First Night in Rome

Hi Carolyn,
After you drop your luggage off at your hotel/B&B. Go out and walk. My husband and I did that and walked for several hours. Lots of people were out. We got totally lost but had a wonderful time. When are you going? I think we got back to the Beehive around 10:30 pm.

Museums and sights in Rome tend to close by 8:00pm (some earlier), so you'd be rushing to see most. Depending on how quickly you settle into your hotel, visiting the Victor Emmanuel monument for the great views could be an option. Best bets for the rest of the evening might be to either have dinner around the Campo dei Fiori area and then do Rick's night walk to Trevi fountain or have dinner in lively Trastevere, walk to Campo dei Fiori and then do the night walk. Taking a couple of hours to stroll back to your hotel can be a lot of fun. If you get tired, just hop on a bus or grab a taxi.

I think Miss B is on to something! Check in the hotel, freshen up a bit--it is Italy, afterall!--take a long, long stroll, browse, join the passiagiata, and then dine. A few glasses of wine and a night cap of gelato later, and you'll sleep like babies! The Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps are obvious tourist stops on a night-time stroll...sort of depends where you're staying (what area of Roma).

I agree with all of the posters so far. Walking (or strolling) through Piazza Navona, Piazza della Rolunda (Pantheon), see the Trevi Fountain, everything that has already been mentioned is what we do everynight in Rome. You will be surprised how many people are out and not just tourists. Besides, there are Italian tourists in Rome, also. Don't forget the Coliseum. You can't go in at night, but it is so beautiful at night that you will never forget it. Have fun!

Carolyn,
I agree with a lot of the other posters - freshen up and take a stroll. Luckily, dinner is fairly late in Rome. Take the night stroll through Rome that Rick Steves recommends - it covers some of the best sights - and they are beautiful at night. There will be plenty of people walking and a huge selection of places where you can have a quick bite, a glass of wine, or a gelato (or all three). Breathe the Italian air and take it all in - most of all, enjoy yourself!