Arriving early for Viva Italia suggestions

[mapsd]

We plan to arrive early in Rome & hope to visit Pompeii and some of Rome that ABD doesn't cover.

Any suggestions of how to spend a half day in Rome that doesn't overlap with our Viva Italia tour?

 

[beachcat]

So which trip are you taking?

 

[CocosMeme]

We went 2 days early and we were very glad we did. I can't imagine arriving the day it starts and not being exhausted! There are several ruins and areas to visit that Disney does not include. We went to the Borgese Gardens and Gallery. We had pre-ordered tickets to the Museum/Gallery on line before going and just picked them up at will-call. It was amazing!! Pompeii is awesome but a long way from Rome(it would be a long day trip). Disney surprised us with a free Hop On Hop Off pass that was waiting for us when we checked in. We really enjoyed it and stopped at the places that we knew we were no going to see with the tour. It was a great way to get around Rome safely and not get lost!

 

[mouthdoc]

Greetings! Great question!! We too are going to Italy this summer on the Viva Italia tour! We are arriving early into Rome on the first day of the tour and we will have all day prior to the welcome dinner. I was thinking about visiting the Cappuccin Crypt, maybe the National Museum of Rome, and Santa Maria della Vittoria church, all of these pretty near our hotel near Termini Station. I'll have to look into the Borghese Gallery too now!

 

[mmmears]

I don't know what's included in your tour, but we were just in Rome for a few days.

Borghese Gallery is very nice -- so is the park that it is in. Take the time to walk around. There is a nice lake (you can rent a row boat for some fun) and some great views of the entire city -- we walked around the park, the Pincio terraces, then went down the Spanish Steps. It was a lovely day. Make sure to reserve your gallery visit ahead of time.

Capuchin Crypt -- so weird we had to go and check it out. Only costs 1 Euro and is creepy. But we were there for about 10 mins, so you can do that and then see more sights. (It's on Via Veneto -- if you keep going down the street you end up at the Borghese Gardens.

Also, Rome is a very walkable city. We were able to walk from the Colosseum/Forum area to the Spanish Steps (where our hotel was) with no problems. Also from the Vatican to Piazza Navona and the Trevi Fountain. There's some nice shopping, too.

 

[figmentfan2009]

If you want a really neat half day tour... Viator has an Angels and Demons tour that touches the edges of some of the things you do with ABD but in a totally different way.. and they also take you to the Castile and that is amazing. It is a great way to see other things that you don't see on the ABD tour, you get a small group thing with really amazing guides and you get some "hey... Hollywood is really stupid here"

Alternatively (or on your half day off after the Vatican) the hill overlooking the Colosseum is amazing... the view is well worth it and it is something you can do on your own without any need for a guide. The pictures we got from up there of the whole city were great and it is really peaceful. You can take the double decked bus to and from the hotel, too.

 

[GAN]

I believe you may be referring to Palatine Hill? More info here...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palatine_Hill

Pretty cool being on the site of Augutus' residence -great view of Circus Maximus as well.

 

[skfile123]

I guess my advice depends on if you have kids, and how well you recover from jet lag. Regardless, I would not try to do too much that first day. The days in Rome are filled with walking, and if you are going in the summer, it will be hot and crowded. It is amazing how much energy it takes to maneuver through crowds on a walking tour. Disney was brilliant in planning the relaxing time in Tuscany after Rome, you will need and appreciate it.

If you don't have kids, and the Vatican is important to you, you may want to try and go there. On the tour you only see a smidgen of the art on the way to the Sistene chapel.

If you are there in July, as we were, the entire country is having clearance sales before the traditional month long August holiday that many Italians take. If shopping is a priority you could do that your first day.

I recommend getting a good guide book (Rick Steves or Frommers) and narrowing down your options that are most appealing.

You will have a wonderful trip.

 

[V a n e s s a]

Something else you could do at the Vatican is climb (or take the elevator halfway and then climb) to the top of the dome of St Peter's Basicila - from the very top you will get the most stunning views of Rome, and on the way up you get to walk just under the dome, inside the Basilica, and will get to see a very different perspective, from the top, into the Basilica.

Not too far from the Vatican another fun place to visit is the Castel Sant' Angelo on the banks of the river.

 

[jlou]

bump