Rome - Over Too Quickly

Before traveling I read that Rome is best done quickly, so I planned for one full day—plus the next morning. After a missed flight we arrived late, which cut our time down to one afternoon and one morning—much too little. Plan a full day for the ancient sites: Colosseum, Forum, Palatine Hill, Pantheon; then do Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps at nighttime, when they are at their best and everything else is closed anyway.

A few notes on the ancient sites:

Buy your Colosseum tickets at Palatine Hill (no lines, and tickets sold at both locations automatically include entrance to both sites). If you spend too much time at Paltine Hill, your Colosseum ticket is good until 1:30pm the next day (but be careful if you're planning to visit Vatican in the morning, you'll never make it back in time).

Don't leave sight-seeing too late... the Pantheon closes at 7:30pm Mon-Sat and 6pm on Sundays.

You'll want to dedicate a good portion of the next day in Vatican City. Keep in mind that the Vatican Museum closes early, so do this first.

Another hint about the museum:

The lines to get in can be horrendous. I suggest reserving a space in the tour group fax 06-6988-4947. After a Vatican City gelato go to St. Peter's or take the "Group only" exit at the back of the Sistine chapel to go straight to the basilica and skip the line.

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

The major sites in Roma aren't too far, and you can do most of your sight-seeing by foot. The train station, most hotels and the ancient sites can all be done by foot (with a sturdy walking shoe). You will want to take the Metro line A to get across the Tiber River and over to Vatican City.

Small but tidy rooms, with TV and a teeny little bathroom. The best thing about this hotel is location, right in the middle of it all. It's about halfway between the Roma Termini train station and the ancient sites. Easy walking distance to all major sites, except the Vatican (take Metro line A). Staff is very friendly and speaks English. You can buy bus or Metro tickets right at the hotel (just ask front desk). A small Italian breakfast (sweet roll, yogurt and coffee) is included and served in the lobby. www.hotelitaliaroma.com

Decent place to stay, very affordable. Our double room was only €60. This hotel has a contract to house train workers during the day so you can only get into your room between the hours of 7pm and 9am. They will happily store your luggage however, any time of the day. One major selling point of this hotel is the proximity to the train station. Literally, one block away! Our room comprised two twin beds and a sink. The full bathroom/shower was down the hall (and was a little grimy). We took the train down to Rome on our last night in Italy before catching an 11am flight out of Rome. As we didn't arrive until 10pm and left before 8am, Albergo Sileo was a perfect place for us to stay. I wouldn't recommend it for a multiple night stay, but for a quick stopover it was perfect and cheap! www.hotelsileo.com ; info@hotelsileo.com

A don't miss! Even on a rush through Rome, make a stop at the Vatican Museum (the only way to see the Sistine Chapel). The museum is a bit of a sensory overload, as rooms and hallways are filled from wall to wall to ceiling to floor with artwork—paintings, tapestries, mosaics, and sculptures. Just try to ignore all the tourists bumping into you and pushing to get through. Step off to the side and take in the surroundings. Among the many well-know works of art you will find Raphael's School of Athens and of course, Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel.

Admission is €12. I highly recommend a tour, even for the simple reason that with a tour group you get to skip the line and go in the exit. If you reserve with the Vatican tour it costs €10 on top of the admission fee. Fax 06-6988-5100 for tour reservations. If you forgo the tour and then see the long line and wish you had made reservations hope is not lost. You'll probably be approached by English speaking students offering a "VIP tour" really this is just a 3rd party tour group with a Vatican approved guide. These groups also skip the line and offer good info, but will cost you €30 or €40 per person.

A few more notes:
Photos are acceptable in the Museum but flash is not! However, no photos are permitted in the Sistine Chapel.
Shorts and bare shoulders are also not allowed.
After you have spent all the time you want in the Sistine Chapel you can exit through the back on your left (with your back to Judgement Day wall) to visit part of the Vatican Library, or if you've had enough you can exit through the "group" exit on the right and go directly to St. Peter's Basilica without waiting in line again. Once you are out of the museum there is no going back in. When you get to the bottom of the ramp go right to climb the dome of the basilica or go left and through the gates to enter St. Peter's.

St. Peter's Basilica was easily my favorite cathedral that we visited on our Italy tour. Walking down the center nave underneath the incredible dome is unbelievable. Then as you explore the art and niches along the side of the basilica you forget about the crowds and the heat, and are transported into the early days of the church. The highlight is definitely Michelangelo's Pieta, a stunning piece of sculpture.

Our afternoon visit to the Roman Forum area was great. Keep in mind that if you buy tickets for the Colosseum, Palatine Hill is included in the price and certainly worth a look. I suggest buying your tickets at Palatine Hill instead of the Colosseum (rarely is there a line). Wandering through the Forum and Palatine Hill is an amazing look at ancient Roman times, just imagine what an incredible area this was when it was a its prime. The Forum is free, Palatine Hill ticket costs €10 (and includes Colosseum) you can rent audio guides for both sites are €4 each.