Going to Rome this summer, any tourist suggestions?

[Vade]

Graduating in a month, and my present is a trip to Rome for a couple weeks before I start my career. Anyone been there and have any insight as to what to see and where to go? I'd love to visit other nearby countries too. I probably will see the usual stuff like the Colosseum, Vatican City, etc. Anyone with any experience in this part of the world?


EDIT:

I'm already in Europe. I've visited Rome, Venice, Milan, and Paris. I'm on my last leg of the trip to Amsterdam!

[Azkarin2]

Short shorts and a mister. It is hot as balls there. Oh, and get Coke Light. God is that sooo good.

[_chuchu]

When in Rome...

[Blabj]

Take a day out and go to Amalfi, it's so awesome there. You'll wanna take a few dollars with you though, it's a pretty pricey joint

Also about an hours drive from Rome is Naples and Pompei, which you should definately go to. It's up to you if you go to vescuvious (sp, too lazy to google...) it takes atleast half the day to get to the top, but it's a relatively interesting walk, and the view from the top is brilliant on a clear day.

[Maestro]

Go see the Coliseum (You'll be surprised when you realize they removed the bottom floor so you can see the chambers/basement, caught me off guard), St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine chapel (you will be surprised at how small it is and how packed it gets with tourists) and take a train ride to Florence and check out the Accademia Gallery. Its hot but not that hot, than again summers in Jersey can be fucking gross, but ya dress light. Eat at every & any restaurant you can find as the food is pretty much always fresh and always good. There will be gellato sold everywhere so have one and eat an Italian Ice thing as they have carts where a guy basically shaves a ice off a block of ice and mixes syrup on it, shit was good.

Overall take your time, biggest difference you'll notice is that everyone is laid the fuck back in Rome, it doesn't have America's rush to get places. Its kind of like the Eddie Izzard interpretation, dudes riding everywhere on scooters. I'd recommend mass transportation in general as they're solid and rarely packed. Honestly only other tourists make Rome suck at times. Oh and make sure you bring a camera with no flash on it, as security will tell you "No pictures with flash" and they will shit themselves if they see you try and keep taking them. Aside from that enjoy it, was one of the best 2 weeks of my life.

P.S. Some fine bitches there, learn up some Italian, or if you speak spanish you're already good to go as you can get by without much issue.

[Blabj]

Oh yeah, atleast eat a pizza, at a proper pizza place. Don't go where the tourists go, go to the local's pizza place. Taste the difference between our pizza and pizza how it's supposed to be.

[Darkslitter]

-Go to Giolitti and get a gelato or like 8.
-The Vatican is really just insane how much art and valuable items it has. Check out the museum and saint peters
-Obviously Colosseum is amazing just to see something that old that has more or less stood the test of time and to think of all the things that happened there.
-I liked the pantheon which is older than the Colosseum iirc and is in better condition because it's still actively used
-St. Angelo's was pretty neat too, got a great view of the city from the top and it's basically an old castle
-Trevi fountain has got to be one of the coolest fountains in the world
-Piazza del Popolo (i think) is really neat too. There's a couple of fountains at it and it was filled with people doing stuff for money (like playing guitar painting pictures that sort of thing). Was pretty cool and relaxing.
-Palatino is the ruins of the upper classes' homes (iirc i can't really remember but it's basically the remains of a housing area) and that was pretty awesome. Plus it's up on the top of a hill so it's a great view of the city, but a lot of walking.
-Terme di Caracalla is the remains of the roman baths and that was pretty crazy. Not too much of the ground remains, but there is enough to see the art. Plus it's kinda neat to think that this area used to be as a giant bath.

ProTip: A lot of times they'll have like a pass thing that will get you into multiple places and if you are going to go into like 2-3 places on the pass it saves a bit of money to buy the pass.

Make sure to get a gelato the first day you're there, it'll probably make you want to buy one every day.

[Kaisho]

The Colosseum is obvious but there was a pretty long line when I went there.

Vatican City and Vatican museum, St. Peter's is truly amazing. Every Wednesday the Pope welcomes the people that came to see him by saying the same thing in like 10 languages. A Cardinal will name all the groups that showed up which is neat. The Vatican museum had a pretty long line and there's no photography allowed in the Sistine Chapel but go ahead and sneak some in anyways. You can go to the basement of St. Peter's to see all the tombs of the previous Popes and go to the top of the dome for a small fee. I didn't get to go to the top because some douche passed out while going up the huge staircase

St. Valentine's skull is located in the Santa Maria in Cosmedin. St. Peter's chains are located in the San Pietro in Vincoli (Saint Peter in Chains). If you're into Jesus go to the The Scala Santa. The Scala Santa houses the staircase they say Jesus walked up before some trial. People pray on these steps on their knees until they reach the top really slow. There are holes cut in the wood that are supposed to be where his blood dripped.

Go to the Capuchin Crypt beneath the Capuchin Church of the Immaculate Conception. You need to pay some donation to get in. Some monks from back in the day arranged a shit load of skeletons around the Crypt in a really good artistic way.

Go to the Mouth of Truth, tell a lie, and put your hand in it.

The Catacombs, roman forum, the Spanish Steps, and the stuff that Darkslitter mention are really worth going to. Pompeii is also definitely worth the driving time it takes to get up there.

The pizzas there are amazing but the best topping you'd probably want to go for is cheese which is called pizza margarita. The other topings have weird shit in it. If you don't like carbonated water tell them that you want water "no gas."

Grazie, pronounced gratsie means "thank you." Prego is "please" or "you're welcome." Mi Scusi means "excuse me." The vendors at night will annoy the shit out you to buy whatever worthless crap they're selling. If you're graduating from high school don't worry about needing ID for buying alcohol.

[Klaatu]

I heard there's a new law in Italy, if you grab your crotch you get a ticket.

[sephir]

Protip: If you go to St. Peter's there is a small stair case that leads you all the way to the very top of the basilica. Of the entire group I was with when I went 5-6 years ago, I was the only person to notice it. When at the top the view is incredible, it is the tallest building in Rome and has a 360 degree view and you can see everything. It is absolutely beautiful.

Also depending on how long you are there, it is worth your while to possibly visit Milan, and Siena. They are a ways out, but let me tell you they are well worth the trip. If you do go to Siena check up on the internet when the horse races are because that is very intense. In old times the families in Siena would race horses around the central square in Siena for who would lead the city for the next year, it can be seen in the first bit of Quantum of Solace.

One thing I also found really cool in Rome was seeing the Spanish steps at around 8 on a Friday. The crowd down the walkway is just incredible.

But in general there is so much to see and do in Rome you can be in Rome alone for a month and not see everything that is important so prioritize!

[Kaylia]

Bring a protection helmet everytime you go indoor, their building are unstable.

[Iku]

Watch out for pickpockets.

[Vade]

Seems like great suggestions. Thanks guys and gals.

And a little clarification...I'm graduating college. :D

[Vade]

I've seen a lot in the past couple days. Coliseum, St. Peters, Vatican Museum (Fuck yeah, skipping the line with a tour group), Castle of Saint Angelo, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Pantheon. The food is amazing...the people are great. I have a new found love in blue eyes and dark haired women. A ton of smart cars, hatchbacks, and guys on scooters. The thing that caught me off guard were the packs of dogs on the highways. Leaving Rome tomorrow to go to Milan, Venice, then Paris, then Amsterdam, then Cologne, and finally back to Rome. I have over 300 pictures already from the first 2 days...and I'll be picking stuff out to post on the web when I get back!

[Horadrius]

Everything to say about Rome has already been said, but if you have a few weeks, you really must go see Florence. As the epicenter of the entire Renaissance, there is just as much, if not more, to see in Florence than in Rome - the Galleria dell'Accademia has Michelangelo's David, the Piazza Signoria has a magnificent outdoor statue gallery, and the Galleria degli Uffizi has quite an amazing collection of art. During the evening, when it gets a little cooler, you can climb up to Piazzale Michelangelo for an amazing panoramic view of Florence, and watch as the sun sets and the city's lights come on.

[Vade]

Hehe, I'm already there Leaving for Milan in the morning. Unfortunately, not going to be able to see Florence.

[Horadrius]

Aw man

That's cool though. I just got all nostalgic writing up that post though ;;

[Vade]

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[Marokko]

Go to the top of St. Peter's Basilica. It is the best site in all of Italy IMO.

[Azalee]

I went to Rome in 10th grade and I honestly wish I would have been older. I was there after the pope died, so there was no pope and the Sistine Chapel was closed. :3