Rome in 1 day

We are sailing on RCCL's Splendour of the Seas and will be in Rome for one day. Can we do the Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, the Colosseum and Pantheon or is this way too much? Also any suggestions on tours (private or the ships) would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Kathy

check out www.driverinrome.com he is highly recommend on the boards by many people.

we did the underground Scavvi tour in the morning which exited out into St. Peter's Basilica then a quick lunch at a sidewalk cafe and proceeded to the Sistine Chapel (in the afternoon when the line is much shorter) and eat dinner outside the Pantheon after a quick trip inside. We saw the Colloseum by tour bus (drive by) but didn't get to tour up close. Our trip to the Sistine Chapel took us directly to the Sistine Chapel and it was quite a walk. We didn't have time to see much else in the Chapel. 8-(

hi, It depends on how long you will have in Rome. The transfer from the pier to the city is about 1 hour. The biggest problem will be getting into the Sistine Chapel as the line ups are almost always quite long, we waited about 1 1/2 to 2 hours in line. I would recommend that you do it in this order (or reverse): St. Peter's, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Victor Emanuels Monument, the Forum, and the Coliseum. St. Peter's to the Pantheon won't be a problem, to get to the Coliseum you'll have to pass Victor Emanuels Monument and the Forum. There is also a red double decker bus, I think it's called the '110', that you can pick up at any one of its stops, I think it cost us about 8 euro each last summer. You can just pay the attendant when you get on, save your ticket it's good for all day. It brings you around to all the popular tourist sites and you can hop-off at any particular site and then hop-on again. The Vatican Museum is quite large and the Sistine Chapel is last room you get to, it will take you a while to get there and there are so many beautiful things to see on the way, it really is too bad that most people rush right through it.

The problem with cruising. I like cruising but in the Mediterranean, don't expect to see a major city like Rome in a day. Vow to come back for a land trip. Same for Venice, Florence, etc. You cannot do the Vatican in an hour or 2. You need a half hour in the Sistine Chapel alone with a good guide. Otherwise, it is just pictures on a ceiling. The Vatican museum is huge, you will just walk through it and not learn anything from it. You will just see stuff that has little meaning without someone explaining it all. You will also face lines that eat into your limited time. The beauty of Rome is the outside, the streets, the fountains, the Pantheon, Piazza Novarro, the other piazzas, the food--ah the food (enjoy real pasta), Via Corso, the Spanish steps, the flavour of the place. The coliseum and the forum is good for an hour or so. Check out St. Peter's Square and the basilica for another hour. The central core makes it a good walking city. If a trip to Rome is to check things off a list--been there, seen that, then knock yourself out checking things off the list. My advice for one day is pace yourself and enjoy the ambience. Buy a souvenir book of the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican museum (promise to come back) and spend your day doing a lot other wonderful things. You will get much more bang for the buck.

How much you can do in one day will depend on when you are going. We were on Millie in june 03 & it was HOT 10c above normal ie 104F. We took the train, bus down pier, walk to station, just 6.80 euros return for a 1 hour ride to Rome. For Vatican you get out at San Pietro station, following your visit there you can get the red line metro to Terminii (metro map can be downloaded from net just search google). We missed out Vatican & from Terminii took blue line metro to Colosseum only 2 stops, walked through the Forum etc past the monument & to Trevi fountain. Took No 1 bus back to Terminii & train back to Civ. We were bushed !! so going back this fall for a 3 day stay, you will want to return if you only have 1 day. Train is an option for only 2 of you but if you can get a party together the guide/mini bus is a good option. All metro & bus fares are included in your 6.80euro train ticket, got to be a bargain!

Thanks for the info! We will be in Rome in October of this year. We realize that Rome is not a one day city but since that's all the time we have :( , we wanted to get thoughts and ideas from people who have been there. Does anyone have a suggestion of great places to eat, get gelato, coffee, etc while we are touring? Kathy

except in anything smacking of North America and have a great meal. We spent 12 days in Italy 2 years ago and never had a bad meal including great paninis in small sandwich shops that you would never consider walking into at home. Great restaurants are at Piazza Navona, for example, expect to eat outdoors and wonder why you don't do it at home, gelati everywhere, great restaurants in Trastevera, etc. Don't make restaurants a destination, that will take away from your touring. You will not have any trouble finding a good place to eat and if you have a guide book of any kind, it will guide you to some place good, no matter where you are. We loved Italy and plan to return. So many places, so little time.

My sister and I did a whirlwind walk around Rome in 2003. We took the "Rome on your own" bus into Rome. We decided to pass the Vatican this time as the Pope was scheduled to make an appearance that day and St Peter's square and the Vatican were very crowded. In one day we were able to see the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, the Trajan Market, we went up and viewed the forum and the Colosseum from the Emmanuelle Monument. Then walked to the Pantheon, had lunch in a nearby cafe. Walked through the Piazza Novanna, did a little shopping there and then proceeded back to the Vatican area. Browsed some shops there and then met the bus to take us back to the ship. It was a lot of walking but we always enjoy looking at everything along the way. We were armed with a plan and a good map. We enjoyed our day in Rome and hope to get back one day to take in the Vatican and get a closer look at the Colosseum. Whatever you decide to do you will enjoy your day there!

Everyone,

avila is obviously romeinlimo as every post simply recomends the service (view all posts). When they are pushing themseves like this, I'd give tham a wide berth !!!!!!!!!

We've visited Rome twice by cruise ship. First time we took a ship's tour, second time a private tour guide. Both were outstanding and had their pro's and con's.

If it's your first time in Rome, my advice would be to take the ship's tour. On RCI it's called "Eternal Rome". Our guide was outstanding, no waiting in lines, superbly organized and great food. We didn't get to see some things that I would have liked to see, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona and the Pantheon. Guess that's why we came back and did a private tour. The big advantage, to me, of a ship's tour, is the great organization. Your time is limited and you don't have time to look at maps and figure out where you want to go or what you are looking at. In St Peters, the Vatican Museum (awesome, the highlight of the day), the Sistine Chapel and the Colosseum, the guide was invaluable. I research a lot, know what I want to see and know a little about the subject matter before I go, but the guide was so great and full of all the little scraps that you can't find in books and on the net. Don't let the thought of being on a crowded coach bother you, once you're off the coach you are with millions of other people anyway.

On our private tour this past October, we had a great driver, full of knowledge, but they are not allowed to serve as guides in the main attractions. We revisited the Colosseum and while it was still an awesome site, I missed the commentary. You also have to stand in line for tickets, not so with the ship. We tailored our tour to our needs and got to see a lot of the sites. We even threw a coin in the Trevi Fountain.

To answer your original question, no you're not too ambitious, you can see everything that you liisted, but you'll need help getting around and getting the most out of your visit.

Rome is prefect for doing on your own by either taking a the ships on your own option or taking the train from Civitavecchia into Central Rome.The 110 Stop & Go tourist bus service will get you to or near all of the important sites.

Here's a tip to check out. There used to be a bus at the Vatican that you catch at the Vatican Tourist Information office on St. Peter's square. They charge a small fee for the bus and it takes you from the square to the Vatican museum. There are 3 big bonuses to this: (1) it's a long walk from the square to the museum entrance and you need to save your feet for the museum itself; (2) the bus goes through the vatican gardens, which are beautiful, and this is the only way to see them; and (3) riders of the bus bypass the line to enter the museum and go straight in. I suggest contacting the TI at the Vatican to see if this is still running.

I spent 5 weeks in Rome when I was a student. Had a great time. Saw lots but did not see all that I wanted to see. Seeing rome in a day is possible but well worth the attempt.

My advise is to pick what is important to you. If you must see the Sistine Chapel plan around that. Pick the one or two things most important to you and try and see those. For the rest, with the time involved you can at best have a quick overview. However, once you get back home you can "see" all of these places on TV or online. Beauty of TV or the web is that you can look at museums etc without the lines. If you have been to the place you can picture it in context. somebody also gave great advise to eat on the run...a few hours spent in a restaurant may be great but if you only have the day a sandwich from a bar is a better use of time. it also gives you a feel for the place..eat where the locals eat.

Have a great time.

We have the same issue. We are gonna put on our running shoes and RUN LIKE HELL! Its not the way to do sightseeing but we want to go back to Italy one day as we won't be doing justice to Florence either.

We are having to cut out the Sistine Chapel which absolutely breaks my heart. We are going to try and fit in the Colosseum and environs, the Pantheon, St Theresa in Ecstasy, and St Peters. Im not not sure how the Vatican is set up but i would like to at least look around outside since we wont have time to go inside.

i guess we will see when we get there.

i guess my suggestion is that if you really want to see the Sistine Chapel plan on that and the Vatican museums and St Peters but dont count on the Colosseum and the other stuff across town. but as you can see from above ive never been. this is just based on reading guide books.

good luck with your planning. :)

On our first cruise to Europe to visit Rome, we were determined to take the private cab because there were four of us and it worked so well in Florence.

The costs were unbelievable. In fact, our friend went outside the ship and was the first one off. They wanted $600 in 1999. I heard later that a smaller car for four that was pretty tight for four was $400. We went right back to the shore excursion desk and was lucky enough to get the tour called "Rome on your own." We had been disappointed when we heard that the Sistine Chapel would not be open on a Sunday. The guide that took us in the bus saw that the pope was in attendance. When we were left off the bus, we went into the recommended religious store to the rest room. We asked the salesperson if there would be any mass. We were very close to the Vatican. The salesperson told us that mass would be starting in 10 min. The Pope was saying mass in the square. We were so happy.

After mass, we hopped in a cab that took us to the colesium. We walked back part way. Since it was Sunday, all the locals were out. From the Emanual monument, we took another taxi and went to the Trivi Fountain. We had a wonderful day. The ship's bus picked us up at the drop off point. We were surprised we got to see as much as we did. It was well worth the $65 each that we had to pay. We had the comfort of knowing that we would be back on the ship on time. I will do it again even though since that time, we have spent quite some time in Rome. (The subway system is easy to get around, too.

;)

Have a great time!

Jean:)

Please go inside the vatican. You have to dress modestly or they will kick you out. take off caps, have your shoulders covered if you are female and no shorts. the line up is for the vatican museum. you can still get inside the vatican itself...you may not want to climb to the top as its hundreds of stairs and time consuming...going inside the Vatican itself does not take that much time. there is a train stop fairly close to the Vatican..you can then either walk to the pantheon or take a bus to explore that area

Reread my previous posting...meant to type IMPOSSIBLE to see Rome in one day but well worth the attempt.

Two years ago we did a one day tour of Rome with a Private driver who picked us up at the dock. In one day we went to the Roman ruins, Colisseum, Forum, a drive by of the Victor Emmanuel Monument, a tour in the Catacombs, a drive by of the Spanish Steps, a quick stop at the Trevi Fountain, a visit to the Pantheon and another church near the Pantheon that had a Michaelangelo, a visit to St. Peter's, the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel, then back to the ship. It was ceratainly exhausting, just a quick taste of the city but absolutely fabulous and well worth the cost.

Linda

So many people have added their 2 cents, so I will too! We are going on the Millenium on June 8. We have been to Rome before and just want to spend the day walking around the historic center, enjoying the ambience of the place, but for a 1st timer I have suggestions. However you do it, you must have a driver, private or with the ship. Public transportation comes on their schedule, not yours. On your own you would exhaust yourself just trying to get from site to site.

Pick the 2 most important places you want to see. If it were me, I would do the Vatican Museum in the morning, give it 2 good hours. You do NOT have to spend 30 minutes in the Sistine Chapel. Its usually very crowded and you have to look up. After a few minutes, your neck's stiff or you're dizzy. If you have time, just pop into St. Peters for a quick look around. Find somewhere quick, either Vatican City or around the Collisseum for lunch. Spend the afternoon at the Collisuem, they have really good audio guides. If you finish and have time, check out the Forum, its across the street. Then late afternoon go to the Spanish steps, get some Gelato and hang out. Have a late dinner at Piazza Navonna and finish off the evening at the Trevi Fountain before you return to the boat.

I have seen the same type of discussion relative to cities all over the world. The most critical question is- what will be most meaniful to YOU? If spending 5 minutes at each place so you can check off the box and tell people "I was at the Roman Forum" works for you, who am I to judge? If however you want to have a fond memory of the city that does not involve discussing your mad dash between sites, than pick a few places and come back again. We have been to Paris 5 times. The first time we took a city higlights tour in the am to get a flavor and spent the afternoon entirely in Ile de Citie. Our last trip we spent 2 days just in the Louvre. Whatever works for you- best of luck and enjoy yourself!

All suggestions are greatly appreciated! We are still trying to decide which sites we most want to see on this trip. Has anyone done the Scavi tour?

I have done the tour of the excavations below St. Peter's. It is very interesting and unusual, definetly worth a visit. At one point you are as close as possible to the grave of St. Peter above which everthing else including the altar and the cupolla rise. Very moving.

Yet, if you have only one day and it is your first trip to Rome, I would not recommend to do it. Unless you want to have a very special spiritual experience and center all your day around this moment, it is too untypical for Rome. The basilica itself is much more spectacular and shows the Roman grandeur.

I would second the recommendation to pick maybe two sights your really want to see.

PS: Today it becomes so very clear again that Rome, the Vatican, St. Peter's are not museums or tourist attractions but places where Christians from St. Peter to John Paul II. continously lived and died for God, places of worship and feeling His presence.

We used Paolo at http://www.drivinguide.com and were very pleased with his ability to cover all the sights (and squeeze in a tour of the catacombs and gelato for all) in a day. He had to speak and drive fast, because he had to cover a lot of territory (no to mention time), so take notes or read up on the sights before you get there. Note that the Sistine Chapel is going to be off limits for the next month, as the cardinals will be convening there to elect a papal successor. Also, if you plan to visit Monaco during your port calls in Villefranche or Marseilles, be warned that the city may be closed for a lengthy mourning period after Prince Ranier passes away.

We toured with Claudio from limoinrome last August. He was very knowledgeable and a wonderful guide. He picked us up at the ship and we saw all that you could in one day. While other tours were waitng on line at the Vatican, we saw the " rest of Rome". After lunch there were not any lines at the Vatican and he arranged a private guide for us. I highly recommend Claudio. He truly made our day in Rome memorable. He was our tour guide in Florence also travelling to meet our ship the next day.

Kathy.

I'd second re Claudio. He was great.

You could do a Tour of Rome in AM, see the Vatican Museum and St Peters in the afternoon. We did the Vatican on our own, but Claudio also arranges a tour of that.