Need ideas for first timers to Rome - minus Vatican

[mmccool719]

We are a family of 4 with 2 teens traveling late July, never been to Europe. Doing Western Med cruise (Naples, Florence, Barcelona, Marseille, Nice, Rome) I'm stumped on Rome. I was thinking of taking train to Rome and then doing a hop on/hop off bus tour and/or Colosseum and gelato. Vatican sounds great but not interested enough to stand in crowds and heat to see it on this trip. I think my kids would like Colesseum. The idea of a tour sounds nice but I'm not sure it's in the budget. We don't really want to feel rushed by cramming too much. Ideas? Thoughts?

[4cats4me]

I recommend a private tour company versus a cruise ship tour. Those cruise ship tours are a rip off. When we went, we toured for approximately one third to one half all the ship tours. July will be hot and miserable, so you want to make your day as easy peasy as possible. That would mean being picked up by private driver or tour van and being carted around to various attractions. Vatican is so intense. We had a private guide to meet us, so we got whisked right in and avoided all lines.

 

We used Romeinlimo and they had vans which accommodated eight people. We had enough of our own people to fill the van since we were traveling with a large group at all so I made a lot of friends on Cruise critic so we did a lot of share tours all throughout Europe. Rome in limo also has a share tour option, where you can join with other people. Joe banana a.k.a. Italy tour sharing is another highly recommended agency.

 

With Rome in limo, you would order your own Colosseum tickets online which was very easy, actually and that way you avoid wasting valuable time while in Rome. The lines can be horrendous.

Our driver picked us up at 8 o'clock at the port and it is a 90 minute ride into Rome, and from there we went to the Colosseum, for an hour or two but we got rained out so our driver hooked us up with a wonderful four course meal to eat for $20 per person, from there he took us to the Vatican where we met our guide and spent a few hours there and then piled in the van for our one and a half hour ride back to the port.

 

There are many things to see in Rome but of course we couldn't see a lot because of the great rain that we had that day torrential rain.

 

Circus Maximus is another place you would want to go which is near the Colosseum.

 

I would recommend joining your rollcall for your cruise and attempting to share tours with others on your rollcall. It is amazing how many people organize tours and are looking for somebody to share the cost. RIL charged approx 550-600€ per van, so divided by 8 the cost is quite reasonable, plus add a gratuity and you would pay for your own lunch, of course.

You pay in cash at the end of the tour

 

 

 

 

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[easyboy]

You can use http://www.romeinlimo.com or http://www.romecabs.com for your customized transport.

 

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[ladywendolyn]

We bought tickets for the coliseum and Vatican way before we left for Europe. We did not have to stand in line and tickets were $17 each. Same with coleseum ... buy privately in advance

 

 

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[JMorris271]

HOHO was the away for us to go. We read up on the history of places we wanted to visit, allowed the time WE wanted to have,

If you want to see something really nice, take a tour out to the Trivoli gardens. Spectacular ! About 45min outside of Rome. BTW Circus Maximus looks like a football field with a track going around it.

Select Italy is a great company to get your vouchers from.

 

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[cruisemom42]

If you are on a budget and you're up for it, then using the train to get into Rome is probably the most budget-friendly option. There are a ton of posts on this forum about how to get to the train, buy your ticket (BIRG roundtrip, 12 euro), etc.

 

I do not recommend the HOHO buses in Rome for people who are only there for a port day. Because of the many narrow streets and pedestrian areas in Rome, the buses do not give you a view of several of the iconic sites if you stay onboard. And if you get off, you may find yourself waiting a long time for another bus to come along..... (and sometimes they are full).

 

Just figure out 1-2 things you want to do, and we can maybe give advice on what train stations to use. For example, if you want to go to the Colosseum, you don't need to go all the way to Rome's central station -- there's a faster way via the Ostiense station, then taking the metro directly to the Colosseum. Buying your tickets in advance is also a good idea, especially in the peak summer months.

 

You can probably fit in one other thing -- maybe walking to Piazza Navona and Pantheon area (there are lots of Gelateria around there anyway.....).

[slidergirl]

I agree with cruisemom. Honestly, I believe there is no need to use a private service for Rome unless you are not comfortable with self-travel. You can easily get into Rome via the excellent train system. If the family wants to visit The Colosseum/Forum/Palentine Hill complex, it is easy to purchase tickets ahead of time. If you want to have a guide to tell you want you seeing, they are available.

Keep the number of things to visit to a minimum. That way, you have time time to truly visit and explore instead of running from a car for a camera shot and back in the car. The HoHo busses in Rome really are not that good for a day tripper. They do not stop at most common attractions (other than by the Colosseum) - you have to get off and walk if you want to see something. The HoHo busses are very crowded - you may have to wait for several busses to come and go before you have a bus with enough room for you.

[Rhisibabe]

A few years ago we caught the train into Rome which was really easy. We had our route sorted before we went so knew where we were going. We got off the train near the Forum and bought tickets that admitted us to the Forum and the Colosseum, which meant we didn't have to queue at the Colosseum. I think we then mainly walked around Rome, but might have caught 1 train, and saw all the major sites, including St Peter's Square, but not the Vatican, before getting the train back. We went to the Vatican last year and you need several hours to look round properly. This DIY trip was really easy to do as long as you have planned where you want to go beforehand.

[Clay Clayton]

The last few posters since CruiseMom (she is ALWAYS right) are steering you in the correct direction. IF it was me, I would do the Vatican ahead of the Coliseium but it's sorta like gelato, do you prefer strawberry or chocolate - you're not going to go wrong with either...but I NEVER go to Rome without going to the Pantheon....and I was in school in Italy and therefore have been to Rome alot....the Pantheon is amazing once you realize just how long ago it was built. I would suggest no matter what you do, that you load Rick Steves' app on your phones as he can provide good overview to most of the places you are going. We did this on our last trip and listened to them before we left and that helped us plan our port days.

 

Have a great trip!

[coco33]

It is going to be soooooo hot in Rome in July. Whatever you do, hopefully it involves air conditioning. Maybe a tour bus ride?

[b_cruise]

I also recommend a tour. We did the one with italytoursharing.com. It was Rome highlights without the Vatican. Fantastico lol

I know italy ' breaks the bank' but if u go to ur roll call and get groups of 8 together , it saves a bit of money then using ships tours. Also if u book 3 groups with italytoursharing, they have a discount.

My first time I couldn't afford a bunch of tours so I picked the one port that I wanted to see the most and I booked a tour. I believe at that time it was indeed Rome . Have a great cruise!

[mskaufman]

If your interests are in ancient Rome, you can make a day of it by starting at the Coliseum and going through the Forum. Last time we walked (lots of walking) starting at the Spanish Steps, going to the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Plazza Navonna (where we had lunch) and then walked towards the Vatican taking in the bridge over the Tiber. That was a great day.

 

[slidergirl]

It is going to be soooooo hot in Rome in July. Whatever you do, hopefully it involves air conditioning. Maybe a tour bus ride?

 

Or, go it on your own. Walking leisurely through the Centro Storico of Rome allows plenty of opportunity to sample granita, the great-tasting water of Rome from the public drinking fountains, a cup of gelato - stop and sample as many times as you want. Enjoy lunch or a quick drink under an umbrella'd table on a piazza. Do a quick visit inside a church or a store for a respite from the heat. Thousands of people walk in Rome daily, even in summer ;)

[coco33]

Or, go it on your own. Walking leisurely through the Centro Storico of Rome allows plenty of opportunity to sample granita, the great-tasting water of Rome from the public drinking fountains, a cup of gelato - stop and sample as many times as you want. Enjoy lunch or a quick drink under an umbrella'd table on a piazza. Do a quick visit inside a church or a store for a respite from the heat. Thousands of people walk in Rome daily, even in summer ;)

 

Lol I understand that, but OP said this is her first time to Europe. It was my first time to Italy and I went in May and was unprepared for how hot it was. I even got sunburned :sad: so I can't even imagine what July is like. :eek:

[slidergirl]

Lol I understand that, but OP said this is her first time to Europe. It was my first time to Italy and I went in May and was unprepared for how hot it was. I even got sunburned :sad: so I can't even imagine what July is like. :eek:

 

You do know you can get sunburned even in winter? I see tourists all over my winter resort town in wintertime sporting nasty sunburns on their faces. It's the sun, not the heat. And, I always look at the average temperatures for the time I'm going for the area I am visiting - helps me be prepared ;)

Dressing for the weather is also necessary. Sundresses and tank tops and shorts will make you hot - you have exposed skin where the heat and sun attack. There are wonderful lightweight travel shirts and pants for women that allow you to stay cool, and not get sunburned.

 

I did Italy my first time solo. I went DIY the whole way. The heat shouldn't determine how one travels. I was showing how easy it is to DIY without an air-conditioned private vehicle. If someone gets tired/hot, one can always hail a cab.

[LondonTowner]

Not only is Rome hot and crowded in July, it is very humid. I much prefer it any time of year that is not summer.

 

 

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[irvington]

I'm just finishing up a stay in Rome with two teens. We all regret our trip to the Vatican. It was hot, incredibly crowded, and put us all in a bad mood. Honestly we enjoyed wandering into churches in the historic center and viewing the art so much more. The frequent Rome posters here gave some great ideas for that. Trevi fountain was awfully crowded too- wouldn't recommend that.

I'm not sure how it would work with a port stop but my teens' favorite day time activities were the Context and Walks of Italy tours we took. They loved the guides.

 

 

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[Aulanis]

I Want to Frighten You!

If I had left that in black you may have thought I left out the dont but I havent.

 

BEWARE OF PICKPOCKETS

There is a current harrowing story on CC of a youngish couple one of which had their passport and cards stolen a few days ago. Worse still they were embarking in Rome Port and without passports she wont be able to board. As you will be mid cruise suggest you lock your passports in the cabin safe and make copies to take ashore. Use a body belt type carrier for cash and cards ships card and copy passport.

 

Dont ever put your bags/cameras/phones down even for a second you may not see them again.

 

I would guess that there are losses on every cruise that goes to Rome and maybe Barcelona

DONT LET IT BE YOU!

Rome is a marvellous place even without the Vatican

you wont have time to do a lot so planning is the Key.

Enjoy your cruise - stay safe.

 

 

 

[JimmyTheSaint]

I think you're right in not planning to see the Vatican, to see it properly we needed half a day.

Rome is full of icon images and places but the most icon has to be the Colosseum. This should be top of your to do list in Rome. The Forum is next door and entry is included with the Colosseum ticket. We spent about 30 minutes in the Colosseum and about 3 hours in the Forum. You can get some great views and photos of the Colosseum from the Forum.

Depending on how long you have in Rome you may also have time to walk to the Pantheon and Trevi fountain. Personally I'd avoid the HOHO bus as you'll spend a lot of time sitting in traffic. The other sites are walkable or you can use the underground rail system.

[Zeta3]

As somebody previously mentioned we did a private tour in Rome with Rome in Limo and had an amazing time. We also skipped the Vatican and toured the Catacombs instead. We were able to see so much, avoided the crowds, had far less walking (I am still recovering from a broken foot) and enjoyed a lovely sit down lunch all without feeling exhausted at the end of the day.

 

 

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[mmccool719]

Wow, thanks everyone for the ideas. I think we are going to train it in, see Colosseum/Forum and then simply walk the area and take in the sites. Cruisemom42.......I would love to know your advice for the quicker travel route. Aulanis: thanks for the heads up, especially with teens who can become lax. Seems to be happening ALOT everywhere lately. What a nightmare! I really dislike heat, but this is an earned trip so we had no choice on dates so July it is!:eek: Thanks again!

[IsanTom]

Great info! Thanks!

[cruisemom42]

Wow, thanks everyone for the ideas. I think we are going to train it in, see Colosseum/Forum and then simply walk the area and take in the sites. Cruisemom42.......I would love to know your advice for the quicker travel route.

 

Sorry, I must have missed this earlier...

 

Take the port shuttle to the entrance, then take the local bus to the train station. Purchase your BIRG ticket at the station, and validate it in the machine near the tracks. Board your train.

 

Plan to exit the train at the station called Roma Ostiense. From here you want to get on the metro. The Pyramide metro station is right next door (and connects) to the train station, but it can sometimes be a bit of a pretzel to figure out the best way to get there, depending on where you alight. You may go through an underground connecting passage. Just look for and follow signs that say Metro or Pyramide, or that have a big white M on a red square.

 

Once at the metro station, there's only one line (Blue Line) but make sure you are headed in the right direction. There are maps in the station. You want to look for a train headed north -- it may say "Rebibbia" or "Conca d'Oro. Either one is fine for you because you are only going two stops.

 

By the way, you do not need to validate your ticket again.

 

Board the metro and in two stops you'll get off at the Colosseo stop. Exit and walk up the steps and the Colosseum will be right in front of you.

 

You can visit the Colosseum, Forum and/or Palatine hill with a single ticket -- reserve in advance to avoid a long line in the peak season -- there are also less crowded ticket areas than the one in front of the Colosseum, but for a short day it makes most sense to have your ticket in hand.

 

I'll continue with a second post later for suggestions on what to do after your Colosseum/Forum visit.

[AnnetteSC]

We just got back from a Mediterranean cruise and Rome was one of the port stops. We used italytoursharing and were extremely happy with their service! Some friends who went with the ship's excursions bus tour were complaining on how expensive and inconvenient it was!

We were concerned about cost also but others (on the roll call) from our ship joined our small group so it was doable.

If this is your first time, a tour is the best way to make the most of the limited time you have in Rome.

[b_cruise]

I too have used italytoursharing.com and did their tour without the Vatican. It was really good. Last time I added the Catacombs in and that was pretty cool. I had never done that before. If you want a private tour, I would use Joe banana Limos which is the same company but they offer private tours.

 

This trip we are actually doing the Rome By Night tour because we are staying in Rome a few nights. I leave tomorrow!! I will report back as always!!