I just returned from nine days in Europe with my 14-y/o grandson. He's already finished three years of study of the Latin language in school (with high honors), and is interested in WW2 history. So I gave him Rick Steves videos of Rome and Germany (which he memorized), and a RS carry-on backpack, and together we worked out an itinerary. (Don't feel bad for my wife and the granddaughters -- they went to Maui while we were in Europe.)
We arrived at Fiumicino in the late morning and took the FM-1 train from the airport to Ostiense station. Ostiense was farther from our lodging than Termini would have been, but we wanted a more dramatic entry to the city. We walked from the station past the Pyramid of Cestius and Porta San Paolo, past the Baths of Caracalla, Circus Maximus and the Colosseum, to our lodging just behind the Forum of Augustus -- about two miles of walking, but well worth it.
We stayed at a centrally-located convent (Casa Il Rosario) - clean, quiet, and reasonably priced, 94€/night for the two of us including breakfast. The 11 pm curfew was no problem for us.
After checking in we went for a walk via Circus Maximus, Forum Boarium, Campidoglio and return.
The full days went as follows:
Day 1: East of Via del Corso -- Show up at Colosseum at 08:30 opening time, Roma Pass in hand to get right in to the turnstile and avoid the long ticket line. Then Palatine Hill and Forum. Then walk east, seeing Ladus Magnus, Basilica of San Clemente, and St. John Lateran. On the way back stop at Church of St. Peter in Chains to see Michelangelo's Moses.
Day 2: Generally (but not entirely) west of Via del Corso -- walk past Trevi Fountain, Palazzo Chigi and Palazzo Montecitorio to arrive at the Pantheon at 08:30 opening time. Then stop at Tazza d'Oro for cappucini and cornetti, then on to Church of St. Mary sopra Minerva to see Michelangelo's "Christ Carrying Cross". Then Largo Argentina, Campo dei Fiori, Piazza Navona, Castel Sant'Angelo, Ara Pacis, Piazza del Popolo, Spanish Steps, Via Veneto, Piazza Barberini. Evening spent at the sound & light show at the Forum of Augustus.
Day 3: Metro to arrive at St. Peters Basilica by 08:15 -- even then the security line was 30 minutes long. We just toured the basilica, not interested in spending the time to go through the Vatican Museums on this trip. From the Vatican we took the Metro (change to Line B at Termini) and Lido line (change at Piramide) to Ostia Antica. Evening stroll up Via Del Corso to Piazza del Popolo and back past Spanish Steps and Palazzo del Quirinale.
We took an Italo high-speed train from Tiburtina station to Bologna, then the EC84 through the Alps to Munich. During our five days in Bavaria we made day trips to Nuremberg, and to my favorite untouristed Bavarian Village, Dießen am Ammersee. We attended a Sunday evening church service at St. Matthäuskirche in Munich and met some wonderful people.
In Munich we stayed at Pension Lindner, just a couple blocks from Marienplatz, 75€/night.
It was a great trip. Weather was almost perfect; the airport fire in Rome and rail strike in Germany didn't affect us. And now my grandson is hooked on travel and will be able to handle himself in any European city.
Photos here.