Looking for DIY suggestions for a day and a half in Rome.

[Shella73]

Hello, I am looking for suggestions for a full but laid-back experience but laid-back in Rome for me and my husband, on September 10th a half day, and a full day on the 11th. We disembark in civitavecchia at 0800 .  I am cross-eyed from trying to plan it on my own. we like food, history, and architecture. We want to see enough to hit the highlights, but we want to be able we saw the city together..not spend the day being so worried about running from place to place on a tight schedule. So, I guess I am looking for the "Quality over quantity" recommendations.I know everyone's opinion will differ, but it will give me a place to start. We know we would like to get into the Colosseum.

 

We are staying at the Hotel Lancelot and have arranged our port to Rome from them. I looked into tour companies and suck, but would like to see if we can DIY to control costs.

[cruisemom42]

The good news is that you'll be in Rome midweek, so everything should be open.

 

Before I start making suggestions, is seeing the Vatican important to you? -- keeping in mind that in order to see the Sistine Chapel you have to go through the Vatican museums.

 

[Shella73]

Yes, I forgot to say we would like to see the Vatican, and Sistine Chapel. I understand you need to purchase timed tickets for this, but can only do so 30 days before? 

[cruisemom42]

Yes, that's correct.

 

The first thing to do, then, is to get sorted how and when you will see the Colosseum and the Vatican/Sistine chapel. Each requires some pre-planning and reservations.

 

For the Colosseum: you're staying nearby, so getting there is no problem. You really need to review the many different kinds of tours that are available -- both through the official channels or via a separately-operated tour group. Some of these tour groups are not super expensive and it can help avoid the hassle of trying to get the correct tickets through official outlets. The current system is ridiculous. Tickets are released in batches starting precisely a certain number of days in advance. In order to have even a chance of getting the tickets you want, you'll need to be prepared to call or be ready to pounce online at the moment tickets are released. 

 

There are tours that offer just a basic overview of the main level and maybe one or two upper levels. There are tours that add the underground area. There are tours that add the top level of the structure, which is great for panoramic views. There are "night" tours. There are tours that include the gladiator tunnel and entrance. So really, the sky is the limit. It's good to start educating yourself now, so you know exactly what to purchase when the time comes. For private tours, it's probably not too early to start looking at options either....

 

For the Vatican:  Yes, tickets through the official Vatican channel only go on sale a month prior to your desired date. Again, there are a number of options, both through this official channel or via private guides. You can choose just an overview of the Vatican Museums + Sistine Chapel. You can extend this with a tour of St. Peter's (I would probably advise this one as the best overview). Sometimes there is the option to do an early opening to avoid crowds. And for a separate fee you might also think about whether you want to go up to the top of St. Peter's (lift + stairs) while you're there.

 

Once you get these two things set, you can work out various other things to "fit in" between these two. (If possible I'd try to avoid doing both of the above on the same day.)

 

Some other things that you can see/walk to on your own include the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain, Campo dei Fiori -- all of these can be covered in a single DIY walk across this stretch of the historic center. Rick Steves' Rome guide, which I highly recommend for first-time Rome DIY'ers, has an excellent self-guided tour with directions and just enough history to be interesting. It's a good walk to do in the late afternoon or early evening. Afterwards there are many decent restaurants in the area to stop at for a nice dinner.

 

Hopefully that helps to get you started. Feel free to ask more questions as your planning progresses. 

 

Edited March 2 by cruisemom42

[Shella73]

Thank you for the heads-up. You gave me some great starting points. I will order the guide right now.

[Alatraveler1]

Love that so much is within walking distance of other sites.  It makes it easier to fill a day but not try to pack too much in that you can't slow down and appreciate each one.

[Shella73]

18 hours ago, Alatraveler1 said:

Love that so much is within walking distance of other sites.  It makes it easier to fill a day but not try to pack too much in that you can't slow down and appreciate each one.

That was what I found myself doing, trying to cram everything in.  I want to EXPERIENCE Rome, not jus "see it." Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone.

 

[Gertie17]

When we cruised out of Civitavecchia, I made sure to get a hotel for the two days before near things to see within walking distance.  I was lucky enough to find one overlooking the coliseum nearby, which was lit up at night. On our arrival day, we walked around Trajan's Market, keeping in mind that this was our first time here, so we just tried to see a little.  The first night, we found a restaurant near our hotel that was amazing, and they just kept making vegetables for me, and seafood for him, and plying us with Limoncello! I don't drink much. Then after that, we discovered we had to get up 100 skinny steep steps to get back to our hotel. Imagine my horror.  Anyway, it was a good way to spend a low-key evening.  My husband has since passed away, but what wonderful memories I have. We walked around the next day, had wonderful breakfast at our hotel both days (once they found the oatmeal for me), and took a taxi to the port.

 

[Shella73]

22 hours ago, Gertie17 said:

When we cruised out of Civitavecchia, I made sure to get a hotel for the two days before near things to see within walking distance.  I was lucky enough to find one overlooking the coliseum nearby, which was lit up at night. On our arrival day, we walked around Trajan's Market, keeping in mind that this was our first time here, so we just tried to see a little.  The first night, we found a restaurant near our hotel that was amazing, and they just kept making vegetables for me, and seafood for him, and plying us with Limoncello! I don't drink much. Then after that, we discovered we had to get up 100 skinny steep steps to get back to our hotel. Imagine my horror.  Anyway, it was a good way to spend a low-key evening.  My husband has since passed away, but what wonderful memories I have. We walked around the next day, had wonderful breakfast at our hotel both days (once they found the oatmeal for me), and took a taxi to the port.

 

That sounds so sweet, we are doing it backward, starting in Athens and disembarking in Civitavecchia.  That sounds like the vibe I am going for with a bit more sightseeing. Enough to say I saw Rome, but not so much I didn't EXPERIENCE it as well.