Please help me order my day in Rome

[slidergirl]

On you way walking from the Colosseum/Forum area, when you get to Largo Argentina (where you'd catch or get off the #8 tram), you'll find the cat sanctuary, where Rome's feral cats roam among some ruins. Across the street from the sanctuary you will find a fantastic artisinal gelato store, Gelateria Artigianale Corona!!!!!! Perfect place to stop and cool down with a nice gelato or sorbetto. My favorite there was the lemon and basil gelato - ooooh, so creamy but refreshing!!! And, the price isn't a ripoff, either. Google or go to Trip Advisor to find the exact address.

[cruisemom42]

Sounds like a good plan. One final tip: be especially carefully crossing the streets in and around Piazza Venezia. It's a crazy busy square with wide streets flowing with a non-stop stream of buses, taxis and cars, and all with no good crossing areas! While there is plenty of traffic elsewhere, the smaller streets and back alleys are easy to cross by comparison! Enjoy your day in Roma!

 

They are currently doing construction work in that area (to make a crazy traffic area even worse) for the long awaited new metro line.

 

However, they have also created a way for pedestrians to walk AROUND the Piazza, with crosswalks, to make the intersection a little easier for pedestrians....

 

Just a warning -- even in a cross walk you have to take the initiative and start walking when there is a reasonable break. The cars (and buses, and scooters) WILL stop for you. It's just the way it's done there. Takes some guts the first few times.

[Terpnut]

They are currently doing construction work in that area (to make a crazy traffic area even worse) for the long awaited new metro line.

 

However, they have also created a way for pedestrians to walk AROUND the Piazza, with crosswalks, to make the intersection a little easier for pedestrians....

 

Just a warning -- even in a cross walk you have to take the initiative and start walking when there is a reasonable break. The cars (and buses, and scooters) WILL stop for you. It's just the way it's done there. Takes some guts the first few times.

Cross walk or no cross walk, my approach remains the same in Roma--walk quickly and confidently (show no fear!), but do make sure they see you! LOL

[slidergirl]

On you way walking from the Colosseum/Forum area, when you get to Largo Argentina (where you'd catch or get off the #8 tram), you'll find the cat sanctuary, where Rome's feral cats roam among some ruins. Across the street from the sanctuary you will find a fantastic artisinal gelato store, Gelateria Artigianale Corona!!!!!! Perfect place to stop and cool down with a nice gelato or sorbetto. My favorite there was the lemon and basil gelato - ooooh, so creamy but refreshing!!! And, the price isn't a ripoff, either. Google or go to Trip Advisor to find the exact address.

 

I meant walking from the Colosseum/Forum area to the Pantheon (or vise versa)...

 

Re crossing streets - yep, you do have to be assertive. Watch the locals, too! Move when they do!!!

[sweetpea222]

Thanks for the tips re: crossing the street. I once took my life in my hands trying to cross at a marked cross walk in Tucson Arizona, across a 6 lane street. NOBODY stopped for you. NO ONE. Basically I had to just make sure the drivers coming towards me made eye contact and then I stepped out into the crosswalk and started across. Forced them to stop. Ha.

 

Then again, I didn't have my kids with me at that time. :eek:

 

Slidergirl, that cat sanctuary suggestion is just what I needed! My girls are cat nuts, we have two of them that they love dearly. They will love to see some Roman cats, and the gelato idea is just icing on the cake. I will put that into my cheat sheet. :D

[sweetpea222]

Quick question about the port in Civitevecchia. I read a recent review of our cruise, which said that you had to wait for the shuttle to the port entrance if you are a DIY. They let the organized tour people go first. She said the wait was pretty long, but didn't give an exact time frame.

 

The Spirit is there from 8 am to 7 pm, and I have no idea where in the port it will be docked. Anyone have an idea how long it might take to get the shuttle to the entrance? I know from there it's a quick walk to the train station. We want to make the 8:35 am train to Rome.

 

Anybody remember how long they had to wait for the shuttle on a busier port day? I believe there are 5 ships total in Civitavecchia on July 19.

 

By the way, thanks to all your help and google maps, I now have our route planned out for the day and am fairly comfortable knowing where everything is. So, thank you!!

[CathyCruises]

Quick question about the port in Civitevecchia. I read a recent review of our cruise, which said that you had to wait for the shuttle to the port entrance if you are a DIY. They let the organized tour people go first. She said the wait was pretty long, but didn't give an exact time frame.

 

The Spirit is there from 8 am to 7 pm, and I have no idea where in the port it will be docked. Anyone have an idea how long it might take to get the shuttle to the entrance? I know from there it's a quick walk to the train station. We want to make the 8:35 am train to Rome.

 

Anybody remember how long they had to wait for the shuttle on a busier port day? I believe there are 5 ships total in Civitavecchia on July 19.

 

By the way, thanks to all your help and google maps, I now have our route planned out for the day and am fairly comfortable knowing where everything is. So, thank you!!

 

We've always been there on Celebrity and never had to wait for a shuttle. We always try to be among the first off and there has always been a shuttle waiting. They do wait until it's pretty full--but once they leave the ship, it's less than a 5 minute ride to the port entrance. And then about a 10 minute walk to the station.

 

When they say docking at 8, again, in my experience we have been there well before that, so I'd be prepared to leave the ship BY 8, anyway. And the shire excursion people board their special buses, not the shuttles, so there really shouldn't be much of a wait at all.

[euro cruiser]

Our experience was the same as Cathy's. Organized excursions don't use the shuttle buses, they have dedicated buses. I have been on cruises when those going on excursions were allowed off the ship first, but I think that was when there were tenders involved.

 

Be up and ready to move the second they allow you off the ship, even if that means a bit of hanging around, because getting to the station early can mean as much as an extra hour in Rome.

 

I mapped the distance from our ship to the port entrance at Civitavecchia after the cruise, because I was curious. It turned out to be just under a mile - if I'd known that I probably would have walked it if a bus wasn't right there and ready to go. However, unless you've been to the port before and have some perspective it's hard to judge that.

[slidergirl]

Thanks for the tips re: crossing the street. I once took my life in my hands trying to cross at a marked cross walk in Tucson Arizona, across a 6 lane street. NOBODY stopped for you. NO ONE. Basically I had to just make sure the drivers coming towards me made eye contact and then I stepped out into the crosswalk and started across. Forced them to stop. Ha.

 

Then again, I didn't have my kids with me at that time. :eek:

 

Slidergirl, that cat sanctuary suggestion is just what I needed! My girls are cat nuts, we have two of them that they love dearly. They will love to see some Roman cats, and the gelato idea is just icing on the cake. I will put that into my cheat sheet. :D

 

My pleasure. It's even better that it's on your way between the large "attractions." Buy the gelato first, then cross and watch the cats. If you do an Internet search for "cat sanctuary in Rome", you'll find some info on it.

[Terpnut]

...

Slidergirl, that cat sanctuary suggestion is just what I needed! My girls are cat nuts, we have two of them that they love dearly. They will love to see some Roman cats, and the gelato idea is just icing on the cake. I will put that into my cheat sheet. :D

 

My pleasure. It's even better that it's on your way between the large "attractions." Buy the gelato first, then cross and watch the cats. If you do an Internet search for "cat sanctuary in Rome", you'll find some info on it.

Personally, I wouldn't spend as much time at Largo Argentina, but would walk the 10 minutes to Piazza della Rotonda where the Pantheon is, get my gelati around there and watch people--not cats. :p:D

[cruisemom42]

On you way walking from the Colosseum/Forum area, when you get to Largo Argentina (where you'd catch or get off the #8 tram), you'll find the cat sanctuary, where Rome's feral cats roam among some ruins. Across the street from the sanctuary you will find a fantastic artisinal gelato store, Gelateria Artigianale Corona!!!!!!

 

By the way, those ruins the cats are roaming are the remains of four small and very early (by that I mean from when Rome was still a republic, before the emperors) temples AND the spot where Caesar was assassinated.

 

The area right behind the four temples was a large piazza (or porticoed square, as it would have been then) and behind that was the large theatre built by Pompey the Great. The square between the temples and the theatre of Pompey is the spot where Julius Caesar was actually killed. Most people think it was in the Forum, but it wasn't. The Senate could meet at any temple large enough to house all of them and they were going to meet that day in the large temple associated with Pompey's theatre....which is another funny story in itself but I don't want to ramble on!

 

At any rate, if you are stopping to admire the cats and eat gelato, it's worth noting that you're also looking at the spot where Caesar was assassinated.

 

Also, be aware that the Largo Argentina area is a bit seedy. I always seem to be there when there are some homeless folks (as well as homeless cats in the sanctuary) hanging out.

 

More info:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largo_di_Torre_Argentina

[sweetpea222]

That is really interesting. Thanks! :D

 

I know seeing the homeless cats wouldn't be a priority for everyone, but you don't know the extent of cat-love my kids have. They squeal whenever they see a cat just about anywhere. A stop there, with photos, will be a great memory for them, for sure.

 

Good to know the shuttles shouldn't be an issue. I will be cracking the whip that day to make sure everyone is up and ready to go as early as possible. We will plan to hit the buffet breakfast at 7 am, load up on some coffee and make our way down to the gangplank by 7:45 if possible.

 

I mapped our route out on google maps, and created a cheat sheet with the details, that I will carry with me. I don't want to be overly rigid with our timing, but I do want to have a plan rather than just wander aimlessly. We'll save that for our return trip, if the coins in Trevi work their magic :D

[slidergirl]

Personally, I wouldn't spend as much time at Largo Argentina, but would walk the 10 minutes to Piazza della Rotonda where the Pantheon is, get my gelati around there and watch people--not cats. :p:D

 

Ah, this isn't just any old toorist caliber gelato. This is one of the few artisinal gelato shops in Rome. Mentioned in Katie Parla, Elizibeth Minchilli, chowhound, Trip Advisor, and others. It isn't the usual gelato flavors, but some unusual custom flavors from fresh ingredients and NOT mass produced. And they don't charge tourist prices ;) Even if you don't stop at the cat sanctuary, it's a stop about midway on the path to the Pantheon.