Southern Italy Tour starting in Rome, Jewish Ghetto walk.

Since our Southern Italy tour hotel was in Trastevere, we took Tram 8 across the river and (if I recall correctly) did this walking tour as a circular route from the Arenula/Cairoli tram stops. Passed by the Teatro Marcello and the main synagogue en-route.

After the ghetto tour, and perhaps some lunch, I would like to go to the Galleria Borghese, which requires tickets. Any suggestion about what time those should be for?

We did the tour in May. Our Borghese reservations were 3-5. They advise you to arrive 30 minutes early. After the morning tour, if you have a quick lunch and take a cab this is entirely doable. We took the bus, which was a direct route, but the bus was running way behind schedule. We found out later the bus before ours had a bus fire. We arrived just at 3. The plus side is everyone had entered and there were no lines to check our bags or enter the exhibit area.

Thanks, Carol. I'll have to check the latest we can enter--4 might be even better, if that's possible. I'll start checking to see how far in advance we can book tickets.

We were in Rome for a few days back in April before the start of our Sicily tour. We stayed at the Hotel San Francesco and took a taxi to the Borghese Galleries. I believe our reservation was for 11 AM. It will easily take 2 hours to enjoy the Borghese. Also, we walked back to the Piazza de Popolo (?) . Be sure to make your reservation online ahead of time even though you actually purchase tickets onsite. Enjoy! If possible, also plan a time to tour the Synagogue. We did the South Italy tour a few years ago but finally had a chance to visit the Synagogue in April.

Thinking back, after the walking tour of the Jewish quarter, we had a sit down lunch at Le Tartarughe, next to the Turtle Fountain, had gelato across the street from our Hotel Smerldo, found a tabacchi to buy bus tickets, found the bus stop and then waited an extra 20 or so minutes for the bus, and still got to the Borghese at 3. The bus ride itself wasn't particularly pleasant - very bumpy streets in a bus that felt like it had no shock absorbers. (Later our tour guide mentioned the bus fires and the general state of poor repair of the city buses.) We would have been fine if we took a cab or even if we had walked. While our journey was a bit stressful since we thought we were late we saved ourselves 30 minutes of waiting before our entry time since there were no lines when we got to the museum.

Carol, thanks for the additional information. I checked the Borghese website, and entries are at either 3 or 5, so I was at first thinking of 5 to make sure, so we could eat a more leisurely lunch. But it sounds like you did have plenty of time, even with the bus. The website doesn't appear to be selling tickets for October yet, so I'll have to keep checking. And did you like that restaurant?

Carol--one more question. You said you had time to get there by 3, but the site says visitors should get there half an hour ahead. That would mean 2:30 for an entry at 3. Do you think it would be possible to have lunch and take a cab there and arrive enough in advance, or would the 5 entry be safer? Thanks!