One Day in Rome?

“You can’t see Rome in a day” as they say, so I think you’re on the right track. That’s kind of my attitude anytime you have a single day in a major city, don’t waste your time going into anything just stay on the streets. Keep the sightseeing light, maybe include the Forum (but just see the Colosseum from the outside.)

A walking tour is always a great option. Eating Europe’s Twilight Trastavere is always one of my favorite recommendations and remains a popular choice. You could do a self-guided wander through the old town, from Campo di Fiori to Piazza del Popolo, take a break and then do the food tour to get a great everyday Roman experience. That’d be a good day on any trip.

I'll argue for and against and a hybrid.

For: Rome is hot, busy and overwhelming. Do the hop on/off bus and enjoy your jet lag day getting a quick overview of the city, grab a pizza and rest up for your Italian adventure. You can always come back and you'll have a feel for the city then.

Against: Rome is special; the eternal city. There is so much to see and do that should all be on everyone's bucket list; the museums, the churches, the Roman sites, the art, the architecture. Rome has been at the center of western history for most of the past two millennia.

Hybrid: Both things are true IMO. So maybe take a couple full days to bite off a little bit of the gigantic pizza. Don't try to see everything. Focus on a manageable and enjoyable schedule of some things you want to do. Plan to see the big timesucks like the Vatican Museum another time. I think Rome may grow on you a bit if you manage expectations and your energy level/schedule.

After looking at your three posts on your trip planning, I see two weeks with a focus on Florence and Naples … with Tuscany and perhaps the downgrade of Rome that you suggest, here. And 2027 is a fair bit into the future. Given your overall plan, I’d give Rome at least 3 or even 4 nights.

You have lots of time to study and consider. Not just the RS resources, including the RS website with its links to shows and podcasts, as well as his many guidebooks, you can also check out other guidebooks: DK Eyewitness, Moon, Lonely Planet, and Michelin Green Guides. Literature? Robert Stone’s The Agony and the Ecstacy, other historical fiction by Robert Harris, such as Pompeii and Imperium, and Virgil’s The Aeneid.

Fly open jaw, perhaps. Yes, it make sense to fly direct to Rome (overnight and grueling). But you can return from Naples or Florence via Munich, Paris, London, Frankfurt, wherever. The daytime flight home is not nearly as arduous. That will save you a day of backtracking to Rome and effectively extend your vacation time - “being there” - by a day.

BTW is there any way you could travel in May or September? Not as hot and not during summer vacation - but maybe you’re tied to an academic year schedule.

Now to answer the question you pose in this post as opposed to your other two. Spend at least three, preferably 4 nights in Rome, at the front end of your trip.

• Rome really sets up a lot of what you will experience in Florence, Tuscany and Naples.
• If it’s history that you want, so much of Italian history flows from Rome. The Roman Forum and the Capitoline Hill Museum, with the Capitoline Hill steps and piazza designed by Michelangelo are must sees.
• If it’s art that you want, there are churches with sculptures by Bernini and Michelangelo, paintings by Caravaggio and Raphael, and the Vatican Museum has so much great art by Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Ghirlandaio and more. The Borgia Museum. Michelangelo’s Pieta in St. Peter’s
• Architecture? Brunelleschi studied the Pantheon closely so he could create the massive dome of Florence’s Duomo.
• Churches? Not only the Vatican, but many others with relics of Peter, Michelangelo’s tomb for Pope Julius II, and many more churches apart from the Vatican with great art as mentioned above.
  
• You can settle into Rome upon arrival and not race off to Florence. Since you will have travelled overnight, you will be tired, but a long walk through the Forum will help you transition to European time.

Your overall trip seems to be focused on history and art, though you would like a little beach time near Naples, as well.

Buon Viagge.

From my POV, one day in Rome is better than no days in Rome.

The day will be hot and sticky and crowded, so focus on places that are cool and out of the sun. I wouldn't even think about visiting the Colosseum. You can wander past the Colosseum/Forum and then head for the Musei Capitolini (https://www.museicapitolini.org/en/node out), for example: it's air conditioned and wonderful. After that, put together a picnic lunch and head to Villa Borghese gardens to people watch.

The nights are glorious so make the most of your two evenings. Make reservations at a rooftop bar/restaurant and watch the sun go down. After dinner take a leisurely stroll and find the best gelato in the city (subjective. But the search is the whole point).

Rome is such a great city. Enjoy!

fred thank you!! I am an avid reader and this is fantastic. Part of the reason I like planning trips in advance is so I have time to read a variety of books in advance and also nail down specifics in each place. I hope to shift to my Italy reads as soon as I finish my current book. Yes - tied to the academic year with a daughter in high school at time of travel. Would love to be doing this in September!

All of these answers are great and thoughtful! I appreciate it! I am now both excited at the thoughts of having the one perfect day in Rome or possibly even extending! Hasn't helped my decision making much, but I have more to research now which is exactly what I wanted. Thank you!

...spending both evenings strolling around and then doing an organized tour or something during the day of our full day to hit all the main historical sites.

It appears you are doing a lot of reading before the trip. Great! that will really be helpful if you follow you initial idea. Strolling on your own will be very enlightening and you will be able to move at your own pace. A tour will allow you to see a lot very efficiently.

An evening and a day in Rome can be magical - it will also help you plan your next, and longer, visits (notice the plural). But this is all you have for this upcoming June. I say 'go for it!'. Ancient and medieval Rome are walkable (I'm in my 70s and do it every year for nearly 20 years now). My suggestion would be to stay as close to the center as possible which, for me, is near Piazza Navona. Your longest walk would be to the Forum area, or take the bus. From there the walk back can be filled with meandering, good food, gelato and lots of amazing places to see. You don't have to explore everything in depth, maybe just one or two places that catch your imagination. If ticketed entry is required you might want to make that decision in advance since Rome is very crowded in June. The evening hours, even late, will give you a very different experience than daytime. I always go by the Forum and Colosseum both day and night. It's safe and magical. St. Peter's is beautiful to see - you don't have to go in or tour the Vatican - but I at least suggest getting a good view. Right next to Sant' Angelo you can sit with great views of St. Peter's, Sant' Angelo and the Tiber River. Day and/or night. In the evening, walk down to Trastevere. That's where nightlife and food can be really 'Roman'. Anyway, I think you might be surprised how much you can actually walk to. Get a good tourist map (Rick Steves has good ones) and make a list and a flexible schedule. Remember: You deserve this!

ADS - If you have three nights, i.e. two full days plus arrival day in Rome you can wander the Forum and the Capitoline Museum on arrival day. Then have two days for the rest of Rome and you can get an early train to Bologna (CORRECTION - Florence) for the rest of your itinerary. Fly home from Naples and avoid the wasted 1/2 or full day at the end, backtracking from Naples to Rome for an overnight and departure; just depart from Naples.

Of course, there are always other trips if we do want to come back and
spend more time.

Your sentence is similar to one of the best bits of travel advice I was ever given. In 2014 we were going to Europe for the first time and were doing a cruise out of Rome. I expressed concern to a well travelled friend that one day in each port wasn't going to be enough. He said not to worry about it, enjoy the day for what it is and use it as a reason to go back. Rome isn't going anywhere, so if it only works for a day this time then a day it is.

Regarding the Vatican. We went on that first trip not really expecting it was going to be of much interest but I was blown away. What I discovered is that I don't have an interest in art, but the tour gave me an interest in the history behind the art and more specifically the history of the reformation. Since then we've been to Europe 11 more times and have been fascinated at some sites because of what we learned in the Vatican.

Vatican aside, if you're looking for a one day tour take a look at Through Eternity https://www.througheternity.com/. We did the Vatican one day at the Forum/Palatine Hill/Colosseum on another day. We by far enjoyed the Forum/Palatine Hill part of the tour over the Colosseum. On a separate trip we did the Rome at Twilight tour https://www.througheternity.com/en/rome-tours/rome-evening-walking-tour.html which might be perfect for your first night.

I've been to Italy 3 times and while I enjoyed Rome, I've enjoyed everywhere else more. Enjoy, everywhere else and go back to Rome another time.

Make sure you visit the Trevi Fountain after 10pm. I think they start charging in February from 9am to 10pm.

I'm seeing the Trevi Fountain fee imposed from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM but I'm also not sure my info is 100% accurate. Regardless, I'd personally choose late or early morning hours anyway less to get around the fees but also the crowds that clog that rather-tight piazza. IMHO, the thing is more visually impressive lit up in the dark, and also not what I'd call a 'destination attraction' on its own but one better taken in while en route from one point to another.

It sounds like you could arrange your itinerary to accommodate more than just one day/2 evenings, and I'd sure do that if possible. You won't be sorry! There's absolutely no need to 'do' the Vatican on this trip, if your interest level in it is low, but I'd consider booking a tour that combines the Colosseum, Palatine and Forum. All 3 fall into your "main historical sites" list but while the Colosseum is easy enough to get your head round with just an audio guide, say, the other 2 sites are much more complex and benefit from a knowledgeable human guide. I'd book one for as early in the morning as possible as all involve being out in the sun.

Churches were mentioned in a previous post, and many are indeed economical (both in $ and time) ways to take in some great art and architecture plus escape the heat for a bit.. The gang here can recommend some of the better ones if interested? I saw mention of a hoho bus: YMMV but I'll vote to avoid those as reviews haven't been great for years, their routes are limited due to the amount of narrow Roman streets, and there are been too many complaints of broken equipment and buses being too full to accept passengers at the pick-up points. Nope, the best way to explore the Eternal City is by one's own two feet whenever possible. :O)

The Vatican, with St. Peter's and the incomparable Sistine Chapel is amazing.

St. Peter's took over a century to build and had three chief architects, the second one being Michelangelo. He designed the dome. Also, he painted the key frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. If you love art, the Sistine Chapel will WOW you. Even my 7 year old son when we entered, was stunned. He wanted me to explain everything about it.

You need 4-5 days to do it justice.