FCO: Rome for a Day

Hello Folks!

Tim here blogging from Rome. This was my first time to Rome, and I had a wonderful visit. Although, one visit does not make me an expert, I do have some tips to share with you.

My objective on this layover was to see the Colosseum. I was fortunate enough to have a great day with excellent visiblity. It was a bit hot, but manageable. Be sure to bring water with you. Keep the bottle, because there are a few fountains to refill at along the way. The water was fine and I did not have any problems.

I had a tip from a flight attendant to take a hop on- hop off bus tour to get a feel for the city, and then tour from there. I took her advice, but I'd have to say that the bus tour did not suite me for that day. I went with Ciao Roma, and the bus stop is right across the plaza from the Hotel Barberini. It cost €15 and has headphone based (provided) multi-lingual descriptions of what your riding by. However, it was quite a hot day. The bus is not air conditioned, and the roofless top got a bit toasty. Also, the bus stopped too frequently and each stop you will wait for about 10 minutes. When it finally made it to the Colosseum, I hopped off, and never hopped back on. After looking at the map, I would have been better off just to walk. The bus tour would be better on a cooler day, and would probably be nice if you did not have a set objective with limited daylight.

See the end of the post for my recommended first time walking route to see the Pantheon, Colosseum, Forum and Palace.

Word had it that the tours of the Colosseum are worth it. Plus, you get to buy your ticket without having to stand in line. I totally agree with this. The tour cost 20, and it got you admission to the Colosseum and the Palace (a 12 value). So it cost you only 8 to get a guided tour and you did not have to stand in line to buy the tickets. Well worth it!

After 50 minute the Colosseum Tour, you got free time to walk around, and then meet the next Palace tour. The Palace Tour is cool, especially on a good day. You'll get great photo ops and walk away with an appreciation for the early Roman architechtural prowess. The coolest vantage point was on the north end of the palace where the elevation gave you a great view of the Forum and Colosseum.

After the 1 hour Palace tour, I walked through the Forum and headed home. The Forum is not a single building, but a collection of 'city center' sctructures. You can really imagine the area bustling with politicians, philosophers, tradesmen and merchants.

After that, we walked back to the Hotel. The flight attendant that I was with, started to recognize one of the streets, and then led me to the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon. The Pantheon was one of the structures that I had wanted to see, but now it was evening and the Pantheon was closed. I'll have to to that next time...

First Time Recommendation
Here's what I recommend for a great First Timer walking tour of Rome. I wish I had done this itinerary instead of the bust thingie. Live and learn...
From the Hotel,
Head to the Pantheon via the following map.

Note the small alley-like streets. At night, they bustle with restaurant activity. If you find one you like, try to get back there for dinner. There are a few Gelato (ice cream) joints along the way also. Hey, you're doing a lot of walking, right?

Spend a few moments to realx at Trevi fountain. This is also a big tourist attraction.


After the Pantheon, head to the Colosseum. Here is a map to orient yourself. I left out recommending a route on purpose. Just take your time, enjoy the sights and sounds as you head to your next location.


The best views of the Forum and Colosseum are from the Palace overlook. You have to pay to get into the Forum and Palace area. As I said before, it was included in my Colosseum tour price.

This is the view from the southern terrace of the Palace. Here you can see the Circus Maximus . I don't have a photo of that since it is now just a dusty public park.


So, I hope this helps your visit to Rome. You may have other objectives for your visits, but if you're not sure what to see in the time of a typical airline layover, this might be a good place to start!