This itinerary is an example that you can use to plan and design your own trip.
It is not a specific down-to-the-minute step-by-step schedule, but rather contains ideas and suggestions to help you in your planning.
If anyone would like to submit their input for this itinerary, please go to the contact page and send me an email with your ideas.
I will credit the submitted ideas with the name or id of whoever submits them.
Day one consists of getting to the airport, boarding a flight to Rome, and flying over the Atlantic Ocean.
On day two, the plane arrives in Rome at the Fiumicino International Airport, also known as the Leonardo da Vinci Airport.
First you will go through a passport check, and then enter the baggage claim area.
Once you retrieve your luggage, you will go through the customs area, and on into the main terminal of the airport.
You will then want to make your way to the trains, but along the way keep a lookout for the ATM machines. Get some money, whatever you feel you will need for the first few days in Rome, but be sure to put it in a safe place once you get it out of the machine.
One you get to the trains, get a ticket for the express train to Stazione Centrale Roma Termini.
This is the central Rome train station, also known as just Termini.
As of August of 2002, the fare was around ten Euro.
Make sure not to get on one of the local (non-express) trains, as the trip into Rome will be much longer.
What you do once you get to the Termini station will depend on which hotel you will be staying at.
Check a map, and maybe also call the hotel, to see how far the hotel is from the Termini station.
If it is within walking distance (only you can determine how far that is), and the weather is good,
then pick up your small bag and pull your suitcase along the streets of Rome to the hotel.
Get your map out and follow the route to your hotel.
This will help you get your bearings in the city.
This will be a great way to get an introduction to the city.
Plus the exposure to the daylight will help with getting over jetlag.
If you feel that walking will not work for your situation, then get a taxi.
When you take a taxi, make sure it is one of the official white or yellow taxi's with the "Taxi" sign on top.
There should be plenty to choose from at the Termini station.
Have the name and address of the hotel written on a piece of paper and show it to the driver to make sure there are no misunderstandings because of a difference in pronunciation.
Also, have your map with you and follow along as he makes his way to the hotel.
Not only will this help to make sure you are not being ripped off, but will help you get your bearings in the city.
Other options of getting from the airport to the city are:
A few hotels that I have heard good things about are the Pensione Panda, the Hotel Trinita dei Monte (near the Spanish Steps) and the Santa Chiara (behind the Pantheon). I'm sure there are other fine hotels in this same general area. A couple of helpful web sites are Sleeping Italy and ItalVista. And be sure to check out other general travl web sites as well.
Once you get to the hotel and get checked in, go ahead and "freshen up", but don't take a nap.
Sure, you will be tired from the long flight and the difference in time zones, but you need to get your body adjusted to the local time.
Get out of the hotel into the daylight.
Even if it is overcast or raining, your brain will subconciously see that it is daytime, and begin to adjust its internal clock.
Try to go to bed at your normal time.
For example, if you go to bed at 10:00 PM, try to wait until 10:00 PM local time before going to bed.
OK, lets take a walk.
There are a lot of options here, and the best one will depend on where your hotel is located.
Assuming that the hotel is in the general area of the ones listed above, here is one possible scenario.
Find the Via Condotti and begin your walk there, site seeing and window shopping along the way until you find some nice little place to get some lunch. Standing and eating at the counter will cost a little less than if you sit at a table. However, if you don't feel like standing, it won't be a great deal more expensive to sit down.
Continue your walk from here by heading in the direction of the Piazza Navona, one of the most famous piazzas in Rome.
Don't be in such a hurry to get there that you forget to see what's there along the way.
You're still tired and jetlagged, so take your time and continue site seeing and window shopping as you walk.
Once you arrive at the Piazza Navona, being to let yourself sink into the Roman experience.
There will be artists of all kinds there, as well as street theater.
Take it all in and just relax for a while.
When it gets to be time for dinner, you again have many options. There are restaurants right there in the piazza, or you can begin to stroll back toward your hotel and find someplace along the way. If you are like me, you were checking things out on the way to the piazza, and may already have some place in mind by the time you are heading back toward your hotel.
Most hotels will have some sort of breakfast included in the price. Some hotels you can reduce the rate if you do not want to partake of their breakfast. Each day in this itinerary, you can either have breakfast at the hotel or get something somewhere else on your own.
Check with the concierge or front desk at the hotel to find a place where you can either wash some clothes or drop them off to be washed.
Start off by walking to the Borghese Gardens. After wandering through the gardens, you can see some ancient Roman walls nearby, and then stroll down the Via Veneto. Among other things, this will bring you by the U.S. Embassy, housed in the Palazzo Margherita.
Along the way, whenever it feels like a good time to eat, go ahead and find someplace to grab a bite, whether is is along the Via Veneto, near the Spanish Steps or the Trevi Fountain, or after that.
From the U.S. Embassy, using your trusty map, find your way to the nearby Piazza Trinita dei Monti.
Here you will find the French church Trinita dei Monti, with its twin cupolas.
Inside is the fresco Descent from the Cross by Daniele da Volterra.
The church closes at 1:00 PM and reopens at 4:00 PM.
This piazza is at the top of the Spanish Steps.
These steps were actually built by the French, to provide access up the muddy slope to this church.
The steps got their name due to the Piazza di Spagna below, where the Spanish Embassy is located.
Walk down the steps to the Piazza di Spagna where you will find the fountain Fontana della Barcaccia, shaped like a boat.
From here, make your way to the nearby Trevi Fountain.
Be sure to throw at least one coin in the fountain, holding it in your right hand, with your back to the fountain, and throwing it over your left shoulder.
Remember to take your time with site seeing and window shopping.
And some actual souvineer shopping as well.
Now we come to the highlight of the day, the Pantheon -- the ancient Roman temple to all of the gods.
Located in the Piazza della Rotonda, it is now a Catholic church.
This marvel of Roman engineering was the largest domed building in the world for centuries.
Take your time and explore the Pantehon and the piazza.
Have dinner in a restaurant here or nearby or along the way back to the hotel.
If you are gong to drop off some clothes to be washed, do it this morning, and then pick them up later today or tomorrow before leaving Rome.
Check your map for the Piazza Venezia, it should be a short walk from your hotel, about a mile from the hotels listed.
If it is farther than you want to walk, then get a taxi or use a bus to get there.
You can check with the concierge or front desk at the hotel for information about the busses.
At the Piazza Venezia is the monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, the king of Italy responsible for uniting the individual city-states into one country.
Here you will find a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, with changing of the guard at certain times.
Also, you can climb stairs to the top of the monument for some fine views of the city of Rome.
Nearby is the Capitoline Hill, or Campodoglio.
You will climb some stairs from the street level to the Piazza di Campidoglio.
On each side of the piazza are the two building that make up the Capitoline Museums, and in the center is a copy of one of the finest equestrian statues in the world, the statue of Marcus Aurelius.
The original is in the museum.
Spend some time exploring the Capitoline Museums.
Directly oposite the top of the stairs is the Monte Capitolino, which is still the seat of Rome�s city government.
Make your way behind this building and you will see a view of the ancient Roman Forum.
Many famous Romans walked the ground you will see below you.
From the Capitoline Hill, make your way down to the Forum. Use your guide book to figure out what each ruin was. You will see such things as the Temple of Saturn, the House of the Vestal Virgins, the Curia (Senate House), the Forum Square, and a lot more.
Sometime before or after the forum, you can stroll around the area and look for someplace to get a bite to eat.
At the other end of the Forum, is the Palatine Hill.
At the ticket booth at the entrance to the Palatine Hill, you can buy a tciekt which will gain you entrance to both the Palatine Hill and the Colosseum.
The main attraction on the Palatine Hill is the Imperial Palace.
Among the other things to see are "the hut of Romulus and Remus" and a view of the Circus Maximus.
Be warned ahead of time, however, but the is only the barest of rubble left here to see.
From the Palatine Hill, make your way down the Via Sacra, past the Arch of Titus, to the Colosseum.
There is nothing special about the name "Colosseum".
This building is just another Roman amphitheater.
It got the name "Colosseum" because of its colossal size.
Outside of the colosseum, you will probable see people dressed as gladiators.
They will gladly let you take pictures with them, for a fee.
Explore the exterior of the structure, and then go on inside.
Your guide book will come in handy again to describe some of the things your are seeing, and to give some history of the Colosseum.
Explore the area around here, and along the way back to your hotel, and find a likely place for dinner.
If you haven't picked up your laundry yet, make sure you do so before leaving Rome.
Check out of your hotel, and you should be able to leave your bags with them while you are at the Vatican. Then you can stop by the hotel to retrieve your luggage before going to the train station.
This morning, you can make your way to Vatican City.
It will be between one to Two miles from your hotel, and you can use a taxi, or the bus or underground.
If you use the underground, take Lin A.
The "Cipro" stop is closest to the museums, but not all trains stop there.
The preceding stop is Ottaviano, and is just a little farther from the museums.
Take you time and see as much as you can here.
There is a lot to see.
When you buy your ticket, you should get a pamphlet describing the museums, and how to get through them to the Sistine Chapel.
You will enter the chapel, from the museums, at the altar end of the chapel.
As you go into the room, behind you will be Michelangelo's Final Judgement which was painted 23 years after he finished the ceiling.
On both sides of the chapel, below the ceiling, are paintings of the life of Jesus on one sde, and of Moses on the other, attempting to show correlations between the lives of the two major biblical characters.
And above them is the famous ceiling by Michelangelo.
Take some time to appreciate what is here.
When you are ready to leave, look diagonally across the room from where you entered.
There is a door there that is used by tour groups.
(Your normal exit would take you back through the museums, and a long walk to St. Peter's Basilica.)
Try to go out through this door as a tour group exits, and it will take you close to the entrance to the basilica.
This basilica was designed and built by many people.
The trancept area, including the dome, was designed and built by Michelangelo.
As you enter the front doors, if you turn to your right, you will come to Michelangelo's famous Pieta, behind a plexiglass screen.
As you make your way around the basilica, you will see many pieces of art that appear to be paintings.
However, there are no painting here.
These are all mosaics.
At some point while you are here at the Vatican, you can walk around and find someplace to get some lunch.
Depending on how long you spend in the museums and Sistine Chapel, you may do this before or after viewing St. Peter's Basilica.
Just outside of St. Peter's Square (Piazza di San Pietro) are some likely places.
Although there are many more things to be seen in Rome, it is time for us to move on for this trip.
A future trip should be planned to return and see more of this great city.
The schedule of trains between Roma and Firenze (Florence) is pretty flexible.
You can leave as late as 9:30 PM (21:30) which would get you into Florence at about 11:17 PM (23:17).
However, you will probably want to get an earlier train.
The 4:30 PM (16:30) train will get you to Florence by 6:06 PM (18:06), for example.
This will allow you to get to your hotel at a reasonable time, and be able to find a nice place for dinner.
Once you have decided on a time, make sure to leave time to get back to your hotel to retrieve your luggage.
There are as many things to see in Florence as there are in Rome. Some would say there is more. I will attempt to outline a few of them here, but as with Rome, you should plan another trip to Florence in the future to see more of it.
One way to get an introduction to Florence and its art is through an Art Lecture:
Art Lectures (Information from Anne) My husband and I just came from a fantastic Art Lecture and we promised to let people know about it. We were only in Florence for a few days but we should've gone our first day here. I actually understand this amazing art that surrounds us now! They are called Florence Art Lectures and they bring you into this beautiful Palazzo right in Santa Croce Square (with wine too!!) It only lasted about an hour and a half but she (the historian) made the art fun and interesting. We thought we couldn't afford something like this - too extravagant - but they gave us a deal so that we could. I highly recommend contacting them upon your arrival to Florence. Don't know the phone number but they are at 21 Santa Croce Square and they do lectures every day, and they have a website - www.florenceart.org. Happy and safe travels!
Check this out ahead of time, and if you are interested go ahead and book a lecture.
I have not done this, but I probably will the next time I go to Florence.
They also have walking tours of Florence which include art lectures.
If you do schedule an art lecture or a walking tour of Florence, or anything like that, you will have to adjust this itinerary to account for that.
In the Piazza del Duomo, standing in front of the duomo (Santa Maria del Fiore), is the much older Baptistery of St. John, who is the patron saint of Florence. It was built over an ancient Roman temple, as was typical for the time. This building was the cathedral of Florence until 1128, when they put the baptismal font here.
There are three dorways in the Baptistery of Saint John.
The south dorrs, which are usually open, were built by Andrea Pisano of Pontedera and were installed in 1336.
The north doors, completed by Lorenzo Ghiberti, were installed in the east entrance in 1424.
This set of doors was moved to the north entrance when Ghiberti complete the last set of doors in 1452.
This set of doors was considered so beautiful that they must be set in the honored position in the east entrance, facing the duomo.
When Michelangelo first saw them, he was so awed by them that he called them the "Gateway to Paradise".
The doors which are in place now are copies. The originals are in the nearby "Museo dell�Opera del Duomo".
Be sure to go inside this beautiful church as well as admiring the doors.
Although this cathedral was begun in 1296 during the Gothic period, it was designed without the flying buttresses normally present in Gothic churches.
The present facade of the church was completed in 1887, replacing the original.
The three stained glass windows over the doors were designed by Ghiberti.
Be sure to have your guide book available when you tour the interior of the church.
Among the art inside is an unfinished pieta by Michelangelo, in the first chapel, which he worked on between 1547-1555.
When Arnolfo da Cambio designed the cathedral, his design included a huge cupola.
At the time, no one, including da Cambio, had any idea how to go about building this dome.
In the early 1400's, as the time was growing near to actually build it, the question of how to go about it was still unanswered.
The traditional method of building wooden arches and then building the dome over them was not practical for such a large dome.
Filippo Brunelleschi, who grew up in Florence, set himself the task of figuring out how to build this dome, and making sure that he was the only logical choice to do so.
When the competition for designing and building the dome occurred, Brunelleschi won the commission.
At the beginning of the first nave is a small door that leads up to the cupola.
Be sure to climb to the top to get a fantastic view of the city.
If the weather is bad on the day you plan to do this, schedule it for another day.
At some point, you will be ready for some lunch. On the piazza, right near the church and baptistery, there is a cafe, but it will probably be crowded. If you walk down the same side of the piazza, away from the church, there is another cafe which will probably be less crowded, and your business will be more appreciated. If that one is not to your satisfaction, walk a block or so away from the piazza and find someplace less crowded and touristy.
Next to the cathedral is the bell tower designed by the brilliant pre-renaissance artist Giotto. He began building it in 1334, three years before his death. It was finished by Andrea da Pontedera.
In addition to the original Ghiberti panels from the Gateway to Paradise, there are works here from Donatello, Pisano and others, including a fine pieta by Michelangelo. This museum is located on the Piazza del Duomo, next to the church. You will find that this museum is usually less crowded than the other more famous museums in Florence.
When you are ready to find a place for dinner, take a walk from the Piazza del Duomo in the direction of the Ponte Vecchio.
This is an old bridge across the river with jewelers shops along both sides.
As you walk to the bridge, or from the bridge to your hotel, you should be able to find a nice place to spend the dinner hours.
Or use your guide book or online references for recommendations.
You've seen views of Florence where the duomo and its cupola dominate the skyline?
The Piazzale Michelangelo is one place where you can get views like that.
Your guide book and map will help you get here.
In the middle of the piazzale is a bronze copy of Michelangelo's David.
Around the piazzale there will be stalls set up with artists, craftsmen and vendors.
Take some time and admire the views as well as check out the stalls.
You can walk down the staircase at the beginning of Viale Galileo to this church which Michelangelo called "the beautiful peasant girl" because of its gracefuleness.
A short walk will bring you to the Church of San Miniato which is surrounded by a cemetary (delle Porte Sante)
within a fortress built by Michelangelo during the seige of Florence in 1530.
Among the things to see in this church is the chapel of the Crucifix by Michelozzo in 1447 for the miraculous Crucifix of San Giovanni Gualberto.
As you leave the church, on the right is the Bishop's Palace, which was begun in the 13th century and enlarged in 1320.
As you walk along Viale Galileo, take a right onto Via S. Leonardo
(one of the most romantic and characteristic streets of Florence)
which leads to Porta S. Giorgio.
Continue down the hill to Piazza Santa Felicita.
A narrow street leads to the Torre da San Gallo, where you can enjoy a splendid view.
From here, you can get to Arcetri and its observatory, and Pian dei Giullari, where Galileo Galilei spent his last years.
If you continue past the gate, you will see the Fortress of St. George from the late 16th century.
Depending on how long you take, you will be ready for some lunch either during or after this walk. You should be able to find a nice little place along the way to stop and eat.
...itinerary in progress...
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