Puzzlebrains

Going to Rome for my Sister's 60yh. Does anyone have any MUST SEES. wE are gooing April 27th to 2nd May

Tricia

Depends on what interests you. Some things you should see ( like Trevi Fountain) but they'll only takes you a few minutes. See Vatican (most of a day with the queueing), Colliseum, Forum, Catacombs. You could spend a day tracking where Langton went in Angels and Demons.

Do be careful of pickpockets, especially the distraction kind where someone spills ice cream down you etc.

You'll have a wonderful time. It is a really beautiful city.

Never been to the city, but I'd like to...... apart from what I've just heard about the criminal waste of good Italian Ice Cream

I started loking for stuff (leaflets, maps etc) I kept when I went to Rome for a short business conference a few years ago, but I got distracted. I found some really old stuff instead like my mother's ration book from 1939! And some old photos taken when the King visited my father's RAF base. Not much interest to you Tricia!
I'll keep looking, they must be somewhere.

We had a wonderful trip to Rome a few years ago and managed to cram an awful lot into four days! (but not quite enough time to go out to the catacombs which are a bit further out). As always "The Rough Guide" was our main guide - if you can get a copy from the library then it gives masses of useful information, including the practicalities of getting around and also local customs - like the practice in Italy of charging extra if you sit down at a cafe table rather than standing up at the counter....
It is also worth visiting tourist websites which give a lot of up-to-date information like prices and hours of opening, as well as useful information about where to go.
The Forum and Colosseum are a must - close together so allow a session for that. The Vatican always has a massive queue (bearing in mind that there are a load of pre-booked groups who get entry preference) so you need to be there either at the crack of dawn (at least an hour before it opens) or risk going later in the afternoon, by when the crowds have considerably reduced. They do have a useful sign system giving you an estimated waiting time from that point in the queue! We went in the afternoon, but found that we hadn't allowed time to see everything before it closed. In particular I was disappointed to find that the main art gallery is actually in a separate block (in the first courtyard you come in by) and had closed when we got there. If you are interested in art, it would be best to do that first before joining the main tour route. You also have to expect a long queue to get into St Peters - which is one of the reasons we did it that way round: St Peters in the morning and the Vatican in the afternoon. But it is worth it!
If you are indeed interested in art, then I recommend the Galleria Borghese, which is in a lovely park (worth a wander round anyway) and has some superb art and sculpture. Another place with some splendid art is the Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva ( a wonderful example of the Roman Christians taking over ancient pagan sites!) - a hidden gem. Another example of Christian takeover is of course the Pantheon - a fantastic building not to be missed.
Ice cream.... the Rough Guide recommends "Il Gelato di San Crispino" (via della Panetteria 42) just round the corner from the Trevi Fountain - and I would endorse that , although there are plenty of places as you go around.
Eating out: we were staying at a cheap hotel out in the suburbs and were delighted to find that nearby was a wonderfully cheap restaurant where we could eat well (used by the locals, which is always a recommendation). A predominant feature of Roman food is the use of lemon - often as a simple dressing (without the oil and vinegar) and certainly as a feature of the dishes on offer. This suited me well as I love it, but is something to note if you are not used to it.
The other thing that really surprised me in Rome is that people were very reluctant to speak English, unlike other major tourist destinations in Europe). Not sure why this was (I would expect it in France rather than Italy). It would really help to have a smattering of Italian (which is not so hard if you ever studied Latin and French) - so a phrase book is recommended!
The length of this post is an indication of how much I loved Rome - and am grateful for the opportunity of that brief visit...
Have a great time

Thanks for those comments - so far I can order 2 white wines - 2 coffees - I shall try the ici cream next


Tricia

We went last July. And packed loads in. We stayed at hotel genii which is close to everything including a square called navona which is lovely at all times of the day and night. Don't eat there though - too expensive. We had a guide book that told us inexpensive restaurants, lovely food and frequented by locals. We then used to wander around and get a tub of ice cream and watch the goings on at navona which is a little lIke Covent garden. The restaurants we only a stone throw from the square but a third of the cost. Our hotel which only did b & b was approx £40 a night each which included breakfast which didn't seem bad for the centre of rome. They also had a roof terrace where they served breakfast and in the evening we used to get drinks and have a pre drinks session on the terrace before enjoying the night life

We visited st Peter,s but chose to do the English guided tour which started at 10 o'clock on a thursday. It did not cost any money, got us to the front of the queue and the guide was lovely and gave us a real sense of the place.

Another trip we did was ancient Rome on segways. It was brilliant. Really great laugh!

Let me know if u need more tips.

Paula