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Rome Climbing Rome's Mountains Date: May 30, 2001 We just returned from an excellent 6 days in Rome.Four days were with a corporate group, but we went two days earlier and were on our own for this time. In some ways, these days were the most fun. Arriving at 8:30 AM, we checked into the hotel, had a panini in the Villa Borghese park and did the 1:30 tour of the Villa Borghese museum. After a two hour nap, had a fabulous dinner at Asada's on the Via Veneto. The next day we took the Metro and local train to Ostia Antica ... really enjoyed it. Evening at the Trevi fountain, dinner at a local trattoria near the Spanish Steps. Next day the rest of the group arrived. Then it was guided tours of the forums, Tivoli, the Vatican museums, and a Papal Audience. One free afternoon took us to the Pantheon, Pza. Navona, and the Cat Sanctuary at Largo Torre di Argentina. We enjoyed it all, and look to return in a few years. Most beautiful moment was evening view of Rome from the balcony of the Villa Miani. Your website was a wonderful aid in helping us feel right at home in Rome from the very beginning. Language was never a problem, and where it might have been, our halting attempts at Italian, the sunny Roman personality, and hand signs worked just fine. If there is anything I thought your website could emphasize more about Rome is the need to be prepared for "mountain climbing." My wife and I thought we were prepared for the walking, but we were not prepared for the uphill climbs...our feet and calfs were sore the whole time there. No, we did not adopt a kitten, but we did leave a nice donation. Again, thanks for your hard work on the Rome website, we are sure it made our trip so much more enjoyable. Save your Money or Your Back! Date: February 25, 2001 Are you planning to bypass the taxis at the airport in favor of the train? If so, give it some thought:
If you're under 25 (or think you are) and backpacking, take the train and the subway if your want. If you're middle-aged (or above) take a taxi. When you get to
Termini and before you descend to the subway, think again. The subway fare is about 75 US
cents per person, a cab US$5 to most hotels, more or less. When you're our age you'll
probably realize your back is worth more than those puny savings. Febuary 18,
2001 From: Ed and Julie There are some things about which we have reasonably strong feelings. Hotel location in Rome is one of them. One can, to be sure, get a little more value for one's money by staying in a hotel north or east of the train station or in the general area of the Vatican and St. Peter's. But you'll be getting, we think, very much a second rate Rome experience by doing so. We're often contradicted on this, as for example the most recent challenge:
We keep saying that because staying near St. Peter's and the Vatican puts one at the extreme western edge of what's interesting in the city. That makes little sense to us. Ditto for staying near or north or east of the train station ... it's at the extreme eastern edge of what's interesting. That's not to say that one can't walk about ... one can. One can also walk from Brooklyn to the Empire State Building in NYC, but that doesn't mean we'd recommend staying in Brooklyn instead of Manhattan on a tourist visit to NYC. Lodging in the Centro Storico ('historic center') puts one, on average, closer to all the important sights and sites, leaves a broader choice of recommendable restaurants and provides better access to transport. As well, most recommendable areas in the center offer a better after-dinner environment for strolling and people watching, like Piazza Navona, Piazza di Spagna, Piazza del Popolo and the via Veneto. You won't find much attraction in being out near St. Peter's or the train station. To give advice to the contrary is to mislead new visitors to Rome. |
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Febuary
15, 2001 From: Paul Wang poopoopaul@yahoo.com There's a place called Alexander Platz about five blocks from the Vatican. Ostia, 9. Somewhat like an underground jazz club. I remember eating there with my date, it cost around $40 for both of us, not including the cost to join. Some of the best jazz I've ever heard. Food is okay. January 14,
2001 From: Ed and Julie We're often asked, "... whether it is reasonable to consider staying in Tivoli (or Frascati) while we explore Rome. It seems quite close to the city on the map and is listed as being at the end of a commuter rail line." We've been asked about Orvieto as well. Reasonable? Perhaps, in the limited sense of the word. "Good" ... "Advisable" ... "Recommended"? Hardly. Time, to us, is so valuable in Rome. We'd certainly not want to lose time commuting to and from a suburb. We find sightseeing in Rome often tiring. Also, stores and some attractions are often closed for three or more hours mid-day. So for one reason or another we sometimes take short naps in the forenoon. Can't do that with a hotel 30 or so minutes away. Food is a great attraction for us in Rome ... a major reason for going. Why stay outside the city and force yourself to limited dining choices? Or, on the contrary, staying overlong in the city without a stop at the hotel to have a late dinner, then contend with getting back to the suburbs at 10pm? Reasonable? Perhaps. Sensible? Certainly not, to us. December 17,
2000 From: joyce demspter jdemspter@hotmail.com While preparing for our trip to Italy in October 2000 I happened upon your website, and I'm so glad I did. We stayed at the Santa Chiara in Rome and absolutely loved it! Rome was our first stop. We tiredly stumbled off the plane to find our luggage had gone to Venice. After filling out all the forms we fell into a taxi and went to this hotel that was entirely unknown to us but sounded nice from your site. Well! - what a lovely surprise. We were shown to our room...the very top room, overlooking St. Chiara church (and the Holiday Inn). The bellman walked up two small marble steps in the room, opened a beautiful window to expose a small balcony and then he unfurled a yellow awning over this delightful setting...and we forgot all about not having any luggage. King size bed, nice bathroom with shower that worked well, certainly more than we expected. So do please continue to recommend this great find...and the location couldn't be better. It backs up to the Pantheon, putting us in walking distance of everything we wanted...great restaurants, sights, wandering...fabulous. The staff was helpful, the breakfast was the best we had on our month-long trip...we would return without hesitation. Thanks so very much for going to the effort to do this website. Of course I surfed millions of sites about Italy and the things to do, places to stay, eat, etc etc etc. But yours was so well presented for Americans who travel. I'm a former travel agent and on this trip wanted to stay at places not found in all the agent literature, and this was such a treat. Your site was the best by far. If you ever do a site on Florence, we can recommend with great gusto the Ritz, right on the Arno, balconies with view of the river, just a little over 1 bridge away from the Ponte Vecchio, king size beds, small but adequate bathrooms, plenty of closets, price was $150 USD, breakfast fair, free email both outgoing and incoming, staff outstandingly helpful and friendly, recently under new management and eager to "make their place." July
17, 2000 From: Ed and Julie Our Favorites Trip Tips and Tools Copyright © 1997-2001 E.J.
Gehrlein Traveling
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