Chicken boarders

[jlo]

My wonderful OH has just announced that he is taking me to Rome for a weekend next month.

 

He has already booked the flights but we are now looking at hotels. Not having been to Rome before, we don't really know where is a good place to be.

 

I have been having a look at all the different review sites and am getting more and more befuddled. I just wondered whether anyone had any recommendations for the eternal city that they would be happy to pass on.

 

Many thanks

[Janty]

We stayed at a hotel called the Art Deco on honeymoon. It was very nice but a bit up itself for what it was.

 

You have to visit the Pantheon. I loved the architecture and hubby loved the policewomen outside.

 

 

We found a lovely little restaurant and had several meals there. I love gnocchi and it was their speciality. They made me lots of different sauces to go with my many plates full of the gorgeous stuff.

 

 

I will try and find the name of the road that it's on later.

[Happy chickens!]

Depends on your budget, we stayed somewhere relatively inexpensive but nice a mile or so out of main centre and used the trams, which are quite good. It was much quieter, but made the days seem longer and there weren't so many restaurants.

 

To avoid queues at the Coliseum it is worth spending a little extra on a guide (it can't have been very much more with my OH ) and I loved walking through all the ruins of the forum. As Janty says the Pantheon is amazing. You have to visit the Trevi fountain and Spanish steps, but only briefly as they get stupidly busy and lots of other wonderful places to see.

 

One of my favourites was the castle on the river (Saint Angelo I think) with beautiful views to the Vatican and across the city (was in Angels and Demons too if you like that kind of thing).

 

Have a lovely lovely time.

[Goosey Lucy]

We had a lovely week a few years ago at the Hotel Pace Helvetica on Via 4 Novembre.

 

It was good but a bit pricey.

 

On the positive side though it was only a short walk into the centre and there were lots of buses if you didn't fancy walking or wanted to go further afield.

 

Boca de la Vertitas is nearby (google Audrey Hepburn film about putting your hand in a stone lion's mouth and asking a question)

 

Spanish Steps and lots of expensive shops.

 

Keep a very close eye on your handbag/pockets, my handbag was lifted from under the table, out of sight but next to planters, thief knelt down next to planters, put his hand through, lifted my bag.

 

If you can find it, Ristorante Ditirambo was superb, near the Campo de Fiore, OH says it's the best Italian Restaurant in the world

 

I could go on, and on, and on...

[jlo]

Boca de la Vertitas is nearby (google Audrey Hepburn film about putting your hand in a stone lion's mouth and asking a question)

 

 

 

I am guessing that that was "Roman Holiday." I love that film. Maybe I will try and watch it before we go!

 

Thanks for all the suggestions

[Sageandonion]

The hop on hop off buses are a good bet too - not sure how they compare price wise to the trams though. There are different routes around the city and you can listen to an audio guide as you travel. I think you can book before you go and a two day ticket is considerably cheaper. We were there last June (for 6 hours or so - nowhere near enough time!) and Rome was packed. Visited the Coliseum ( with the kids in tow - thought they'd get more out of it than some of the other sites). As Happy Chickens said massive queues. If you visit the Coliseum and want to hire an audio guide you have to leave ID such as a passport. Don't know if this is pretty standard everywhere but no problem in getting it back. Also saw the Spanish Steps, stopped off at the Trevi Fountain and saw St Peters from the outside only. If time is limited by using the buses at least you can see sites on route even if you don't stop at them all.

 

Enjoy your trip

[Christian]

With work we used to stay at the Hotel De La Minerve which is 10 metres away from the Pantheon and a lovely area.

 

Most hotels in central Rome are hideously expensive, but if you can find somewhere relatively central, it is a good city to wander around, down cobbled streets and just take it all in.

 

OH has done a quick search and found a good hotel Albergo Del Cenato which is right in the centre. Reviews seem good, he found it via Expedia.

 

 

Have a fab time!

[Old Speckled Hen]

Walk up inside the Dome of St Peters if you can. Well worth the view down into the church. You can stand outside looking at the rooftops of the city as well but the inside view is much more dizzy

Ice cream to die for.

The Pope made an appearance last time I was there and the square was full of priests,nuns and schoolchildren.

Have a great time I am really

[Guest]

Take a brolly. If you don't you will be able to buy one easily. Actually even if you are carrying a brolly you will be inundated with people trying to sell you one. Beat everyone down on price - especially the guys dressed as Romans down by the Collusium (sp).

 

Oh and the Sistine chapel IS worth the long walk through the Vatican Museum. There are more gift shops in there than at Disney! Only difference is crosses instead of mouse ears!!!!

[Shirl]

I am very I love Rome. I wish I could remember where we stayed. I know it was a short tram ride to the centre but the journey was short and easy. Have a fantastic time.

[Janty]

The restaurant I was talking about is on Via del Seminario. It's number 122 and the road is one of the side roads leading away from the Pantheon.

 

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Can I just add that the prices seem to have increased somewhat since we visited!

 

Also, we travelled on the number 64 bus all over the place only to find out when we got home that it's a well known bus for pickpockets as it's a tourist bus. I did catch two people trying to pick husband's pockets whilst on the buses. They work in twos or threes and telephone each other quite blatantly on the bus talking in Italian to each other. Hubby and I had attended a few years of Italian classes before we went and could pick up bits of language. We also kept all purses and wallets in our Lowepro backpacks and had them fastened with travel padlocks. On one occasion I saw a lad with his hand flat against hubby's back pocket on the bus. I said to him that he wouldn't find any money in there as it was in the bag, locked away. He replied 'mi offendi' and I said 'Good!'

 

The other tourist trap is when a car pulls up besides you and asks where a petrol station is and then they ask you for some money as they are nearly out of petrol and they need money. They will offer to swap something such as an item of clothing for the money. This was rife when we went. After the first time we were wary of any cars slowing down next to us and just carried on walking. Someone at our hotel actually got their wallet out and was about to hand over some money and the man in the car took the wallet. Only his wife grabbed it back, I presume that they would have driven off.