Best way to tour Rome if Colosseum and Vatican are our top sights to see

[T3cruisersx]

Cruising in June, party of 3 == me, DH, and 15 year old son, first time to Europe, son specifically asked if we would see the gladiator Colosseum and I want to see St. Peter's and the Sistine Chapel (a quick walk through of the museums and artwork is fine as well as if we have to skip it). We are well aware that our day in Rome (port at 6am-7pm) will be a highlights tour. I've researched private tours/group shared tours/DIYing and I'm overwhelmed.

 

Is it logical that DIYing we could tour the Colosseum in the AM and the Vatican/St. Peter's/Sistine chapel in the afternoon and possibly fit in Trevi/Pantheon photo ops if we time or should I just spring for the private tour with just us 3 so we can customize it (a shared tour is much more economical but I'm concerned about some of the group not wanting to tour the Colosseum)?

 

I know -- there's no set answer and everyone has an opinion, but please give me some pros and cons that I may not have considered. We've traveled to NYC and DC and used public transportation in those cities, but not in Europe.

 

Thanks!

[euro cruiser]

You have a nice, long port day so there's plenty of time to do everything you've listed.

 

Do purchase your tickets to the Vatican Museums ahead of time to avoid the lines. You'll need to specify a time when you do so.

 

Public transit is excellent in Italy and this is a well-worn route for cruise passengers. When you have your day figured out we can help you with specific train times, routes, etc.

[simpsol]

We did Vatican and colesseum on same day. Never again. I think by end of day we had walked 18 miles.

 

 

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[DragonOfTheSeas]

I have found in the past that if I was willing to put a tour together that I could get others from my roll call to join me. That way I could customize the tour with what I want to see.

 

 

Save your feet and get to see more of want you want to see.

[cruisemom42]

I agree you can do it on your own.

 

The key will be getting the earliest start possible and being smart with your transportation. Also, get tickets to both the Vatican and the Colosseum (assuming you want to go inside) in advance.

 

There have been detailed posts on how to take the train and which stops are best for which sites so I won't post in detail, but just to give you a thumbnail....

 

-- Take earliest train you can get to in Civi; if you don't dawdle you could be at the Colosseum by 9am

-- Get off at Ostiense stop (no need to go into Rome Termini, which wastes time)

-- Transfer to Metro Line B (Blue Line) at the adjacent Pyramide metro station

-- Go two stops to Colosseo; walk up stairs & Colosseum is in front of you

 

Assuming you purchased your tickets in advance (must be tickets, not a voucher, read the purchase options carefully), get immediately into the line to go through the turnstile and security. Take photos of exterior afterwards; it's very important to get into that line as soon as possible!

 

Now a quick diversion.....in order to work backwards:

 

With a 7:00 departure, you want to be back at the ship by 6:30 at the latest, and you want to allow an hour from the train station just in case (since you have to take a bus and a port shuttle and/or perhaps walk...). With that in mind, the last train you could take and arrive Civi by 5:30 departs at 4:12 from Termini (and it is a good long walk from the station head). There are good reasons to leave from Termini where it originates, as in, if you don't you may not be able to squeeze onto the train at subsequent stops. :eek::eek:

 

Conventional wisdom says it's best to try for the "train before the last train" (which would be a 3:57 departure) -- but you are best placed to decide how you want to play it at the end of the day.

 

Allow half an hour by taxi to get to Termini station (taxi stand is just outside the portico around the Piazza in front of St. Peter's on the right if facing the basilica.

 

My point in saying this is that you need to leave the Vatican by 3:30 at latest. You'll have to figure out how best to spend your time. If it were me, I'd arrange for entry tickets for the museum at 12:00 noon. Spend around 2 hours and see the Sistine chapel. Then, assuming the entry line for the Basilica isn't terrible, you can go inside. (Be forewarned it is a good 20 minute or more walk from the museum entrance/exit to St. Peter's entrance.)

 

The Vatican offers 3-hour tours in English that cover both the museums (including the Sistine) and St Peter's -- you'll have to check your day for available times. It will save some walking and help get you through both, seeing the highlights. Official Vatican website here: https://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/do?action=booking

 

Do you have time for a stop at the Pantheon and/or Trevi? Probably not, but if you finish up inside St. Peter's earlier than expected, you can get a taxi and ask them to make a quick stop at either Trevi or the Pantheon enroute. (I'd vote for Trevi, it's quicker to toss a coin and grab a photo. The Pantheon, while impressive from the outside, is much more impressive with an internal visit, and in high season there can be a line to get in. In fact, I've heard they plan to begin charging an entry fee.

 

Hopefully this is enough detail to convince you it's possible. If you need any questions answered as you plan, please ask!

[trosebery]

Last time we toured Rome, we used public transit to go everywhere, armed with Rick Steves' and Google Maps' directions, and we had no difficulty -- even touring with kids and even speaking little to no Italian. So yes, as cruisemom42 noted in excellent detail, getting around by yourself is doable, especially if you keep your expectations reasonable (a whirlwind visit to the Vatican and a whirlwind visit to the Colosseum/Forum without lingering). Have you read Rick Steves' Mediterranean Cruise Ports guide?

 

The other option, as you've noted, is to arrange for a private tour -- which is expensive per person for just 3 people. While you could share with others on your Roll Call, you run into the issue of conflicting expectations (someone wants more time to visit the interior of the Colosseum, someone else wants just a photo-op and time for shopping). The tour companies sometimes try to manage this by having very set itineraries for shared tours (e.g. https://italytoursharing.com/civitavecchia-port/rome-including-guide-and-tickets ) . . . but these may not budget time the way you want it.

[T3cruisersx]

Thank you all for your replies and info. Right now, we've decided to book a shared tour. My husband and I decided that we just didn't want to deal with the timetable on our first trip to Rome.

[hbrote]

Thank you all for your replies and info. Right now, we've decided to book a shared tour. My husband and I decided that we just didn't want to deal with the timetable on our first trip to Rome.

In my opinion this is the best way to see Rome from a cruise. They will get you tickets for attractions and provide great information via the driver. I would suggest a guide for the Vatican.

[nybumpkin]

In my opinion this is the best way to see Rome from a cruise. They will get you tickets for attractions and provide great information via the driver. I would suggest a guide for the Vatican.

We were very happy with our shared tour. The tour company arranged the tickets for both the Colosseum and the Vatican and we had plenty of time at both. In between, we saw the Circus Maximus, the Forum, the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon. Our tour of the Vatican included a specialized guide - there were a total of 12 of us at the Vatican (two vans). Our van tour had six - the four of us and a husband/wife. You could spend more time at any of these stops - I think our sons could have spent the day at the Colosseum, and our guide told us it would take three days to see everything at the Vatican - but we didn't feel as if we were rushed at all.

[jenkinscb85]

We were very happy with our shared tour. The tour company arranged the tickets for both the Colosseum and the Vatican and we had plenty of time at both. In between, we saw the Circus Maximus, the Forum, the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon. Our tour of the Vatican included a specialized guide - there were a total of 12 of us at the Vatican (two vans). Our van tour had six - the four of us and a husband/wife. You could spend more time at any of these stops - I think our sons could have spent the day at the Colosseum, and our guide told us it would take three days to see everything at the Vatican - but we didn't feel as if we were rushed at all.

 

 

 

Which company did you use? Thanks!

 

 

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[nybumpkin]

Which company did you use? Thanks!

We used ItalyTours.eu. The tour was great. I wish we had booked our Pisa/Florence tour through them as well.

[wheretonow?]

We did a similar Rome in a Day tour from the port with our 14 year old son and 12 year old daughter. It was a long day, but we were able to see everything on our list, have a nice lunch in Vatican city, and stop at a few places I wouldn't have known to look for and I felt we had enough time to get a solid taste of Rome. We used Romecabs and they picked us up and dropped us back at the port (worth a lot of the extra cost not to have to navigate to the train station, IMO).

 

The tour did take the worry about learning my way around a new city in a short time period. I'm sure it could have been done on our own the the extra time it would have taken would have prevented us from seeing all we hoped to see.

[cleobella]

We did a Share A Shore Excursion tour in Rome and it was great. We could tweak the itinerary with others in the group and the Vatican and Colosseum were given lots of time. Would suggest a tour if your time in Rome is brief...there are some good local options there that pick you up at the ship.

[karpookie]

We are thinking of using Viator to do tours in Rome- two separate days. Are they a reputable company? Thanks in advance for your help.

[karpookie]

Never been to Italy or a Med cruise- Is Viator a reputable vendor for tours? Thanks soo much.

 

]

[trosebery]

We are thinking of using Viator to do tours in Rome- two separate days. Are they a reputable company? Thanks in advance for your help.

 

Viator is reputable, but they don't provide tours themselves -- they're a third party who contracts with local operators, which means that you're often paying more than you would if you contracted with the operator directly -- and communication with the actual operator of the tour can be complicated (if, for example, you need to make any changes).

 

You're usually better off booking with a reputable local operator yourself. You can find many recommendations on these boards (such as the often-discussed RomeInLimo and Joe Banana Limos, who operate italytoursharing.com, etc.) and TripAdvisor.

[Giantfan13]

Cruising in June, party of 3 == me, DH, and 15 year old son, first time to Europe, son specifically asked if we would see the gladiator Colosseum and I want to see St. Peter's and the Sistine Chapel (a quick walk through of the museums and artwork is fine as well as if we have to skip it). We are well aware that our day in Rome (port at 6am-7pm) will be a highlights tour. I've researched private tours/group shared tours/DIYing and I'm overwhelmed.

 

Is it logical that DIYing we could tour the Colosseum in the AM and the Vatican/St. Peter's/Sistine chapel in the afternoon and possibly fit in Trevi/Pantheon photo ops if we time or should I just spring for the private tour with just us 3 so we can customize it (a shared tour is much more economical but I'm concerned about some of the group not wanting to tour the Colosseum)?

 

I know -- there's no set answer and everyone has an opinion, but please give me some pros and cons that I may not have considered. We've traveled to NYC and DC and used public transportation in those cities, but not in Europe.

 

Thanks!

 

We did a pre cruise stay in Rome, so had time to do what we wanted to do and didn't need a private tour company. That said, did you, at least, check to see what the ship has to offer. Yes, it will be expensive, but so will private tour companies. We, personally, hate any ship's excursions, but in some cases, especially traveling to a foreign city, away from port, it MIGHT make more sense.

Cheers

Len