Getting from Romew Airport to Hotel

Bill, How much luggage are you hauling? Travel from FCO to Rome on the Leonardo Express is very easy, even with luggage. In fact, that's one of the methods suggested by the Rome Hotel Cavalieri on their website. Check their "Ask the Concierge" menu for a list of all the options. If you do decide to use the Leonardo Express, it's a Regionale train so BE SURE to validate the ticket in the yellow machine prior to boarding the train. Those with unvalidated tickets can face hefty fines! The same situation can occur with unvalidated tickets on City Buses. Your Hotel appears to offer some tours, however if you'd like more of a personalized tour, I would highly recommend Francesca Caruso (she's listed in the Guidebook). She has an incredible wealth of knowledge and is a fantastic Guide. Happy travels and congratulations on your 40th Anniversary! That's an wonderful achievement! (*BTW, that looks like an awesome Hotel. Way above my price range though).

Congrats on your upcoming anniversary! Looks like an awesome hotel. It is, however, outside the city walls, and so a taxi to there from Fiumicino could well cost more than the standard rate for going into the city center (currently €48). You may want to hire a car service; I can recommend this one: http://www.romalimousinecarservice.com/online/en/prezzi. They will be waiting for you in the airport and will take you directly to your hotel, for a pretty reasonable rate. Something to consider, in making your decision, is the length of your travel from Arizona; anywhere from 14 to 20 hours? After such a long haul, are you going to want to drag your bags onto the train, then through Termini Station to a cab, then to the hotel? I, personally, would hire the car service, at least for the arrival. On the way back to the airport at the end of the trip, having gotten over the jet lag and feeling a bit more spry, I might save a bit of money by going the train route. As far as guided tours go, it really depends upon what you hope to see and what the available options are. For example, for the Vatican Museums you can book a tour through a private company (smaller groups, more expensive), or you can join one of the tours that they offer (larger groups, less expensive), or you can just rent an audioguide (on your own, small fee), or you can simply stroll through the museum and read the descriptions next to each item. Other factors are: is this your first time in Rome? Do you plan to come back? If this is a "once in a lifetime" trip, then maybe you want to book a few different tours just to get a good general overview/sampling of the city. If your trip to Naples would cut into your time in Rome, then I would probably advise against it given that you are only there for four nights.

Bill, I always stay at the Cavalieri when I visit Rome. I know that you can take the express train, then walk down the street to catch the shuttle but after a long international flight all I want to do is to get to the hotel. You can book a private transfer with romecabs.com. This is the company I always use. They will charge you less than having the hotel set something up for you and they are a very dependable company. The trip takes just over a half hour or so but they take you right to the door, no changing from train to shuttle. As far as tours go, it really depends on what you want to see. The city is very easy to explore on your own so unless there are particular sites that you would like a guide for I would say to just visit on your own with a good map and guide book. With only 4 days I would spend it all in Rome. There is so much to see and you already won't have time to see most of it. Donna

Thanks for all the quick answers and great information. I should have explained the itinerary a little clearer. Our first stop from LAX is Istanbul. The flight from IST to Rome is only a couple of hours. That said, with two suit cases and two carry on bags I think we will opt for car service. Our time in Rome is 4 nights but three full days. I gather from all the comments we should focus on Rome and not take a day trip. Donna, Since you stay at the Cavalieri, do they have shuttle service to and from the city or are we relegated to taxis?

They have a shuttle that takes you to and from the city. It drops you off/picks you up at the Piazza Barberini. It leaves the hotel on the half hour and leaves the city on the hour. There is a break in the afternoon for lunch. You can ask the driver to drop you near the Vatican or near the Borghese gallery if you are going there. If you plan on returning to the hotel late at night you'll need to take a taxi. Donna

I second Donna's suggestion of http://www.romecabs.com. Very reliable both to and from FCO. I second Ken's recommendation of Francesca Caruso. Absolutely the best for Colosseo, Palatino and Foro Romano. If you want to see the Vatican I recommend http://www.walksofitaly.com and their "Pristine Sistine" tour. Small group and very knowledgeable guides. As others have said, for only 4 days, stay in Rome, no day trips. Rick Steves' guide to Rome can give you some ideas on planning your days, but one approach (similar to Rick's) is - 1 day for Ancient Rome (Colosseo, Foro Romano, Palatino, Pantheon) - 1 day for Christian Rome (the big churches other than the Vatican) - 1 day for the Vatican including museums and Basilica
- 1 day for Borghese Gallery and miscellaneous sites Plus each day you will want time for wandering, sitting in a piazza, visiting a market or two. Rick's self-guided walks (in his book) are terrific. Night Walk Across Rome, Dolce Vita Stroll, Ghetto Walk are all worthwhile. Happy Anniversary!

Hi All I am in the process of making my final plans for our stay in Rome. I "stumbled" on the Roma Pass. I plan on signing up for two half day tours through walksofitaly.com (thanks Laurel), the Sistine Chapel and the Colosseum, leaving half days to walk around. Would buying the Roma Pass be a good idea. Thanks Bill

None of the Vatican sites are covered by the Roma Pass since they're actually in another country. You'll have to do the math as to whether it would be worth it. I will tell you that it's nice to have that pass in case you want to hop on a bus or the Metro.

I would take taxi/car service. You aren't teenagers backpacking across Europe. Relax and enjoy the ride. Happy Anniversary. 40 years is quite an accomplishment. Please take time to see Trastevere. It is a lovely neighborhood that doesn't feel so much like a tourist zone. We enjoyed it and our staying in that area on our third trip to Rome in September. Remember to try to be at the Vatican first thing in the morning, less crowds. Borghese is not to be missed. It was my teenage daughters favorite museum in all of Europe and she was very hard to impress by any art. Buon Viaggio!

One of the wisest uses of a taxi IMO is in getting to your first hotel after a long flight across the ocean. Having said that, FCO to Termini is very easy on the express train. Getting a cab at Termini to your hotel is also very easy. If you don't want to pay the full cab fare from the airport to the hotel, the train/cab hybrid might be a good alternative.

Be sure to check out two sites: Ron In Rome and Context Travel Tours. Ron has the absolute best and most helpful info on the internet about Rome. Click on "Postings" to see all the topics he has covered. And Context Travel consistently gets the absolutely highest marks for their tours. (Not intended at all as a slight against Walks of Italy, which sounds wonderful. One difference: WOI has groups of up to 12 people. CT does not exceed six people.) A good tour guide can make for a remarkable experience and outstanding memories. Happy travels.

Keep in mind that many tourist sites are closed on Monday and now with the budget cuts some sites are also closing on Sunday. Those two days will require a bit more planning to avoid surprises.