Getting from St. Peter's to Borghese

If you were going public trans, I'm thinking Metro A to Termini, Metro B to Spanish Steps (Spagna), which is relatively near Borghese--would probably take under an hour. Might also be one of those times to break down and take a taxi. Don't know if I'd chance an Uber in Rome. They might be fine, but there recently was a big to-do including a taxi strike because of the advent of Uber drivers. And it got a little violent.

Last time I was at St. Peter's (three years ago), there was a cab stand alongside the shops on the FAR side of St. Peter's Square, outside the church. Basically, if you stand at the doors of St. Peter's and look out, it will be ALLLLL the way across the open area, past the obelisk, and on the left side of the street (via della Conciliazone) leading straight away from the church. There was a line of cabs at that spot, and plenty of people getting in them. I put my exhausted teenaged daughter in a cab there and sent her back to the hotel to chill.

Your best bet is a taxi. There is a taxi rank just in front of Piazza San Pietro or you can call for one using the ITTaxi app on a smartphone. You will be tired enough after the Vatican and have two more hours on your feet at the Borghese, so it is a great idea to take a cab. And it should cost Euro 15, at most I believe.

Public trans via the Tram 19 is also possible: From St. Peter's walk to the stop at Piazza Risorgimento and get off at the stop by the Zoo. It is about a 15-minute walk to the gallery from the Zoo stop. But that is a lot more walking than a taxi requires. :-)

Uber, just no.

Not Uber in Italy. I've read that Uber in Italy is like a costly limousine service, not the economy service that we have here in the US.

Taxis in Rome are economical if you know what you're doing. Walk to a taxi stand and take a cab from there. In Italy, you don't usually hail a cab on the street like you do here in the US. But first, while you are still at home, Google worldtaximeter and practice plugging in start points and destination points to get an idea of actual taxi cost. If you don't have a sense of actual cost, you won't know what to do when Rome taxis try to double, triple, quadruple the actual fare, or worse. Having an idea of fare will help you immensely and it's the single most important thing you can do for yourself right now before you take the taxi trips.

There are now taxi APPS you can download like "it Taxi" and "mytaxi" and a "Scooterino" APP, but it appears these APPS request an Italian phone number. I've downloaded all 3 APPS on my US Apple iphone, and that's my experience anyway. Hopefully someone who's actually used these APPS can chime in here.

But these Italy APPS appear to work like Uber and Lyft APPS here. You use them to hail a cab and the cost of trip should appear upfront so you know ahead of time what you'll pay for the trip.

I did that, with a 3pm appointment at the Borghese. Have a nice lunch after St Peter's and then take a taxi.

Sandra makes a good point about the Italian phone number. I have always had one so didn't have an issue with the apps. You can also try this taxi company and perhaps either SMS for a cab (not sure it works with non-Italian numbers) or use the "Taxi Click" option. Or call: dispatchers generally manage in English.

I just returned yesterday from VFR tour, did St Peters/Vat/Sistine last Friday and Borghese Tuesday. Our hotel was at the Spanish Steps and I stayed longer, spending 7 days so became pretty familiar with the area.

First, it will depend timing for your tours. We did St. Peter's in the am, then the museum and chapel that evening (both were close to private, very few other people around) Either way, once you've completed your visits see how you feel. Probably hungry and tired if you do all together, but a rest over lunch and you'll likely be ready to go again. In which case the stroll to the Borghese will be no problem to get you there by 4:30. And if not, taxis/stand are everywhere and the metro is closeby as well. Ottaviano 2 stops to Flaminio or 3 stops to Spagna and you'll be an easy walk to the gallery. (longer from Flaminio or 15 min. from Spagna, look for the Borghese walkway). Don't worry, Rome is easy to navigate with public transportation, but walking is by far the most fun!

And finally, while the distances look/sound like a lot at this point, by the time you get to Rome you'll walk 10-15-20 miles a day and never blink. The least walking you'll do will be this day. Unless you don't like walking, in which case I'm sure you wouldn't choose this trip.

ENJOY!!

Barbara: Switching up the Vatican/Sistine schedule would be pretty distressing, since we've paid for the Borghese reservation based on the itinerary provided by RS. Hoping that doesn't happen in this case.

Who was your guide for the tour? Did you happen to be on Sarah Murdoch's tour when Rick and Francesca dropped by?

And grazie mille to all for the great info. Knew I could count on getting good answers fast! Looks like no Uber for us.