Surviving Rome

Ah Rome, the Eternal City. I had heard that Rome was hot, smelly, and busy during the summer months. Well it was hot, but we didn't have many problems with scent or mobs...

I never expected Rome to be as beautiful as it was. I expected the big city with tons of traffic and ugly office buildings all over the place, but as it turns out, everywhere you look you see an ancient monument, and the city has a lot of green parks, shady trees, refreshing fountains, and a calming river.

The greates places to go in Rome would be the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Colosseum, and of course to St. Peter's Basilica.

Quick Tips:

An important tip if you are visiting attractions in the high (summer) or shoulder (spring/fall) seasons: go early or later on in the evening! This is KEY! We went to St. Peter's Basilica around 10am on Wednesday morning and never had to wait in a lineup for one second, and then we went over to the Vatican Museums around 1pm, and ended up staying in line for two and a half hours in the blazing hot sun. Also, we went to the Colosseum at 7pm one night, and we were one of the few people there and got to linger at each point a little longer without the stress and heat of the daytime.

To save money, you can buy a RomaPass which gives 2 free admissions to any of the listed musuems, free transport, and reduced admission to other participating museums for €18 (3 days). Read the list carefully, however, because some of the major attractions are not included. Check out www.romapass.it. Another benefit is you can bypass several lines in attractions such as the Colosseum!

Make reservations. You can make reservations online for several attractions and museums including the Colosseum, Borghese Gallery, and Vatican Tours at www.tickitaly.com.  We booked Colosseum tickets here and found it to be very beneficial.

Another tip is to always keep an eye on your surroundings and don't go down back alleys. Keep your head up - my sister was out one night with a friend who happened to be travelling at the same time as us, and they were walking down a back alley with her friend's aunt, who lives in Rome. Along the way, they noticed that a couple guys were following them. The girls stopped in a clearing near a police car and the men passed, so they continued on their way. The men ahead sat down on the steps and waited for the girls to pass them then came up casually and grabbed the aunt's purse and threw her to the ground. She ran after them yelling, and some other people heard and helped out in the pursuit and the men ended up dropping the purse. This was in a touristy area near the Trevi fountain. You should stay out in the open areas, around other people and keep valuables hidden - use a money belt if you have to.

Best Way To Get Around:

The best way to get around in Rome is on foot, but eventually you might have to take the bus or subway to get to attractions that are spaced far apart.

I recommend the bus over the subway. The bus tickets are around €1 and can be bought at any of the tabacchi shops, marked by a "T" on the sign. Bus stops are clearly marked and list the route numbers that stop there.

The Roman subway system is a little outdated compared to those that you may find in Athens or Munich. There are only a few lines, the only convenient one leading to the Colosseum. When you go into the subway station, it is very dimly lit and dirty. The trains are spray painted with all kinds of graffiti and are packed.

Taxis are another option, and can be relatively cheap if you are travelling to out of the way attractions such as the Ancient Appian Way (old Roman road).

The Hotel Miami is located in an excellent part of Rome, central to all attractions, the subway, and Termini station.

At first, the hotel looks a little iffy, but once you get in it is quite nice. We paid €120 for a triple room in the peak season (July). We also had to pay an extra €47 to get a transfer in a car from the Leonardo da Vinci airport (or you could just take the train). It turned out to be a good move on our part because the day we arrived all the taxis were on strike.

The hotel is located on one of the main streets, Via Nazionale, which is still an ancient cobbled street. It is about a 20 minute walk (or 5 minute subway ride) to the Colosseum. The subway station is about a 5 minute walk away, as is Termini Station.

You must enter what looks like a giant's door to get into the main hallway, but sometimes they only have the smaller 5 foot tall door opened to enter through. To get to the hotel reception, you have to go down a hall to the left past other businesses and offices. Once you check in, you must exit this room and go back where you came from, into the elevator and up to your floor.

The rooms are extremely small, though the bathroom is decent. Our triple room was definitely not fit for three people... there was one double bed and then a weird chair like thing that would fold down into a bed blocking the main door and the door to the bathroom. Looking out the window (the only window was in the bathroom) you see four walls enclosing you in the space...it is a little bit frightening. Make sure you ask for a room facing the road if it is possible! The room was clean and had a mini-bar and a TV as well as air-conditioning (thank goodness).

The hotel offered a wonderful breakfast in the breakfast room every morning. Fresh cappuccinos, croissants, cereals, and other breakfast items are available. In general, it was a pretty decent breakfast buffet.

The service was good, however we did have a problem trying to figure out the price of our airport transfer.... I was emailed a price of €47 and the front desk told me it was €50. Not that big of a deal, but the desk was having a hard time agreeing to the €47. This was a bit of an unpleasant experience.

I would recommend this hotel to people who are travelling by train, and to people who are in couples. I would not recommend this hotel to families, as the rooms are too small to accommodate more than two people at once.

The 110 On Off bus in Rome is a double decker bus that goes to several attractions, and you can get on and off as you please for 24 hours, as printed on your ticket. The main centre for buses to depart is at Termini station. The ticket is 13 euros, and even though it says you can buy the ticket on the bus, we were told you can't buy them on the bus and were told to go to the ticket office across the street.

Then, you have to wait in line until the bus is ready to fill up again, and you pile on the non-air conditioned bus and they make you sit there until the bus is almost completely full. On the side of the bus it has a list of stops that it makes, so we were intending on riding until the Colosseum.

It was exhaustingly hot that day and the bus would stop at some places for 5-15 minutes leaving you to bake in the heat if you were on the open air top, or suffocate in humidity if you were on the bottom level. We ended up taking the whole bus trip that went to some of the minor stops, near St. Peter's Basilica, and then back to Termini... It never even went to the Colosseum, so we just sat in the heat for an hour listening to some drab commentary.

We ended up having to take the subway to get to the Colosseum. The bus does not hand out a schedule of the specific stops that it makes or whether there are different routes, they just pack you on whichever bus is empty.

I think that this bus tour would be rather enjoyable if it would go by all the major sights (it didn't go by the Pantheon either...) and if the weather was a little milder... in other words... don.t go in summer.

You can find out more information on the website: www.trambusopen.com

Time Elevator Roma was really an excellent show. It is a little bit difficult to find, but you can usually pick up a map at any tourist office or at your hotel. You purchase your ticket at the theater, or you can make reservations online on their website : www.time-elevator.it  

You begin the show with a little introduction to history, and it is played in English. You then enter the theater and put on your headphones, which will be set to the language you selected when you purchased your ticket.

The show is rather entertaining and describes Rome's history to the present day with special effects (I won't spoil the surprise!). It was a great experience, and I would definitely go back again!

The Colosseum is one of the key icons of Ancient Rome. It was built almost 2000 years ago, and still plays a strong role in Roman life. The Colosseum is beautiful! It looks great from the outside, but to really get the feel about how it used to be, you have to go inside. Consider getting an audio guide - they are packed full with information and take you on a detailed tour at your own pace, and then have a little extra facts if you are interested.

If you go just before closing, even in high season, you will be free to explore on your own terms without the crowds of people pushing you along. It is wonderful! The Colosseum also has awesome views onto the Roman Forum. The trip is great for any age, and the kids will love getting a gladiator playset from one of the nearby shops! Reservations are available online at www.tickitaly.com.

As a side trip from Rome, check out nearby Orvieto. From Roma Termini, Orvieto is only one hour away, and you can also enjoy a beautiful trip through the countryside. Once you arrive in the hilltown of Orvieto, you will have to take a funicular ride up the hill to get to the central town (about 0.90 euros). When you get off the funicular, hop on one of the buses waiting for you - you don't have to buy another ticket - and you will be taken to the main square. Orvieto has a beautiful duomo which you can go in and explore, and there are other small cathedrals that are also open to the public. Just take a walk along the alleys! This small town has some beautiful buildings and homes, and is best seen by walking aimlessly through the confusing streets and alleyways. Stop along the way for a nice pizza in a shaded piazza!

Check out the tourist office across from the entrance to the Duomo for information about the underground tours - taking you underground the hill town through the ancient passageways! Bus tickets to return to the funicular must be purchased in the town before you get back on the bus. Check out train schedules at www.trenitalia.com.