1st Timers in Italy...less than 2 weeks!! Few concerns..

4 posts  |  Started 11 months ago by niknak  |   Latest reply from Jessica  |  

1. niknak
   Member

   Hi Everyone!!

   My best friend Vin and I will be in Italy April 23rd for 4 days and 4 nights. His sister is studying abroad in Florence so we were gonna split time, 2 days Florence, and 2 days Rome. Well needless to say, after reading what both cities have to offer, we are spending all our time in Rome, and couldn't be more excited!

   I've been to Europe before on travel packages, so this will be my first time, with a really good friend (who is a European newcomerWink) setting up the trip ourselves. I've been doing my homework and reading up on a lot of stuff. And i know a lot of people are saying to see everything in Rome will take a week or two, but I'm sure this won't be our first trip...and for now, we just want to see what we can, and really enjoy the Italian culture (both of us fully Italian...for the most part). I still have a few concerns/questions though...so that's why I'm here asking for all your helpful thoughts.

   I've read that April 25th is a national holiday for Italy. So many places/stores will be closed. We are unsure of exactly WHAT tourist attractions are closed. We were actually thinking to travel out to Tivoli that day and spend most of it there. This is, hoping that the Villa's with the gardens will be open that day. Any info on this?? Will metro and bus lines be a problem with this holiday. We will not be doing much taxi riding...hence the horror stories I've been reading about that.

   Read on Vatican website, that the last Sunday of every month is free admission, so we are dedicating our Sunday there. But were thinking more of going in the later afternoon (have been reading the crowds are enormous in the morning?). Does the free admission still hold true?

   I'm really interested in flea markets and outdoor vendors...any certain places in Rome where I can find these?

   Travestere neighborhood....heard it was the hip place to be and since we are in our mid to late 20's, well we are just that...hip. Haha. Any specific street names where there our many cafes/bars to choose from with outdoor patios to people watch? Or any good insights of this area in general? Even in the city of Rome we are interested....maybe an authentic Italian cafe/eatery to grab a quick lunch, with a few dishes to nibble on.

   Also wanted to spend one night at a very nice restuarant with authentic Italian cuisine, get dressed up, have a few glasses of wine, ya know the whole 9 yards....Any restaurant suggestions? Very open to eating the food over there, and want to actually experience it...even if it means gaining a few extra pounds...but thats what vacation is all about, right?!

   Last question....what is the policy of drinking on the streets there? or do we have to brown bag it like here in America, haha?? We wanted to get a pizza and a bottle of wine and sit on the Spanish Steps, watch the sunset and people watch. Is this legal there?

   So VERY VERY excited, with a less than 2 weeks before our trip....I really appreciate all the info you guys can give and insights you might have for our trip!

   Thanks a million! Cool

   nicole

   Posted 11 months ago #

2. Jessica
   Administrator

   Hi, Nicole:

   Okay, I'll try to cover all your questions here...

   1. April 25th is, indeed, a big holiday in Italy. It's the Festa della Liberazione, or Liberation Day, and lots of things are likely to be closed. I checked the Tivoli Garden website, however, and it looks like April 25th is not one of the days it's closed, so you should be able to spend the day there. You'll want to make absolutely sure, however; I'd recommend you ask someone at the hotel or hostel you're staying at as soon as you arrive so you can figure out how to adjust your plans if you need to. That person should also be able to confirm for you what the transportation options might be on that holiday. Transport sometimes does change on holidays, running on a different schedule, so it's a good idea to ask. Here's my post about Rome's transportation system.

   2. Yes, the Vatican Museums are free on the last Sunday of the month, which means that they're also even more popular on those days. You can always try to visit in the afternoon to avoid morning crowds, but you might find that the lines are still long and then the museums might close before you got in. If you're absolutely set on seeing the museums, go over in the morning to see if the lines are long. If they are, you might be stuck waiting in them. You can join a guided tour, which can often help you bypass the line, or you can now book your tickets in advance online (at least this is true for normal days, not sure if they allow it on the free entry days).

   3. There's a great market every morning in the Campo dei Fiori which clears out by midday. So don't sleep in or you'll miss it. :)

   4. The Trastevere neighborhood is really small; you won't have any trouble finding a good spot to eat, socialize, and people-watch. Especially at night, just follow the noise.

   5. A foodie I know who lives in Rome has listed these restaurants as some of her favorites in Rome.

   6. Eating/drinking in public is not only not typically legal, it's considered to be disrespectful in many parts of Italy. In Rome in particular, the Spanish Steps are patrolled by the local police, and eating/drinking there isn't allowed. The idea is that these are beautiful places and historic monuments, not picnic sites. Rome also recently cracked down on late-night food carts because of too many young drunken vacationers making too much noise in the streets, so I'd strongly suggest that you don't add to the problem. This is, after all, a living city where people still make their home - it's not one big nightclub. Instead, I'd recommend that you enjoy your meals and beverages in a cafe (outdoor seating is almost always available, so you can be outdoors but in an acceptable way) and then socialize in the city's beautiful public places with a cone of gelato. Gelato-eating in public is fine (although I've heard in the area around the Spanish Steps you can still get in trouble for this, which is silly, but there you are). If you're intent on watching the sunset at the Spanish Steps, you'll need to have done your eating and drinking elsewhere and beforehand.

   Here's my overall Rome travel guide, and my suggestions for the top 10 things to do in Rome as well, just in case you hadn't seen them yet.

   Have a great trip!
   Jessica

   Posted 11 months ago #

3. niknak
   Member

   Jess....

   Thanks so much for your help. Really means a lot! Do you know anything about the Rome Pass? Is it a good idea to buy one? It says the first 3 days are free travel expense around the city, first 2 cites are free, with the others after that at discounted tickets, is this a good idea? I saw that Tivoli was included in this Rome Pass.

   Thanks again!

   Posted 11 months ago #

4. Jessica
   Administrator

   You'll find information about the Roma Pass on the Rome transportation system's website here; it says it's 20Euro, and you get "free admission to the first two museums and/or archaeological sites visited, full access to the public transport system, reduced tickets and discounts for any other following museums and sites visited, as well as exhibitions, music events, theatrical and dance performances and all other tourist services." I'd suggest you figure out what the admission prices are to the places you were planning to visit, plus what transportation costs you figure you might have spent, and if it's less than 20Euro then the pass isn't worth it. If you would have spent more than 20Euro each, however, then the pass is the better option.

   Posted 11 months ago #

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