distances and other Rome, Italy General Tips

Favorite Thing: One of my favorite things about Rome is how close the historic sites are to one another. This city was designed to be walked in. This was the main mode of transportation for centuries. The city is not laid out on a grid or any other plan that makes any sense to me, so take a good map with you when exploring. I have done a little research and have come up with these figures to help you while planning your trip. (I used viamichelin.com for these figures) From the colosseum to the termini station is 1 mile (1.7km). Colosseum to spanish steps- 1.25 miles (2km). Colosseum to Mouth of Truth (via circus maximus) - 1 mile (1.7km). Colosseum to Baths of Caracalla- .85 miles (1.4km). Colosseum to Trevi fountain- 1.2 miles (1.9 km). Colosseum to capitolini - .8 miles (1.3 km). Colosseum to Pantheon- 1.1 miles (1.9km). From Spanish steps to Trevi fountain- .4 mile (.6km). Spanish steps to Piazza Navona- .75 miles (1.2 km). Spanish steps to St. Peters- 1.25 miles (2 km). Piazza Navona to Pantheon- .4 miles (.6 km). Piazza Navona to St. Peters- .9 miles (1.5 km). Pantheon to Trevi- .25 miles (.4 km). These are for direct routes between each of the sites.

As you can see, the distances between these major sites is very small. The city is so beautiful to walk in and there are so many other things to see along the way that you wont even notice that you've walked half a mile. If you plan your routes out ahead of time, you can limit the amount of walking you do.

Fondest Memory: One of the amazing things about Rome is the amount of history it contains. You can literally walk down the street and see buildings that are hundreds of years old incorporated on the sides of new buildings. There are sections of the old viaduct system still standing in some of the neighborhoods. Everytime I go to Rome I find "new" things to see. I notice more "hidden" history that is right in front of everyone. I take my time now to enjoy the wonderful sights that have been preserved for us. I just walk. I usually don't worry about the distance.

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Favorite Thing: One of the questions I get most often from my friends before they travel is "How much cash should I take with me?" followed closely by "How much cash should I change into Euros before I go?" My answer is always the same. Take about 100 american and 100Euros. These amounts will get you by until you can get to an ATM machine. I use my ATM all over Rome. I usually take out the maximum for the day while I'm at my hotel. I only take with me, for the day , as much as I think I will need plus about 50 bucks. This includes entrance fees and food. The rest I leave in my hotel safe. I take a credit card with me for other purchases.
That being said, before I leave the states, I let my bank know that I will be in Europe (Rome). I also have them up my limit as to how much I can take out a day. This way there are less fees becouse I dont need to take out money every day. I also make sure that my pin will work in Europe. I dont think it happens much anymore, but some machines use to only take an 8 number pin, with no letters. Now I think the norm is all machines use 4 number pins. If you are worried about taking an ATM that is linked to all of your accounts (checking, saving, investments) open a travel account. This way you can put your money into a totally seperate account and be certain that if you did lose your card your main account wont be wiped out.
As a last precaution, before we go we usually give my mom my deposit slips. This way if the unexpected happens and we need emergency cash, she can put some into the account to help us out. This has only happened once, when there was an airplane snaffu but it sure did come in handy.

Fondest Memory: Remember a lot of the attractions do not take credit cards. They all prefer cash. These include the colosseum, baths of caracalla and so on. I do take my credit card with me every day and use it when I can but I mostly end up paying in cash. Most smaller restaurants only take cash, too.

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Favorite Thing: If you own a digital camera, then you know about memory cards. When I travel, I take my digital rebel and 2 512mb cards with me. I also take my laptop. At the end of the day I download all of my pictures to my laptop and wipe my memory card. This works very well and I dont have to worry about taking multiple cards with me on the trip. Two is plenty. That way during the day I have a spare if I fill one up. I can hold about 130 pictures on each card (I tend to take tons of pictures), so having a spare with me is great.
If you don't have or don't want to bring a laptop with you, a video ipod will work just as well. You can download all of your pictures onto your ipod at night. If you only have a small memory card, you can take your ipod with you during the day to do downloads as needed. These ipods, while small, have tons of memory. My video ipod is a 60 gig-er. Most of the pictures I take are between 3 and 6 mb so I can hold thousands of pictures on it and still have my music files. You don't need a video ipod, any ot them will work for data storage, however, the video ipod is the only one that will let you view your pictures in color. There is a cable that you will need to take, but it is inexpensive and small.
I have found this an easy solution for data storage. I use the ipod for music on the plane and for video storage while in the city. It works great.


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Favorite Thing: Rome is a wonderful city to walk in. The sights are nestled close enough together to making walking the best way to go. If you are at the colosseum and want to see the closest sights, they are the forum, capitoline hill, Santa Maria in aracoeli, trajans markets, Santa Maria in Cosmedin (mouth of truth), circus maximus, baths of caracalla, and the palatne hill. These sights literally lead you into one another and will take you on a circular route. The picture to the side shows the circus maximus with the palatine hill to the right and the bell tower to santa maria in cosmedin on the left. A five minute walk behind you is the baths of caracalla. Depending on where your hotel is you can take a metro to either the colosseum or the circus maximus station. The picture was taken just outside the circus station.
When you are looking at the maps of rome that you see in guidebooks, realize that the scale is very deceiving. The sights may look to be spread out and you may think that you need a cab to get around but that is not the case. Plan your day around a particular area and see everything in that area. Believe me, you won't run out of things to see.
In the area of the Pantheon is Santa Maria Sopra Minerva (around the corner), Piazza Navona (about a 10 minute walk), and Castel San Angelo (another 10 minutes)..
The Trevi fountain is a 10 minute walk from the palazzo Barbarini, then about 10 minutes to the spanish steps (don't forget the Trinita dei Monti) and another 15 minutes to piazza del popolo ( don't forget the twin churches). Just up the hill is the Pincio gardens.
These times depend on how fast you walk. I would suggest you take your time and enjoy all the sights, not just the major ones. There are beautiful, historic remnants around every corner in Rome. Just take your time to notice them. You will be amazed and enjoy your trip even more.


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Favorite Thing: One of the hardest things to figure out in Rome is your budget. How much should you budget a day? It all depends on your likes and dislikes. If you want a simple, quick coffee and roll for breakfast (and it doesn't come with the hotelroom), it will cost about 2 euros. If you want a full sit down breakfast, it will cost about 10 euros. If you want a slice of pizza and a soda to go, about 3 or 4 euros. A sit down, two course lunch, about 10 to 20 euros. A quick pasta and wine for dinner, about 25 euros. A nice sit down, full waiter service, four or five course meal with wine 60 to 75 euros. Remember, you will pay more to sit down. If you are at a pizza joint, just fold your pizza in half and take it to go. Stand outside and people watch or take it to a monument and have a seat. Also, don't forget about gelatos and sodas or water for the day. Gelatos cost anywhere from 2-4 euros depending on the size. You can buy a soda at a convenience store for about 1.2 euros. Water is about the same price but you can refill your water bottle from any fountain in Rome as long as there is no sign saying not to (have never seen one of those).
As far as entrance fees are concerned, if you budget 10 euros a sight, you will be okay. Some are more, most are less. Just figure out what you want to see and budget accordingly. Most sights in Rome are free. However, some things do require a fee. All museums, the colosseum, baths of caracalla, and the Borghese gallery all require a fee.
Souveniers are trickier. Rome is not a terribly expensive souvenier city. You can get some bargains. If you are looking for clothing, you can usually find the same thing for less back in the states. Same thing with good quality leather. Buy it before you go or after you get back. Any other type of souveniers, bargain for. Offer a reasonable price and you should be able to get it.

Fondest Memory: If you want to take a day trip to Pompeii, the train will cost between 17 and 23 euros for a second class ticket each way. The circumvesuviana train is less than 5 euros. The entrance to pompeii is about 12 euros. You can buy food on the train or at the station outside of the ruins for a few euros. This is an all day trip, so bring some extra cash. You might want to do a guided tour of the site. ( not sure of the price for this but I would budget about 25 euros).
You can do Rome for 50 or less per day and have a great time or you can spend more and have a great time. I guess it all depends on where your comfort level is.

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Favorite Thing: When you go to Rome you expect to see ruins, churches, pizzarias, gelato stands, and souvenier shops. One thing you might not expect is the number of fountains that you see. They are everywhere! They are in the middle of piazzas, they are down side streets and even stuck on the sides of buildings. What a lot of people don't realize is that these fountains have fresh, clean, cold water shooting out of them. Unless there is a sign warning you "Not" to drink out of a fountain, you should take advantage of this resource. If you have a water bottle, carry it with you. You can refill it all day for nothing from these fountains.
Now there are 3 types of fountains. The decorative type, with the large sculptures in them, that are mostly for show. I.E.- Trevi fountain, the turtle fountain, the fountain of Neptune... Then come the other two types. These were made to drink out of. You have the "1 holer" and the "2 holer".. The difference is, with the one holer, you use your hand as a cup to get a drink. These have one spigot, like in a bathtub, that the water comes out of. The "2 holer" is a little trickier. It has two holes, one on the bottom and one on the top. To drink from this type of fountain, simply plug the bottom hole with your finger and the water will shoot out of the top hole like a good old fashioned drinking fountain. This makes it so much easier to get that quick drink and be on your way. A little warning though, dont stand in front of the fountain when you plug the bottom hole. The water shoots straight out and if you are in front of the fountain you will get wet. Stand to the side and you'll be fine. So, take advantage of the free water that rome has to offer, it's everywhere.


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Favorite Thing: Here is a little more information on the Vatican museums and Sistine chapel. There are three tours offered by the Vatican. They are 1) the museum and Sistine chapel. 2) Vatican gardens. 3) vatican gardens and Sistine chapel (for already formed groups of 20 or more). The museum and Sistine chapel tour takes 2 hours and passes through the Pio Clementino, the geographical maps and tapestries galleries, the Raphael's rooms and the Sistine Chapel. From March-October there are tours at 10:30, 12:00 and 2:00, Monday - Friday. November - February everyday but Sundays at 10:30. It costs 21.50 euros and includes entrance fee and headset. The garden tour last 2 hours and takes you on a tour of the small independant state. It cost 13.50 euros and includes the headset. From March - October on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays at 10:00, and from November - February on Saturday only at 10:00. The group tours for the vatican and sistine chapel lasts 2 hours and takes place every weekday with advanced reservations. It costs 21.50 and includes the headset. The group tour of the gardens and sistine chapel lasts 3 hours and goes everday except Wednesday and Sunday, with advanced reservations. The cost is 25.50 and includes admission to the museums and headset. The garden tour lasts 2 hours, everyday except Wednesday and Sundays. It costs 13.50 including headset.

It is possible to reserve a tour. You must fax a request and include the names of all the participants. If you do not receive a written reply from the vatican they do not consider the reservation valid. If you do receive a confirmation from them, you must present it at the desk on the day of the visit. You may book up to one month in advance. The fax number is 06 6988 5100.
You do not have to wait in line if you have a reservation. If you are facing the museum entrance doors, the line on the right is for people with reservations. Try to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to your tour. Remember to wear proper attire.


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Favorite Thing: One of the prettiest, not to mention famous, fountains in Rome is Trevi Fountain. One of the reasons you go to Rome is to see the Trevi fountain. We all throw a coin in and then pose to get our picture taken in front of it. Here is my advice......Use your fill flash when taking the picture. Look at the two pictures I have posted for this tip, one turned out great but the other needed the flash. That is me in the middle of the picture, but you can't tell its me because the camera sensor saw all the white from the fountain and set the exposure for that. My husband forgot to turn the flash on, so I came out in heavy shadow. The good thing is the fountain itself turned out beautifully. Remember to compensate and use your flash when photographing anyone against a white background. This will make sure you not only see the monument but the person as well.

Fondest Memory: One of my fondest memories of Rome is having a picnic lunch, sitting on a bench at the Trevi fountain and watching all the people. It is wonderful to see all their expressions when they see the fountain for the first time. I just sit back and enjoy.

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Favorite Thing: Rome is a beautiful city to photograph, however, it does pose some problems that you should be aware of. A lot of the monuments are done in white stone. This can be difficult for your camera to take a good picture. It will need your help in order for the exposure to be correct. My first suggestion would be to read (or reread) the manual that came with the camera. Get to know all the settings. Most digital cameras have different settings on the dial to help with your pictures. Learn the difference in these settings. Check if your camera has an exposure compensation setting. Use this if you are photographing something that is completly white or black. The camera will make white things look dull and dark things look grey. Use the exposure compensation in these situations. You want to add compenstion for white objects and take away compensation for dark objects. (please click thru the photos posted to see what I mean). My next suggestin would be to use the fill flash (or learn how to quickly turn the flash on and off as needed). Use the flash if you are in shadows and the background is in sunlight. If the light on the subject is very bright the camera won't fire the flash on its own and you will be left in the shadows. The fill flash will light you so you can be seen with the background. My next suggestion is to fill the frame. Wide shots of the forum are great and I have a ton of them, but when photographing fountains, sculptures, or specific buildings, fill the frame as much as you can with the main subject of the photo. This cuts out the clutter and draws attention to where you want it.

Fondest Memory: Next would be to try different angles and vantage points. Everyone has a picture of the Pantheon from the front (I have about 30!!), but try going around to the side or the back of the building. Next would be to put someone in the picture for scale. Looking at a picture of big doors does not convey the size unless someone is in front them to actually show the scale. My last tip would be if you are using a flash to light something that is behind glass, stand to the side so the reflextion from the flash wont blurr the picture. Shooting at an angle illuminates the subject, not the glass. See all the pics to get a better idea of the hints.

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Favorite Thing: Unfortunatly, I have heard numerous stories about people who have had their cameras stolen. Not only were they upset because of the loss of their camera, but also about all the pictures that were on the memory cards as well. Some people said they had 1300 photos on their 2 gig cards and now they are all gone because their camera was stolen. My suggestion is to invest in more of the smaller cards. You can buy 3 or 4 512 cards for the price of one 2 gig card. You can carry these in your pocket and change when the card is full. This way you protect the pics you have already taken. I use 512 cards most of the time. I can get about 160 pics on them at 6.0 megapixels. If your camera has less megapixels you can fit more, if it has more you will fit less. I also download all of my pictures every night to my laptop or ipod. This way, if my camera is lost or stolen, I have only lost 1 days worth of photos and not an entire trips worth. I do have a 2 gig card and will certainly use it on my next trip, but I will still download it at night. Protect those photos!!!!


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