Tell me what's going to surprise the first time visitor to Rome?

[maja]

Would love to find out what I'm going to find most surprising about Rome.

[cberge]

Would love to find out what I'm going to find most surprising about Rome.

 

 

IMHO...when you see the Colosseum for the first time in person,and then the Forum.Do watch out for the traffic when you are crossing the street no maater if the light is in your favor.Have a great visit to Rome.:D

[Angiebear]

What surprised me the first time I went to Rome was the sheer size of St. Peters Bascilica. I thought St. Patricks Cathedral win new York on 5th Avenue was big before going to Rome...welll imagine my surprise when I realized St. Patricks can fit into a corner of St. Peters!

It is awe inspiring and the Baldequin is amazing! Enjoy.

[DonLou]

If you have a good map and a good sense of direction you will find Rome to be surprisingly walkable. I'm referring to the part that goes from the Colosseum to the Forum to Capitoline Hill/Vittorio Emmanuel monument to the Pantheon to Trevi to the Spanish Steps. If it's not hot, it's an easy, eye-opening tour of essential Rome.

[cruisemom42]

What surprised me:

 

How the past lives cheek-by-jowl with the present. Everywhere you turn in Rome you are likely to see something ancient (city walls, monuments, buildings) right next to the street or shop. There's a street that runs between the Pantheon and Trevi fountain with an ancient Roman temple that's been partially left as is and partially converted to a modern building with an even more modern addition attached. That's one thing I love about Rome. They don't tear down and replace their history. They live with it.

[ricntina]

Just found out that the cost of a transfer from the port to the airport is $85.00 per person. Hows that for a surprise.

Rick

[NAS-KARR]

You'll never see it all in one day. Best bet....hire a driver/guide and he'll get you to see as much as humanly possible because he knows how to dart in and out of traffic,take short cuts,park illegally and as close to a sight as possible. The place is packed in spring and summer and you'll need him...believe me.

At least have a pizza and beer in the PIAZZA NAVONA amongst many-many other stops.

 

CIAO,

[longislandfamily]

Just found out that the cost of a transfer from the port to the airport is $85.00 per person. Hows that for a surprise.

Rick

 

What service are you using? The ship? This is a ridiculous price! Try contacting Romecabs. I know they do airport to city transfers, and touring, so I am sure they must do port to airport transfers.

[Aussie Gal]

We used Bob of Rome Limousines for a transfer from Civitaavecchia to the airport. I noticed on his website that he does all sorts of transfers, tours etc. He would certainly be a lot cheaper than using the ship's transfer.

 

His email address is: http://www.romelimousines.com/

 

I adore Rome and my first impression when we first visited way back in 1994 was seeing the Colesseum and thinking back to my schooldays when we studied Latin. I remember the pictures in my textbook and I could not believe that I was actually seeing these ancient ruins.

 

Another interesting place to visit is Castel D'angelo which is over near the Vatican. The Opera Tosca was set there by Puccini and it was once Caesar's Palace.

 

Wherever you walk you will come across wonderful fountains and the best part is whenever you turn a corner, there will be another fantastic attraction for you to see. Enjoy!

 

Jennie

[Big Sky Country]

My biggest surprise in Rome was the realization of all of the artifacts throughout history that the Vatican has collected. You could tell how the Catholic Church ruthlessly plundered Europe and Africa. The opulence shines through. The history of the place is incredible (including the buildings themselves and the Basilica). If you look closely enough, you get a snapshot of the Church's history that you would never, otherwise, see.

[mochuck]

Nothing could have prepared me for how crazy they are in their cars and Vespas. The taxi drivers are the worst - it is quite scary.

 

It is a beautiful city though and so much to see and do.

[ncsongbird]

What surprised me:

 

How the past lives cheek-by-jowl with the present. Everywhere you turn in Rome you are likely to see something ancient (city walls, monuments, buildings) right next to the street or shop. There's a street that runs between the Pantheon and Trevi fountain with an ancient Roman temple that's been partially left as is and partially converted to a modern building with an even more modern addition attached. That's one thing I love about Rome. They don't tear down and replace their history. They live with it.

 

I agree with Cynthia. You will see ancient buildings, ruins and monuments right next door to a more recently built building. That and the crazy drivers is what makes Rome so enchanting.

[Big Sky Country]

The driving is not crazy at all once you learn how it works. There is a method to the madness and you need to adjust yourself to it. Once you've done that then it is a piece of cake. Just don't assume the "rules of the road" are the same as North America and watch. It is actually fun to see.

[ricntina]

What service are you using? The ship? This is a ridiculous price! Try contacting Romecabs. I know they do airport to city transfers, and touring, so I am sure they must do port to airport transfers.

and thanks also to AussieGal. The trick is to have more than two people using these services.

[tom_uk]

I'm just back from my first real visit, and I was struck by how beautiful most of it is! And not necessarily the famed attractions (though the Trevi fountain lived up to its hype - a ridiculous of confection of marble & water that I could have sat and looked at for hours), but many many other buildings. Lots of churches (of course), but (in the main) the simple human scale of everything. Indeed the Colisseum slightly disapppointed because *isn't* beautiful. Favourie sight? - the interior of the Pantheon. Not only for its own beauty but also the knowledge that this was an almost 2000 years old still being used.

 

BigSkyCountry said:

The driving is not crazy at all once you learn how it works. There is a method to the madness and you need to adjust yourself to it. Once you've done that then it is a piece of cake. Just don't assume the "rules of the road" are the same as North America and watch. It is actually fun to see.

 

I agree. I think what it is, is that they watch each other and react quickly and efficiently to what they see happening around them. Here in the UK we drive according the lane markings in the road, we expect other drivers to indicate before making any manouevre, and when someone doesn't do these things then we tend to get confused. In Rome, however, there are few lane markings, indicators aren't used much, but all the drivers seem to be noting what the vehicles around them are actually doing and fitting into the flow. I was impressed.

 

One or two downsides to the overall experience: a) I was suprised by the amount of graffiti on the railway lines and on modern buildings - obviously 'Zero Tolerance' isn't a policy in use there! and b) the amount of street vendors/hawkers in some of the popular places, e.g. Piazza Navona.

[dakodacruiser]

I agree, the first time you turn a corner and view the Colosseum, you will think it isn't real. Almost like a movie. How can something so ancient coexist within this modern city? Rome is hard to absorb the first time you see it. So much beauty all tied up within a metropolitan city. It is amazing. I have been there many, many, many times and it still takes my breath away.Also you will be blown away by the Italian's. They sure know how to live.

[Jana White]

For me the most amazing part of Rome is that every corner you turn there is history. The people are wonderful, the city is very walkable. Now on another note, my husband had problems with the fact that Rome is not a clean city and he is used to the the clean northern European cities, and it is very very crowded. However by the end of the first day he was convinced that Rome's charm, amazing people, architecture, pulse of the city far outweighed the dirt.