Only the smallest in size...

The brilliant little cafes of the Prati area

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In the little neighborhood area just north of Vatican City known as the Prati area, we found ourselves spending much of our time in Rome. We ended up here by pure chance as our endless search for a not-too-expensive place to stay collided again and again with horror stories of bad stays and filthy rooms. In the end we settled on a little apartment let on Via degli Scipioni in the hopes that the pictures were actually the place we'd be staying, and found to our delight a part of Rome that became a home away from home, and that our visit would have been all the poorer from not having experienced it. More than once we found ourselves walking home in the early hours of the morning from a nig...Read More

In the little neighborhood area just north of Vatican City known as the Prati area, we found ourselves spending much of our time in Rome. We ended up here by pure chance as our endless search for a not-too-expensive place to stay collided again and again with horror stories of bad stays and filthy rooms. In the end we settled on a little apartment let on Via degli Scipioni in the hopes that the pictures were actually the place we'd be staying, and found to our delight a part of Rome that became a home away from home, and that our visit would have been all the poorer from not having experienced it.

More than once we found ourselves walking home in the early hours of the morning from a night of celebrating Roman style - and always felt the comfort and safety of the area once we returned to it. It became a bit of a haven for us away from the more touristed sites, and it didn't take long to realize that some of our favourite moments in Rome were in this area - and so we decided to enjoy it to the fullest.

Many of the best eateries we enjoyed were in this area - not least of all for their friendly, homey atmosphere and very cheap prices - but perhaps best of all were the cafes. The apartment we rented did not have breakfast included, but we were advised to try go across the street to the little cafe for a cheap and pleasant Italian breakfast. I was mildly dubious about this suggestion at first - but as I'm not a big breakfast fan myself and was mostly keen on the wonderful Italian cuisine available at later meals, I gave it little thought.

However my husband and a friend who shared the apartment with us do enjoy a good breakfast - so the very first morning we set out across the street to see what's what. This very rapidly became one of our favourite traditions in our Roman stay. Every morning we would head promptly across the street to the little cafe at 108 Via degli Scipioni, to sit with our fellow Italians and enjoy a wonderful breakfast cappuccino (something Italians only have at breakfast) and freshly made pastry. The place was always hopping - but never seemed crowded. We took a seat, either inside or at the little outdoor seats and enjoyed our breakfast at a leisurely pace with a local paper which none of us could read but that we could still make out what was happening and see what the weather called for. We were a part of the place in these cafes. The staff didn't speak English - but it was easy enough to remember 'due cappocini' and then point to the pastry of our choice. It's always best to learn a little local language - and the Roman's really seemed to appreciate and enjoy even our worst attempts. And you gotta like that about a city.

Perhaps best about these cafes is the price. They serve coffee and pastries as well as sandwhiches and sweets - and the prices were superb. You could have an entire breakfast for the same price as a small latte in the UK. There were many of these cafes in the area - this one just happened to be our particular favourite, and it becamse such a favoured haunt of ours in Rome when I return I will feel obliged to instantly return for my morning fare. Each morning I had a croissant and a cappucinno for about 2 euros. And both were superb. We would sit in the mild October morning in Rome, watching the passers by as we decided where we go for the day - and I can not think of a better way to start the day in such a phenomenal city. Read Less

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Vatican Suites

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Hotel | "Absolutely Lovely. "

Vatican Suites Photo - Vatican Suites, Rome, Italy

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Finding hotels turned out to be the most stressful thing about our stay in Rome. After booking fly-by-the-seat of our pants flights for our honeymoon after our wedding location changed - we found excellent flight prices to the Eternal City and thought it was the perfect opportunity to see it for ourselves. After arranging the flights, we went back to planning the wedding and the larger part of our honeymoon which was in Sicily and decided since the Rome bit was just a few day stop over to see some of the main sights, it wouldn't require too much effort or consideration. This turned out to be a bit of a problem once we started looking at hotels. In every other aspect - we were exactly r...Read More

Finding hotels turned out to be the most stressful thing about our stay in Rome. After booking fly-by-the-seat of our pants flights for our honeymoon after our wedding location changed - we found excellent flight prices to the Eternal City and thought it was the perfect opportunity to see it for ourselves. After arranging the flights, we went back to planning the wedding and the larger part of our honeymoon which was in Sicily and decided since the Rome bit was just a few day stop over to see some of the main sights, it wouldn't require too much effort or consideration.

This turned out to be a bit of a problem once we started looking at hotels. In every other aspect - we were exactly right. Everything in Rome and Vatican City turned out to be fairly stress free and enjoyable -and we planned most of it as we walked along the amber coloured streets and decided what we wanted to do next - my favourite kind of holiday.

However - we did learn our lesson in the past that the days of showing up at a hotel that looks nice and asking for a room do seem to be over - and even in October if you don't book months in advance you not only lose any hint of a decent price, you lose most of your options at all. So keeping this in mind, when we did start looking - we realized to our dismay that for some reason we could not fathom, hotel prices in Rome were just if not more expensive in October than they were in the high season. Roman hotels are expensive - but living and travelling around Europe that is something I've come to expect. The problem on this particular trip wasn't that the rooms were expensive - it was that the rooms were expensive and apparently awful. I spent an enormous amount of time before we left trawling through endless review sites of hotels, B&Bs, suites, apartments and motels hoping to find just one that wasn't outrageously expensive that had a pretty good, consistent rating. To my dismay - it wasn't looking good. And the reviews weren't the normal bad ones you get 'the service wasn't as good, the room could do with redecorating, they didn't give me much travel advice, I didn't like the breakfast, etc.’ For many of the rooms we looked at - the bad reviews were that they had been ejected from their room early so someone else could stay there, or they had been robbed while there, or the ceiling tiles were falling. These were reviews from hotels charging over 100 euros per night. I found myself getting more and more uncertain - and the idea of a whirlwind, nice hotel stay as part of our honeymoon diminished until I was just hoping to get somewhere where I could sleep without being robbed.

I cannot say if the hotels in Rome (in general) deserve the kind of hideous reviews that they get. But I can tell you - that Vatican Suites (though I've found many very bad reviews for it as well) most certainly does not. It's not your typical hotel - and so you shouldn't expect room service and five star luxury. Someone was complaining that they weren't 'suites' and I guess you could kind of say that. They are, instead, much like what we would call Holiday Lets in Britain. Situated on the second floor in a great old building just a few streets up from the Vatican, it feels much more like you're letting a small apartment room for you stay. And we absolutely loved it.

The whole area has a small, quiet, neighbourhood feel to it. You can stroll all around very easily and we soon found ourselves talking about 'going home' at the end of the day. Some friends of ours met up with us in Rome to celebrate - and we ended up sharing the nights in Vatican Suites with one of them. We rented out the triple bedroom for three nights for 300 euros (which did have to be paid upfront and in cash) and we enjoyed every minute of our stay.

The room was beautifully put together - large, spacious and clean. It's not overly elaborate - but we had a TV (that showed horrible Roman television) and a small fridge, a wardrobe and a table and chairs as well as a double bed and two singles. There was plenty of space for the three of us to feel comfortable and the bathroom though a bit small (nothing strange at all for European hotels) was nicely decorated, clean, new and with much more space than I was expecting.)

The staffs were also tremendous. We instantly felt welcomed to the city. The hotel (much like holiday lets are not constantly manned, so you do need to make arrangements to meet for your keys and to settle the bill. We did this easily by mobile phone, and had no problems at all.) The owner was very friendly and helpful - gave us a map of the city and showed us where the best places to go are. There's no breakfast included - but one of our very favourite bits of our time in Rome became walking to the cafe two doors down in the morning for cappuccino and croissants before heading out.

There's also a brilliant wine shop just a few streets over which sells excellent wines, some very cheap which we did almost every night and brought them back to our room to enjoy. There's an excellent vibe to this area of the city, with a great selection of shops and restaurants all within strolling distance. The metro stops are just a few streets up - very easy to get on and off here. And if you take the bus from the airport which passes the Vatican, you get off just a few streets away from Vatican Suites. Even with bags it's not a bad walk.

We booked a night in the Sheraton for our last night in Rome to be the night we splashed out there - as it was much more expensive. But the whole time we were there we spent wishing we had just spent another night (or 3) at Vatican Suites which in that short time had come to feel a lot like home. I

And of course - the added bonus of being so close to the Vatican meant that to get to the museum early we were very nearby to get inline.
If I return to Rome, I will be booking the same place again - I'll not spend any time trawling through reviews and sites looking for somewhere decent, and I'm already looking forward to my next stay.
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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on January 9, 2012

Vatican Suites
Via degli Scipioni, 121 4/C
Rome, Lazio 00192
877-662-6988

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Sistine Chapel

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Attraction | "Kind of a shame... "

Sistine Chapel Photo - Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, Europe

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Near the very top of my short list for things I had to see and visit while in Rome and Vatican City for my honeymoon was the inevitable Sistine Chapel. I may not have even gone to the Vatican Museum given the cost to get in (15 euros) and the relatively short amount of time we had in Rome if it hadn't been for the Sistine Chapel - but I have to say that I am completely thrilled that I did. The Vatican Museum itself quickly became one of my favourite parts of my trip to Vatican City, and even without the added benefit of one of the most famous and stunning works of art known to man - it was still worth the money, lines, and crowds to see it. The Sistine Chapel is one of the last stops on...Read More

Near the very top of my short list for things I had to see and visit while in Rome and Vatican City for my honeymoon was the inevitable Sistine Chapel. I may not have even gone to the Vatican Museum given the cost to get in (15 euros) and the relatively short amount of time we had in Rome if it hadn't been for the Sistine Chapel - but I have to say that I am completely thrilled that I did. The Vatican Museum itself quickly became one of my favourite parts of my trip to Vatican City, and even without the added benefit of one of the most famous and stunning works of art known to man - it was still worth the money, lines, and crowds to see it.

The Sistine Chapel is one of the last stops on the walk through the expansive Vatican Museum, with an absolutely immense collection of art - and though it is possible to skip large parts of this and go straight to the Sistine Chapel - I wouldn't recommend it unless you are on a very tight time table. Your ticket buys you access to the museum and the Sistine Chapel - and both are well worth seeing. However - I warn you to pace yourself as you move through the museum. There is so much grandeur, both in the art and the museum itself that you may well find yourself somewhat immune it it's awe and beauty by the end of the day when you finally get in to the Sistine Chapel. I do recommend stopping for lunch or at least a snack and a drink as the day allows. The crowds - which increase as the day goes on and the closer you get to the Sistine Chapel are exhausting and the added heat and pushiness you get at the far end of the museum will definitely add to your fatigue.

Ideally - I would recommend two visits. The first at a very leisurely pace through the first 3/4 of the museum, just taking it all in and refusing to get pushed along, hurrying to the big finale. And the second - a very early visit which takes in the last little bit of the museum as well as the Sistine Chapel. If you can manage it, this is the way to approach it - as you can see them both for all their glory, and yet not get burnt out or over hassled by crowds.

But few visitors will have the time, money or inclination spending two full days in this one attraction - so it's best if you do pace yourself and realize just HOW much there is to see at the museum itself. I have to admit that after several hours, I entered each new, crowded, breath taking room with vaulted ceilings covered in frescos thinking 'Ah -this must be the Sistine Chapel then!' I was never right. Not for a very long time. And some of them were so glorious that by the time I did finally get there - I was left wondering to some degree why I had been in such a rush to see this one bit - when the others seemed in many ways equally grand.

However - that wasn't what made the visit to the Sistine Chapel kind of a shame. The problem for me was the tourists. I spent almost the entire time I was there ashamed to be amongst them - and to be quite honest I was a little relieved when I left. For one thing - it was crammed so tightly not another person could get in. The guards told us as we came in there was no photography and to be very silent as it was a chapel - but almost every single one of the teeming hordes of tourists ignored them entirely.

I wanted nothing more than to stand in the awe-inspiring serenity of a breath-taking chapel and view the famous Michelangelo's work - but I spent most of it being pushed, and feeling shamefaced that the guards at the front - patient to no end - had to keep shouting across the din to be quiet, and to stop taking photos. Which no one ever did. I was literally embarrassed, and felt like I was doing the serenity and sanctity of the place the best service and pay it the greatest respect just by leaving.

There are few places I can think of that are more ruined by tourists than the Sistine Chapel - though I am so impressed at the way they handled it, and continue to handle it - letting them in to view despite their despicable behaviour. I hope one day I get to view it without this inconvenience, though I don't see it ever happening. As it stands though - it is still a sight everyone should behold who visits Rome. I just implore you that when you do go, pay it the proper respect, put your camera away and enjoy it in the silence it was meant for.
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on January 9, 2012

Sistine Chapel
Vatican Palace Viale Del Vaticano
607
+39 (06) 8530 1758

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Vatican Museums

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Attraction | "Worth every penny"

Vatican City Photo - Vatican Museums, Rome, Italy

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You may hear that Rome is an expensive city to visit - and like most things you hear about travelling to foreign lands - this is both true in some respects, and pointedly not in others. Flights tend to be cheap - whilst hotels are very expensive. Food is extremely cheap - while tourist attractions are very pricy indeed. In many ways - this is a nice dichotomy as it gives you complete control over what kind of Roman trip you have - and how much you have to spend to have a good time. If strolling and looking at the buildings, enjoying local food and wine is what you want - you can have yourself a very cost efficient trip that you will come home raving about. However - if seeing all the top tourist ...Read More

You may hear that Rome is an expensive city to visit - and like most things you hear about travelling to foreign lands - this is both true in some respects, and pointedly not in others. Flights tend to be cheap - whilst hotels are very expensive. Food is extremely cheap - while tourist attractions are very pricy indeed. In many ways - this is a nice dichotomy as it gives you complete control over what kind of Roman trip you have - and how much you have to spend to have a good time. If strolling and looking at the buildings, enjoying local food and wine is what you want - you can have yourself a very cost efficient trip that you will come home raving about. However - if seeing all the top tourist sites is your main aim - it may work out a little more expensive than otherwise.

Still - no matter what your thinking or your budged about a visit to Rome and Vatican City - you can hardly go without taking in at least some of the big historical sites - even if it does mean dealing with crowds and paying the tourist price. My advice would be to be selective in your choices. Even if you are very happy to spend the money - I fear you will leave Rome feeling it was a somewhat hectic experience, and not really enjoy all it had to offer it you spend the whole time seeing these 'must sees.'

However, there are a few that really should not be missed, and in a visit to Vatican City - I put the Vatican Museum at the top of that list. I - traditionally - have had a bit of a love-hate relationships with museums. In theory I love them - I like the idea of visiting something so intrinsic and unique to a city (a city's museum is an indelible stamp of its culture and though you may visit a thousand museums, you will always be able to look back and remember them linked to the feel and pace of the city in which they sat). And there are museums that are as much a part of the city as the city is itself. My trips are usually dictated at least somewhat by their cost - and so there have been times when I turned down a visit to one of these intrinsic museum experiences (such as the Louvre in Paris) which I have always regretted. I don't know what I ended up doing with the 15 odd euros I didn't spend to go to the Louvre - but I suspect it wasn't worth it.

And yet - at the same time, I love wandering the streets - soaking up the atmosphere and finding the out of the way places that people don't tell you about in guide books. I like sitting and watching, and enjoying - finding that great little cafe you remember for years afterwards, and think back on fondly. And museums, for all that they do offer - also fall victim to a sense of similarity. You go in - it's quite and cool and dark and you wander along looking at art - generally only a few of which really speak to you. In my experience, I have often found myself wanting to be exploring more widely - and in short trips museums do often get cut out. And then there are of course the experiences where you wish you had spent your money elsewhere (like the Picasso museum in Barcelona) where the staff are hostile and the works of art lose something immensely from the atmosphere.

There are two sides to the coin in the Vatican museum. The first is - it's astonishing. From start to finish it is awe inspiring and left me feeling that it was probably the best museum in the world. Certainly the best I had ever been to. There is So much to take in you can hardly manage it in a whole day - and if you can afford it or have the time I would highly recommend you plan more than one visit so that you can relish it. Otherwise you will reach the end and though it only increases in its impressiveness - you will be utterly topped up on appreciating it, and will find yourself just hurrying through.

The problem is that it is very crowded. Crowded like nothing I have experienced in a museum before - and the closer you get to the Sistine Chapel - the worse it gets. By the end you will be being pushed from room to room, which is not pleasant - and the temperature increases as do the crowds, and it can be quite an exhausting experience. The other issue is that it is also pricy. When I visited it was 16 euros for entry (though you get an excellent discount if you are a student!) which on a normal trip for me is no small amount. However - I never for a moment regretted spending that, and was only saddened I didn't have more time and more money to go back and take in the second half of it one more time.

Go as early as you can - as the day builds so do the crowds. Perhaps the most taxing thing about a visit to the Vatican museum is the profound line which stretches all along the city wall for blocks and blocks to get in. Get there as early as you can to beat it - and bring water. There are people selling bottles of water as you walk along, and it's not as pricy as you would thing (1 euro) but you will get thirsty. We lingered a little longer than we should have over our cappuccino and pastry before going and got in line around 10 pm, so were in for quite a wait. I didn't find it, too bad - sometimes you just know you have to stand in a long line, and you just get on with it. But unless you are there very very early - expect to wait approximately an hour - and more if you get there near mid day.

And be very wary of pickpockets especially while in line. Despite the fact that there are cameras everywhere and this is a place where you do go through metal detectors - we still spotted several groups of young men who looked like they were doing anything but sightseeing - and were standing far too close to groups of tourists than they really should have.
You will be very pleased to know that you can take photos in most of the museum (don't leave your camera behind - it's an amazing place!) but you must not do so at the Sistine Chapel - which is fair enough - it is a chapel.

The summation of my review of the Vatican Museum is - it's glorious. Be sure to go if you are in Rome - it's worth both the time and the money you will spend to see it!
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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on January 9, 2012

Vatican Museums
Viale Vaticano
Rome, Italy 00165
0039 06 69884676

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Visiting the Vatican

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Vatican City Photo - Vatican City, Europe

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I have to say - that on my first trip to Vatican City - I had no idea what to expect. My honeymoon found me landing in the city of Rome on a beautiful, golden October day - and I was soon to find that the city I had been told was overcrowded and hostile was going to become one of my very favourite cities in the world. With the exception of a few very crowded top tourist sites, instead I found the place warm and beautiful - with a relaxed and genteel atmosphere almost unknown to cities these days. I revelled in the city - and even though I had no idea how that would translate over into Vatican City - I was soon to be pleasantly surprised. I'm embarrassed to say - I knew very little about...Read More

I have to say - that on my first trip to Vatican City - I had no idea what to expect. My honeymoon found me landing in the city of Rome on a beautiful, golden October day - and I was soon to find that the city I had been told was overcrowded and hostile was going to become one of my very favourite cities in the world. With the exception of a few very crowded top tourist sites, instead I found the place warm and beautiful - with a relaxed and genteel atmosphere almost unknown to cities these days. I revelled in the city - and even though I had no idea how that would translate over into Vatican City - I was soon to be pleasantly surprised.

I'm embarrassed to say - I knew very little about Vatican City before I arrived. My interest was in Rome, and I knew that I would be venturing into the tiny independent state only because I was determined to see the Sistine Chapel. But I had no idea how big an issue it was going to be moving from Rome to the Vatican. I knew it resided within a walled enclave in the midst of the city - but I did not know how much that would impose itself on the visitor. The home of the Pope - and arguably one of the holiest places in the world - I had no idea if I would find it an easy stroll across from one to the other, or meet guarded gates where passports were checked and we were made to go through a series of metal detectors.

After being in Rome and the Vatican City - I am once again left feeling shamed and annoyed at the overinflated sense of self-preservation I find in so many other places these days - particularly on my journeys home. The easy answer was - the first time I stepped foot into the smallest independent state in the world - I didn't realize I'd done it. All I did was cross the street, and suddenly I realized - I was in Vatican City.

And what a city! Not being a catholic myself, I did not feel myself the pilgrim there, nor did I feel any religious tug at the heart strings (but oh, I can imagine what a feeling it would present for those who do!) but I still found myself revelling in the surprisingly peaceful atmosphere that made up the cobbled entry way to St Peter's Basilica.

It's hard to think of Rome without seeing the Basilica, glistening in the afternoon sun - even if technically it is in Vatican City. And I can't now imagine the experience of Rome without the pointedly unique taste that the Vatican brings. You'll realize you’re getting closer to the Vatican the more the pope and other religious souvenirs begin to appear in windows. Even the gelato shop we stopped in, I suddenly realized, was plastered all over with postcards and little plastic images of the Pope - and a few steps outside I crossed the street and realized I was standing at the Basilica - an image that no photo you have ever seen will do justice to. We had planned to spend our first night in Rome just wandering around, with a visit to Vatican City on the cards for early the next morning - but if all roads lead to Rome, then all Roman streets appear to lead to the Vatican, because somehow we found ourselves there on that first golden afternoon anyway.

Vatican City has a lot to offer inside and out - but even if you don't visit any of the (granted highly touristed) sites inside - be sure to get as many opportunities to view the city and the basilica as you can. Early morning is the best time for visiting the inside - as it's quiet and the crowds have not yet descended - it's almost otherworldly the sense of grandeur that you find there when you are not having to be pushed past each wondrous sight. But the outside view is best in the falling afternoon sun (which sets just behind the basilica) as well as late at night where the stars align above it, and the lights around it's quiet walls let you feel you're seeing something truly spectacular.
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