This site is amazing, so much information! Hopefully I can be of some assistance with places I am familiar with, but in the meantime may I request more information?

Based on suggestions from this board I have chosen Rome for the four nights that will complete my first Europe trip. The other suggestions offered sound equally worthwhile. I would like to arrange one or two day trips from Rome. Hiring a driver is out of the question from what I've been quoted. Can I do a worthwhile day trip for around $50? Any day trip type companies or web sites that I haven't come across yet? I will be alone, don't want to drive and my main interest in the side trips would be beautiful landscape and architecture (photo buff), and/or interesting historic relevance.
Also, I made a reservation to stay at Albergo Del Senato next to the Pantheon. Is anyone familiar with it?

Many thanks!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kim,

Altho we have never done tis in Italy, I think most large cities will have bus tours for the area...maybe half day and full day tours? A trip to Tivoli would be nice, Ostia Antica, as already mentioned, how long does it take on the train to Orvieto? Maybe one hour? That would be a wonderful day trip as well. Maybe someone else is familiar with the details about bus tours and train times! Good luck!

Monica, del Senato got great reviews on fodors forum. One person used to staying only at 4-5 star hotels said she was very pleased - fabulous location, atmospheric, was newly redone last year I believe - maybe year before.It was a little more than we wanted to spend but we stayed in same area and I think you'll be oh, so very happy with the location. Enjoy

I don't leave until September & would love to get the inside info on this place. I just booked it cold based on the location & their web site after sifting through maybe a thousand hotels??

Trains & buses - I'm game. This is my most affordable option I think. Once I get to some of these outer areas via public transport, will I find myself within walking distance of points of interest? Or will I then need to think about a taxi? Here's a good train schedule web site I came across Rail Schedules & Fares if anyone needs it. It's easy to use & you don't need to know the name of the train station, just the city.

Many thanks Lily, I just saw your post - It's more than I wanted to spend as well but the more hotels I looked at, the more I decided to spend... Glad to hear it's had good reviews!

For the day trip to Orvieto, you can definitely do this all on your own...just get off the train, cross the street, take the funicular up to the town, then just stroll and enjoy! We love Orvieto, and they have a nice tour of the "caves" there, that was very interesting. As for the other, I think someone must offer some sort of tour for sites in and around Rome...we went to Tivoli with our tour group last year, so I don't know what another place would do, but in other cities these half day or one day tours are usually pretty well organized...maybe someone at your hotel might have some ideas?

About 1h15m from Rome to Orvieto, fairly frequent trains each day; and yes, you literally step out of the train, across the street, and funicular or buslet takes you right into town. Couldn't be easier.

The medieval town of Viterbo (Palace of the Popes, etc.) is also a pleasant, instructive, convenient daytrip, with trains every fifteen minutes or so, although not from Termini: rather from the private train station at the Porta del Popolo.

Midieval?? That sounds facinating... Would Vertibo be as easy to get around upon arrival as Orvieto? Would it be feasible to go to Orvieto very early in the morning, Vertibo sometime afternoon and make it back to Rome by late evening? With lots of enthusiasm of course... I don't find Porta Del Popolo on the map. Can you tell me where to look? Thank you again!

OK, I'm all for enthusiasm!

One item at a time:

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Midieval?? That sounds facinating...

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Everywhere is medieval in Italy, almost. Orvieto is medieval, or at least many of its attractions. But by "medieval town" people usually mean places where many of the streets, and the ordinary houses, are still much like they were in the Middle Ages. By those standards Viterbo is more medieval than Orvieto: but remember, it's mostly a question of atmosphere.

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Would Vertibo be as easy to get around upon arrival as Orvieto?

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Once you're in town, yes. They're both flat walkable towns, not very big. Orvieto is more convenient to someone arriving by train, though, since Viterbo's train station is a bit on the outskirts but with no funicular or frequent bus -- but we're talking a five- or ten-minute walk, no more.

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Would it be feasible to go to Orvieto very early in the morning, Vertibo sometime afternoon and make it back to Rome by late evening?

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That's sheer lunacy! If a bet were riding on it, I might try it, but it's not the way to see anything. There is, I believe, a Viterbo-Orvieto bus line; I know for a fact there are bus lines from both Viterbo and Orvieto to Orte train station. (Do look at a map of central Italy for this one.)

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I don't find Porta Del Popolo on the map. Can you tell me where to look?

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Yes. The Porta del Popolo, also Porta Flaminia, is on the west side of the City.


[This message was edited by Bill Thayer on 05 January 2004 at 01:50 PM.]

Sheer lunacy... Ha Ha - I had an inkling, but I do like to aim high. So seperate day trips it is then.

You have been a wealth of information and I thank you.

Monica:

My $.02 worth. It is great to get out and see things outside of Rome, but don't forget all of the great stuff to see in the city. In the end -- your choice -- perhaps you would rather get out of the city more?

Well, not really. I am very interested to see the sites in Rome. But, the more I read about Italy the more I think I will regret not seeing some of the countryside as well. I want the best of both really. I will arrive at 7:00am following a cruise, so I won't have any jet lag to deal with; that will give me 4 full days & nights. I'm not a huge museum fan, so I don't have much of that on my list of things to do. Considering that, do you think I can do justice to Rome with 2 full days and four nights? Or would one day trip be a good enough taste of what's around Rome for my first trip, giving me three days in Rome?

When I travel alone I seem to have an abundance of energy and endurance. I was thinking that I could see a lot in Rome with the four nights. Is that unrealistic??

Many thanks! I need all the 2 cents I can get...

Hi Monica- Here's my 2 cents worth - Yes you can see a lot in 2 days and 4 nights but Rome is so awesome you could easily spend a week and wish you had more time. Even non-museum lovers can't help but be blown away by the Vatican and the Borghese Gallery. Remember also that many churches, stores, etc. close for a few hours in the middle of the day so that sets some limits on your sight seeing as well. That being said, Orvieto is lovely, easy to get to from Rome and will give you a real sense of the countryside. My vote would be for 3 days, 4 nights in Rome and a daytrip to Orvieto. Whatever you decide I'm sure you will love it and want to go back for more!
Colleen

I had the same thoughts as David and the other Colleen . With only four days in Rome, and soooo much to see there (even outside of museums), it was surprising to me that you were planning day trips out of the city.

I think with good planning (and a good map), endurance, lots of water and gelato breaks, that three days in Rome and one in Ostia Antica or Orvieto would provide a not-too-overwhelming peek into this part of Italy. Your hotel location near the Pantheon (my favorite building in Rome) is ideal for seeing the centro storico sites on foot.

In Orvieto - I recall getting off the train, taking the funicular up the hill, and *then* taking a small bus to the Duomo piazza?? This was almost three years ago, so maybe I'm mis-remembering ...

We were in Orvieto for the first time last fall. We parked by the funicular which is right by the train. When we got to the top, we walked. There probably are buses. If I remember right, there are three roads that branch off from the piazza where you arrive. We took the middle one - a nice busy pedestrian street with lots of stores and restaurants - but we completely missed the turnoff to the left for the Duomo. And then we went way too far and got lost coming back looking for it. The Duomo (with magnificent frescoes) is about in the middle of the town, so start looking for signs to turn left after about 5-10 minutes walking. If we had taken the road to our left when coming out of the funicular station, we probably would have walked straight to the Duomo.

Monica, I'm going to surprise myself and side with you on this one. My normal reaction would be, gosh 4 days, stay in Rome -- and it won't be enough. But: since it is not enough no matter what, and since you sound like you really want to see what Italy is about, well, Rome is a capital city and, like any capital city, not as representative as the smaller places. In your shoes and with your approach, I'd do 1 and probably 2 days outside Rome.

Ostia Antica, where I've spent several full days, hope to return to again, and which I normally recommend to everyone, even to the point of trying to dissuade people planning on going to Pompeii -- I think is not the best idea for you; I'm just going on gut here.
   If you want to see beautiful Roman stuff in a lovely setting, Tivoli -- though crowded -- is a better idea in your case, I think. You would have to take a bus (or a train with a 6km walk; and 6km walk back to the station to return).

Convenient to Rome, my definite first choice in your case would be Viterbo; my second is probably Orvieto, but if you want to get a taste as well of smaller towns, easily accessible by train I would recommend Civita Castellana (same Porta Flaminia station in Rome as for Viterbo), where I've been; and Palestrina, where I have not yet been: each of these places combines a striking site, interesting remains of Antiquity and the Middle Ages both, and a real, living, relatively untouristed small town. (Orvieto is packed with tourists, and Viterbo has a fair number.)

A combined 2-day outing to Viterbo and Civita Castellana would have three advantages:
   less moving around
   it would gain you a bit of an idea of a specific area
   a night's hotel in Viterbo is much cheaper than a night in a similar hotel in Rome.

I'm not that big on self-advertising, but you would probably benefit from a glance at my diary, since I too did both places on day trips, and I too rely on the trains and my feet to get around; so, this link will take you to a small orientation page to Viterbo province, in turn to little homepages for Viterbo and Civita Castellana, and on each of those, you'll find the links to the appropriate diary entries.

I'm baaack.....

This time around I started out with the same suggestion in my mind that the Colleens' made -- one day trip outside of Rome. My thought was -- it's like going to New York for 4 days and spending two of them out of the city. How much of New York would you really get to see?

And then I read Bill's persuasive argument. I dunno, Monica. It's your call. Seeing the countryside is great, I'll be the first to admit. But if you just took one day trip out of the city, say to Orvieto or Viterbo, you'd see some nice countryside on the way.

Hopefully your finances would permit you to come back to Italy another time and spend some quality time in the countryside and really do that justice, no?

I can't even think of a thank you that would express my appreciation.

The Vatican and Borghese Gallery are the two museums that are on "the list". Though I would be embarrassed to tell you how quickly I can move through a museum. Siesta? Do they call it Siesta in Italy? I hadn't considered how it might impact my plans, thank you for the reminder.

Young - One foot into 30 somethings - Energetic - Only when it comes to travel. Though to walk an hour to see something new, I'm sure I wouldn't notice and I could use the exercise.

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it's like going to New York for 4 days and spending two of them out of the city...

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Now that puts it into perspective!

I will plan on one day trip - The information you have all provided me with will prove invaluable on where to spend it. If a second day trip strikes my fancy once in Rome, I will be armed with the best information on how to get there.

This will be the first of many trips. I began this trip planning with one week here, one week there, etc. I long to see the major sights, spend time in the country and along the coast. But, this being my first trip alone where I don't speak the language, I became a little nervous with all the unknowns. I wimped out and booked a cruise. Yikes! I don't even like cruises. But, it will serve as an English speaking safe haven to return to each night. As well as a means of getting to Livorno, Naples & Sicily (as far as Italy goes anyway); from which I refuse to book the cruise arranged sight seeing - I have to draw the line somewhere. That will be my next challenge, how to get from port to interests without a motorcoach... The four nights in Rome is just to get my feet wet. I'm sure next time I will be sputtering the Italian language (which I will try to learn in the next four months - hats off to you Pauline for this incredible site!) and asking you how many regions I can drive to in a day.

Thank you, thank you, & thank you again!