Hello,
I booked a flight to Rome on 4/30 and a train to Florence on late 5/2 for not knowing that May 1st is a holiday in Europe. Some places where we would like to visit such as Galleria Borghese or Vatican Museums are all closed on May 1st. Would anyone please suggest places to visit in Rome on May 1st?
Thank you
I can tell you two places that won't work (closed per their websites): Ostia Antica and the Pantheon. This is just a guess, but I think you'll find churches open for at least part of the day. I hope one of our more experienced Italian hands can comment on that.
It would be a good day for a walking tour (organized, if available, or on your own).
I enjoyed a visit to the Non-Catholic cemetery in Testaccio. According to its website, it will be open from 9 AM to 1 PM on the holiday, with last entry at 12:30 PM.
Another possibility would be a day-trip to Orvieto, but I would expect it to be relatively crowded with visiting Italians that day, and I haven't checked to see which, if any, of the actual go-inside sights will be open. There are a couple of good museums, plus of course the Cathedral.
Generally speaking, it has been my experience that the more commercial sites (which are not usually my favorites) are more likely to be open on major holidays than government-run institutions. You might check out Trip Advisor's Things To Do list to if there's anything that sounds intriguing. Most of the time TA provides a link to the official website, where you'll be able to check on the days and hours of operation.
Thank you acraven for your reply . A walking tour is a great idea. I am thinking to walk from our hotel to Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, to the Colosseum, to Roman Forum, to Piazza Venezia, to Campo de’ Fiori (having lunch here), cross the river to Vatican City, to Terrazza del Gianicolo, to Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere (having dinner here) then go back to the hotel Roma. Probably 10 miles of walking :-).
If you leave on 4/30 and arrive 5/1, by the time you get through customs, immigration, go to your hotel, catch your breath, you won't have much of that day left for taking very extensive walking tours. I'd rather spend the time exploring the area around the hotel, have a good dinner and go get some rest so you can get a good start on the 2nd. Just one person's opinion.
Thank you blumes5 for your great advice. You are absolutely right. It was my mistake that I did not provide enough details on my flight from Munich to Rome. We should be at the hotel in Rome around 7:00 PM on 4/30 and plan to see the Trevi Fountain that evening. I also bought the Galleria Borghese tickets for 5/2 morning. I hope that we can see the best of Rome within the time limit. Thank you again.
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