Not interested in churches or drinking. I'm going on a student trip to Rome and don't want to be bored

Question

It is a spring break trip in April, but registration is now. We'll have afternoons and evenings free. I'm not interested in old christian architecture or art galleries or drinking wine. Is there anything exciting to do there that would be worth all that money?

Answer 1

No need to go worry about Rome. Even if you sit in front of a coffeebar all day long, you won't be bored a single minute. But, walking into the neighbourhoods and checking out the tiny local shops will get you closer to the true "Rome Experience"

In the heart of Rome, huge shops look the same as everywhere, and coffee or tea are relatively expensive. Not in the smaller parts of town, where the Italians have their open air breakfast or lunch for a local price.

If want to be a bit of a tourist, but avoiding the boring stuff, check out these places:

- Sip a cappuccino next to the Colosseum or grab a slice of pizza in the shadow of the Vatican.

- Visit the Gladiator school, located on Via Appia (3 day gladiator course available too).

- Bertè, Trendy Toys on Piazza Navona. It's one of Rome's oldest toy shops, and has a giant Pinocchio to guard the door. They are famous for their hand-crafted wooden dolls and puppets. Not cheap, but great to look around!!

- Portaportese, open air huge flea market with just about everything you can imagine, both new and used, from junk to priceless. Open on Sundays, 6:30am-2pm. Go early to avoid crowds and watch your wallet. Enter from Piazza di Portaportese or Piazza Ippolito Nievo, in the area of Trastevere.

- Website to figure out what you need to know about public transport in Rome: http://it.geocities.com/mp_pollett/roma-tr.htm

Answer 2

Sure, you can site and people watch and shop to your heart's content, but for me and most people I know, the fun of Rome is visiting the old buildings and churches and having a carafe of wine with dinner. People watching and eating out can get old.

You don't have to be Christian to enjoy rome, it's art, or it's archetecture. The most amazing structures (save the vatican and a few other churches or museums) are Roman. The Colosseum, the Forum, Caesar's death spot, the aquaduct, etc.; all were contructed several thousand years ago.

As far as "Christian" stuff, if you look at it artistically rather than religiously, it's amazing stuff. Michelangelo's Moses is one of the most beautiful things I've seen. The Sistine Chapel is intense (I prefer the wall to the ceiling - look for the critic that Mikey turned into a donkey in the lower right). The sheer magnitutde of St. Peter's is incredible - how Michelangelo's proportions are so perfect that you can't tell how big anything is until you are standing next to it.

To me, going to Rome and not being able to see, experience, and understand any of the 'big' sites would be a waste. You can only sit in a piazza and people watch for so long until you want to go do *something*. And, you can people watch anywhere. JMHO

Answer 3

1. Awesome food
2. Great shopping in boutiques ($$$) and flea markets ($)
3. Other historical stuff, like the catacombs
4. Well-dressed, sexy Italians
5. The opportunity to view the Italian lifestyle (look out the window and watch two men talking- it will look like they're fighting with these big arm gestures and crazy faces... but then they smile, hug, kiss on the cheeks and walk away!)
6. School trip craziness - the bigger the city, the less the chaperones will be able to control everyone ;)

Answer 4

just hanging out with the locals in the piazzas, eat good food, drink (doesn't have to be alchahol) and meet cool new people. go to an outdoor movie usually out oin the piazzas and usually they are free. you don't need to understand the language to enjoy the company of new found friends in europe.
Enjoy and have fun.
and give the architecture a chance. it's different seeing it in person trust me especially if you've got a tour guide that can tell you intereseting stories of each place.

Answer 5

You gotta discover the church that triggers your interest... i've got been leaping around in the city to discover an in depth church to my homestead that i admire and experience going to, yet I consistently finally end up on the only and easily church i admire that's so extra away with genuinely no parking around...yet that's the only i discover the finest, exciting and relaxing

Answer 6

as the previous poster said, definately explore the cities and you will be surprised what appeals to you. try to meet some locals, see the sights, eat some great food. head over to the forum area and check out the ruins. the tours offered are really great and so informative. we took one at the colosseum that also took us to palatine hill. so much information that it made the trip better than us just walking through. spend time in the parks and do some shopping. you are going to love it!