Rushing through Rome

The Montecarlo Hotel is very clean and close to the train stations. I did not think the location was that great; we definitely had to walk a lot to get to places of interest.

The staff was nice--nothing extraordinary--but they seemed slightly snooty, honestly. The furnishings were nice--modern, with the classic Roman design. The room was a nice size and well-designed. There was a view of the street, but that was about it.

If you have a car, you can park on the street; just keep an eye on it. You might have to move it randomly throughout the day or accept the fact that you will get a ticket (or two or three).

They had a breakfast in the morning that was not very good, and it was impossible to get a seat in the dining area. We ended up leaving for breakfast every morning.

The beds were two twin cots pushed together and were nothing special at all!!

I would probably not recommend this hotel unless your options are slim. It was a fine hotel, but I like hotels with a little more character to them and a much comfier bed. All in all, though, I prefer a happy and accommodating staff over anything, and they were neither.

We asked the concierge to recommend a restaurant nearby for dinner one night, and they sent us to an AWFUL Italian restaurant. The food was the worst we had throughout our entire trip. I wish I could remember the name; if i do, I will review that as well. It was on the same street and had outdoor seating.

This was a stop in our self-guided rush around Rome tour. We got to the Colosseum and got right in, we were there in early October, and there was no wait at all; it was great. We walked in and spent a couple of hours walking around looking in and out of different windows. Unfortunately, they were doing work on the center and had it partially covered up, and you could not walk across it, so that was a bummer. I would recommend following behind a tour or taking a tour. It is much better to hear the stories. It is really very interesting.

There is no need to spend a lot of time here, as there is really not a ton to see. But it is a nice place to hang back and see Rome. It is sad how many people have such little respect that they litter and leave their cigarette butts all around this amazing, historic place.

Definitely take the time to visit, as it is a worldy treasure, and it is amazing to hear the stories and try to envision what it once was like.

The Forum is great. If you did not get the chance to go to Pompeii, do not miss this! It is really amazing how a modern city is built around these gorgeous ruins.

It is a great spot. You can spend as little or as much time as you want to here. You can walk through on your way to somewhere or spend a lot of time here.

It was our last stop after a 15-hour Rome run-around, so we were exhausted. I still loved it and wished I could have spent more time learning about the history, but there was not enough time in the day--on my next trip, I guess.

The stories are amazing and so real, so take the time to meander through. There are ruins everywhere in the city.

We walked clear across the city to get here. We waited in line for an hour or so, which was not a big deal since it was Early October and the temperature was in the mid 80's. Once we got in the entire place was just crowded with people. I would recommend visiting the Vatican early in the day before it gets too crowded to enjoy.

Once we got all set, we started our journey through the museum. The crowd did make it difficult to really enjoy everything, but it was ok. We walked through stopping and looking at what we wanted to see. The museum had some great art and the building itself is amazing. The long halls of art from floor to ceiling are just unbelievable. There is a great section of old maps that are worth looking at.

You go through many visually stunning rooms en route to the Sistine Chapel. By the time you get to the Sistine Chapel you have already had the pleasure of viewing some amazing art.

The Sistine Chapel is a room that is crowded with people all looking up each person trying to sneak a photo. There are no photographs allowed, but very few people seemed to listen, myself included. The art is amazing and the colors beautiful. It is just unbelievable to finally see what you have heard so much about, so stay and take it all in. Look around and don't miss a thing.

This is a large but nice museum. There is a lot to see, so either map out your route or go in and just walk.

We made our way through the long lines and saw what we wanted to see. The long hallways are truly amazing, with the art from the floor to the ceiling. It is a sight to see.

There is a hall of maps that is really awesome. Some of the windows have such amazing views into the courtyard and around the Vatican.

This cannot be missed. Not only do you get to see an amazing building, but you get to visit another country--Vatican City.

Give yourself time and try to not get frustrated with the crowds. This building houses some beautiful artwork that deserves a fair amount of time.