Great week in Rome done by the book, the RS Rome 2015 book. Read it before we went to make reservations with Context travel for tours to Colosseum, Forum, Palatine hill, Vatican, Borghese Gallery and Hadrian's Villa and Vila D'Este, as well as, with Eatingitaly for tour of Trastevere, and with Walks of Italy for an evening stroll starting at the Spanish Steps. Read it to make room reservations in the Monti neighborhood at Nicolas Inn.
Read it during to select our evening meals in the Monti neighborhood as well. I can just underscore the RS recommendations including, Enoteca Cavour 313, Taverna Romana, Traverna dei Fori Imperiali, and Fafiuche Vineria. We did adopt Il Gelatone for our nightly gelato, which, conveniently was just down the street so that we could take it up to our room.
Felt empowered by it to take the Leonardo Express from the airport, the metro to the Vatican and Borghese Gallery, the tram to the Trastevere neighborhood and our feet everywhere else.
This trip taken from October 19 through the 28, 2015 was a high school graduation gift for my oldest granddaughter. We have awesome memories of a brilliant adventure feeling like insiders, avoiding all waiting lines to major sites, eating and sleeping in a great centrally located area, arriving home with warm affection for Rome and the people of Rome.
Now it is early November and I'm wondering where to next! Not sure, but I do Know that there will be a RS guidebook involved.
Posted by
Ottawa
1446 posts
So pleased to hear such a positive report!
It sounds like your granddaughter will long remember her travels with you... what a wonderful gift!
Posted by
Ottawa
1446 posts
I am a big fan of the Context Travel tours, so I'm glad that you enjoyed them too.
I am seriously considering booking the Eatingitaly twilight tour of Trastevere in January - how did you like your experience with them?
Posted by
New York
1206 posts
Wonderful report on a wonderful trip. Rome is an amazing city, like no other. I have been on the Rick Steves week long Rome tour twice and a few other times for shorter periods and loved it I enjoyed seeing almost all the sites you mentioned. I will make note of the Eatingitaly tour in Trastevere if I make it back to Rome. May I suggest Paris for your next week long adventure. Love Paris and it too has amazing sites, best museums, wonderful restaurants and great places to see the city lit up at night.
Posted by
OP
6 posts
Diane,
Yes, the eatingitaly tour is great. According to the website, both the day and night food tours to the Trastevere neighborhood are very much alike. It was so nice to be with other travelers that share common interests. We had several cheese and salami fans and the one gentleman chose the cheese gelato, If I recall correctly it was Gorgonzola, when we stopped at Fatamorgana. We took the Tram 8 to get to the meeting spot and that was fun, too.
Posted by
OP
6 posts
Ann,
Thank you. It was a golden week. I continue to scroll through the photos on my iPhone! Can't yet manage to edit or delete any. I just love looking at all of them.
Thanks for thinking of Paris. Just curious, what would be your next recommended city?
Posted by
Rural Georgia
2195 posts
Hello! We are planning to take the Walks of Italy evening stroll of Rome. Could you provide some more details and impressions?
Thanks, Doug
Posted by
OP
6 posts
Hi Doug,
In planning the week in Rome, I wanted to be active and out on the day of our arrival and take in the flavor of the city. I wanted much the same when my granddaughter and I visited Paris four years ago and I reserved the Eiffel Tower tour that first night upon our arriving.
For this walk, We walked from our B and B in the Monti neighborhood to the meeting place above the Spanish Steps.
Sad to say, the steps and obelisk were fenced off because of restoration for the December Jubilee, and the Trevi fountain was also still fenced off. Maybe they will be open by the time of your visit.
Our guide gave us a tour of the area including the Spanish Steps, the Trevi fountain, the Pantheon, and we ended in Piazza Navona. So the tour basically covers the RS heart of Rome Walk. A stop for a two scoop gelato was included. Our guide, Amy Doherty, gave a nice overview/ history lesson as well as pointing out features like how to refill your water bottle and take a sip of water at the many drinking fountains around the city. The tour ended at the Navona Piazza. We then ate dinner in a little side street taverna off of the Piazza, then took our time strolling back to our neighborhood, taking in the sights of the forum, Trajan's column and other ruins which are all lite up at night.
I highly recommend the walk. It was a great first foot that set the stage for a great week.
Posted by
Rural Georgia
2195 posts
Thank you for your prompt reply. We will be flying out December 20 to come back home. We are staying at the Rome Airport Hilton Saturday night. We'll be driving in from Tuscany that morning. The Hilton offers free shuttle service into the city and the drop off point is very close to the tour. We thought that would be a nice capstone to our trip. The last time we were in Rome was 1966! I wish our trip was long enough that we could spend some time in Rome, but we just can't do everything this trip. It will give us an excuse to return!
We've booked the Walks of Italy tour of Florence. All the Walks of Italy reviews I've read have been glowing. I only wish we had time to do the Coliseum VIP tour.
Posted by
OP
6 posts
Yes, Doug,
I would put that on my list for next time as well. Their evening tour of the Caesar Augustus house and Livia's house in the Archaeological zone will be on that list, too.
I always wrestle with the concept of returning to a city/area for a more in-depth exploration or striking out for a totally new place.
So many places to visit, so little time.