Here’s a blog entry (not mine!) about riding a scooter in Rome. It is very accurate. I would recommend it, there’s nothing quite like it. Top pointers: hold your line, stay a door width and a half from any parked cars and keep your eyes front.
Bear Nenno is spot on with that advice. Pisa is boring and a waste of time unless you are doing a tour of that part of Italy. Naples should be avoided at all costs, it is as bad as they say.
This. It’s a beautiful square bordered by cheap, ugly souvenir stands and surrounded by rundown buildings. When our bus stopped in the parking area, there were lines of people waiting for us so they could sell us their knock-off bags. They hounded people repeatedly on the graffiti-ridden walk to the square. On the way back, the gypsies hit many in our group with the old “this is my baby and he’s starving” routine. One girl in my group got her wallet lifted out of her purse by one of these. Strangely enough, as we were almost to the bus, the woman who took it from her (presumably, as she was the one who was harassing the girl) ran up and gave it back - money, passport, and cards intact.
I don’t think I’d bother with a guided tour in Rome, except for maybe the Vatican Museum.
My wife and I spent 5 days in Rome about a year ago, and saw the following:
Colosseum
Forum (original & Trajan’s)
Palatine Hill
Vatican Museum
St. Peter’s (inc. papal tombs in the grottoes)
Basilica of St. John Lateran
Piazza Navona Xmas market
San Luigi dei Francesi (has a bunch of Caravaggio art) - a block or two North of Piazza Navona
Santa Maria sopra Minerva (has a Michelangelo, and is only Gothic church in Rome)- literally around the corner from the Pantheon
The Pantheon
Church of the Gesu (home church for the Jesuit order) - on way between Pantheon & Forum/Colosseum/Capitoline Hill
Trevi Fountain
Spanish Steps (as part of an afternoon of shopping on Via del Corso/Via Condotti)
Piazza del Popolo (after shopping)
Basilica de San Pietro in Vincoli (has Michelangelo’s Moses; also supposedly has the chains used to bind St. Peter, hence the name)
The Forums, Palatine Hill and Colosseum are literally within about a half-mile of each other. The Pantheon is maybe a mile away, and Piazza Navona and all the other nearby stuff isn’t very far from it.
St. John Lateran is really impressive- it’s literally the Pope’s cathedral. In other words, as Bishop of Rome, it’s his home cathedral, and where his “cathedra” or seat is, not St. Peter’s.
I highly (HIGHLY) recommend the Rick Steves’ books; they give you excellent maps, stellar restaurant recommendations, and nifty little local tips. Having used Fodor’s, Frommer’s and Lonely Planet in the past (London, Budapest, Prague, Paris, & Florence), the Rick Steves’ books are by far the best.
And don’t be a chump and eat McDonald’s. Italian food isn’t what you’ll necessarily think of as Italian food, but it’s definitely terrific, and worth getting. In Rome, I’d recommend getting anything with artichokes (carciofi - said “car-CHO-fee”) and go out of your way to get pasta alla amatriciana. Both are local specialties and will knock your socks off.
Another recommendation is to get gelato. I really liked San Crispino gelato near the Pantheon, but there are lots of good places around.
Finally, don’t eat anywhere with pictures of the food; they’re assuredly tourist traps with substandard food. If you get the Rick Steves books, they’ll recommend you good, authentic local places.
Pisa bad. Gelato good. Got it! This is wonderful. As my wife says “I knew your message board friends would know stuff!”. Thanks.
Pompeii: take lots of water and preferably a picnic. You can buy food and drink inside, but it’s expensive and only available in one area, near the entrance. Get a decent breakfast, get in there early, and walk all the way through to the amphitheatre, where you’ll be able to eat your lunch (that is, the lunch you took with you) in peace as a lot of tourists don’t bother walking up there, it seemed to us. It’s worth it. Whenever you see a tap, drink anything that’s left in your bottle and refill it. You’ll be sorry if you don’t. Of course I wouldn’t be trying to go and see Pompeii as a day trip from Rome, personally, but that’s just (European) me. I’d take the train out to Ostia Antica instead, where you can buy aforementioned picnic from the little deli in the square before you go into the site. I recommend the marinated artichokes. It’s in many ways just as impressive as Pompeii, just not as dramatic or famous.
One of my favorite people, Antony Bourdain, has a new show called Layover and he just did the show from Rome.
Here is part one of the show, with links to part two and part three on YouTube.
Lots of info, some great special tips, and good views/scenery throughout the episode. Take notes.
I have been to Milan about 30 times, and Lake Como about 20 times, and loved going to both. One thing Anthony mentions is how everything in Italy goes slowly. That is true. If the Italians walked any slower, they would be going backwards. As someone who lived in NYC and Berlin, it took some getting used to simply to move that slowly.
Years ago, my cousin and his wife won a free trip to Rome. She took her brother as he didn’t want to go. Why? He doesn’t like cheese and figured he would starve to death in Italy because of that. Love my cousin, but he is an idiot.
I’ve been to Rome a few times. Last time I was there I stayed in an apartment instead of a hotel and it was a great experience. I was able to get to know the neighborhood I was in and I felt like I experienced a lot more of the city. I’d recommend looking into Rome apartments for your stay. It’s a beautiful city, I’m sure you’ll have a great trip!