3 couples going to Rome

What time of year? How long?

Any particular infirmities, or just the regular wear and tear ?

This sounds like you haven't started your research yet. There are some very good information resources right on this website to help you get started. I'm posting the links below.

Travel Tips: all are good, but especially the ones on Trip Planning, Money, Transportation and Packing.

Explore Europe's section on Italy, especially Rome, Tuscany and Amalfi Coast. And if you mean Pisa, it's there, too.

As for hotels and apartments for your group, try using Booking.com. You can search many ways for your group there and filter the results however you want.

Planning a trip for a group is a real challenge. Perhaps the 6 of you can divide the research tasks and share what you learn. If it all gets too overwhelming, y'all might consider one (or more) of the Rick Steves Italy tours, maybe with some self-planned time on your own to do the things not covered on the tour(s).

Hi Carolyn,
My sister-in-law and I were in Italy for the first time in May. We spent 4 days in Rome before joining the RS South of Italy tour and afterward toured on our own. We stayed at Hotel Due Torri in Rome. It was walking distant to all the major sites and quiet. We used Walks of Italy to tour the Colosseum and Vatican.

If you haven’t done so already, buy the RS Italy guide to help plan your tour. Are all six of you engaged with the trip planning? Or are you trying to do all the planning yourself? What is everyone’s “must see”? The RS Audio Europe app and this Forum give you good information (look at trip reports). Search Google for more information. You are aware that the Amalfi Coast and Tuscany are opposite directions from Rome, right? How long will you be in Italy and how many days are you planning to be in each area? If your time is short, you may want to reconsider how many areas you want to visit. The Rome2rio app will help you judge distance between cities.

FYI, I wrote my trip report in three parts. You can search for Part 1 but I want to share Part 3 with you because it’s what I learned as a novice traveler and may be helpful. You didn't say what your travel experience is other than "we are very new". https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/my-very-long-trip-report-part-3-what-i-learned
Kathy

EDITED to add: SIL is 72, I’m 68. We walked 6 to 12 mikes per day. Is your group able to do lots of walking? We started getting in shape six months before our trip, walking 3 miles with hills. There are lots of stairs everywhere in Italy. I had reinjured an old knee injury a few weeks before we left. I wore a lightweight knee brace and took the stairs slowly and had no problems.

Enjoy your trip. Planning is half the fun.

Rome is amazing, loaded with ancient history as well as the Vatican, St. Peters and the Sistine Chapel. I advise a minimum of five days for Rome.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g187791-Activities-a_allAttractions.true-Rome_Lazio.html
A full day at St. Peter's Basicila with the Sistine Chapel, perhaps adding in Castel St. Angelo (Hadrian's Mausoleum);
A full day at the Coliseum, Palatine Hill and the Forum;
The Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountian and Spanish Steps
Museum Capitoline, Trajan's Column and Trajan's Forum;
Villa Borghese, San Giovinna in Laterno Santa Maria in Trastevere
Appian Way and much much more

Florence is wonderful, recommend the Hotel Balesteri on the Arno.
Do some research on the Naples area, there is a lot to see. Recommend staying in Sorrento to visit Capri, Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast and Naples Museum.

Research, Research, Research

Hi Carolyn -
Goodness, that will be quite an extensive trip! Both Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast are regions encompassing a host of towns so it will be necessary to narrow down which of them to visit and how best to do that. Seeing the most-visited "main sights" in Rome takes pre-planning as well.

If the 6 of you have not vacationed together before, that's its own rather large consideration. You'll need to all agree on budget, on which cities/attractions to see, how much you want to spend on tours and meals, and be willing to move around at the pace/ability of the slowest member of the group. IMHO, basing in a few towns/cities and day-tripping from there versus trying to do a lot of short stays in many places can make it easier for couples/individuals to do some things on their own as desired and/or accommodate the late sleeper. The budget thing is critical as you'll have issues right out of the gate if one couple prefers 5-star luxe hotels but another can only swing much more modest rooms so talk $$ earlier rather than later.

Time of year will be important, as well as working around any mobility issues any of you have. Understand that much of Italy doesn't have the accessibility "helps" many of us take for granted here. For instance, not all hotels or train stations have elevators, and restaurant restrooms might be down a flight of basement stairs. Pedestrianized areas - where a visitor's vehicle or vehicles at all can't go - are also not uncommon.

Without knowing just how much all of you have traveled, either within the U.S. or without, the best place to start will be with a good guidebook. Each couple should go out and get one, and you could either all read up on all areas you wish to visit or divide and conquer: one couple takes on Rome, another takes on Tuscany and one works on the Amalfi Coast. Gather frequently to review suggested itineraries, methods of getting around, etc. This forum is always here for more detailed questions as they arise!

Should it all look like too much to manage, an escorted tour might be the ticket. This can be a good solution for a group as it will determine most of the price, the accommodations, most of the attractions and the transport methods for you. It takes the pressure off the individuals who might feel like they've been stuck with trying to do ALL the planning for the entire group, and the responsibility of trying to keep everyone happy. It can also be a good place to get the feet wet if you are mostly inexperienced travelers. While there isn't a single RS tour which accommodates ALL of the places on your list, take a look at what's available? Also read the details carefully for the amount of walking each of them involve, and understand that you'd be responsible for managing your own luggage. If a slower pace and more assistance is desired, there are other tour companies you might explore.

https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/index

Happy planning!

Hi carolyn,

Rome will be very, very hot in the summer months. As you head toward the sea, it will be a bit cooler.

You have some research to do unless you prefer following along with a tour guide. Get a good Italy guidebook if you haven't already.

Tuscany, you will need a car mostly; unless you take a tour.

Any mobility issues within your group? If so, think about taking along a folding cane or similar. It will be allowed in attractions. No issues going through airports. No need to pack it in a bag either if you don't want.

Not every hotel will have an elevator or lift. Recently, there has been a lot of threads with suggestions for "hotels in Rome."

Rome is an outside, walking museum. Around every corner can be surprise.

Rome has cobblestone streets, occasional jagged sidewalks, darkened streets, pedestrianized streets, many little alley ways (with restaurants and shops that go on for days.) Buses and taxis are allowed to go "only so far." They do come as close as possible to major sites, but travelers will need to walk.

Popular buses such as #64 and #40 (Express bypassing a lot of stops) and #492 can be helpful to get you in and around the city. BITs (tickets for the buses and metro can be bought at Tabacchi shops - T, small coffee shops, a few gift shops, and maybe a mini mart. https://www.rome.info/public-transport/

At 1,50€, it is good for 100 minutes of travel in the city. Important to validate your ticket on the bus as soon as you get on. Transit Police are stepping up their presence on popular routes - stopping and checking passengers' tickets or bus passes. A metro ride is the same cost and good for one ride.

There are passes you can purchase, but you would need to figure out if it/they are worth it - meaning, taking advantage of the buses and metro within the time period of use. Mostly, a single ticket usually suffices.

Piazza Navona is a beautiful piazza that has (concrete) benches to sit and relax a bit. Grab a slice or Panino, watch the World go by.

Most family-style or mom and pop restaurants in Rome will not expect you leave within a half hour or so.

If you like or want, you can always rest some in a Church. One exception is The Pantheon. Many people travel to explore the active Church. There is usually no line during the off season.

It will be good to make a geographical outline of the sites you want to see. Sometimes, a newer traveler may backtrack a bit.

For example, if you visit The Vatican and St. Peter's, you may be interested in adding Castel Sant'Angelo since it is a few minutes walk from St. Peter's Piazza.

Personally, I like to make a little plan and mix it up with some "free spirit" wandering. With that mindset, I have been afforded a lot of lovely memories.

Traveling in the off season will have its benefits:

1. Flights and hotels will be less expensive.
2. Less crowding at major sites and in the streets; less wait time in lines
3. More availability in restaurants; staff will be less frazzled
4. Securing attraction tickets may be easier

It would be good for you and your friends to watch this 10-minute video on the highlights of Rome
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2VcEkPaeF4

Take a look at these skycams focusing on the major sites of Italy

Lazio (Rome) https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/lazio.html
Tuscany (Florence) https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/toscana.html

Check out the videos from The Roman Guy https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+roman+guy+rome

They give a lot of helpful suggestions and how to's geared toward the newer traveler. Their videos are fun to watch. Sean narrates most of them. Their itineraries of their official tours can help you outline/customize your own.

RS (Amalfi Coast) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rx9dWL6cAc
(Amalfi Coast) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUpjGnU-Wdk

carolyn,

Here are some hotel suggestions to get you started:

Hotel Aberdeen https://www.hotelaberdeen.it/en/

Hotel Sonya http://www.hotelsonya.it/

Hotel Contilia https://www.hotelcontilia.com/

https://www.hotelcampodefiori.com/en/ was recommended by Jay of Chicago
(He has stayed there at the hotel and at a small studio apartment.)

https://www.boutiquehoteltrevi.it/it/ ( Boutique hotel very near to Trevi Fountain) -- recommendation from Alan Folsom. Also, he suggested -- https://www.hotelsancarloroma.com/

https://www.lancelothotel.com/ is one of RS' tour hotels. I believe most people were satisfied with their stay.

https://www.accademiahotel.com/en/ (suggested by billbowe)

https://www.hotelstellaroma.it/en/ (suggested by aquasteph)

Perhaps look for hotels that include a breakfast or are near to cafe shops.

Oh, one more thing - It is always a good idea to check the individual websites of hotels, attractions, Churches, restaurants, etc. for accuracy of times, costs if any, and policies.

Churches - all women and men must cover their shoulders and knees. Check for restrictions in the well-known Churches such as St. Peter's.

Except for The Vatican Museums, no entry fees are charged for Churches so far. There has been small talk about The Pantheon charging a fee; so far nothing has been charged to visitors.

Bag polices in most of the attractions are enforced - The Vatican, St. Peter's, The Borghese Gallery, The Colosseum.

Think about a cross body bag of about 15" (I had no issue with that size.) For a man, perhaps a day bag of about the same. Small to medium back packs were allowed. If they are deemed too big and bulky at security check, you will need to check it or them. This will be a hassle to go and retrieve it/them costing valuable time and effort.

Get to know the Euro - coin and dollar. It may be good to "save" the larger denoms for dinner or buying tickets for a site.
https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money

The Euro is color-coded. The coins of 1€ and 2€ "may be" confusing to the newer traveler at first. There are "markings" on the coins to tell them apart.

Smaller mom and pop places like the Euro. Always get a receipt - cash or charge.

Enjoy Rome and Italy!

Having been the designated "travel planner" for family groups of six to twelve people, here are a few planning ideas for your group:

• Take a couple of weekend trips as a group NOW to determine your travel compatibility.
• Everyone should read "Europe Through the Back Door" for general advice about European travel. The website seat61.com is an excellent resource for train travel.
• Since you are new to Europe it may work well to take a group tour first (Rick Steves, Gate 1, and Road Scholars are just some that come to mind). Then add on days at the end to see more on your own-you will develop skills and confidence during your guided tour.
• For independent travel, divide the tasks. You could divide by location or by hotels/sights/transportation/food, etc.
• Don't try to cover too much territory in a short time!
• Build in a day or two of down time.
• You do not need to spend every waking moment together! Dinner conversations can be more interesting when couples or small groups have visited different sites based on their specific interests.
• Read travel books-Rick Steves, DK, and Lonely Planet are just a few I have found helpful.
• Once you have a tentative itinerary and/or specific questions, post them on this Forum. You will receive a wealth of advice from a generous group of travelers.

Enjoy your planning, and welcome to the Forum!

And talk about expectations. I can see that different desires and expectations about the amenities of accommodations, eating out, pace of travel ect all could cause problems. I have traveled with 7 people and did all the planning but the dynamic was different because it was our adult children and my husband's brother.

We had a great time and are planning another trip this spring--this time to Italy (we went to Greece). I again am doing most of the planning but I really like doing it. I try to vary the activities and there is no pressure to stay together. We mostly did in Greece but my two sons went off on their own a couple days and just met up with us for dinner.

But frankly, I would hesitate to do the same for friends as opposed to family. We did meet friends of ours in London last year and we agreed ahead of time on some activities we would do there. We did do some separate activities too.

If you haven't traveled to Europe before, I would do a tour with a group that size.

If you haven't traveled to Europe before, I would do a tour with a
group that size.

I might agree with this, especially since it appears that you are at 6's and 7's about where to start, and admit that you are all "very new" to travel abroad. I wouldn't get all hung up right now on details such as where to stay, transport passes and whatnot. The first thing you all need to do is to decide is exactly HOW comfortable you all might be managing the details independently + be able to get around Italy by yourselves, WHERE all 6 of you want to go, WHAT you want to see, WHO might need extra help getting around, and WHEN you can all go on this trip.

Could any or all of you go to Edmonds for some of the RS free classes ? Or watch videos from this site ? Take a look at trip planning suggestions and videos about Rome/other areas in Italy.