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Recommendations for Arrival Day in Rome

My husband and I are arriving in Rome on a Sunday before our Friday cruise. I have a whole list of things I want to do--he has never been to Rome; I have been three times, but I am a teacher and, each of those times, I was lucky to get a day and a half in the city each time. The last time I was there was 2010. What would be your recommendation for us to do on our arrival day? Our flight from the States will arrive around 7 AM. We will either be staying near the Colosseum or the Pantheon. Thank you in advance for your help and suggestions!

Posted by
13808 posts

I would walk outside. You'll have 4 nice days so on your arrival day, I'd spend time outdoors to help with adjusting to jet lag. If you arrive at 7A it will probably be 930 or 10 by the time you are at your hotel.

If you wind up staying near the Colosseum, I'd walk to the Aventine Keyhole. Here's a general route from the Colosseum to the Keyhole, you can just back it up to wherever you are staying. You may be able to walk across the field at Circus Maximus, then if it's the time of year when the roses are in bloom, spend a bit in the Rose Garden on the way up. There are several viewpoints along the way to overlook Rome.

https://goo.gl/maps/qY3UuPY5F1M2

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_del_Priorato_di_Malta

(And it does feel a little silly to queue up to look thru a keyhole!)

Heading back to the hotel you can go thru one of the parks around the Colosseum area or head more toward Trajan's Column and some of the outdoor sights along there. It depends on how fatigued you are after your trip.

Many here suggest trying to stay awake. I have found I can do that better if I am with a group but if I'm on my own I need to be outside a bit, have lunch, crash for about 1.5 hours then head outside again.

Posted by
6429 posts

Or, if your hotel is near the Pantheon, walk around that part of the city -- Piazza Navona, along the river, Via Corso, Spanish Steps. There won't be as much car traffic on Sunday but maybe a lot of pedestrians in the streets. Avoid museums or anything like that. Churches might be OK but they'll be having services (including the Pantheon). With four weekdays to see the sights, you can defer the indoor places. If there's anything on your list that will keep you awake and moving, and not be too crowded on a Sunday, do that.

You might consider the elevator to the top of the Vittorio Emmanuelle Monument for a birds-eye view of the city, but there could be long lines for it.

Posted by
1045 posts

I like the 'walk around' recommendations. May I also suggest you stop frequently and either stand or sit and enjoy the view (whatever century that view is at the moment). Say out loud: "We deserve this." A simple lunch, an afternoon drink on a quiet piazza and a nap. Maybe dinner around 8:00 and bed by 11:00 or 12:00. The next morning you'll be ready for Rome. That first day's activities will start your vacation without a big list of 'to do's' but will rather give the two of you a romantic, no pressure day. Your 'to do' list will tire you both out, I'm sure. Just keep saying: "We deserve this!" And, of course, you do (teacher to teacher - you bet you do!!!!)

Posted by
26833 posts

If by lucky chance both you and your husband sleep rather well on overnight flights and are actually ready to do something other than simply wandering around, Ostia Antica would be a possibility. I believe it's open on Sunday (closed Monday), no pre-booking is required, and it would keep you outside. There's some sort of food service (I think a basic cafeteria) to keep your strength up.

The Via Appia is another possibility. I've never done that.

Posted by
4526 posts

Last visit, I only pre-booked one thing for Rome.....Borghese Gallery, and we did it first day. We booked one of the last time slots. It meant we were covered if there were any flight delays, but primarily, it gave us something to look forward to be staying awake for. We might have had an hour nap early afternoon, but we kept busy outside most of the day. Certainly having something to look forward to kept us going.