Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Rome Itineraries
Rome is a city that can be sampled and savored according to your personal
tastes. Instead of making sure you do five museums, three churches, and
two ruins, follow your instincts. Try a little baroque, gaze over some antiq-
uities, and wander through a few churches. Sample the art, taste the food,
feel the culture. If you see an open courtyard, stroll inside. If you happen
upon a particularly charming ivy-laden street, walk down it. If there is an
inviting table at a sidewalk cafe, sit at it. Look up at the buildings for the
Roman faces in the windows. Look down the streets for cats sunning them-
selves in the alleyways.
Following are suggested itineraries for short trips that touch on all
aspects of what there is to see here, from ancient Rome through Holy Rome.
If you have only 1 day in Rome
The best thing you can do is change your ticket so that you can spend
more time here. Otherwise, get up very early and, from the terrace behind
the Campidoglio square off Piazza Venezia, watch the sun rise over the
Roman Forum.
You likely won't have time to explore these ruins in full,
but from here, you can see the entirety of what was once the heart of
ancient Rome, set against the backdrop of the Colosseum and cast in the
day's best light. Next, walk the few blocks through the historical center to
the
Pantheon
and be one of the first in when the doors open at 8:30am.
From there, walk to St. Peter's Square by way of
Piazza Navona
and over
the Bridge of Angels. Once through the security lines into St. Peter's
Basilica, wander around until your reservation time—10:30am—at the
Vatican Museums.
(Book 1 week ahead so you can waltz through the
entrance, confirmation fax in hand, 15 min. early.) When you are out of
the museum at 12:30pm, dash over to Castel Sant'Angelo for a quick lunch
and a view of the city below. From here, wind your way to the Via del
Corso, taking side streets and quaint alleyways around Campo de' Fiori and
the Pantheon. After stopping for an ice-cream pick-me-up, make your way
to the
Spanish Steps
and cross over to the
Trevi Fountain
to throw in
your coin, which will ensure your return to Rome. End your afternoon at
the
Colosseum
and have dinner in Trastevere.
If you have only 2 days in Rome
Two days are better than one, but not by much. Start the first day by get-
ting in line at the
Vatican Museums
by 7am at the latest so you are
among the first inside when the doors open at 8:45am. You'll still have to
rush, but you can take in a few extra highlights like the
Raphael Rooms
in addition to the
Sistine Chapel
and be out in less than the 2-hour tour
you get with a reserved ticket. When you walk out of the Sistine Chapel,
duck through the exit marked
FOR AUTHORIZED TOUR GROUPS ONLY
before the
string of gift shops and you'll find yourself in St. Peter's Square, where
