Italy for 7 days

Nor are they "quick overnights".
Simmer down Cyndie, this is pretty helpful board.

I agree with Sarah. 7 days just in Rome would be heaven for me, but then I adore Rome. It's not worth trying to get to Venice or Sicily, even for an overnight trip. If you want to get out of the city, try Orvieto, Siena, Assisi, or Florence. Tivoli (Hadrien's Villa) is also a good daytrip. Ostia Antica is an alternate to Pompeii and I loved it. It's a half day trip, so if you don't want to trek all the way to Pompeii, I highly recommend OA. I've stayed near the Colosseum at Hotel Paba which I consider moderately priced, and enjoyed it but I would probably choose to stay in a different area next time. If you do decide to stay in Rome for the full week, you could consider renting an apartment instead. Edited: Also, I should add that while no one can predict the weather, I went to Rome in November and December. Both times there were several sunny, clear days, and a handful of rainy days. There are so many museums and churches, a little rain is no problem, and watching it fall through the roof of the Pantheon is pretty neat.

7 days is just about enough to get an overview of rome. it has much more than you can imagine, so don't waste time on anywhere else. buy a book on rome and figure out what you like, and know your budget for hotel.

Thanks all, very helpful, especially the suggestions of the short day trips.

Hi Cyndie. What exactly would you like suggestions for - what to do in Rome; where to go if you want to leave Rome? Since you'll be in Italy for such a short time, I would recommend staying in Rome. That city is packed with things to see. You could also do a couple of daytrips.

Where to stay? Looking for a very nice place that is moderately priced. Also, looking for ideas for day trips or quick overnights, to maybe Sicily or Venice. I know it's cold so I am trying to think of things to do that I won't be disappointed by the weather.

you need to do some research. Please go to the search feature for some general guidance. Sicily & Venice are not day trips from Rome. Pompei might work.

I know that Sicily is not a day trip. Thanks for no help.

I agree with staying in Rome for the week and doing a couple of day trips from there. I also highly recommend an apartment for a stay of that length of time. You will have more room to spread out a little, you can save some money by not eating every meal out, and many apartments have washers and some have dryers. That will help with packing light.

Cyndie: Just spent 5 nights in Rome and wish I'd had more. Check out the website www.revealedrome.com, in addition to a good travel book from Rick Steves. The Rome book is VERY useful. He has a nice one week plan for Rome. We stayed at a nice apartment between Piazza Navona and Campo dei Fiori that is a "sweet spot" in that so much is accessible from there: a 20 minute walk to most major attractions. Try www.palazzo-olivia.it for a moderately priced apartment. Plan ahead for things to do inside (rainy day = Vatican or Borghese) versus outside (Forum and Colosseum), and play it depending on the weather reality, making sure you know what days and hours of opening are. (My nephew went to the Vatican on a Sunday without thinking about it - closed!) Then adjust your plan as the weather permits. Relax and have fun. I'd stay the whole week in one place to minimize time lost to packing and relocating. A week in Rome with a day trip to Ostia or Tivoli would be perfect!

It depends on if you like big cities and find them exciting. We don't, so 2 1/2 days in Rome were sufficient for us. I do second the suggestion of the Ostia Antica 1/2 day trip if you're interested in the ancient stuff. It was my favorite outing in Italy--few to no tourists, you can touch and walk on everything (unlike most of the Forum, etc in Rome itself), and Rick's free audio tour was great!

"Also, looking for ideas for day trips or quick overnights, to maybe Sicily or Venice. " "I know that Sicily is not a day trip. Thanks for no help." Both posted by the OP within 2 and a half hours after a helpful post. Sorry, I was going to assist. Won't now.

I do appreciate all of your ideas, directions and corrections. It has been most helpful to have the suggestions for quick visits and the names of some accommodations. My last visit to Italy was much longer and I had the time to wander aimlessly, but at that time I only spent 3 days in Rome and I was afraid that on this short trip that I would need to fit in more, after getting your feedback and input I agree that the time is too short and that it will be much more relaxing and enjoyable to just stay in Rome and take in one or two of your suggested day trips. Thanks again and Ciao for now,

Hi Cyndie. I would suggest Orvieto as a great day trip from Rome. It's very doable by train and Orvieto will be a nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle of Rome. There are a lot of interesting things to see in Orvieto; I personally recommend the underground tour. Another day trip might be to Ostia Antica; I haven't been there myself but have read nice things about it (I think Rick now has an mp3 tour that's available for download). You might also consider visiting Tivoli for either Villa d'Este or Hadrian's Villa. As for where to stay in Rome, I agree with Laurel. Palazzo Olivia is a great apartment for a number of reasons; the location is great, it's clean and comfortable, and it has an elevator which many buildings do not have. Have a great trip.

I have to disagree with Paul and the night train recommendation to Venice from Rome. You won't get much sleep and you'll arrive exhausted. There are other excellent day trips from Rome that RS details in his Rome book. It's worth every penny, and has some wonderful self-guided tours for all sorts of places in Rome.