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3.5 days in Rome-is my plan do able?

Hello again,
Trying to figure out how to logistically time plan the following in 3.5 days, and would love suggestions beyond my list that I might of missed.
Vatican (only wish to put aside 4hrs for that)
Roman forum/Palentine hill/ colosseum
castel sant'angelo
Bridge of angels
piazza navonna, pantheon trevi
Spanish steps, piazza popolo and the bourghese gardens, minus the villa tour.
Day trip to Assisi
I realize the day trip eats up precious time which is why I would forgoe seeing inside villa bourghese and why I put 4 hrs max to the Vatican
thanks for all and any ideas...

Posted by
921 posts

I think it's doable. Make sure you plan ahead and find out which days certain sites are closed. You will want to schedule those accordingly. Many of the places you want to go are open in the evening (Piazza Novana, Trevino, Spanish Steps, etc) so it won't be a problem seeing them.

Posted by
641 posts

I really liked the Villa Borghese - more so than the gardens. Looks like your plan would work.

Posted by
11613 posts

Looks workable. If you are talking about Galleria Borghese, you need tickets in advance - allow 2.5 hours if you stay for the maximum 2-hour visit (you need to be there 30 minutes ahead).

If you want to walk through the surrounding park, follow signs to the Pincio and have a look at Rome from the terrace. Then take the footpath to Piazza del Popolo.

For the Vatican, sounds like you will see only the museums - you could also visit Saint Peter's Basilica. Be aware that you probably will not be able to move faster than the crowd around you.

By the way, Assisi is 2.5 hours away by train, each way.

Posted by
38 posts

I am certain the villa bourghese is very much worth the see and I am also sure I will not see nearly all I would like, however since time is an issue, I thought I would try to balance out museums, nature, architecture, history, people etc...where I would get a little of each. I have been debating over Assisi for a long time as it will eat up the day...but I have a nagging feeling that I will regret not standing at the top of Assisi looking down onto the incredibly beautiful landscape, and its not just the visual, for me it's that feeling you get that seems to stay with me forever... plus the town seems so quaint and pretty....

Posted by
16893 posts

Orvieto is a quicker hill town to get to, 1.25 hours each way and direct trains run frequently, versus Assisi (a few direct trains per day take only 2 hours, others have a connection and take longer). If you're not going to Assisi for the St. Francis connection, then I prefer Orvieto and it's overland view is equally fabulous.

See also

http://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/hill-towns-of-central-italy

http://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/orvieto-what-an-italian-hill-town-should-be

http://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/franciscan-friars-and-tourists-share-assisi

Posted by
38 posts

Hello and thank you for the links! Through them I found Civitia and it looks amazing too! The more I plan and research the more I start realizing that I will simply need a return trip as it is impossible to see it all...digging deeper into Rome itself, I have found so many (outside the obvious) things to do and see that im starting to understand that my 3.5 days could easily be beyond filled in Rome alone...such a beautiful country, I need a 6 month paid holiday...😄😄😄...then I might be able to say I scratched the surface...

Posted by
15678 posts

Hi Pandora -
Yes, Rome simply filled with oodles of treasures so you can easily spend your 3.5 days and only scratch the surface! Personally, I wouldn't think about leaving the city with the time that you have but if you must, Orvieto is a great suggestion.

You can easily group the Vatican, Castel Sant'Angelo and Ponte Sant'Angelo into the same day: they're all in the same general area. Do the Pantheon on the way to the Colosseum/Pantheon/Palatine, depending on where your accommodation is located. And remember to make use of your nighttime hours! Many of the walk-bys (Trevi; Spanish Steps; Piazza Navonna; etc) can be done after hours when attractions with entry fees are closed.

I like Villa Borghese a lot but if you're not planning on visiting the museum, I think I'd skip it in favor of other things. For instance, you don't have single church other than St Peter's and the Pantheon on your itinerary, and there are so many glorious churches in Rome!

Posted by
11613 posts

If you do go to Assisi, the views from Rocca Maggiore are beautiful.

Posted by
2455 posts

Pandora, sometimes you can maximize your use of time by spending a little extra money. I visited the Vatican with Walks of Italy "Pristine Sistine" tour, which begins at 7:30 am and ends by about noon. You go through the Vatican Museum, visit the Sistine Chapel with very few other people before it gets mobbed, and then pass directly into St. Peter's. Walks of Italy has a very good web site and excellent US staff with a toll-free number, and offers a 10 % RS discount, I believe that's still the case. Other companies also offer a similar early-entry tour. From the Vatican you can just walk down the hill toward the Castelo and the bridge, getting some lunch along the way. Assisi is wonderful, but I would find it very frustrating to try to do a day trip from Rome. Lots of time on the train, the Assisi train station is a considerable way from town, thus requiring a bus or taxi ride. Then the whole town is on a slope, with the principal sites spread over a really expansive area, from top to bottom of the slope. And, as with many small towns, the best times are often early and late in the day, with fewer day trippers and tour groups around, and often with better light, at least for photos. I also love Orvieto, but while the train ride from Rome is shorter, the other conditions are similar to Assisi. Face it, 3.5 days is like a long weekend, just a drop in the bucket for Rome, let alone the towns of Umbria and beyond.

Posted by
38 posts

I would agree with you Larry. ..its amazing how unrealistic one can be at the start of planning and how reality sets in as you go along...I decided that running from monument to monument is not the way to go so I will scrap a day trip and focus on being and enjoying. I recently had a co worker return from a first time visit to italy and she didn't like it at all....I was shocked and perturbed. ..but I understand why now...its because she was hurrying from monuments to trains to taxis etc...she didnt see or feel, live italy...she just briefly saw tourist attractions. ...I have to keep reminding myslf its a holiday, not a stopwatch race to the finish line. I was planning on getting fast track entry tickets for vatican to avoid lines and my next statement might frustrate some, but I dont mind if I dont see the museum in entirety. ..after 20 some paintings and statues, im good...after all this won't be the only museum or church I visit over the course of my travels and I dont want it to all be a blur...
How did you find the walking? Is a leisurely walk from lets say castel sant'angelo to trastevere or spanish steps area doable?

Posted by
38 posts

Zoe, Ack!! Your making my decision to let it go harder hahaha...I guess I best let it play out naturally and see where we are at on the last day.