Rome Day 1 Recommendations & Handicapped Entrances

Posted by nsbtraveler on 01/06/26 07:59 PM

Need suggestions on Rome sights to see on our arrival day and information on access to museums with a disability.

We have scheduled 6 nights in Rome and are staying in Prati just outside the Vatican (arriving April 30 and leaving for Florence on May 6). We will be arriving in the am from the US and would like to do something not too taxing, but impactful. I am considering visiting the Vatican on day 2 -- which is May 1/Labor Day -- and Colosseum/Forum on day 3 (or vice versa depending on the weather). Would either the Villa Borghese or the Capotoline Museums be good for our first jet-lagged day?

Also can someone explain how to access museums that offer free entrance for disabled visitors? For sights that need timed advance reservations, I don't see options to reserve handicapped access in advance. Do we simply show up and present info regarding my husband's disability? Are we able to "skip the line"? My husband has reduced mobilty and some of the sights (Colosseum and St. Peters Basilica, for example), offer wheelchairs for visitors, which we intend to take advantage of. I have considered getting a wheelchair for our entire stay in Rome, but since he can get in and out of cars and other transport on his own, I think a wheelchair would be a hindrance to getting from sight to sight. Thanks for your input!

Posted by solofemaletraveler17

Kansas

01/06/26 08:36 PM

30 posts

Hi Hi! This sounds like a lovely trip. I may steer you away from the Borghese gallery as your first activity the day you arrive, just because youre probably going to be quite tired, and museums are pretty warm. Maybe you could go on a food tour! Those are always so fun the first day of a trip, and they help you know what to order for the remainder of your stay. You could also just do St. Peter's Basilica on the day you arrive, or the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, and Piazza Navona are all in the same area if you wanted to enter the Pantheon, then go on a lil stroll.

Usually for handicap tickets you need to reach out to the monument itself. Or if you decide to take a private tour at one of these monuments usually you can submit an official disability certificate to the the tour company and they will refund you the cost of tickets and make sure you are given the proper disability + companion tickets for your tour. That's regular practice for honest tour companies. The Tour Guy, my personal favorite tour company in Rome, is very trustworthy with things like this. They will have you submit a form and then they process the refund for cost of tickets as soon as the disability form is approved by the monument. Skip-the-line is dependent on the monument, but yes usually you get to be in a different line than general admission when you have a disability ticket . For May, I would really recommend trying to get things sorted before your arrival for the best experience.

Posted by rao

01/06/26 08:44 PM

1 posts

Hi -
When we arrived in Rome (after traveling overnight from Chicago) we dropped off our bags and wandered over to the Vatican. We then took the 45-minute, Vatican Gardens Open Air Bus Tour. The small bus tours through the gardens and spectacular tile grottos within the Vatican. It was a nice, easy way to do a short orientation to the Vatican. See description of tour on the Vatican website - we purchased our tickets the day of tour. The Villa Borghese was also spectacular - we did that on the morning of Day 2 in Rome. I think I remember steps up to the entrance - so check ahead of time to see if they have more accessible entrances.

Posted by nsbtraveler OP

01/06/26 09:04 PM

110 posts

Thanks, these are great ideas! If the weather is nice, I think the tram/train through the Vatican Gardens would be perfect. I know I need to book St. Peter’s Basilica in advance but can we enter the gardens without a reservation? I am hesitant to reserve a time for the basilica any time after 9 or 10 am, so that would have to be on day 2 or 3.