I would like to take my daughter to Rome next spring.What should I know now to start planning?

Question

I have a chance to take my daughter on a vacation next year, I'd like to start planning it now,I'd love to see Rome. Can anyone tell me about getting started on it?She has been to China, so she has a passport, but I have to get one I know.how long does that take?Any ideas would help.

Daughter is 28, we haven't been on a real vacation in a long time, and then it was around Alaska ,where we lived.She is in Seattle now, I'm in Texas, where we are from.Getting on in years, I'd like to take her somewhere memorable while I still can. It's just the 2 of us,we are all the family we have.

Answer 1

Lots of good tips here, but one thing really comes to my mind:

If you are not experienced with driving scooters, practice! Rome by scooter is lots of fun, but for those new to scooters, it can be extremely intimidating.

Have fun!

Answer 2

I suggest avoiding a packaged tour, and spending some time together planning the trip. Have "Girls Night In" where you rent a film set in Rome (Roman Holiday, Three Coins in the Fountain, etc). Read through guide books and find things that interest you, then make a ROUGH itinerary. I suggest spending three or four whole days in Rome, and then visiting somewhere else. The Amalfi Coast is fairly close, and you can take in the great views of towns like Positano and Amalfi, or visit Pompeii and/or Vesuvius. You could also add in some time in Florence, which most people say can be seen fairly thourougly in two full days. Travel by train, don't bother renting a car, and invest in Rick Steve's most recent guidebook to find the best hotels along your route (I've never gone wrong with one of his suggestions). Someone below me suggested getting an Eyewitness guide- I don't believe these are updated very often so there is a high possibility the info will be out-of-date.

Check my personal website below for things to see and do in Italy. I'll start with a link to Sorrento (on the Amalfi Coast) and you can explore from there.

Answer 3

First target the time of year you wish to travel. I would suggest the end of May and early June (I just got back from there with my family two weeks ago). The weather is not too hot at that time and the crowds haven't really hit the sites. (Don't get me wrong...there will be a lot of people when ever you go.) I would hold off on getting your passport till Fall. It takes about 6 weeks to receive the passport. You can begin pulling together the necessary documents (birth certificate) and setting aside the money ($90 I think). Start cruising the travel sites and asking friends where they stayed and what they liked. A lot depends on how long you plan to stay in Rome. If it's only a couple of days then I would suggest the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's plus the Coliseum and the Forum....(skip the Palatine Hill and its museum.....unless you really know what you're looking at, it was a disappointment and a lot of walking for little value.) The Forum is poorly marked. You will need a map to locate many of the specific sites but it is visually interesting. Be prepared for a lot of walking. I walked an extra mile four days a week leading up to the trip to get my legs in shape. It helped me a lot. I would also try to plan a day trip out of the city. Ostia Antica is pretty interesting and can be reached by bus or train.

Two other notes.....perhaps someone else could comment on these....I wasn't prepared for the cost of food in Rome. I did have four to feed and we tried to cut a few corners by buying bread and meat at a local grocery and have sandwiches in our rooms but it only helped a bit. I did drink local wines instead of soft drinks ($4 for a can coke). We did take some small packets of Crystal Lite powder and added them to bottled water for a change of flavor. But food was high.

The other is dealing with the time change. I would suggest making your flight from (I will guess the USA) to leave later in the afternoon and arrive in Rome in the mid-afternoon. I got absolutely no sleep on the plane and it was tough to get going when we hit the city. Plan a light day of activities the first day. We went to see the Pantheon and had a light dinner before crashing in bed. Plan a full day for the Vatican and know that the entrance to the Vatican museum is not the same entrance to St. Peter's. I would also suggest trying to see the museum after lunch when the lines are said to be shorter.

I hope this helps. Have a great trip.

Answer 4

Get a good guide book like Eyewitness and figure out where you want to stay and a feel for what you want to do. Spring is a great time to go, and you can walk almost anywhere. I also suggest getting the book "as The Roman Do" by Allan Epstein for a real flavor of the City.

And I'll recommend one Hotel -- San Franciso in Trastevere -- Brand new, in a little quieter area, but 1 block from the two main tram lines and walking distance to Forum, Aventine and a lot of other stuff.

One other thing, the Apian Way just outside the walls is closed to cars on sunday and the catacombs, a few nice restaurants and places to picnic it's a great way to spend a sunday in the spring (the picure in my avatar was taken there). Easy bus or cab ride then you walk around.

Also, I always like to know a little of the language -- it leads to better treatment . Get a cheap Italian for travelers book w/cassette and learn some key phrasses, makes the trip more enjoyable. Also, you can practice with your daughter on the plane ride!

Answer 5

A weeks stay in Rome would probably be sufficient. I would recommend that you start exploring hotels and think about how much you want to spend per night on a room. Once you have narrowed that down to about 3 or 4 hotels, get a good travel guide to Rome and see if any of the hotels you picked are recommended............Frommer's Rome is a good guide but there several others.

You also may want to investigate some one day tours of the city by tour bus, focus on some areas that you want to re-visit, then do it on your own during the next days. As for food, I have always asked at the hotel desk but specified restaurants that are moderate in price but popular with locals.

Get the guide book and get started!

Answer 6

Rome will be a treat for your daughter!

Try walking around Rome and avoiding the major touristy places if you really want to get a feel for it (of course, go to the major ones, but dont spend all your time there, is what i mean).

Go to unknown churches, they are really cool!

By far the finest guide to Rome is by Fonisol:

http://fonisol.com/rome/romeindex.htm

They have a Rome blog which tells you weekly events in Rome (accessible from the Guide) and that should help you plan your evenings a bit.

In general, Rome is great to travel in any season.

have fun,
Monica

Answer 7

It depends...how old is she? and how many days do you have? I would love to help u but I need more info.

I just recommend someone to buy the "Let's go Europe" book...I'm sure they also have a "Let's go Rome" since it's such an important place!

Use the net for info about places for kids. The ones I know are in the northern part of Italy.

And PLEASE take her to a GELATERIA and let her try almost all the gelato flavors!!!!! But look for "un gelato artigianale" don't buy 1 at the McDonald's of Piazza di Spagna!

For places to stay search here: www.RomeBy.Com

Buon Viaggio, Buona Fortuna and Boun Divertimento! (Have a nice trip, the best of lucks and tons of fun!)

Answer 8

It takes 3 months or so to get a passport, unless you want to pay extra for getting it done faster, but since you will be going in the spring, apply for it now. SEE:http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html
Make reservations to see the Vatican Museum-without them, it will be difficult to see and it is one of the BEST museums ever. (A great collection of Etruscan art, the Sistine chapel, fabulous painted hallways, etc). SEE:http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html
Check out the Lucky magazine Rome shopping guide for some great places to get a great deals and insider tips. SEE:http://www.luckymag.com/cityguides/rome_and_florence

Answer 9

Get yourself an Eyewitness Travel Guide from your local bookshop. They're great and very detailed. Places to go, opening times and maps!

Try Venere.com for accomodation they're great.

Have a look at these sights too.

http://www.whatsonwhen.com/scripts/query.asp?cat_id=&country_id=131061&day1=17&month1=2&year1=2007&day2=24&month2=2&year2=2007&+Search+=+Search+


http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html


Buon fortuna

Answer 10

We have travelled to Rome many times and written travelogues about our trips. You can find them on our non-commercial web site http://www.thetravelzine.com with hotel info, restaurant tips, sights to see, photos, walking itineraries.

You can also join (free) our travel discussion group on Yahoo: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thetravelzine/ and pose your questions to the nearly 1000 members who will help you with ideas for your trip. All new members are introduced so you must provide your first name and location when requesting membership.

Hope that helps!

P.S. Please respond to the automatic message that was emailed when you requested membership. Your first name and location are required for the introduction. Thanks!