Visiting Rome.

[KennyEdin1]

We were in Rome last week. If you want to go to St Peters. Find out if the Pope is doing a mass. If so you need to see a Swiss guard for a (free) ticket from 9m 7am. We never realised this after standing in a queue to get in for 2 hours. All the Nuns and priests had them. We thought it was because they had an audience with Pope Francis and St Peters was closed because he was in the middle of a mass. We got through security but not any further. For food we stayed away from the large tourist streets and tried places down old side streets. The streets across the bridge from Castel Sant'Angelo had a few nice and reasonable priced places.
Also get the underground ticket for 3 days at €12.50 from newsagents or ticket machines in metro stations.

To add. What airport are you going to? If its Ciampino, make sure you get the bus striaght to Roma Termini (€4.90 single) and be selfish when getting on. It took us ages to get from airport to city centre.

 

[EvertonCJ]

We were in Rome last week. If you want to go to St Peters. Find out if the Pope is doing a mass. If so you need to see a Swiss guard for a (free) ticket from 9m 7am. We never realised this after standing in a queue to get in for 2 hours. All the Nuns and priests had them. We thought it was because they had an audience with Pope Francis and St Peters was closed because he was in the middle of a mass. We got through security but not any further. For food we stayed away from the large tourist streets and tried places down old side streets. The streets across the bridge from Castel Sant'Angelo had a few nice and reasonable priced places.
Also get the underground ticket for 3 days at €12.50 from newsagents or ticket machines in metro stations.

To add. What airport are you going to? If its Ciampino, make sure you get the bus striaght to Roma Termini (€4.90 single) and be selfish when getting on. It took us ages to get from airport to city centre.

Thanks for the advice. We fly into Fiumicino so we're planning to catch a train to Roma Termini. Our hotel is close to the Termini. I will try to check to see when the Pope is doing a Mass. It may be better to avoid that day as neither of us are religious.

 

[Ball Horse Eyes]

Oh, one other thing, be wary of the "Centurions" who are walking about in the tourist areas and posing for photos. If you pose for a photo with them, they'll expect money (they won't tell you this beforehand) and you'll need to haggle on an amount and they can get nasty. I'd say if you really want your photo with a centurion, just decide on an amount you're happy to pay beforehand and make sure you tell him up front how much that is. To avoid confrontation. Although don't worry too much, their swords are not real.

 

[KennyEdin1]

Thanks for the advice. We fly into Fiumicino so we're planning to catch a train to Roma Termini. Our hotel is close to the Termini. I will try to check to see when the Pope is doing a Mass. It may be better to avoid that day as neither of us are religious.

Its definitely the better airport. We spent most of our time down in Naples. Superb city. If there is football on Roma sell tickets online (you can print at home) just remember to bring passport to the game.

We are a 'little' religious. If we had known before hand we would have got tickets for it. It would've been great to be present for a mass conducted by the Pope. Probably tried to have collared him for confession too. 'Forgive me holy father it been 20 years since my last confession'