Rome

[Homer Simpson]

There happens to be quite a few Rome photos here lately.

As I'm always trying to gain favour with the boss (the one I married I mean, just in case people might get weird ideas), I thought a trip to Rome later this year might be on the cards.

Advice on:

best dates/days
Hotels
Travel - will fly from either East Midlands or Brum
Resturants /Cafes
sights other than the obvious ones
etc etc welcome

[Swordfish]

Re: Rome

Having just returned, while my memory is fresh I would say:

1. Don't go in summer - it's b***dy hot and hard work for sightseeing. Spring and Autumn are best.
2. Rome always seems to be crowded - be prepared for this.
3. Well worth pre-booking tickets (and guided tours if you want) for popular sights - e.g. the queues for the Vatican museum are horrible, but you can bypass these if you have prebooked. Similarly the Borghese Gallery (excellent) must be prebooked if you want any chance of getting in.
4. There are many hotels - just depends on your budget!
5. Restaurants and cafes- avoid the honeypots like the plague, you will pay through the nose. Away from these areas, seek out small unpretentious, family run places - you will always be welcomed and generally get pretty good value.
6. I flew to Rome from Brum with BMI baby and back from Florence to East Midlands with Ryanair - both were cheap and no problem.
7. If you want to combine both locations the train from Rome to Florence is easy and better value than trains here at home.

Martin

[Internaut]

Re: Rome

I got a good rate at the most laughably poor 4* hotel ever (the Mercure Delta Coloseo) for my trip but it was a few minutes walking from the Colosseum (and Metro station) and in terms of nearby dining had everything from great €7 pizzas to the full four course Italian experience (very reasonably, and surprisingly not at all touristy, I might add).

As recommended by Martin above, for the Colosseum, Forum, the Vatican Museum and St Peters Basilica, go for the tours. The fact that there are lots of tour touts walking around can look a bit dodgy but they're very well regulated and I've enjoyed every tour I've done on two trips to Rome!

If you do a vatican tour, mind the size of any bags you take with you. They made me check my (smallish) rucksack in and I had to dash from the exit of St Peter's Basilica all the way back to the entrance to the museum (before it closed) to collect my bag.

For everything else, it depends on how independent you want to be. The bus tours are fine (and I can't think of a city where I'd not recommend them), otherwise you could buy a Roma Pass each (an extra entry to the Form and Colosseum at a different time of the day for photos + other museum discounts + three days access to all of Rome's public transport.

For travel, I went with BA but this was only because BA proved cheaper, albeit still bloody expensive at the last minute than the low cost airlines (and had the advantage of a hand baggage allowance that enabled me to take two cameras, as well as a laptop). Book in advance with one of the low cost carriers and you cannot go wrong (and more importantly, you won't have to transfer through Heathrow)!