Arrival in Rome

Ken,
We are currently living in Portugal so we will only be coming from Lisbon. So, transatlantic jet lag. We recently had friends visiting us from the US who had gone to Rome first and took "the pink bus" from the airport to the termini and it was only about 7 Euros each. Ever heard of that method? Also what are your thoughts about the Coliseum? Have you done the underground tour of the Coliseum and what are/were your thoughts about spending the extra time to take that tour? We only have limited time in Rome.

The Colisuem has evening entries available with advance booking on Thursday and Saturday nights. Book a night entry so that you don't have to worry about making it in time - you may even have time for a cat nap!

Rome is one of my favorite cities! Excellent call on going to the Borghese- I am not a huge art person, but I love it and keep going back. Easiest way to get from airport to city center is direct trains from Fiumicino to Termini. They leave frequently and take about 45 minutes. From Termini, most attractions/hotels in the city center are a short cab ride away (or even within walking distance depending on how much luggage you have). I have been to Rome several times but only went inside the Coliseum once and I don't really feel like it was worth it. You can appreciate it almost as much by just looking at it from the outside. We went on a weekday in May, waited in line for about an hour to get tickets, and walked around for maybe 30 minutes. It is impressive on the inside but there isn't much to look at on the inside. Just my opinion. My recommendation is to just walk around on Thursday and you will see most (if not all) of the major sites. I think Rome is an easy walking city with regards to size. Just accept that the streets are winding so you may feel lost sometimes. But you will get to where you are going in the end :). I usually stay in hotel near Termini and I am able to hit most of the big sites (Forum, Colisseum, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona) with a leisurely days walk, including frequent wine breaks. You are going to be dealing with A LOT of crowds at the Vatican on Friday so let yourself relax on Thursday. Happy travels!!

Susan, The time to get from the airport to Rome is somewhat "variable", depending on how long it takes you to get through Passport control and retrieve your checked luggage. It's possible you won't get to the FCO rail station until 13:30. By the time you're checked-in to the hotel and ready to start touring, it could well be 14:30 or later. One question though - are you planning to do this after a long trans-atlantic flight from the U.S.? If so, you'll be tired and jet lagged and probably won't be operating at full "touring speed". As mentioned in a previous reply, the Leonardo Express is the easiest and quickest way to get from FCO to Roma Termini. Fare is €14 PP if purchased at the Kiosks and I believe €15 PP if purchased from a ticket office (hopefully the prices haven't increased since I was last there in September). It's VERY IMPORTANT that you validate your tickets prior to boarding the train, or you could face hefty fines! You may find it helpful to have a look at the excellent www.roninrome.com/%20transportation/the-train-station-at-fco website, as there's a very comprehensive description of the airport station. Note that if you'll be travelling by Bus or other public transit in Rome, tickets also have to be validated or again, hefty fines. Happy travels!

Have not heard of the pink bus. But there is a bus to Termini -SITBUS - and I thought it was 8 E. But that works also. There is also the local train from the same station as the Leonard Express but makes a couple of stops along the way for about 7,8 Euro. Sometimes that is more convenient depending on where you hotel is.

I would highly recommend visiting the Coliseum. With the new upper and lower levels available with advance booking it is well worth it. Plus the entry ticket to the Coliseum also provides entry to the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill.

If you've never been to the Colosseum, go. I find it too "Disneyfied" now. I would recommend staying in the Piazza Navona/Pantheon/Campo dei Fiori areas, so you can maximize your time in these neighborhoods. After you visit the Galleria Borghese, and walk through the park, go toward the Pincio (the path is very well-marked) for great views of Rome, and then take the footpath down to Piazza del Popolo and continue wandering.

Susan, I've never heard of the "pink bus" so can't offer any comments. I normally use the Leonardo Express which is always quick as it's not affected by traffic. Regarding the Colosseum tours, I've never done the Underground tour, but have toured the main part of the facility. Given that you have very limited time, my suggestion would be to just tour the main part unless you have a huge interest in seeing the Underground. As I recall, the Underground requires an appointment and with limited time it might be difficult to fit in (and possibly at the expense of something else you want to see). Cheers!

Thanks for all your replies. What a great help this site is. We are planning to visit the Coliseum and not do the underground tour and just use Rick's podcast to see all we need to see there. We are very excited about the whole trip. We just buy our Roma Pass at the TI's, right? Rome is so much more complex to see in a short period of time than any of the other countries or cities that we've traveled to just because of having to get advanced tickets and because of the crowds of people. But, that is all part of the adventure.
Susan