3+ Days in Rome - Sat to Tues Itinerary Advice and Questions

You do have reservations for the Scavi tour, right?

Re Easy Jet, closely read their carry-on and other baggage rules, they strictly follow them and will charge you if you don't.

It doesn't look like you have time to take the train from Rome to Paris, given your Wednesday noon start time for work in Paris.

I would recommend Hotel Alimandi which is right down the stairs/acroos the street from the entrance to the Vatican Museum. I believe it is still in Rick's book but there are 2 Almandi hotels owned by the same people but one is fancier and more expensive than the other. I have stayed several times at the "cheaper" one and it is wonderful but not cheap either but worth the price. Check online. The owner/staff are great and very helpful. There is a roof terrace on top of the hotel and a wonderful included huge buffet breakfast. They can arrange a pick-up/return to the airport. You didn't mention your price range.
The train to Rome would take at least 16 hours with changes.
Barb

Jennifer, what a wonderful opportunity. Regarding your questions, definitely fly... don't think about the train for that trip. EasyJet is good, just be sure to follow all the rules to the letter or fees can add up quickly. You may find their carryon requirements to be more restrictive than you are used to. I'll leave it to someone else to comment on when you need to leave for the airport... I detest the worry associated with sprinting for a gate, so I always allow extra time. I would suggest taking the train to the airport so you don't get delayed in traffic. I can't suggest a hotel; I stay in convents, but I also avoid the heat/humidity of summer. Definitely make sure you have air conditioning.

I'd suggest getting to the Borghese 45 minutes to an hour before your reservation. A half hour before the reservation time, they start giving unclaimed reservations away. And depending on where you start out, leave some extra time for getting delayed in traffic.

Given your religious focus, I have a few comments. I'll also send you a private message with some other info that may be of interest. An amazing way to visit St Peter's is to be there when it first opens; I arrive around 6:45, so I can go in as soon as it opens. It's quiet and reverent at that time (and can get pretty noisy/distracting as the crowds arrive... people tend to treat it like a museum and they can be--probably without realizing it--quite irreverent). You'll mostly be in line with visiting priests and religious who are coming for Mass at the various side altars. The adoration chapel will not be open at that time. It opens an hour or two later, starting with Benediction when I was last there; it's a wonderful place for quiet prayer and Benediction there is quite beautiful. Daily Mass is also important to me, and it's easy to find Masses in Italy (and also in France) in the evening, if that makes your sightseeing schedule easier. The main Mass at the Altar of the Chair in St Peter's is in the evening, at 5 if I remember correctly. You can find the timing on their website. I don't know what the Pope's schedule is in July (but it will be posted on the Vatican website), but if he's in town, you could attend the Sunday Angelus and blessing at midday.

There are some wonderful churches that don't make the RS cut on his pilgrim's walk, probably because their importance can primarily be devotional. I'll send a private message with some info.

Kent:

I have the email information to request the scavi tickets from a cousin who went within the last year. I'll probably send it off this next week. (He said me his email so I can copy and paste!)

Thanks for the heads up on travel on Easy Jet. Sounds like our Spirit airlines -- if you know the rules it can work for you.

~ Jennifer

Sherry,

Thank you for all of the details! I look forward to your private message and love the ideas for masses.

~ Jennifer

Barb - thanks for the vote of confidence on the hotels. I had been looking at those two today also trying to determine the difference between those two hotels and where the cost has the most bang for the buck. Since I will have expensed hotels for Monday through Saturday (in Rome & Paris), we don't mind spending a little more for the time in Rome.

~ Jennifer

Also, a little worried about the congestion of people right around the vatican.

It will be busy during the day but the area gets a little quieter at night. There are some good restaurants in Prati, too. Highly recommend Osteria della Commari and La Pratolina. Both require reservations and two days in advance is a good idea for La Pratolina.

Your arrival day is probably not the best day for the Borghese. Museums and jet lag do not pair well. Concentrate on Pilgrim's Rome and stay outside as much as possible. The churches will provide some respite from the heat. You can move the Caesar Shuffle to Monday and have plenty of time on Sunday for the Borghese. Entrance times are rigid at 09:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, 17:00 and 19:00.

When you say "Vatican City" on Monday, what do you mean? Will you go to the museums? The "city" is not much to build your day around, although Piazza San Pietro is lovely and I think Rick Steves has an audio tour that is nice. As long as you are in the Basilica for mass, you can also take his audio tour of the church, but with mass, the piazza and the Basilica, you might have 2 1/2 hours of activity. That said, you'll want to do you Caesar Shuffle as early as possible because it will be HOT, not unlike Dallas. The C.S. might even be better done on Tuesday AM depending on the Scavi Tour. The Scavi Tour is subject to the scheduling whims of the Scavi Office, so you might want to be prepared to shuffle your schedule.

To go to FCO at 5:00PM on a weekday...are you planning to take the Leonardo Express? A 5:00-ish departure is a good plan.

Lauren,

Based on RS 2-3 days, this is what I was thinking for "Vatican City": " On the second day, see Vatican City (St. Peter’s, climb the dome, tour the Vatican Museum)."

I was just starting to look at Restaurants so thank you for these two ideas -- I am bookmarking them right now. And thanks for your suggestion on moving the museum off Saturday for day of arrival. I was wondering the same thing. The suggestions for shuffling things around once we get that scavi scheduled.

The CS in the morning when it's cooler and the scavi underground would be cooler in the afternoon!

~ Jennifer

Jennifer,
Sorry to tell you the Scavi area is very hot and humid. Not for the claustrophobic! Tight places, low ceilings so be aware.

Lauren -- DANG! I was thinking about how much my boys have loved the caves and caverns in the summer because it's so cool. Oh, well!

I also suggest seeing the Borghese on a day other than your arrival day.

Check santasusanna.org for religious events, celebrations, etc. Santa Susanna is the parish church with a largely American base, very helpful website.

I have only one experience with EasyJet whereas many here have flown with them numerous times, but my recommendation is to pay up front for a checked bag even if you don't know yet how big your bag will be and whether it might meet EJ guidelines for carry on. I would also pay to pick your seat so you get Speedy Boarding. My one experience was Paris to Venice and yes, the gate agent put every bag in the sizer as we were lined up to board. Even bags that appeared to be identical went into the sizer.

Since you also have to be at work the next day, I would not take the last flight out of Rome the night before even though you have many places you want to visit there. I do not say that based on EJ performance, but just based on my own views of air travel (and recent 48 hr delays in domestic travel!)

As Rick says, assume you will return.