Please Help!!....Should I???

If you feel you'll benefit from a tour then you should take it. If seeing those churches are important to you then you should skip the tour and visit the sites on your own. With a good guide book you'll easily be able to understand the sites. Donna

A guided tour of those places won't bring you much more than a good guide book in my opinion. You should take time and enjoy those places without the pressure of a tour guide telling you to hurry up. It is a real pleasure to tour the Forum and Palatino at your own pace, it's really like having a walk in a beautiful park.

Jenny, I've found that using guided tours selektively is a really good travel method. A good local Guide can "make the history come alive" and you'll learn far more and have a much more rewarding and interesting travel experience (IMO). You could (for example) hire a private Guide to cover the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Forum, and then tour other areas on your own. With a private Guide, you'll have some control over the time frame, so will be able to tailor the tour to allow time to visit the other sites you mentioned. Happy travels!

Jenny, You could download the tours on your phone and listen as you walk through or use a book that you have highlighted, as we have done this in numerous areas and it works great. I have visited San Pietro e Vincoli many times and Moses is truly the greatest sculpture that Michaelangelo created. If you read about Michaelangelo, the tomb of Julius II was his passion and obsession and it shows (Florence just has better PR). The church is only opened very specific times in the morning and then in the afternoon, so check the website.

The last time I was in Rome I took a guided tour of Palatine Hill with an archaeologist. Well worth it! The ruins are not easy to interpret on your own...knowing exactly what it is you are looking at is challenging without someone there to tell you and explain about the lifestyle of those who lived there. I was fascinated by the tour and so glad I spent the money and time! I wish I would have done the same for the Forum...will have to do it next time I go!

We just did a tour of the Colosseum (and at night) and it was pretty cool because we went into areas that the public could not get into and learned more information about the Colosseum. I would agree that the Forum/Palatine Hills are not that easy to interpret on your own, but at the same time, we just weren't up for that type of time investment/cost, so it's really your call on what you want to learn about in relation to that.

The biggest advantage of a guide over a guidebook, is that you can ask a guide questions.

We actually found a free tour in Forum when we were there. It made a big difference to us and we enjoyed it. Because it was free, there was no obligation to stay should it have run long, but it was great and we were the last to depart. We did a paid tour of the Coliseum and felt that it was far more efficient than doing on our own so there could be a time advantage to doing a tour so you can see what you want quickly, without having to discover on your own. Except for the Vatican, we did all the other churches and holy sites on our own with Rick's book.

My wife and I just returned from Rome. We had a private guide for the Vatican, and it was worth every penny we spent. There are so many advantages - the Vatican is huge and just getting around can be daunting. Having a guide will allow you to enter without waiting in line. This is very important, because the lines have hundreds of people waiting. We heard stories on our trip ( in May ) of people waiting 2-3 hours to get into the Vatican. Rome is full of history, a good guide will make so much if it come alive and enhance your experience immensely. Our guide was recommended by someone mentioned in Rick's Italy Guidebook. Her name is Sonia Tavoletta, you can find her on FACEBOOK.

Thank You to all of you guys with all of these GREAT answers!!!...it really does help!! Jen :-)

Another good guide, particularly in terms of art history, is Francesca Caruso, email: [email protected]. She guided me through the Jewish Ghetto on an RS tour a couple of years ago and last year did both the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Forum and the Villa Borghese on the Rome in 7 days tour. Her knowledge of Roman history and Renaissance art history is amazing. She is always busy so if you are interested you need to get hold of her asap - if she cannot help you, she will probably be able to recommend someone else.

That's an individual decision and preference. Personally I read up as much as I can on places and sites I'm visiting and usually tour on my own BUT when I have signed up for a tour have found them very rewarding and informational. That said I've noted your many posts. Couple of things. Check out Journeywoman.com Excellent site for women traveling solo. Secondly, have you perused Ron In Rome? He's my go to guy for info on Rome. VERY helpful. VERY. Third, Rome is everything you think it is and more. Simply remember you will be visiting at the height of tourist season so crowds will be large and the weather will be hot. Pray your room has working AC. Lastly, DO NOT be put off by the graffiti that is everywhere in Rome. It will surprise you but you'll get used to it. Explore back alleys, buy sandwiches, breads, cheeses, and fruits to take with you on your adventure. If you are an early riser it's wonderful to see Roma start a new day. Ciao Claudia
Land of La

Claudia... Thank you so much for the info and for such a great website referal!! Journeywoman.com is very informative!! :-) Jen :-)

Claudia... Just checked our RoninRome as well.....AWESOME!!! Thank you so much!! Any other suggestions for areas such as Paris,London, or Amsterdam (going there as well)?? Jen :-)