are only two lines, and we found in general that they didn't go close enough to the majority of the places we wanted to go. So we took a lot of buses, but they almost NEVER check for tickets. In fact, the concierge at our hotel said he has only been asked for a ticket three times in his whole life!

 

Having said that, I wouldn't personally use the bus system without a ticket, and the pass made it efficient. We used the free entrance for Galleries Borghese and Trajan's Market, but it does not work for any Vatican-related admissions, and we had already been to many of the places included on the pass, so we weren't able to take advantage of many of the discounts.

 

Just be sure before you buy that you will be using at least the minimum value, or you may be better off paying as you go. The three days go by REALLY fast, and you don't want to spend every waking minute in a museum; sometimes you just want to wander and eat gelato and soak up the atmosphere!

 

Cathy

[cruisemom42]

Re: the Roma Pass -- I agree with Cathy that you have to carefully review whether or not you'll get your money's worth from it. (It used to be a no-brainer a couple of years ago but they've raised the price twice since then.....)

 

On the pro side: If you plan to see a lot of museums and sites (not all are "indoor" type museums), it can be worthwhile. The first two admissions are free, so you should plan to visit the places with the highest ticket cost first -- generally this is the Colosseum/Forum/Palatine Hill combined ticket (only counts as one), and the Borghese Gallery, if you're interested.

 

Plus, you do get reduced admissions to other museums after the first two free ones. When I visited Rome in late November/early December of 2008, I went on a museum-visiting tear -- mostly because the weather was lousy (solid rain most days; the Tiber flooded, etc) I visited 6 sites with the card and more than got my money's worth. Also, due to the rain, I used the subway a fair amount and also got value there.

 

Also on the Pro side, if you are there during peak times, you don't have to wait in any lines with the pass.

 

The downsides, as Cathy mentioned, are that the metro isn't all that convenient to a lot of places, you will need to plan your time efficiently as the pass is only good for 3 days, and you may not want to see that many of the included places.

[jefsto03]

Personally we used the Roma pass to gain entrance to the Colosseum (15E) and the Castle Sant' Angelo (8E) which almost paid for itself, plus skipping lines definitely made it worth it. I guess its different for everyone, but we found the metro extremely convenient. Its got a stop w/in spittings distance of the Colosseum, Spanish Steps and Termini station. Short walks from stops to get to Trevi fountain, Vatican City and many of the other sites.