Rome by day

If memory serves, you're in Surrey BC. Howdy, neighbor. We find it's much better on your first day in Europe to spend it walking in fresh air, rather than inside a museum. It helps us get over jet lag better.

I concur. Stay outdoors. The brighter the sun, the better. Instead of the museum, visit the Colosseum or the Forum, both are in sunny places with no shade around. Or just walk the piazza and streets in the historical center. Drink lots of espresso at coffee bars. Also, if you stop at the hotel first to check in, just drop your bags and get out of the hotel immediately after maybe a quick wash up and after locking your valuables in the safe. Do not try to lie on the hotel bed, not even for one second. You will fall asleep and not wake up until the middle of the night. Anyway, the best way to reach Villa Borghese from the Termini is via Metro (subway) Linea A. Get off at Piazza di Spagna or Piazza del Popolo (Flaminio) and walk through the park. For the Galleria it is faster to take the bus to via Pinciana (I think bus no. 910)

The Borghese gallery has a strict time limit of 2 hours per group. You can leave earlier if you wish but cannot stay longer. Donna

janice, To answer your questions, it will take two hours or more to see the Galleria Borghese. Although you're limited to two hours inside, there's also the beautiful gardens outside that are worth a look. You can take as much or as little time as you want to see the Museo Nazionale Romano (I assume that's the "Rome Museum" you were referring to - there are over 50 Museums in Rome). I've found that it's VERY easy to spend three hours or more there. You stated that you "get into Rome at noon". Do you arrive at the airport then, or is that the time you're estimating you'll arrive at your hotel? One potential problem with visiting the Borghese Gallery on your arrival day is that you'll need to make a time-specific reservation. If your flight is late or you encounter other delays and miss your appointment time, you won't be visiting the gallery. One other point to mention regarding Galleria Borghese. They've VERY strict about what's allowed inside the Gallery, and you'll have to check Daypacks, Purses, large DSLR Cameras and similar items. I've found one of the easiest ways to get to the Borghese, is to take Metro Line "A" (direction Battastini) to the Spagna stop. Walk up the Spanish Steps and then turn left on Piazza della Trinita dei Monti. After a few hundred metres, you'll see ramps or stairs leading up to a garden area with trees, etc. That's the Villa Borghese park, so at that point go uphill to the right. Walk across the Park (towards the left) to reach the Galleria. As I recall, the ticket office is in the basement, towards the right side. Happy travels!

You may have a problem getting same-day tickets for the Borghese, it's a small museum with limited capacity. Check their website for the latest entry time to see if it's reasonable to try it on the first day.

I don't think anyone's mentioned it yet, but you MUST have a reservation for the Borgese, so do it NOW! I wouldn't try to do it the first day either, because your arrival time could be delayed for a multitude of reasons. Agree with the other posters that you're better off on arrival day (if arriving direct from the U.S.) to spend the day wandering outside and just going to bed a little on the early side @9 or 10pm.