On the ground and walking Rome for 4 days! Friday thru Monday

Is there a reason you are staying out near the airport? Personally I would look for a hotel in the Piazza Navona/Pantheon/Campo De Fiore areas instead. The primary site closed on Sundays is the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel except for the last Sunday of the month when they are free and packed. On Mondays some museums may be closed, Borghese Gallery, Castel Sant' Angelo, but plenty of other things are open. I keep a spreadsheet of the sites we want to see and then note the opening hours and closed days and it helps me plan out our days better. What sites do you want to see? Colosseum/Palatine Hill/Forum are open most days (Christmas Day and New Years are the two exceptions I think). Pantheon closes for special events and masses and other churches should be avoided during masses unless you are attending mass, some churches close on Sunday to visitors completely and others like St. Peter's Basilica can be visited even during a mass as they only close off one area for the mass attendees. The Trevi Fountain and the many piazzas are always open.

I am tagging along with friends who stay there bc of business. This trip is a gift, and i am so thrilled that my dear friends have arranged for me to go. My friend likes it modern and convenient and easy to the airport. She has stayed there twice and insisted. So i am sure we will be fine especially with free shuttles to Rome and breakfast included with the room. The only Mass that i want to attend is Sunday at the Vatican and then to the republican square at noon to receive the blessing from the Pope. So i hope that works out for me. Thanks for the help.

I'd have to say I agree with Nadine. If there's any way to get a hotel downtown, you'll enjoy Rome infinitely more. Being able to wander at night through the city is one of our favorite pastimes. The shuttle service I think stops at 8 PM so you cannot do dinner unless you ride the train - or it sounds like you'll be taking taxis. There are many "modern" hotels in the city. If your friend needs an "American" hotel, try the Marriott Grand Flora on Via Veneto. At least you're in town. I realize this is your "friend's" trip, but what a waste to be stuck at the airport. Once you are "out there," you are really out there and you will be eating, drinking, and sitting at the Hilton. There is nothing else there but an airport! Lobby hard for a change! I'm sure most folks on this board (and people like me who have lived in Rome for YEARS) would support that position!

Well, since the hotel is paid for in advance already, i can't barter! I did want to stay and i did argue with them in the beginning, but it's hubby, wife, and daughter, and then me! I lost! I did check with the hotel though and the shuttle runs from 6am to 10pm. So i think it's ok? That's a long day for all of us! And this is the 3rd trip for them, so i am sure that they have a routine. I know that they will see to it that i see the sights that i am coming there for, Vatican & Sistine. But now that i am reading, there is so much more than i ever imagined and am trying to make an itinerary for the 4 full days that i have on the ground in Rome. A bit panicked when 2 of those days are Sunday and Monday when things are closed! :( By the way, i intend to visit again with my girls, and i will definately stay in the heart! Thanks! I do agree with all of you!

you may be up to it, but i never really want to do anything after being on a plane 8+ hours. (or from houston, more like 11+) especially when my body clock is telling me it's 2-3am. we tried to tough it out when we went to barcelona; we landed around 9am and made it till 2-3pm before we were dead. we napped until 6pm or so after that. just a heads up that i wouldn't plan on a full day of sight seeing that first day. at least i wouldn't... i still feel like a zombie when i think about walking down, then back up las ramblas, trying my hardest to be interested, but only wanting to lay down in the shade somewhere and sleep.

I don't think the Colosseum area is closed on Sunday and Monday, so that would be a good time to do those. Also, Spanish steps, Trevi Fountain and just wandering around eating gelato have to be good activities.

You are all being so helpful. I really appreciate it. I am such an Excel addict that I love the spreadsheet idea. After mass on Sunday and the blessing at noon by the Pope I think the Collesium will be a great way to spend Sunday. After a good nights sleep on Saturday the tour at the Vatican that starts at 9 and the self touring it on our own for the rest of way. The first day sounds like the Night walk with Italian icecream the fountain and such. So excited. Love Rick Steve's book. Learning a great deal. 1 month to go! Thanks Everyone!

Wow.. just came on this site to read the forums before my own trip and saw someone else that is traveling Friday thru Monday! I just finished making up an itinerary and was struggling with the "closed on Monday" problem but worked it out. Basically what I did is write down all the things I wanted to see (with dates and times). I started with Sunday then went to Monday (I know that sounds crazy but those are the days with the most restrictions) before filling in Saturday. Keep in mind that some of the museum are open pretty late (7 or 8 pm). Since I arrive on Friday, and check in to my hotel, I made a more casual itinerary for when I arrive that follows the "night walk" in the book. My interests are pretty eclectic some my itinery really goes all over the place within the main city. I'm wishing I had alloted more time for myself. OH! and another fun thing. I'm "collecting" obelisks (Rome has 13)with most of them near major sites. My first trip to Rome was with a tour and we were outside the city with a free shuttle so it was a bit more tiring on our free days trying to fit in the sites. By the way, I'm traveling 2nd "weekend" in November.