What to do in Rome? No museums or Vatican.

[Headtke's Wife]

Hi everyone,

 

We have our stop in Rome on the splendour of the seas in April. We are actually spending a week in Italy after our cruise with a few days in Rome. We will be doing all museums, Vatican etc during that time. We are hoping to do something different while stopping on the cruise. We love to eat and drink wine, and emerge ourselves in local culture.nnany suggestions would be great. Thanks!

[euro cruiser]

A lovely and interesting site often overlooked by tourists in their mad rush to see places on their "top ten" or "top five" lists is Castel Sant'Angelo; if you don't plan to get there during your days in Rome after the cruise, that would be a good choice.

 

You could act like a Roman and put together a gourmet picnic and head to one of the parks, especially one with a view like Giancolo. If you're up there at noon you'll have a nice (but loud) surprise.

 

You could visit one of the Roman history museums that foreigners rarely (in my experience, anyway ... been there many times and have never seen another American to my knowledge) get to. The best, in my opinion, is in Palazzo Braschi (between Piazza Navona and Corso Emanuelle II).

 

For what it's worth, I've spent months in Rome and have yet to get to all of the museums, etc. Even with several days you'll need to prioritize.

[Headtke's Wife]

A lovely and interesting site often overlooked by tourists in their mad rush to see places on their "top ten" or "top five" lists is Castel Sant'Angelo; if you don't plan to get there during your days in Rome after the cruise, that would be a good choice.

 

You could act like a Roman and put together a gourmet picnic and head to one of the parks, especially one with a view like Giancolo. If you're up there at noon you'll have a nice (but loud) surprise.

 

You could visit one of the Roman history museums that foreigners rarely (in my experience, anyway ... been there many times and have never seen another American to my knowledge) get to. The best, in my opinion, is in Palazzo Braschi (between Piazza Navona and Corso Emanuelle II).

 

For what it's worth, I've spent months in Rome and have yet to get to all of the museums, etc. Even with several days you'll need to prioritize.

 

Thanks for the info! We have several tours planned during our three days later on our trip. I love the idea of the picnic. How would we get there from the port? Are there any places you recommend picking up some lunch and wine to take with us? I am not familiar with the relationship of the port to anything. Thanks for your help.

[euro cruiser]

From the port you can either take a ship's transfer (usually a high priced bus trip), hire a private car service (expensive), or take the train.

 

The train station in Civitavecchia is walking distance from the port (about five blocks directly south). You can buy a regional transit ticket called a BIRG for 9 Euro from the newsstand at the train station, this ticket covers regional train travel between Civitavecchia and Rome as well as all mass transit in Rome (buses, metro, trams) for the entire day.

 

Here's one possible plan: take the regional train and get off at the Rome Trastevere station. Exit the station and take tram #8 (direction Argentina) from the stop in the middle of the street in front of the station. Stay on this tram until it crosses the Tevere (Tiber) river (the 7th stop after you get on, but if you miss the stop it's no big deal, the end of the line is the next stop only a couple of blocks away).

 

When you get off the tram you'll be on the edge of the Ghetto section of Rome, where you can find lots of great food shops. You don't need to speak Italian, pointing works just fine.

 

There's a great little shop in this neighborhood that sells low priced stuff, kind of one step down from a CVS or Walgreens here at home, but a step up from a dollar store. It's located on Via di Portico d'Ottavia, right where Via del Tempio intersects it (look for yellow security gates over the tops of the windows, that's the place). You can see it on the google map street view. In this shop you can pick up cheap plastic ware or even glassware (for your wine) as well as other stuff you might want for your picnic.

 

There are several places to buy wine in the neighborhood, if you don't trip over one just ask someone.

 

Once you've got everything together, get back on the #8 tram going the other way (direction Casaletto) for three or four stops (depending on if you got on at the very first stop or the second) to the Ministry P. Istruzione stop, where you change to the #115 bus which will take you up the Giancolo hill to Piazza Garibaldi. Get off there and look for your picnic spot.

[cruisemom42]

Another good thing to do, once you get to Rome, is just plan to walk around and orient yourself to the city. It's such a great walking city and you are bound to discover interesting things around every corner. There are many little piazzas with gorgeous fountains that no one ever writes about (as if Trevi is the only fountain in Rome!). Or pop your head into a few churches to experience the art and history of Rome where much of it was originally meant to be seen.

 

The area around the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, and Campo dei Fiori is rich with things to see and has tons of places to grab food, whether you want a full meal at an outside cafe or just a quick sandwich or slice of pizza to go. It's a good place to start. Or look up one of Rick Steves' Rome books and just do one of his self-guided walking tours in the city.

[texancruzer]

If i am reading it right, you will be stopping on a port stop for Rome, then returning after your cruise to spend a few days in the city.

 

If so, and you like the idea of a picnic, you could get off the ship and head to Ostia Antica near the airport and have a picnic there. We stayed there one night after our last Med cruise (#3) and spent the day in Ostia Antica. The ruins are extensive and the area is really beautiful with lots of trees and greenery. We almost had the entire place to ourselves and it was peaceful, historic and just a wonderful day.

 

just a note: Ostia Antica was Rome's port area.

[Podie]

Make sure to take enough time to relax in one of the wonderful piazzas in Rome to soak up all the flavor! I am currently in Rome and just relaxing here is wonderful!

[donaldsc]

Just get out and walk around. That will immerse you into the local culture. Stop at any cafes that look interesting and relax. Another option is to just pick a bus that seems to go to an interesting sounding place, ride it to the end of the lime, and then ride it back.

 

DON

[flyingboy]

all the nice picnic spots have sandwich trucks parked close by which sell food and beers. select a couple and relax, enjoy the view and people watch.

dont think i would take a bus to the end of an unknown line. the historical centre of rome is very compact but most of the bus routes go out of it.

[ollienbertsmum]

Why not cut out much of the travelling on that day and go to Tarquinia instead?

[luvtheships]

Hi everyone' date='

 

We have our stop in Rome on the splendour of the seas in April. We are actually spending a week in Italy after our cruise with a few days in Rome. We will be doing all museums, Vatican etc during that time. We are hoping to do something different while stopping on the cruise. We love to eat and drink wine, and emerge ourselves in local culture.nnany suggestions would be great. Thanks![/quote']

I am doing the Etruscan tour

[Floflegs]

Tivoli is really worth a visit if you have seen the main sights of Rome.