Going to Rome: any suggestions for things to do?

[gwendolyn]

Anyone been to Rome, who can share any insider knowledge? Good restaurants, cool sites to see that aren't well-known to tourists? Or info on well-known sites that aren't all they are cracked up to be? We'll be there for 3 days, and will be seeing the Sistene Chapel, the Colosseum, the Pantheon, St. Peter's Square (and Basilica?), Caesar's Forum...but I was wondering if there was more that might not be talked about much but is really awesome. Anyone have any tips?

ETA: Gah! Kan't speel.

 

[Aloros]

Palatine Hill! The view from up there is amazing, and if you like ruins at all, it is just gorgeous. Very romantic. I''d heard that they recently opened up some small part of the catacombs beneath the hill to visitors now, so you may want to check that out (if I heard correctly).

As for eating, for something reasonably priced and delicious, I''d recommend Antica Taverna (via Monte Giordano 12). The food is amazing. My favorite dish was gosh, can''t remember the name - some sort of roman pasta something or other. It was served in a red sauce with a sharp cheese - heaven!

And the window shopping there is great fun!

 

[Independent Gal]

I have spent a LOT of time in Rome and I have two pieces of advice for you:

ETA: forgot THE most important piece of advice: ALWAYS LOOK UP!! All the best things are up. You'll see what I mean.

1) Rome is a walking city (and not only because the traffic is impossible). You are seriously, seriously cheating yourself if you don't wander in it. There is something spectacular and historical on almost every street, and if you blinker yourself and move from one 'site' to another, you'll miss what Rome is all about. Don't set a tight agenda. Most of the "sites" you will run into if you just wander around the central part of town. Get a good map, and only pull it out if you start to feel really lost. When you see something that looks important (as you will just about everywhere) pull out the map or guide and find out what it is. Do you get what I mean?

2) Visit the neighbourhoods. One of the most blissful days of my life was spent in Trastevere, where I got thoroughly lost on my first trip to Rome. It's magical. Oh, and my fave local place to eat in Trastevere is "Le Mani in Pasta" ... let me see.... here it is: Via dei Genovesi 37... it's near the St. Cecilia church. Very local. Almost no tourists in there. And very yummy!! BTW, the name is a slang expression for mixing in, or being up to your elbows in something (e.g., trouble!)

The thing about Italy - all of Italy - is the rhythm of life. So you really have to give yourself time to soak it up and experience it. Don't be a 'tourist' in Rome of all places. Just breathe it in. You will see what you want to see. But this way you will 'feel' it too, if you see what I mean.

Oh, and bag snatching (not violent, just a guy on a scooter going by and grabbing it off your shoulder) is a local sport, so be careful where you put your money and passports!

 

[neatfreak]

As always Indy took the words right out of my mouth. I totally agree with everything she suggested!

 

[Independent Gal]

Oh, and two very local Roman things to eat are artichokes (when they are in season), which are ''carciofi'' in Italian, especially in the old Jewish quarter, and pasta with clams ("vongole"). Each part of Italy, as I''m sure you know, has it''s local specialities! These are especially Roman things.

If you want to try things a bit further afield, I''m totally addicted to sheep cheese (Pecorino) with black truffles (al tartufo). It''s expensive, but it''s heaven.

 

[Independent Gal]

Just thought of something else. OK, the ''sites'' you list, so far from being over-rated, are, like, life-changing (with the possibl exception of the Pantheon, which is interesting, but not all THAT exciting). The Forum, incidentally, predates all the Caesars by centuries. It was the center of Roman life for much of the Republican period as well.

Which brings me to my idea: the whole city will spring to life WAY MORE if you get brushed up on Roman history. The most fun way to do that is to grab a copy of Livy''s History of Rome... Alternatively, Plutarch''s ''Lives'' (the Roman ones, not the Greek, obviously) is also a lively way to help your imagination populate the city. Depending on the translation, Livy can be a bit more of a page turner though. So I''d go with that.

 

[tberube]

Gwen, I''m so glad you started this thread because FI and I plan to go to Italy for our honeymoon...

I was also wondering how much Italian you have to know to get around in Italy??

 

[gwendolyn]

Thank you for the suggestions, ladies! Very helpful info that I will be sure to write down to have with us when we go.

IG, my boyfriend is a historian (not professional yet, but may as well be), and he''s already got a ton of knowledge about the place and loves sharing it with me, which is one of the main reasons we are going. I do know a little bit of history myself, but he''s absolutely brilliant at it, so I want to let him shine with it.

As for the sites, I know EXACTLY what you mean by wandering around and seeing the city on its own terms, in its own time. Mostly why I love travelling so much is because of that feeling of discovery--taking a very planned out trip somewhere sorta kills the life out of it for me. Because we have a short period of time to explore, I wanted to spend the first two days wandering and finding things on our own like you suggested, but also make sure we had a shortlist of things to make sure we catch on the last day if we don''t stumble across them on the first two. That make sense?

 

[tberube]

Date: 12/31/2007 12:50:11 PM
Author: Independent Gal
Just thought of something else. OK, the ''sites'' you list, so far from being over-rated, are, like, life-changing (with the possibl exception of the Pantheon, which is interesting, but not all THAT exciting). The Forum, incidentally, predates all the Caesars by centuries. It was the center of Roman life for much of the Republican period as well.

Which brings me to my idea: the whole city will spring to life WAY MORE if you get brushed up on Roman history. The most fun way to do that is to grab a copy of Livy''s History of Rome... Alternatively, Plutarch''s ''Lives'' (the Roman ones, not the Greek, obviously) is also a lively way to help your imagination populate the city. Depending on the translation, Livy can be a bit more of a page turner though. So I''d go with that.

Indie - did you mean this book?

 

[Independent Gal]

That makes perfect sense, Gwen! Sounds great. Oh, I have to see if I can remember the name of this fab-o gelato place I went to last time I was in Rome. The pistacchio was to die for.

TBerube, it depends where you are and whom you're talking to. Italy is a tourist mecca, so if you're sticking to the beaten track, you won't have any problems. Many of the touristy trains (e.g., Rome-Florence line) even make announcements in English. In the north, at least, older people often speak French and younger people often have some English. Most educated Europeans speak at least 2 and often 3 or 4 languages. If you have any French or Spanish, you'll find that you can roughly understand what you're reading and some of what you hear. That said, if you can master a few important phrases like, "Do you have a room available?" "How much is that?" "When does it leave?" etc. - and of course excuse me, please and thank you, etc. you will make yourself more welcome. When at a loss, you can always play cherades or draw a picture. I've only once in my entire travels all over the world run into a BIG problem understanding and making myself understood. It's really not that hard if you get a little creative!

ETA: TBerube Yes, although I don't know that particular translation. I'm partial to the Penguin edition, but mostly by long habit! That's the first part (books 1-5). It's looooong (50 books in all?), but you can pick up anywhere in the course of the tale.

 

[tberube]

thanks, indie. Sorry for the threadjack, Gwyn!!

 

[ringabling]

Indy gave GREAT advice, I totally agree w/ the walking around. . . enjoy some gelato and look up on the tight streets

Don''t forget the Trevi Fountain and Spanish steps. We walked A LOT in this area and Italy''s best gelato was on one of these little streets. Also, lots of beautiful estates behind these buildings, tucked away behind grand fountains and hedges.

We stayed at nearby St. Regis Rome.

 

[Cind11]

Date: 12/31/2007 1:55:50 PM
Author: tberube
Gwen, I'm so glad you started this thread because FI and I plan to go to Italy for our honeymoon...

I was also wondering how much Italian you have to know to get around in Italy??

Sorry also to threadjack, but I am wondering this too. My DH and I are thinking of taking our daughters to Italy in 2009. (they will be 15 and 17 then) I have looked at tours but they seem to gloss over things. If we "did" Italy on our own, would it be difficult? Would we have a difficult time communicating and getting around?

ETA: Oops, I see my question has been answered-sorry.

 

[ringabling]

a few years ago we went and started in Venice, then bullet trained to Florence and then onto to Rome, stopping briefly in Naples for lunch.
We had no trouble in any of these cities communicating. I think a lot of them speak enough English to get by, most shop owners/ associates spoke pretty well.

 

[princesss]

As Indy pointed out, definitely be careful of the bag snatchers. When you sit down somewhere, look behind you when you stand up and start walking, and when possible try to keep your purse between you and your BF. These two things saved my purse a few times in Rome.

I was on a pretty limited budget when I was there, but you''re honestly rarely ever going to get street food as good as it is in Rome. Don''t be afraid to go into a crowded little place on the street and have some of whatever looks good. I''ve found some amazing restaurants that way (and, to be fair, some stinkers, as well).

 

[Independent Gal]

Cind 11 Yeah, there really is NO reason to let language issues EVER keep you from traveling! I didn't let my lack of Malay, Urdu, Mandarin, Khmer, Turkish, Hungarian, Russian, Icelandic, etc. etc. etc. stop me and seriously...SERIOUSLY seriously... I have only ONCE had a serious problem. And even then, nobody died or lost a limb. I just missed my train is all. That was in Turkey. People get so nervous about this, but when two human beings WANT to understand each other, and have an inkling what the other might want to say (context does half the work... if you're at a ticket booth in a train station, they know you probably want information or tickets for the train, e.g.), it's amazing how quickly and easily you manage to gain common ground. It also doesn't hurt to have a pocket dictionary with you, in case you need a specific word.

You will definitely have more fun if you travel around Italy on your own than if you take a tour! A tour insulates you from the local culture, and Italy is all about the local culture. That's where its greatest pleasures come from.

Re gelato shops and local tratorias... look for a line. A place that's crowded with locals is going to be good. And keep in mind that people eat later there than in North America. Many restaurants don't open till 7pm, and won't get crowded till 8.

Another trick for finding good non-touristy local eats is to ask someone local you happen to be chatting with (a shopkeeper, site guide, hotel bellhop) where THEY like to eat. Where do YOU go on your lunch hour? That kind of thing.

 

[Skippy123]

They have a city tours and I thought it was very good for information/great overview; I did that and loved it! Eat gelato, yum and I think I bought fodors and ate at some of the restaurants in the guide book. I loved the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps (the shopping in that area and cool puppet shop), the Colosseum, the Pantheon (this place is so amazing), the St. Peter's, Piazza Novona (a square to eat and look at Bernini's Fountain of Rivers). We stayed at the Hotel Rome Nazionale and it was right near the Pantheon which is in the middle of everything and we walked everywhere! I loved Rome also outside the hotel is a cool obelisk and the hotel has a roof top restaurant that we loved looking at the whole city while eating breakfast! Yay, how exciting!!!

 

[Allisonfaye]

Allow yourself a lot of time to walk to the Sistine Chapel. It is a very long walk to get there and it has some of the most beautiful art I had seen in all of Italy but we got there just minutes before the Chapel was to close so we missed a lot of the art because we had to practically run to make it before the Chapel closed. Check the times before you go.

Our favorite gelato place was just steps away from the Pantheon. It was along a small walkway of shops. Sorry I can''t recall the name.

 

[diamondfan]

Borghese gardens are supposed to be pretty. There is a square that is lovely, and we ate at a tiny but amazing restaurant near it, I think it is Popolo Square (Piazza del Popolo?) or something like that. The restaurant was wonderful, very few tables. The concierge at the Russie recommended it, and it was to die for.

The ruins are incredible but it will be crowded though worth it.

Try to get a private tour guide for some of the more touristy spots. You would not want to come to Rome and not see them but they can be daunting and crowded. I think for the Vatican etc it is really a good idea. There was a neat monument near the ruins (Vittorio Emmanuel monument)...and Trevi Fountain is great too. We did walk a lot, helps to burn off the amazing pasta and wine!

Via Condotti and the area (near the Spanish Steps) has some incredible shopping. Pricey but still worth wandering around.

 

[ringabling]

Date: 12/31/2007 6:21:39 PM
Author: Skippy123
They have a city tours and I thought it was very good for information/great overview; I did that and loved it! Eat gelato, yum and I think I bought fodors and ate at some of the restaurants in the guide book. I loved the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps (the shopping in that area and cool puppet shop), the Colosseum, the Pantheon (this place is so amazing), the St. Peter''s, Piazza Novona (a square to eat and look at Bernini''s Fountain of Rivers). We stayed at the Hotel Rome Nazionale and it was right near the Pantheon which is in the middle of everything and we walked everywhere! I loved Rome also outside the hotel is a cool obelisk and the hotel has a roof top restaurant that we loved looking at the whole city while eating breakfast! Yay, how exciting!!!

yes! I bought my daughter a fantastic souvenir in that shop!!!

 

[simplysplendid]

Just sit on the spanish steps and lick on a delicious gelato and watch people go by! Especially in summer!

 

[Elmorton]

PECORINO! Yes. I''ve found fresh pecorino ONCE in a specialty cheese shop. Here you can get a lot of Pecorino Romano, but Pecorino Toscono (soft) is to die for, especially on a sandwich. Seek it out!! I second the remark about the artichokes - so good.

Definitely wander - that''s the joy of Rome. Stop at a fruit stand and get some grapes or olives and just much as you wander. Don''t touch anything when you stop at a fruit stand - you let the vendor know what you want and then they choose it for you. One of my favorite places to wander and get lost in is the area around the Pantheon. Lots of little restaurants and shops around there.

When you''re facing Trevi Fountain, to your right and a little behind you (on the corner) is the absolute best gelato on earth. I think that it''s the best because both times I''ve wandered to Trevi I''ve been hot and exhausted, but trust me on this one - the gelato is amazing and there''s nothing better than sitting and eating and watching all the people.

ALSO - I believe in that fountain granting wishes. So really think about what shoulder you throw your coin over. The first time I wished for a return, the second I wished for love, and both came true.

Read the plaques! There are so many historical markers and such, very interesting.

Don''t spend a lot of time at the Coliseum; it''s grand and breath taking when you walk up, but if you only have a weekend, I think spending 3 hours there is a waste. A lot of times, you''ll find a college tour and some professor or guide giving a lecture outside, and you can get lots of info and not pay a ridiculous amount for the tour. Honestly, I wouldn''t pay for the big pass - there''s too much to do and see in Rome to be stuck there for half the day.

The Spanish Steps - kinda disappointing, covered in people.

The Boca di Verti - a really fun, must-do especially if your a Roman Holiday fan like me.

St. Peter''s - amazing. Really enjoy all the other parts of the museum/artwork- the first time, I was totally excited to go to the Sistene that I missed everything else. There is so much amazing artwork to be seen there.

If you can, arrange a trip to some of the catacombs - on my first visit to Rome I went on one of those huge groups that got on and off a bus, so I have no idea where we went, but I know it was on the outskirts of Rome and that was really an amazing experience that I''ve never forgotten.

So jealous! I''d give my right arm to return to Italy. You''re going to have a wonderful time.

 

[gwendolyn]

Oh, you guys are the best--these suggestions are all fantastic!! Thank you!!!!

 

[Delster]

Ooooh Indy, pasta al vongole!!! Yum yum YUUUMMMM!!!

Gwendolyn you''ve gotten loads of great advice, my only additional suggestions would be to consider the catacombs if you have time (you probably don''t in only three days), and to consider doing the night time tour by Enjoy Rome. It''s a whistle-stop tour of all the main attractions complete with historical and entertaining commentary. The groups are small (about 10 people) and the tour guides are required to have degrees in either education or history. They carry folders that have images overlaying the ancient Roman city on the different views you are looking at, it really brings it to life. Oh and they make ice-cream pit stops!

 

[Lord Summerisle]

If you have problems talking that lingo... you could always follow the ''Englishman abroad'' technique of simply speaking in English.... slowly and LOUDLY.... and if they still dont understand you... speak s-l-o-o-w-e-r and LOUDER still...

seems to work for us

 

[gwendolyn]

Date: 1/2/2008 9:25:11 AM
Author: Lord Summerisle
If you have problems talking that lingo... you could always follow the ''Englishman abroad'' technique of simply speaking in English.... slowly and LOUDLY.... and if they still dont understand you... speak s-l-o-o-w-e-r and LOUDER still...


seems to work for us

You from Lancashire there, Mr. Lord? I''ve noticed your red rose avatar and raise you a white one...

 

[Lord Summerisle]

Date: 1/2/2008 5:43:07 PM
Author: gwendolyn

You from Lancashire there, Mr. Lord? I''ve noticed your red rose avatar and raise you a white one...

That i am, love.

Now, kettles on, so put wood in''thole an'' sit thee down and have a cup o'' cheer

tho there''ll be no raising the white rose here, the House of Lancashire put you Yorkies in their place once before

 

[gwendolyn]

Date: 1/3/2008 10:51:27 AM
Author: Lord Summerisle

Date: 1/2/2008 5:43:07 PM

Author: gwendolyn
You from Lancashire there, Mr. Lord? I''ve noticed your red rose avatar and raise you a white one...

That i am, love.

Now, kettles on, so put wood in''thole an'' sit thee down and have a cup o'' cheer

tho there''ll be no raising the white rose here, the House of Lancashire put you Yorkies in their place once before

I''m no Yorkie, m''dear, but my boyfriend is. And he was quite adamant about how the House of Lancashire has done nothing of the sort to him and his folk.

Anyway! You guys have all been great with the advice-giving--J and I were in town today and we picked up a very detailed map of Rome which I''ll keep in my bag while we''re out so we''ll be able to find our way back if we get lost as we wander. Also picked up a small book on conversational Italian so I should be ok in case we can''t find anyone who speaks English (I know a bit of Italian already so we''ll probably be alright regardless). Thanks again for all your help!! Y''all rock.

 

[gwendolyn]

*bumpittybumpbump*

Just want to say thanks once again--J and I just got back from Rome & Vatican City last night, and the trip was AMAZING!!!! Thank you to everyone who took the time to make suggestions which helped give us such a wonderful trip!! Grazie!

 

[DaniGirl]

gwen, glad to hear the trip was a blast!! since you just got back i was hoping you had some suggestions or recommendations above and beyond what''s already been mentioned... and the weather, how was it? me and the bf leave for rome on thursday, also a short trip. i found an amazing fare back in sept and booked it so we''re there for his bday on 1/28. i''ve been twice, but it''s his first time to italy. we arrive on friday morning and leave on tuesday morning, so we''re talking about 4 full days. i was hoping to do both rome and florence. haven''t booked any hotels or anything, we are going to go with the flow on this one and just totally wing it.

any rome advice you have would be greatly appreciated!! This thread has been quite helpful already, thanks to everyone who''s shared their experiences