Tell me what to do for two days in Rome

[Anonymous]

OP, I would say the advance tours would be important for places like the Colosseum and the Vatican. However, below are places/sites we went last summer where we didn’t have to plan ahead, or were able to purchase tickets on arrival:

Pantheon
Capitoline Museum
Trevi Fountain
Spanish Steps
Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore
Circo Massimo
Villa Borghese-we didn’t visit the museum, but the park is beautiful to walk through.
Various Piazzas, Campo dei Fiori, Trastevere

We booked a bike tour of the Roman outskirts the day prior to the tour. That way we got to also visit the aqueducts, Appian Way, Catacombs, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I would say the advance tours would be important for places like the Colosseum and the Vatican. However, below are places/sites we went last summer where we didn’t have to plan ahead, or were able to purchase tickets on arrival:

Pantheon
Capitoline Museum
Trevi Fountain
Spanish Steps
Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore
Circo Massimo
Villa Borghese-we didn’t visit the museum, but the park is beautiful to walk through.
Various Piazzas, Campo dei Fiori, Trastevere

We booked a bike tour of the Roman outskirts the day prior to the tour. That way we got to also visit the aqueducts, Appian Way, Catacombs, etc.

Pantheon requires tickets now. This started sometime after the summer last year. Trevi fountain is a nightmare, Spanish steps is nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I would say the advance tours would be important for places like the Colosseum and the Vatican. However, below are places/sites we went last summer where we didn’t have to plan ahead, or were able to purchase tickets on arrival:

Pantheon
Capitoline Museum
Trevi Fountain
Spanish Steps
Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore
Circo Massimo
Villa Borghese-we didn’t visit the museum, but the park is beautiful to walk through.
Various Piazzas, Campo dei Fiori, Trastevere

We booked a bike tour of the Roman outskirts the day prior to the tour. That way we got to also visit the aqueducts, Appian Way, Catacombs, etc.

Pantheon requires tickets now. This started sometime after the summer last year. Trevi fountain is a nightmare, Spanish steps is nothing.

Yes that’s right. I’d heard that would be happening. But it looks like you can still purchase at the door, or online shortly ahead of time. It might require a little bit of forethought, but it’s still seems much easier than trying to get into the Vatican or Colosseum at the door.

I agree that Spanish Steps aren’t as interesting as other Roman sites. Trevi fountain is beautiful to see if you can visit at night. Either way, they are both options that don’t require any advance planning, so OP can decide if they’re important or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I would say the advance tours would be important for places like the Colosseum and the Vatican. However, below are places/sites we went last summer where we didn’t have to plan ahead, or were able to purchase tickets on arrival:

Pantheon
Capitoline Museum
Trevi Fountain
Spanish Steps
Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore
Circo Massimo
Villa Borghese-we didn’t visit the museum, but the park is beautiful to walk through.
Various Piazzas, Campo dei Fiori, Trastevere

We booked a bike tour of the Roman outskirts the day prior to the tour. That way we got to also visit the aqueducts, Appian Way, Catacombs, etc.

Pantheon requires tickets now. This started sometime after the summer last year. Trevi fountain is a nightmare, Spanish steps is nothing.

Yes that’s right. I’d heard that would be happening. But it looks like you can still purchase at the door, or online shortly ahead of time. It might require a little bit of forethought, but it’s still seems much easier than trying to get into the Vatican or Colosseum at the door.

I agree that Spanish Steps aren’t as interesting as other Roman sites. Trevi fountain is beautiful to see if you can visit at night. Either way, they are both options that don’t require any advance planning, so OP can decide if they’re important or not.

Spanish steps are.... steps.

[Anonymous]

Get tours and be done with it. Walking around rome with only 2 days is silly.

[Anonymous]

https://youtu.be/Gy6fDx9L-zk?si=BfZjp13k8K7Txeeq

This is a night walking tour video, but it hits a lot of cool spots on foot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I would say the advance tours would be important for places like the Colosseum and the Vatican. However, below are places/sites we went last summer where we didn’t have to plan ahead, or were able to purchase tickets on arrival:

Pantheon
Capitoline Museum
Trevi Fountain
Spanish Steps
Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore
Circo Massimo
Villa Borghese-we didn’t visit the museum, but the park is beautiful to walk through.
Various Piazzas, Campo dei Fiori, Trastevere

We booked a bike tour of the Roman outskirts the day prior to the tour. That way we got to also visit the aqueducts, Appian Way, Catacombs, etc.

Pantheon requires tickets now. This started sometime after the summer last year. Trevi fountain is a nightmare, Spanish steps is nothing.

Yes that’s right. I’d heard that would be happening. But it looks like you can still purchase at the door, or online shortly ahead of time. It might require a little bit of forethought, but it’s still seems much easier than trying to get into the Vatican or Colosseum at the door.

I agree that Spanish Steps aren’t as interesting as other Roman sites. Trevi fountain is beautiful to see if you can visit at night. Either way, they are both options that don’t require any advance planning, so OP can decide if they’re important or not.

We can walk to Trevi, Spanish Steps, and the Colosseum from our hotel, so we can easily do those at night (late night even).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Still no answer on time of year for this trip. Very relevant. If you are going in peak summer, for instance, places will be very crowded (can't just walk up to Colosseum, as others have said), and walking long distances will be absolutely exhausting in the heat.

Understood RE: the heat...which is why we'd prefer to take a low-key approach to the two days: the goal will be to just see some things and have fun. I don't want anyone to be bored or feel like they are being dragged from one scheduled tour to the next.

RE: walking to the Colosseum: I mean walk 15 mins from our hotel and admire it from the outside...wherever the best view might be. I realize there will be tons of people. Perhaps we head there super early? You know how you can admire the Washington Monument without actually touching it or going up to the top? Like that.

I'm the person who studied abroad in Rome. yes, it is totally fine to just walk to the coliseum, see it from the outside, and cross it off the list that way.

[Anonymous]

https://theromanguy.com/italy-travel-blog/italy-travel-blog/rome/how-to-see-rome-in-a-day/#Rome-in-a-Day-with-Castel-Sant-Angelo

After reviewing these one-day itineraries for Rome (including some tours), I can't tell if they are brilliant or miserable.

Anyone BTDT?

[Anonymous]

I posted previously with ideas for 2 days but I’ll add— my kids really liked the catacombs. We were thinking of doing the bike ride out the appian way to get there but we ended up just taking a cab. I didn’t suggest above because I think of this as more like a third or fourth day pick for Rome, but if your kids are anthletic and like the outdoors it might be a good option.

[Anonymous]

I was there last summer in high season. I had also gone in the 90s. It’s totally different now. They have so many checkpoints in high season and probably all the time that you can’t get near enough to “just walk by and see from the outside”. I am a more “go with the flow” type traveler - I refused to prebook anything at Disney and just did things on the fly, and I wouldn’t do that in Rome in August.

For two days in Rome, pick one of the majors and book it all. Pick a hotel near some of the other major areas and wander there for the other day. Depending on when your flight arrives, you might be able to do an evening bus tour just to drive by the key sites. To pick a restaurant go down the side streets behind some of the major touristy areas, like the Piazza Navona - the food will be just as good or better, and a lot less nuts.

[Anonymous]

Colosseum, Vatican, and gelato.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://theromanguy.com/italy-travel-blog/italy-travel-blog/rome/how-to-see-rome-in-a-day/#Rome-in-a-Day-with-Castel-Sant-Angelo

After reviewing these one-day itineraries for Rome (including some tours), I can't tell if they are brilliant or miserable.

Anyone BTDT?

I strongly suggest you do not use the Roman guy. We purchased tickets months ahead with them and they changed them 1 week prior to tour after saying they were sold out. How could they seek out when we had reservation. I later learned they do this often. They overbook to get you to purchase and then give you a lower level tour.
I told the lady where we gathered when we arrived what happened and she assured me that we would get our original tour. That did not happen and out tour guide told me to speak to the lady after the tour only to find she left as tours had ended for the day.
There is no one to speak to via telephone and you will only receive a random text if you’re lucky.
Do not book with them.

[Anonymous]

https://www.romeonfoot.com/walking-maps-of-rome/rome-in-a-day/

Another walking route that hits major items.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://theromanguy.com/italy-travel-blog/italy-travel-blog/rome/how-to-see-rome-in-a-day/#Rome-in-a-Day-with-Castel-Sant-Angelo

After reviewing these one-day itineraries for Rome (including some tours), I can't tell if they are brilliant or miserable.

Anyone BTDT?

I strongly suggest you do not use the Roman guy. We purchased tickets months ahead with them and they changed them 1 week prior to tour after saying they were sold out. How could they seek out when we had reservation. I later learned they do this often. They overbook to get you to purchase and then give you a lower level tour.
I told the lady where we gathered when we arrived what happened and she assured me that we would get our original tour. That did not happen and out tour guide told me to speak to the lady after the tour only to find she left as tours had ended for the day.
There is no one to speak to via telephone and you will only receive a random text if you’re lucky.
Do not book with them.

Thanks, that's helpful.

I have heard similar complaints about them on various tour sites.

I've heard good things about Get Your Guide.

I might go through a travel agent to book a more reputable guide.