Our family will be in Rome for four nights, three days in early June. Do you recomend the Roma pass? If so do you have any tips on how to best use it? Also,Any tips on visiting the Vatican,when etc.? We will be traveling with our three teens...anything particularly fun for them?
Posted by
Los Angeles, CA, USA
1003 posts
Yes, the Romapass is great. Use it for the Colosseum/Forum/Palatine, first because that's an expensive ticket and second because it lets you skip the Colosseum line completely, which is worth its weight in gold if you are impatient like me! I'd think your teens would like the ancient Colosseum and Forum type stuff, too. Then you can use it on another site as well, whatever interests you (I used it at Ostia Antica). I also really liked having the unlimited transportation for those days as I liked to hop on and off buses and the metro all day long.
Posted by
Land of La
9225 posts
Paul checkout www.roninrome.com Loads of interesting and practical info for folks traveling there. How is Turlock these days? Manjo's Pizza parlor and Snow's Liquor still around? Penquin's ice cream.
Claudia
Stanislaus State Class of 74'
Posted by
Puyallup, WA, USA
881 posts
Rick's book has great tips on visiting the rome sites and the Vatican.
When are you traveling? - Three things to watch out for on the Vatican - Papal Blessings, Papal Audiences, and religious holidays. Check out the Vatican website, or better yet the US Catholic church in Italy - Santa Susanna for great information.
Generally - avoid the Vatican in the morning, that's when the tours/tour buses go. Avoid it just after Papal anything (but if you're not fussed with seeing the pope, that's a great time to check out the museum, etc while everyone else is outside.). Tours will potentially get you in faster, but later ni the day there are shorter or no lines.
Those are the best tips I think I've gotten from Rick, fellow travels, and Ron in Rome. (He is a great guy - he was booked on the day we wanted to hire him, but still answered all of our questions for us free. Class act.)
Posted by
Morrison, CO, USA
893 posts
Besides the stuff you already know about, Coliseum, etc, I would consider taking them to the catacombs. You didn't say if your teens are girls or boys, and it may not matter. Have a great trip.
Posted by
Prairie Village
41 posts
Paul, as far as visiting the Vatican: we may have just lucked out but we went on a Wednesday, saw the Pope in St. Peter's Square, and then went around to the entrance to the Museum and were in in 10 minutes. It seems as if a lot of people went into the Cathedral from the Square and not many people took the walk around the outside wall that you have to take to get into the Museum. We went in mid-May so that may have had something to do with it and it was right around lunchtime but you can eat once you get into the Museum. Good luck.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
Absolutely buy the Roma pass. It's great.