So much information out there it is overwhelming.
If you prefer to walk to see the sights vs. taking public transportation, which area is best for touring Rome. We don't mind walking as long as it is not much more than 30 minutes to get to each site.
So where do we look? there are 2000000000 hotels/B&B's, etc.
Piazza Navona?
Traverste?
University Center?
Near Vatican
HELP
Janster, many of us have favorite areas for accommodation in Rome for all sorts of personal reasons, and the center is not that large so there are no wrong answers as long as you're not too far out. You may find this previous thread to be helpful:
There are also suggestions in Rick's Rome guide, and check out this list by the excellent Ron in Rome:
We were there for a whole week, and got an apartment in Trastevere thru HomeAway. Even if you didn't get an apartment, Trastevere was a great location, with an outdoor market, grocery shops, ATM's, and restaurants all very close. Tram #8 gets you quickly to Largo Argentina, but getting to Campo de Fiori or the Pantheon are all a relatively short walk, too.
Thank you for the advice - since we are not familiar, referencing a short walk to "x" or "y" gets lost on me. More specifics would be helpful and thank you.
P.S.
We really want to avoid trains, busses, etc. And not sure what a tram is?
P.S.
We really want to avoid trains, busses, etc. And not sure what a tram is?
We stayed near Piazza Navona last month and could walk to everything we wanted to go to. We did take taxis to the Vatican for an early morning tour and to the Borghese Gallery for early entry tickets, but easily walked back from both. The colosseum was about a 25 minute walk. We spent 5 days in Rome and the only bus and train we took was to go to Ostia Antica, about a 45 minute trip.
Wherever you stay, make sure you get their walking map. The maps are pretty clear, highlight the sights, and show you where your own hotel is.
Hi Va
Would you recommend the hotel you stayed in and do you remember the name? We are hoping to stay under 125 euro per night. Hotels in Rome are quite pricey
Hi Janster,
Tram is the italian word for streetcar
Fabrizio
Thank you Fabrizio
Is that the same as a bus or is it more like a trolly, and which is better when in Rome?? Sorry but i have never been to Italy ( but cannot wait to see this fabulous country) :-)
You're asking some extremely basic common questions. Do you have a guidebook or two to help you as you prepare for your trip, or are you trying to do it all on your own using the internet? Guidebooks are a great way to filter out the tons of data you'll come across on the internet, which can be like trying to take a drink from a fire hose. The Rick Steves books are particularly good for someone traveling to Europe for the first time. If Rome is the only city you'll be visiting in Italy, I highly recommend his Rome guidebook.
Another good resource to learn about distances between two specific locations is Google Maps. Using the "Directions" option, you can choose the pedestrian icon to see how long it takes to walk.
You may find complete avoidance of public transport a little difficult if you want do a lot in Rome in a short time. While it's an entirely foot-friendly city, you may want to make use of buses, trams or metro depending on preference. We're long-distance walkers and not bus/tram people but have hopped the metro just a couple of times over our trips when wanting to save some time between longer distances.
Rick's guide or any number of others (check your public library) will be really helpful, and some reading is advised before you go. And take a look at hotels in your price range at booking.com or Venere.com. You will be able to easily see the big cluster of them located in the central area on their maps, and check reviews/ratings.
"Central" is sort of a sketchy term but I'd loosely define it as west of Termini, east of the river, south of Villa Borghese, and north of the river's southern-most bend and Colosseum. Then again, we've stayed up in the Prati neighborhood, - northeast of the Vatican - enjoyed it very much, and walked everywhere from there although it is a hike to the Forum/Colosseum/Palatine and other things down that way.
The time it takes from one spot to another is difficult to figure as everyone walks at a different pace, and most folks need a little extra time with a map to figure out where they're at (very few straight streets in Rome). We also find so much to look at along the way that it can take us a LOT longer what with all the dawdling!
Hi Janster,
Take a look here :
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/Rome.Tram.JPG
Conceptually, they are electrically powered and rail-based.
Unfortunately, Rome's tram network is shamefully - imho (and I'm not really a radical environmentalist)- limited nowadays.
So, depending on where you need to go, your best bet might be a combination of subway ("metropolitana") and buses.
Basically, the Centro Storico (Historical center - where most of your likely sightseeing will take place) is untouched by the tram network.
BTW, here's a link (see the red coloured lines: the centro storico is roughly bordered west by line n° 19 terminal, south by line n° 3 terminal, north by the other terminal of line 3, and lastly east by the common route for both lines n° 3 and n° 19) of the current tram network:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Roma_mappa_rete_tranviaria.svg
And here's the link to the general Transportation network (ATAC is the name of the managing company) within the centro storico:
http://www.atac.roma.it/files/doc.asp?r=3 (better use Chrome browser)
Last but not least, depending on your smartphone OS (assuming you have one), here is the transportation APP (for FREE and available in English also), called MuoversiaRoma (moving within Rome):
Android/Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.realtech.romamobilita
iOS/ ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/app/id820255342
Hope this helps,
Fabrizio
Thank you Fabrizi
Is there a similar app for Florence?
Hi Janster,
There is one but unfortunately ONLY in Italian (I installed it - since it's also for FREE) although it's reliable (ATAF is the public transportation company managing all public buses in Florence).
Here's the link:
Android/ Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=it.softeco.temporealeataf&rdid=it.softeco.temporealeataf
iOS/ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/it/app/ataf-2.0/id815601465?mt=8
You do have another option, downloading the following map which shows city center bus lines:
http://www.ataf.net/System/files/mappe/20141028%20-%20Mappa%20Bussini.pdf
Apologies to all for the OT...
Fabrizio
Florence transportation. Courtesy of ATAF, acronym for (roughly) Transportation Agency for the Florence Area.
Just for some added reassurance, central Florence is even more compact than Rome, and easier/quicker to get around on foot. We didn't find the need to take any transit there at all.
Jan
I see from your previous post that you will be in about 4-5 cities in 13 nights and expect to arrive late in the evening in Rome. You are going to be on the move a lot with your itinerary. My recommendation is find a hotel near the train station in all of your towns and in particular Rome. This will save you time and obviate the need for metro, bus or taxi to get you and your luggage to your hotel. Termini is on one side of the big circle of the main attractions. However, everything is walkable if you are in good shape. If you want to ride, the nice thing is that all the metro lines and the important buses go to or near Termini. And you will have a cheap nearby option to transfer to the airport when you leave. We stayed at the iQ Hotel Roma last month which is very modern. We liked it a lot. You can check it out on Tripadvisor. (Edit: i just did quick check of iQ and prices for Sept are really high and no longer in your price range and i don't think there is a an available room for more than 2 days in a row. We booked 6 months in advance.)
We got Roma Passes (well-described in Rick Steves' guidebook), which include an excellent map of Rome, give you free admission to your first 2 sights (Vatican sights not included), discounted admission to remaining sights, and covers public transportation on trams, buses, and Metro (subway). We did lots of walking -- watch you step, as it's clear that some Romans don't clean up after their dogs ;-( but used a few trams and buses to help get where we wanted to go. Also rode the Metro twice and took a couple of taxi rides.
Regarding the Trastevere neighborhood, it's immediately south of The Vatican, so getting to The Vatican from there is walkable but direct bus is quicker, and from Trastevere the Campo de Fiore, Pantheon, and other major sights in historic central Rome are a short walk across the Tiber River via a bridge.
We just spent 6 nights in Rome just over a week ago and stayed 1 min from campo Di Fiori and highly recommend this area. We didn't use public transport at all and I am incredibly unfit. 25 min to colleseum, 15 to Vatican, 5 to piazza Navona, 10 to pantheon, 15 to Trevi fountain (still under renovations so nothing to see), 20 to Spanish steps. 10 to Trastevere and then another 10 up the hill for great views. Loved Rome and loved walking everywhere.
Start at the Pantheon and work your way out til you find something appealing within your budget. Its midway between Colosseum, St Peters and Spanish Steps
