Reply to: Bella Roma

[Scary]

Stayed in Hotel Giulio Cesare, half way between the Vatican and Trevi fountain etc. in a posh residential area. Everywhere reachable on foot in 15-20 minutes, fantastic breakfast, just over 100EUR/night through one of the booking websites

[Francko]

If you have spare time and you wanna visit a beach/sea front, then there is a train you can catch to a place called Lido - makes a nice break...

Also, there is a massive market that they setup on a Sunday I think, in a place called Trastevere or something where you can find all sorts!

Have a great time, nice city!

Lido di Ostia you probably refer to...(beware though public beach is very crowded and private beaches overcharge you for everything - something like 20 euros for sun umbrella or so). Much better to rent a car and go further down.

The market you are talking about probably is Porta Portese (http://www.portaportesemarket.it/).

[AZZIK]

Looking at heading to Rome for a week with the family, kids are over 18, and wondering if anyone has any gotchas or tips.

Doing the usual tourist thing. Colossium, Vatican, Trevi fountain etc.

Any experiences?

If you have spare time and you wanna visit a beach/sea front, then there is a train you can catch to a place called Lido - makes a nice break...

Also, there is a massive market that they setup on a Sunday I think, in a place called Trastevere or something where you can find all sorts!

Have a great time, nice city!

[swamp]

One Highlight:

Guided tour of the Palentine Hill was very good. British PhD student was giving the talk and was very good. He also pointed out many interesting bits in the Forum.

One Lowlight:

The food. Really worth getting an up-to-date guidebook which lists the decent backstreet tratorias. Most of the restaurants in the tourist areas serve overpriced crap that is worse than you'd find in Leicester Square.

If there are pictures of the food and the menu comes in four languages then leave. If it looks scruffy and it's full of locals then it maybe OK!

[AlfredJPruffock]

Was fortunate enough to live and work in the Eternal City for a year , my favroutie area was Trastevere , where I in fact lived - which has a fantastic square with wonderful cafes - if youve ever seen the movie Roma by Fellini - much of it was shot in this district.

Do visit the first established Christian Chruch with its superb fresoces Santa Maria in Trastevere , its situated on the piazza which is a favrouite haunt for Romes youth and students in the evenings .

One of the strangest experinces is to look into the Coleseum at night-time - its a rather interesting experince - you can sense the sheer amount of Death that happened there - and is that a scream that you can hear in the distance - or ....

There are so many wonderful things to experience in Rome - but the above is my wee tip for you.

[Platypus]

Stand at the bottom of the Spanish Steps and glance up. You'll be surprised how many girlies aren't wearing knickers under their flowy summery dresses

But aside from that, I recommend
http://www.galleriaborghese.it/borghese/en/edefault.htm
But beware of pick-pockets standing in the lines. You need to book tickets in advance.

We stayed here, right next to the Vatican, then walked absolutely everywhere else
http://rome-hotels.tripadvisor.com/H...ome_Lazio.html

The hotel isn't much inside, but we didn't spend any time there apart from sleeping so it was fine. The outside restaurant is (well, was) just amazing in the evenings! Absolutely excellent food attracting the wealthy from far and wide. And the longest wine list I've ever seen!

[TykeMerc]

I stayed at a place about 4 stops on the metro from Termini which is where the two lines cross, there were loads of good places to eat in strolling distance, the area round Termini isn't great. The metro was quick and very little time between trains, I used it a load with the unlimited travel ticket.

As Expat said don't miss the Pantheon, it's incredible, but you can say that about lots of the sights.

[tino]

I appreciate the fact that the locals bugger off to the country/coast in August. It's more a pain due to the heat and the prices. Evrything is more expensive during the school holidays.

Any suggestions on hotels? Toss up between somewhere slap in the middle and paying more or paying less and staying a bit further out and using the Metro.

Ahhhhhhh, the famous Fiere Augusto

[Francko]

I appreciate the fact that the locals bugger off to the country/coast in August. It's more a pain due to the heat and the prices. Evrything is more expensive during the school holidays.

Any suggestions on hotels? Toss up between somewhere slap in the middle and paying more or paying less and staying a bit further out and using the Metro.

Well like any good local (ex actually) I don't know anything about hotels as I never needed one and all my friends were just guests at my place.

However, I would avoid being far away from the center if you can't master the language and don't know the town. Taxis are quite expensive. You might save some money by staying close to the Termini station (via Nazionale is ok, close to the center but a bit too close to Termini) but just keep in mind that it's a run-down area so don't wonder too much around. As long as you stay away from the PIazza Cinquecento/repubblica/termini at night you should be ok.

[xoggoth]

Was there in September, hotel near Trevi Fountain. Great time, only prob I found was that Cistine chapel. Once in the Vatican you are following the signs to the Cistine Chapel for about 300 miles, you start to doubt it really exists.

[DaveB]

You should be happy about this. Most locals are on holiday in August so it's much nicer and enjoyable. In general the situation got better in the last years when they built a lot of malls in the outskirts releasing some pressure in the city center. I would recommond to visit often Trastevere and Testaccio to get a better feeling of what's one of the oldest part of town but somehow less touristy. Also go to Colle Gianicolo to have the best panorama of the town and the most romantic venue. And just get lost in the small streets without watching at the map every 5 minutes, just walk and enjoy... you could do this for all your life and everyday you can discover somethig new...

I appreciate the fact that the locals bugger off to the country/coast in August. It's more a pain due to the heat and the prices. Evrything is more expensive during the school holidays.

Any suggestions on hotels? Toss up between somewhere slap in the middle and paying more or paying less and staying a bit further out and using the Metro.

[expat]

On top of all the usual tourist bits (of which there are a multitude), a few things made an impact on me:

1. looking down and seeing that even drain covers were marked SPQR. I was immensely tickled by that.

2. being slightly lost with the family, at the bottom of a flight of steps. I said I'd go up the steps and see if I could find out where we were. Sprinted up the steps. Then shouted down, Blood Hell, this is the Mons bloody Capitolinus!

The sense of just where you are standing is overwhelming: this little flight of steps in the middle of town led up to the centre of the Roman Empire.

3. Most moving for me was the quiet solidity of the Pantheon. Elegantly immovable in its simple geometric shapes, it has stood as a place of worship unbroken for 2 millennia. The modern houses and cafes around it only emphasize its eternal nature.

[Francko]

Thanks for the tips guys.

Heading there in August by the look of it due to school holidays. A pita I do realise but can't be avoided sadly.

You should be happy about this. Most locals are on holiday in August so it's much nicer and enjoyable. In general the situation got better in the last years when they built a lot of malls in the outskirts releasing some pressure in the city center. I would recommond to visit often Trastevere and Testaccio to get a better feeling of what's one of the oldest part of town but somehow less touristy. Also go to Colle Gianicolo to have the best panorama of the town and the most romantic venue. And just get lost in the small streets without watching at the map every 5 minutes, just walk and enjoy... you could do this for all your life and everyday you can discover somethig new...

[TykeMerc]

Thanks for the tips guys.

Heading there in August by the look of it due to school holidays. A pita I do realise but can't be avoided sadly.

I hope you have a great time, it will be busy and pretty hot, but there's so much to see, I'm really glad I went and would happily return.

[cailin maith]

Read up on their history. Hard Bastards!

Yeah but poor fashion choices