distances in Rome: lving tomorrow!

thanks, all! I went to the ron in rome site to read about various transport, incl the 116 bus. I do take advice from wise travelers who offer it! thanks again.

Hi Julie. You must be so excited! Walking in Rome is so convenient and compelling, and often easier than a bus. You can walk from Hotel Nardizzi to Piazza Navona in 25 minutes. The Vatican is 20 minutes further, just to give you an idea. On the other hand, Campo dei Fiori is only a short walk from P. Navona. You might find yourself taking a bus part way then walking the rest of the way. There is a very cool electro mini- bus system (I think there are 3 or 4 routes) you might find convenient. The 116 route runs from near your hotel to the historical center. You can research it here http://www.roninrome.com/transportation/the-116-bus-in-rome . The Roma Pass is accepted on the mini-busses. Ron in Rome's site has a lot of great Roma bus and metro info.

Roma Pass is good for three days for both transport and sights. It's activated the first time you use it for either. It's no good for the Vatican. We used the Metro lines to get around with no problems. Walking between some of the sights that were distant from each other was pretty nice to absorb things....the first day. After that our legs wanted to use the Metro.

thanks for your posts! I will check out recommended sites, too.

We just got back from Rome and stayed in the Prati area (near the Vatican). We walked pretty much everywhere, although took the Subway a couple of times.
We found by walking, we saw things off the beaten trail, and avoided crowds (which were heavy on the transit systems). We just planned our routes every day so we hit what we wanted to on the way.

Google maps has a fairly decent estimator for walking time, and it works for Rome. Check it out. And have a great time. Rome is amazing.

Since Vatican is your focus day 1, your plan to activate the Roma Pass on day 2 makes very good sense. I stay in the Termini area and find it convenient to take public transit to key points, such as Largo Argentino, and walk from there. If you think you may use public transit 4 or more times on day 1 or day 5, you can buy a one-day transit pass for 4 euro. I love being able to hop on a bus or the metro any time it seems to make sense, or when I'm just tired from walking. Transit passes expire at midnight, so they tend not to be a good value when activated late in the day.

One word of warning about Rome and monumental architecture in general: buildings may seem closer than they actually are! Don't let this deter you from walking, however. Rome is a great walking city if you do it by neighborhood - check RS guidebook for walking tours, and of course, the eternally wise and helpful Ron in Rome. There's also a bus #118 or 119 (a mini) which goes out Via Appia Antica to the catacombs.

Julie, we stayed at Hotel Nardizzi and the only place we didn't walk to was the Vatican, took the bus. On our next trip we found the meto very easy to use, just to save time. Your in a great location, I know you will have a wonderful trip. PS Hotel is walking distance from train station

For the Vatican the first day, I'd suggest the Metro. Easy/quick. Still a bit of a walk (but very manageable) when you get off at the Metro exit for the Vatican. But, it will save your energy for walking through the Vatican, St. Peters (and maybe) climbing the dome. You may already know that a one-way Metro ticket is only one euro, so not too expensive, if you want to wait to activate your Roma pass for the second day. Metro tokens easy to purchase at Metro entrance. On our first trip to Rome, we walked back from the Vatican to the same general area in which you will be staying, and it was a long walk (and we are big walkers) because I think we were just so tired from being on our feet since early that a.m. On our second trip we stayed a little closer on the Via Veneto, but still took the Metro both ways, leaving our feet fresh for other walking that evening. Have a great trip. You will love Rome. Try to take a day trip to one of the hill towns in Tuscany, if you can squeeze it in. You'll definitely want to return :)

"Trying to decide on Roma Pass" Have read reports from people just in Rome that the Roma Pass was not easy to find, in some cases just not available at the moment. http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g187791-i22-k4835171-Roma_pass_really_not_available-Rome_Lazio.html