One Day in Rome | Our Own Excursion

I finally got around to editing our day in Rome a few years ago.

Doing Rome on your own is definitely possible as long as you plan ahead. We purchased our Colosseum and Vatican tickets in advance. There's no way we could have done this in one day without planning ahead.

Here's our video, happy to answer any questions if you have them. :)

[YOUTUBE]uUK2wrna0Uw[/YOUTUBE]

Love the video! We'll be in Rome next April on the Horizon and we want to see the Vatican (St. Peter's Square) & the Coliseum (we'll also buy tickets in advance). How long did it take you guys to do all this? We also want to see Trevi fountain before we head back and need to make sure we allot enough time. Did you worry at all about not having enough time to make it back on the train? We're stuck with doing this on our own or doing the Rome on you own excursion.

Thanks for the feedback! Our cruise arrived at 7 am and departed at 9pm. We were back on the boat by 6. I didn't worry very much because my backup plan was worse case scenario we pay for a taxi to take us directly back to the ship if we had any issues. Issues like missing a train or a cancelled train or something unexpected. The back up plan would have been expensive but it was my option for a worse case scenario.

If you plan, buy tickets in advance and depending on how much time you have in port you should be fine! We didn't feel rushed but buying tickets in advance was a much. The line to get in to the Colosseum was hours for day of and we got in within 15 minutes with our tickets.

Let me know if you have any questions. Have fun! ;)

Love the video! We'll be in Rome next April on the Horizon and we want to see the Vatican (St. Peter's Square) & the Coliseum (we'll also buy tickets in advance). How long did it take you guys to do all this? We also want to see Trevi fountain before we head back and need to make sure we allot enough time. Did you worry at all about not having enough time to make it back on the train? We're stuck with doing this on our own or doing the Rome on you own excursion.

Always good to have a backup plan went dealing with the Italian RR.

I assume you left the ship at 9am. How long did it take you to get to Rome? What time did you schedule for your Colloseum tickets? We are planning to do the same as you but are struggling with calculating times. Thank you!

It's very doable on your own, but please check your trains back to port. I thought I'd done so well and allowed a perfectly respectable amount of time to get back. We stood on the station in Rome, watching the departure boards, but no sign of our train. Becoming more concerned we found an English speaking member of staff who informed us that as it was a bank holiday that particular train had been cancelled . Needless to say the road journey in a taxi was made in almost complete silence ( due to my nerves being on edge) and was a Very Expensive solution to our predicament!!!! Just be extra prepared, but enjoy Rome.

How did you travel between St Peters Square and the Colosseum?

Can someone tell me the best site to buy tickets for attractions such as the Vatican museum and the Colosseum? I am aware it is better to purchase them before you arrive, but not sure where is the best place to purchase. Thank you in advance!

HaHa Team Aguilar - so I am not the only one to post cards to myself when I travel. They are my best souvenirs. That was a good video.

Anyway to the other replies:

Rome on your own is so doable. When we go, we walk everywhere (so the April cruise was the most pleasant in Rome!!) getting from A to B is a walking tour in itself. When we went on our very first cruise we took a cruise tour which gave the highlights of Rome, it really was not a pleasant experience being rushed everywhere.

I find it best to get off the train at St Peters and start the day there, the train takes such a frustratingly long route round to Termini Station. It makes more sense to get off at St Peters and end up in Termini because there are never enough seats on the return journey - so better to get on at Termini where the train starts.

My husband is always mega cautious about times and so we always catch the 3.45 train for a 7 pm sailaway. It gives us time to walk back from the Civitavecchia train station to the ship, usually stopping for an icecream or even a swim on the way back. If it were me I would have visit one more church and catch the next train. I would not plan on leaving much later. We have about 5 - 6 hours in Rome. Starting out earlier gives you a longer trip.

IF you are going on your own, make sure that you take a good map. The ship version is definitely the 'lite' version and you will get lost. Enjoy a lunch stop in Rome just to enjoy the atmosphere. We have had really reasonable lunches in Piazza Navona and one time right opposite the Pantheon.

If you don't fancy standing in the queue for St Peters (it is worth it, but the queue can be long) there are some other wonderful churches that you can visit. The smaller churches tend to close at 1 pm, I keep missing Maria del Popolo because we always get there just too late. Last time we visited we were for sure going to get there - and I had forgotten about the Wednesday Papal audience. I was not going to miss that just to rush off to a church, so yet again, no Maria del Popolo.

I hope that you love Rome as much as I do.