Rome: It would be a shame not to see the main sites but

[ritainsc]

we REALLY don't like tours!! However, we know that we really should see the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum etc. Since this is a slow travel minded group do you have any suggestions? We are staying near the Piazza Navona and will be there for 5 nights before driving to Montepulcino. This is our first time flying into Rome. We realize the Rome part of our trip will be hectic, but is there a way to minimize the chaos and still see the main attractions without booking an expensive exclusive private tour (that we don't have the budget for?)

There are so many websites offering tours it is mindboggling!! Some of you have already been very helpful to me in booking our stay for our last night near airport before we return to the states. Thanks for any and all suggestions!

Rita

 

[Parigi]

"we REALLY don't like tours!! However, we know that we really should see the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum"
You have the right instinct. The best part of Rome is not in the socalled main sights, even though there are many, and they are wonderful. For me the best part of Rome is taking a walk on Via Governo Vecchio or Coronari (both near you), slurping on an ice cream, or nursing my coffee forever gawking at people.

As for the Sistine Chapel: although I love it, I have noticed more than half the peopel there look and sound very absolutely miserable, because they are not particularly interested in the place but were there, bracing the queues and the crowds, sacrificing their precious time because they think it's a place they are obliged to "do". It's is asthough enjoyment were not the point.

How about if you put it on the last day? If you still feel an overwhelming duty to go, then by all means go. If you have found your Roman groove and prefer to spend your time more enjoyably, then you can spend that last day following your enjoyment.

Rome is very user-friendly. You can visit most places armed with a good guidebook. The advantage is that you are not stuck with a group, and can come and go depending on your level of interest.
If you have a special interest, like archeology, you may then want to hire a guide to accompany you on your tour of the forum. You will see much more and get much more in-depth info. In that case the expense is worth it.

 

[ritainsc]

Thanks for your observations, Parigi. So it sounds as if you recommend booking tickets directly on the Vatican and colosseums websites and navigating them on our own if we should decide to go? We have been to Venice 3 times and Paris twice always for 2 weeks and have never taken a tour. Never seen the Louve or Doges Palace or the tourist sites in Barcelona. But we have each time enjoyed each city immensely. But in Rome we would like to perhaps break the mold and spend time at a few of these special places in addition to hopefully relaxing in a cafe and people watching.

 

[chiaro di Luna]

Take the city sightseeing hop on hop off bus to get an overview, or walk it the first day. Pre purchase your own tickets for the Vatican/Sistine chapel, Walk and enjoy the area around the Colosseum, buy a ticket there and enjoy a couple of hours there and walking through the forum. Walk around Campo di Fiori and the Pantheon.
search this site for restaurant/cafe suggestions. walk around Piazza del Poppolo and the Spanish steps.
Tours aren't needed but you should research and pick out a few things you want to see.

 

[chachalaca]

I am ashamed I didn't think of this or know this before we just visited Rome, but if seeing the lowest level of the Colosseum is important you must buy tickets in advance. I tried while we were there but there were no tours for the lowest level (in English, Spanish or French) through September...

If you are leaving soon, be sure to visit these sites when they open to avoid the heat - which was incredible, 95-100 C, in late June.

Also, if Trevi Fountain is on the list check to be sure it's no longer under construction/refurbishing. If it is, skip it there is not much to see but scaffolding and temporary retainer walls.

Laura

 

[Chris]

I'm not usually a tour fan, but the friends I traveled with in Rome this spring booked us a Colosseum/Forum tour and I'm glad they did. I'd only seen the Colosseum from the outside before, discouraged by the long line for tickets, so it was nice to walk right in. Also, our guide was an archeologist, so it was a very interesting and informative tour. I wish we'd taken a separate Forum tour, though, because that came at the end, after a couple of hours in the Colosseum. By then it was getting hot, my feet were beginning to complain, and my thoughts were turning to lunch.