Suggestions for our week in Rome please

Did you mean that you are taking the subway to your hotel on Via Veneto? You arrive by train from the airport and then you take the subway from Termini to Barberini which is the closest stop to Via Veneto.
You have some nice things planned. The only thing I would suggest is that you might want to limit the day trips outside of Rome and concentrate on the city itself. There is so much to see in Rome, and five days isn't a whole lot of time. I would also suggest getting a guide book on just Rome to really see what there is to do.
I would suggest Palazzo Doria Pamphili, which is right off of Via del Corso and is a fantastic museum as well as the private home of the Doria Pamphili, who still live there today. (And there are some fantastic works of art there, including Caravaggio and a Bernini.) Go up to the Palatine hill, the Capitoline museum, the churches with the Caravaggio's (two within blocks of each other), the Appian Way, the Jewish Ghetto, Aventine hill.... you get my point.

I'm with Claire on this...stay the week in Rome and you will just start to become a native...there is so much to do and see and more importantly, so much just to experience....the evening stoll down Via del Corso, the people watching at the Spanish steps...spending an evening at a neighborhood trattoria...or tossing coins at the Trevi Fountain. Time flies and before you know it, you will be returning home with a deeper appreciation of Rome and Italy than you could ever achieve by merely knocking off the "must see" destinations of Rome and the surrounding region.

Yes stay in Rome. A good way to get your bearings is to do a walking tour. Angel tours does one each night and takes you to the major sights - Trevi fountain, Pantheon etc in about 2 hours. They leave at about 6.00pm I think. Check out their website www.angeltoursrome.com. With all you have listed I think you will fill in a week in Rome easily.

Eli, You’ve got a full schedule of “want-to-sees” listed here. They can easily fill a week. I would only recommend one “day-trip” out of Rom e to break up your week… And I would choose from Tivoli, Ostia Antica, or Orvieto depending on your group’s interests! But I’m with Claire on stay and see as much of Rome as you can. I’ve lived here, like her, and every day I still try and find one NEW thing… and ALWAYS I find 2 or 3! So there’s plenty to do here!

Also, Claire is correct about your trip in. You can take the Leonardo Express to Termini, then metro 2 stops to Barberini… or catch a taxi from Termini. I’m not in favor of hiking through Rome looking for my apt, especially if you do not know the city.
You are staying very close to the “Centro” so you will have no problems wandering to sites on your first day. It will truly depend on what your group wants to see and their ability to adapt after the long plane flight.

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As most “experts” recommend, after arriving, dropping off your luggage, freshening up, the BEST thing you can do is some EXERCISE to recover from jet lag – so get out your map and walk to Spanish Steps and Trevi, both which are close to you! And you could slide over to the Pantheon which is beautiful in late afternoon and evening. Get a gelato at Giolitti’s or Della Palma for a recharge!

I would not start my Roma pass until your first FULL day in town… as you can walk much of the first day! Good luck! Ciao,

Ron

Thanks for the feedback.

The apartment owner has a daughter living in Via Veneto and she will be waiting for us at the train station, so we won't be wandering around looking.

It's going to be hard to choose for our day trip! Orvieto is where I we all want to go, but then Tivoli gardens sounded very exciting to my family, and my husband wants to see Ostia Antica as well. Can't I at least squeeze in another day trip? Are these "full" days, or can Ostia Antica be a half day trip, with enough time to get back and linger around Rome?