Rome in a Hurry

There is so much to do and see in Rome. Here are a few well known and great places to visit...
1. Spanish Steps
2. Trevi Fountain
3. Pantheon
4. Colosseum
5. Vatican City(everything went so fast, that I totally forgot about the St Peter's Basilica, can you believe it? Going to Vatican City and forgetting about the Michealangelo's Pietá!)
6. Roman Forum

But my absolute favorite places were:
1. Platine Museum(part of the Roman Forum)
2. Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna
3. Catacombs

Quick Tips:

Now, don't get me wrong, I did encounter some wonderful Italian people in Rome, but I also encounter exactly the opposite...then again, it might have been me...
So, don't go expecting too much and you might end up quite satisfied.

Best Way To Get Around:

You'll be using the metro a lot but I'll warn you that in the summer it can get extremely hot, and crowded...
So, walk as much as you can...It may take you a while(Rome is quite big) but is worth it!
To get to the Catacombs you'll need to take a bus and you use the same ticket as for the train.
And forget about the taxis, they are super expensive...Like in any other famous tourist destination.

This hostel could not be more perfect!

For starters the neighborhood where it is located is so wonderful, and you have everything you might want within an short walk. If you want shopping, they've got it. If you want gelato(oh my God!), they've got it. If you want cafes, they've got them...pizza, supermarkets, money exchange, scooter rentals, nightlife(Rome's most famous night spot, Campo di Fiori is just a few blocks away)...well just about everything...

And the best part is that it is away from the Termini Station and near Vatican City(about 2 blocks down Castel S. Angelo)...

The hostel is so cute and small...The doors of the rooms are painted with different bright colors(hence, the name). It has about 4 or 5 rooms. It has Internet access, laundry facilities, kitchen, a small terrace and is incredibly clean. Also, the girl in charge of the hostel is super nice. She will give you suggestions on what to do and were to go, and if by any chance they are full she will do what she can to find you another place to stay...

Another very important aspect is that there is no lockout and no curfew...You could also arrange for walking and bike tours, and trips to Pompeii(which I didn't do).

I paid 20 USD in the triple room(which also had its own shower!) and I believe the dorms cost 15. It doesn't include breakfast.

Seriously, the only bad aspects that I could find are that the hostel is on a forth floor(there's no elevator) and that it didn't have a/c, but who really cares?

It wasn't a popular hostel when I went this past summer (July 2000), but I predict that in the next issues of the travel guides this is going to be very highly recommended, so maybe you'll be needing reservations...

But do try to stay here. You'll love it and will be raving about it, like I am...

Directions:
Take Metro A to Ottaviano
Exit at Giulio Cesare
turn right at Fabio Massimo
turn left at Via Boezio
No. 31

KEEP OUT!!!

This is the first time I write to not recommend a place, but I just can't help myself.

I forgot to make another reservation at Colors and I had to leave the hostel. The girl found me a place at Sandy's. What a difference a day makes!

The place is around the Termini station which is in no way one of the best parts of Rome. It's dirty and extrememly crowded. It's not that I ask for much. It's simply that after staying at Colors it's really hard not to expect at least some place clean.

The hostel is in like a 5 or 6 floor which is a killer on you legs and back. It's an extremely small hostel and not attractive in the least. The girls in charge where quite nice but extremely disorganized. I stayed just for a night and had to moved about 4 times from one bed to another. At the end they told me that I had to wake up before 8 am to move my bed. What is that? I mean, I was going to wake up at 6 anyways, but still.

Then there were the bathrooms. One of the toilets wasn't working for about 4 hours, and that can be a bit of a problem, if you know what I mean...

This place was just a mess and is the worst place I've ever stayed at. And what's even more incredible is that it was recommended on the Let's Go 2000. What were they thinking?

I think that many people don't notice this part of the Roman Forum or maybe they just don't want to pay extra. To go into the Palatine Hill you have to pay 12.000 L, but it is well worth it.

The day I went to the Forum it was incredibly crowded as I'm sure it is every single day(and for a good reason). So going up to the Palatino was a nice change of pace.

You feel like you're entering someone's terrace and garden...From the terrace of a house you can see the entire Forum. It's quite a breathtaking view! And what made it even more special is that I had the whole terrace to myself(later some people did come, and so I moved on). You start imagining people walking through the streets and gardens. You can almost see the people and hear them laughing(and before you say anything: I'm not crazy!).

But there is so much more to the Palatino. You hear the water falling; you go up and down stairs, through gardens, palaces and houses(well, the ruins, but just the same)...It's like a maze and you feel like you're the first person to discover it, because there is simply no one around you...It's quite scary sometimes, because you can find yourself in some really dark rooms.

To get there: Take Metro A to Colesseo. You could either enter from inside the Forum(Via Sacra) or from Via di San Gregorio, which is just outside the Forum .

This museum I positively loved!

The reason I wanted to go to the Gallery was because I knew they had paintings of Klimt, which is one of my favorite painters. When I got there I realized that they only had one painting, 'The Three Ages of Women'... Oh, but it was so worth it...

After standing there for about 40 mins, just taking the painting in...I went ahead and saw the rest of the museum. The museum itself is not so big, but I loved it so much that it took me longer to see than the Orsay in Paris. I guess it all depends on what kind of art you go for, but I'm telling you, if you like modern art, forget about the very famous museums and get to the Gallery...

It's a shame and an advantage that the place was almost empty. It has so much to offer, I don't understand why people don't visit it. But at the same time, it was great for me, that way I could get as close to the paintings as I could. The only set back is that they don't allow pictures taken even without flash like in other museums...but of course people still take pictures, with flash and all...shame on you people!

Other great artists represented in the Galleria: Monet, Rodin, Duchamp, Degas, etc...

Now, this is not your typical walking tour...You do get to see the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, but you do it with a bit of a twist, and is in no way educational. The tour takes you around those sites stoping at about 5 to 6 different pubs for a drink.

The drinking starts right at the bottom of the Spanish Steps with about an hour of drinking beer and wine. Then it keeps going from pub to pub. In each pub you get a free shot(well, not really free, you paid for it). And in one of the stops you also get pizza. Which by that time, you really need. Aparently it ends up at the piazza, Campo di Fiori, but I didn't stayed long enough to find out.

Also you get 30 minutes of free internet access and discount prices at all the pubs, who knew?
I guess you could say, you can do that without having to pay. For for someone travelling alone is a great way to meet new people. On that day there were people from all over. From Scandinavia, Great Britain, USA, Canada, Venezuela, Mexico, Spain, India and of course me, the first person from Puerto Rico to do the tour...Oh, I feel so special!

If you decide to do the tour, please tip the guides for me because I think I forgot...

When I was looking for the Galleria I got a little lost, but even that was a sightseeing trip of its own...

To get to the Galleria you have to enter Villa Borghese, which is a park where the people of Rome of all ages go to relax...You see people reading newspapers, eating, sleeping or just walking, but you never feel a crowd which makes it very special...

Walking up the Viale George Washington you get to what appears to be an artificial lake. The place is gorgeous; with swans and ducks and a lot of nature. Even though is not a big lake(actually it is very small) you can rent boats...and like I said, the day I went, there weren't many people and it all looked very inviting, but I was on a woman in a mission, and I needed to find the Galleria...

Also inside the Villa you will encounter two other museums that I didn't have time to visit, Galleria Borghese and Museo Nazionale Etrusco.

If you ever find yourself in Rome with nothing but dirty clothes, this is for you.

The laundromat where I did my laundry is situated near Termini Station, probably 1 or 2 blocks from it. You just have to bring your clothes and the guys do the laundry for you while you wait...

And you will ask, what am I suppose to do while waiting? Well, here's the cool part. This place is part laundromat and part internet place...So you can check your email while wainting for your clothes and have a soda if you like. I checked my email, bought some food, ate some ice cream and talked to the very friendly owner for a while...

Now, here's the info you really want:

Wash/Dry (6.5kg) 6.000 L/each
Wash/Dry (16kg) 10.000 L/each
Internet 8.000 L/hour
Open everyday 8:00am - 12:00 midnight

Via Milazo 20/B
Tel 0644703096

The owner(Cobra!) also has a B&B. I didn't stay in it, but since he was so friendly probably it's a good enough place...Here's the info:
Friendship Place
Via Milazzo 14 (3rd floor)
Tel 064466546
Apparently it has internet, laundry facilities, kitchen, tv, walking tours and no curfew...But do remember, this is near Termini...