Rome for a Week

Fritz, is this your first trip to Rome &/or Italy? Where will you be coming from and then going to after Rome? If it's your first trip to Rome, I would not take too many day trips as there is a lot to see & do in Rome itself. If you're really desiring a day trip, I would suggest Orvieto and/or Ostia Antica. I would save Florence & Siena for another trip where you can spend more time in Tuscany and visit some other hill towns.

Definitely go to Orivieto!!! We've been in Rome for five days and we went to Orvieto today...it was more fun than all the days in Rome combined, even in the rain! Beautiful quaint hillside walled city with beautiful views, great shops, and delicious wine. We WILL go back someday and were wishing today that we could stay overnight in Orvieto. It was a 15€ per person round-trip in second class that took an hour. No need for a tour guide...simply book at Termini then when you get to Orvieto, buy the 1€ ticket up the funicular to the city, and meander up Via Cavour off to your left to the city center and Duomo. For Rome, definitely do the underground tour of the Colosseum! We booked it online at the site listed in another post on here (through the Colosseum ticket officesomeone else may know itweird website address that I can't pull up again on this iPad) and then simply carried the iPad to the ticket window, bypassing the UNBELIEVABLY long lines, to claim the tickets at the time of the tour. (Actually we picked them up early so I could dump the iPad back at the hotel) That was this pst Wednesday and while there were a lot of people inside, it didn't feel crowded and our group was only about 15. Elena was our guide and she was fabulous! Also if you happen to want something other than pasta after a few days, go eat Mexican food at La Cucaracha near the Vatican! It was so deliciously authentic that it was my favorite food of our entire stay in Rome!!

My husband and I go to Italy every year and spend several days in Rome and never tire of it. (We also spend plenty of time in other places as well) Get a good book on Rome and you'll soon learn there's plenty to see and do. We never tire of wandering the city and stopping from time to time to sit outside with a drink and people watch. If you feel you absolutely MUST leave for a day, I second Orvieto. But believe me, you could stay in Rome for a year and not see everything.

I remember when I was going to Rome and Naples for the first time (10 nights total). I wanted to spend a few nights in Naples, but was having trouble booking a hotel. A coworker said, "just spend all your time in Rome." I thought she was nuts - until I went there. Boy, was she right! Although RS finds Rome exhausting and stressful, I found it very relaxing. This is partly because I take it very easy there. In the morning I see one major site, then rest, then have lunch (takes several hours done the Roman way). Then I see a minor site or two, then rest, then have dinner (several more hours). Between bouts of "sightseeing" and before and after meals, I just enjoy wandering around the beautiful city. Having six days means you won't have to pack your days with sightseeing, but can rest and slow down. If you have a specific reason to go to Florence (90 minutes by fast train) or Naples (70 minutes by fast train), you certainly can see these as day trips (but last minute tickets will be expensive). I LOVED the Museum of Archeology in Naples (I did get to spend my 3 nights there after all). Many see Pompeii as a daytrip from Rome; this is a bit too far and tiring for me (and I didn't like Pompeii nearly as much as the Museum in Naples), but most seem happy. Ostia Antica and Orvieto are closer to Rome, and cheaper to do without advance planning. The other "classic" daytrips are Hadrian's Villa and Tivoli. I didn't get to any of these despite several trips to Rome; I'm too enthralled with Rome itself. If you're thinking of seeing Siena (note, only one "n"), look carefully at the travel logistics. It's off the main train lines (requires changes), and while there's a direct bus, I remember it takes a few hours to get there by either bus or train from Rome.