Rome Vacation Options

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Q: How long should I stay in Rome? I’m planning a trip for next yr but I’m on a student budget. 1 week too less?
I was looking at different vacation options and thought of Rome. I went on some travel sites and they had some summer deals that were about 1200 a person. BUT it was only for 4 nights. Is that way too less time to see Rome completely? If so, what’s the minimum amount of time I should spend there.

P.S. I’m on a student budget

A: I spent 5 nights there and it wasn’t enough. However, we also had some serious jet lag and missed a few mornings of sightseeing, so you may be able to cram it in in 4 days.

I strongly urge you to get a Fodor’s gold guide and a city guide. This way you can make the most of your time and plan your days to the fullest. There is NO point in just doing one thing a day when the city is small enough to walk from end to end. The Colosseum is right next to the Imperial Forum which is right next to the “Wedding Cake” (Il Vittoriano). The Pantheon is near Piazza Navona and some great food & shopping. The Fodor’s gold guide gives FANTASTIC walking tours that you can do in a few hours (or more). The only ‘most of the day’ sight that I found was St. Peter’s and the Vatican Museum. If you love art & archetecture, spend as much time here as possible.

The Fodor’s guide also give tips for churches that you might have missed. We never would have gone to what ended up being our favourite church, Sant’Ignazio or to San Pietro in Vincoli to see the STUNNING “Moses” sculpture.

But, we also aren’t “drive by tourists” – we like to really admire what we visit; not just say we saw it.

Have fun!

Q: How does the bus and transportation system work when visiting Rome?
I am going to Rome on vacation and looking into several options for transportation. I have looked up some bus and train details but wonder if the schedules are user friendly for Americans and how far apart they are, etc. Would this be easy to use or should a car rental be the best option for local use?

A: I live in Rome and believe me you do NOT want to hire a car for use in the city. If you’re not convinced see this video I took at Piazza Venezia in Rome http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXb6FN1ti9U – the video was taken out of season in November.

For more advice about transport in Rome see http://www.romanlife-romeitaly.com/public-transportation-in-rome-italy.html it has information on buses, night buses, electric buses, trams, Metro etc and plenty of maps to help you find your way around.

Enjoy, Rome is fantastic (but not the traffic!)

Q: Which Is nice for Vacation Rome or England or France?
My dad who is kinda old around his late 50s wants to take me and my older sister to one of these locations and i was wondering which one will be good for him to go and would be intresting for a 15yr old and a 21yr old something fun and exciting. So i would appreciate your opinions and options very much and Links as well(: Thanks For The Help

A: I’m still young and I’m just 66. I have more get up and go than many youngsters I know. Remember this, life doesn’t begin until you are over 50.

I have just returned from a holiday in Lazio, which is just north of Rome. It is the second time I’ve been to that fantastic amazing place. We drove from Málaga in Spain.
Excitement comes in many forms, so you should elaborate on that. We get excited by visiting the Vatican, but your excitement may be different. If you are looking for beach fun and excitement, then come to Málaga.

Q: how much does a vacation to Rome cost?
Me and a friend would love to go…the cheapest way possible. lol. Is there an off season? When is it? Is staying outside the city an option? Etc.Etc.Etc.

A: the cheapest way is to travel there by car or train and stay in hostels. Also, pick a hostel that will let you cook your own food. While there, travel either by walking (cheapest) or by public transportation. If coming by car, do not park in the city as it is rather expensive. M

Q: How long is the Eurail ride from Rome to Venice and Rome to Milan?
I will be in Rome next month on vacation and I was wondering if anybody knew the time it takes to get from Rome to Milan and Rome to Venice. I have to catch a flight and I was wondering which city to book the flight out of and I am basing it on the time it takes to get to each city by way of Eurail. Also, if there is an option to take a high-speed train, how much would that cost? Thanks!

A: Depends on the line. If you take the EuroStar (slightly more expensive than the IC trains) Rome to Milan is about 4-4.5 hours. Milan to Venice is 3 hours by IC train and around 2 by Eurostar. Direct from Rome to Venice, I’m not sure but check out this website. Don’t worry, just click on the button for english and it will translate just fine.

Q: Vacation to Rome: 1 week or 2?
I plan to take my girlfriend to Rome sometime in 2009. We’re both history buffs and love the artistic side as well. We are both in our 20’s and getting around the city, walking or metro, is no problem. The only issue is, we’re in our 20’s and money is sort of tight. I’d like to spend less than $3,500 but preferably under $3,000.

My question is, is one week sufficient to see Rome or is two weeks more necessary?

Also, I’d ideally like to see all of Italy, but that may be pushing it. I’ve heard there is a moderately priced Italian rail pass which could be an option. It would kill me to be that close to Pompeii, Florence and Venice and never get to see them.

On a side note, I’ve heard that flying into London then taking an inter-european flight is cheaper than flying direct. Is this true? What’s the best thing to do?

Please help. I want to make her dream come true.

A: If you’re looking to visit Rome and Pompeii, a week is fine but if you want to extend to Florence and Venice (and perhaps another city or two) then you should definitely consider two weeks.

Central Rome is quite accessible by foot, and during my previous trips I’ve always walked around pretty much everywhere. When I first visited Rome I used the guide from Enjoy Rome (http://www.enjoyrome.com/index.html ) and found it useful that I’ve used it every time since, with exception when I was visiting and my friend from Rome was incidentally home at the same time. That trip, I had a personal tour guide

Metro in Rome is not particularly handy, often not going near the historical sites. The reason is simple – anytime that they try to dig for metro construction, they’ll come across some part of ancient Rome and an excavation would then be required! If you must, take the buses and they’re quite cheap. For more information on public transportations in Rome, check this link (http://www.enjoyrome.com/tourist/cityguide/public.transportation.html )

There is no need to get an Italian rail pass. Train in Italy, especially the regional ones, are cheap enough that a rail pass is actually not worth it. For destinations that are just a couple of hours away from Rome then regional trains are certainly the way to go. E.g. train for Rome-Naples is about 10euro one way, where you will then grab a bus to go to Pompeii.

As for longer distance destination such as Venice, look into either travelling overnight (so your accommodation budget can go for the train+sleeper) and arriving in the morning. On faster trains, if you buy your tickets ahead of time, you can avail of Amica prices which usually is discounted in comparison to the normal rates. The the rail network in Italy is run by Trenitalia (http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=3fdbe14114bc9110VgnVCM10000080a3e90aRCRD )

As for flights, it depends. Sometimes you could get cheap enough flight even though it’s direct to Rome. Sometimes perhaps it’s more expensive than flying to London then grab an inter-European flight, but is it cheaper after you add the costs of US-London AND London-Rome?

Flying direct to Rome means you’re not wasting time to go to London, then having to change an airport (most low-fare, no frills flights operate from other airports and not from Heathrow) and you’ll need to account for travelling to/fro the airports (prices in GBP, which is expensive if you consider USD-GBP conversion) too. Not only that, low cost airlines don’t do connections so if you miss your flights it’s your problem. On top of that, they also tend to have major luggage restrictions and additional charges for check-in luggage etc. Sometimes, taking into account of all these, unless you’re making significant savings to fly to London, then I would say save yourself the hassle and just fly direct to Rome.

Besides, see it this way. If you’re only saving about 100USD per person but you waste some 6-8 hours transitting in London with no guarantee on flight connections, is it worth it? Is the value of your time not worth more than that? You can’t ever buy lost time so why not have more of them in Rome (and Italy) than navigating different airport system and security etc?

I recently gave an answer to another question related to travelling in Italy (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AjKwxD8k2IBcQ5I7Jo7Xj8Dty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20081202054031AACe9pS&show=7#profile-info-pObxZvs5aa ) so have a look at the details there. I was suggesting to the asker a potential itinerary for his rather tight schedule for Venice – Verona – Florence – Rome – Venice but of course this is just for guide, and to give you some idea of how the trip could be roughly planned, and the kind of train ticket prices that’s applicable.

If you need any other information, let me know and I’ll see if I’m able to help. I travel to Italy regularly and although I may not know everything, if I can answer any of your question, I’ll happily help.

Happy planning!

Q: I am considering a honeymoon vacation in mid october between Italy and France.Which should be a better option
Which would be a better option in terms of weather?
In France i intend to cover paris and the French Riviera and in italy it is venice,rome and florence.
Some suggestion and tips would be really handy in making a memeorable honeymoon.
Thanks.

A: If you go to the top of the Eiffel tower hang on the wind blows strong there, that is about all France has and it is in Paris.Can’t say any thing for Italy. Happy Honeymoon. France also has a lot of good wineries that you can visit.

Q: HELP, i’m clueless! Which tours should i choose to go on in Rome next week?
I plan on going on vacation with 4 friends next week, and I’m absolutely overwhelmed with the numerous options for tours. i could definitely use a word-of-mouth suggestion of an itinerary that could cover 3 days worth. I wanted to do a vespa tour, but it seems like they’re VERY expensive. Any other recommendations for sight seeing options are also welcome (e.g., any sort of live show?)

A: i have just came back from ROme a week ago,if you will go to Rome for 4 days only i recomColosseumt u should never miss going to the colossum its beautiful, also the fontana de trevi (where u through coins and make a wish), the piazza navona its amazing u can have a portrait or a carecateur drwan for you there by one of the artists there, also go to the vatican and the st. petro baslica its greaaaaaaat.
for all this site seeing u can take the bus from termni station Bus 40 or H or 175 they will take u to all the main site seeing places in rome, also the metro the daily ticket is for 4 euros.
for shopping u can go to via del corso, via nazionale, the area at the vatican, and there is a greaaaaaaat shopping center in Rome called euroma 2 everything is there from A to Z all shops just take the metro line B going to laurentina and get down in eur palasport station when u get out of the metro infront of the station take the bus no. 777 get down in the third station u will find it there and when u leave do the same take 777 from the other direction just cross.
at night there are night life and free music concerts at st. jeovany’s castel
i hope u enjoy ur trip and have lots of fun there )))

Q: How to travel light in Italy?
I’ll be flying to Rome, and spending the bulk of my vacation there. But I would also like to spend a day in Milan, and perhaps head to Pompeii for a day or two. Short of hauling all my luggage around in trains, are there any other options that don’t include having a hotel room in Rome and someplace else?
Thanks for both answers!!

A: In order to travel light, the best thing to do is to pack light. Italians don’t like watching your luggage anymore than you do.

There are fairly cheap (about 5.00 euros a day) staffed luggage check services or self-serve lockers at most major Italian train stations (I remember seeing one at Roma Termini last time I was there), but some travellers report the underpaid and bored attendants themselves as being less than trustworthy.

If you’re staying at the same hotel in Rome after your side-trips, the front desk might be willing to watch the luggage for free (since you’re coming back in a couple days anyhow), but again, most of them do not take legal responsibility for potential losses.

Just a thought from a seasoned traveller: You might want to seriously look at your itinerary as well. Europe may be the smallest of the continents, but it’s bigger than many tourists seem to think. What you’re proposing is similar to landing in Los Angeles, and asking whether it would be feasible to do San Francisco as a daytrip.

Furthermore, I don’t see one day in Milan as justifying a 6 hour train ride from Rome. Milan is just not that interesting to begin with (unless you’re there on business). It’s a very no non-sense corporate city. In terms of shopping, Romans are just as discerning shoppers – and all the major designers have shops throughout Italy. And with the exception of the Cathedral, Milan is also dissapointingly modern and unattractive.

Q: will you take my survey?
ok i have a couple questions ANSWER THEM

1.fav color
2. fav breakfast food
3.fav stores
4.fav socks (knee highs, ankle, ect)
5.fav purse designer
6.fav place to go on vacation (options are beach, paris, camping, and rome)
7.fav animal
THANK YOU

A: 1. Pink ♥
2. Mini Muffins (chocolate chip)
3. Hollister, Abercrombie, Love Pink…..
4. Ankle socks, this may sound weird but I kinda think those knee high socks are cute.
5. COACH/Vera Bradley
6. Domican Republic, and TN
7. Dolphins

Q: Can foreigners rent cars in Europe? I’d like to stay in Tuscany but make 2 day trip to Rome. I’m from the U.S.?
I am thinking of taking a vacation mid June. The vacation will be 8 days long with travel to and from the US. so basically 6 days in Italy. I’d really like to just enjoy the area rather than site see. We are more concerned with wine and food tasting and relaxing. I don’t want to be in the city, I want to be surrounded by nature if at all possible. My husband is actually in Iraq currently and when he returns this is a short romantic trip that we want to take together to sort of reconnect. So relaxing and romance is key. But we’d like to take 1 day to see Rome. There’s just so much there that seams so beautiful and interesting that we can’t miss it if we go all the way to Italy.

So can you rent cars or would a bus be our only option? Are there any secluded lush vinyard like areas with hotels any closer to Rome then Tuscany?

Thanks for your advice!
Thanks so much for that info! We’ll need an automatic, I sure hope it doesn’t limit us but due to being unable to bend my left knee (disability) I can’t drive a stick shift… Of course my husband could drive but I’d love for him to be able to see the sites sometimes too. – As for the drinking, no worries we won’t be drinking and then driving. We are going to see about staying at a B&B located at a winery so that if we do get a little toasted we can just walk to our room and sleep it off. Thanks for the advice though! The AAA advice is awesome. We would have never thought of that!

A: Fantastic!

Yes, of course you can rent a car, provided you have a valid driver’s license.
I am really glad you are already thinking of this so you can make good plans by the time you depart.

I do need to point out…..Driving in Italy can be very stressful for people who are not accustomed to it. Also…whomever is driving will not be able to enjoy much wine. Italian law and the police are very strict about it. Using public transportation mitigates both of these concerns.

A few points:

=A=================
You definitely won’t want a car while in big cities like Rome, Florence, etc. I’d suggest having a car for a few days, but the other days, relying on public transportation. Ask a travel agent for suggestions.

Here’s a possible idea:

1
Fly into Rome, take the train into the city [costs11 Euros each; takes 30 minutes, runs every 30 minutes]

2
Enjoy your time in Rome without a car.

3
Pick up a car when leaving Rome [hopefully from an office in the outskirts that you could reach by train or bus....less stressful than driving through Central Rome]

4
Spend some days in the Italian countryside of Umbria and Tuscany

5
Drop off the car at Rome airport when you leave Italy. [you can arrange to pick up a car in one place and drop it off in another]

=B=================

Renting a car with an automatic transmission is almost always MUCH more expensive than renting a car with a manual transmission ['stick shift']…This is because automatic transmission cars are uncommon in Europe.

=C=================
Getting an International Drivers Permit [available in any AAA office] is a good idea:

http://www.aaa.com/vacation/idpf.html

It basically translates your license [what class of vehicles you are qualified to drive] into many different languages.

Again, a travel agent can help you in many different aspect of your trip.

I sent my thoughts and prayers for the safe return of your husband and his unit.

Q: Has anyone taken a roadtrip in Italy?
We are planning 2 week vacation in Italy.We plan on rentinga car for the stay.How long will it take for us to travel from Tuscany – Milan.Milan – Venice.
Is it better to stay one week in Tuscany and see Rome,Florence,and some of the villages there and then move to Milan or the North and stay there to see Venice,Dolomites etc…
I just wanted to know my options…
Thankyou in advance

A: Put in Italy in Yahoo search. Print out a map and plan your vacation first. Driving in Italy is challenging. Some places are better reached by train–eg. Venice. Figure out where you will be staying. It might be better to go to the most remote southern places by train. Venice is expensive; however, there is a little island named Lido. If you stay on Lido and buy ferry passes, every time you leave Lido you are in Venice. Morano Glass factory is on Lido. You might want to stay two days on Lido. From there you could explore Venice properly. Then after you decide where your next town is working northwards, then you might consider picking up your car and driving thence. Get out your map and plan your itinerary properly.

Boaz.

Q: where to honeymoon for $2000 for two ppl overseas including air?
I want to know what is the best deal you have come across for a trip overseas…anywhere. We are planning to elope this fall anytime from September to November for about 7-9 days. We will fly out of Nashville, tn or Chicago, il. I would like to know the cheapest airfare you have seen and/or vacation packages. We would really like to go to Rome, Italy but are checking out all options. You know what they say…”If the price is right…..
just thought I would add that I want airfare and hotel for $2000 or close to it. Don’t worry I have money budgeted for food and fun…..Please only respond with ACTUAL DEALS you have found. I am quite aware of all the travel sites….just don’t want to sit here and type in EVERY country and EVERY date…that’s why I asked on here…..
READ the entire post before replying!!!!!! Not asking for any personal opinions…there are a lot of places a person can go for $1000 for air and hotel….just want to see which ones you have found. Do NOT give me sites or offer opinions…If you are just trying to get points…do it somewhere else please!!!!!!!

A: You could probably manage this, but do you really want to ?

Every aspect of the trip would have to be the
lowest-cost option.

(Trafalgar Tours has a 1-week in London package for $835,
their only offering under $1000/person, not including air.)

Realistically, you would be better off finding a
nice place closer to home for your honeymoon,
and saving up for a while so that you could do this
right, with more time and more money,
rather than being jet-lagged, “bargain basement”
tourists for a week. (And newlyweds at that!)

Q: Schengen visa- Switzerland?
Me and my Husband are planning to travel to Italy for a vacation. We have Indian passport and therefore need Schengen visa for visiting Italy.The Italian consulate in NYC has given me a visa interview appointment 3 days before my travel date.Our flight tickets to Rome is booked and is non-refundable.We were told by people that we can book hotel in another schengen country and show it to be our main destination and then once we get the visa, we can travel withing the schengen countries easily.So, we booked a cancellable hotel in Geneva and showed it to be our main destination while out port of entry and exit is Rome.The Swiss consulate now wants a fax from the geneva hotel stating that the booking is confirmed and non-refundable. WE are in a catch 22 situation now.Please help with options and alternatives!!

A: Well the “people” you spoke to gave you very bad info and you really should have checked this rather than trusting them. I also don’t understand your story as you mention both the Italian and Swiss consolate. To which are you applying?

To obtain a Schengen visa then you need to apply to the embassy of the country for which is your main destination and it is only if this is not known (or equal with another country) then it is to the embassy of the country of which is the port of entry. (You can read about it here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_visa#Schengen_visa)

Therefore in your case you should have requested a visa from the Italian embassy as this is your main destination. Booking a cancellable hotel with the intention to lie to the authorties (which this is) is a very foolish action. As part of the application you have to submit and sign a ‘Declaration on True and Complete Information’ when you know that you are planning to cancel the hotel from the onset. Really not a good idea!

I can only suggest that you speak to the Italian consolate and explain there is a change of plans and that you will stay in Italy only and have cancelled the hotel in Geneva and how can you proceed with this..

This may mean that they will give you a visa which allows travel to Italy only (one thing many people do not realise that is possible with a Schengen visa), but that is the risk you now have to take if you want to travel (and this assumes that they don’t ask you to make a new application from scratch)

Never listen to what “people say” including travel agents. Always read info on official sources such as embassy sites e.g. here is the German one in Chennai http://www.chennai.diplo.de/Vertretung/chennai/en/04/Visa__New/unterbereich__SchengenVisa.html which confirms what I stated about the main destination issue.

Q: What to do about speeding tickets in Italy?
Hello,
Over the summer, June 24th to July 11th, I was in Italy on vacation. My wife and I rented a car and drove all around the country. I recently received 2 speeding tickets in Italy, for 173 euros each. I was just wondering what my options are. This seems like a ridiculous amount to have to pay, but i also do not want to not pay and then not be able to go back to Italy. In addition to this, I have another charge on my account from Hertz, so i think i have at least a 3rd ticket coming. This scares me to think of how many of these things I may end up getting. Does anyone have any advice on what to do with this? I wasnt trying to be reckless with my speeding, I was most of the time just going with the flow of traffic, not really concerning myself with the speed limit, I figured if everyone else was driving at the speed, that it must be safe (when in Rome right? …) Also, I am wondering if this will affect my US driving record or insurance at all? If anyone can help me with this i would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks,

A: Pay them! we do…but you wont obviously…
In Italy is NOT allowed to have the speed you like..the fact that some other person was running DONT allow you to do…people get bills here ..and pay it!! If you dont we have to pay YOUR ticket because it will go on the PUBLIC bills…so i have to pay your ticket only because you are an arrogant one?What about if i go in Us and i dont?…Before put the thumbs down like childrend…think about this!

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