Rome?

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*I am starting to plan a trip to Rome and Assisi for next September. šŸ˜ƒ I am going iwth a friend and we plan to stay in convents or hostels, but would prefer the former as this trip will be a pilgrimage of sorts. :gopray: :gopray: *
*Any BTDT advice would be much appreciated, especially money-saving tips. šŸ‘ *
Thanks!
 
Great to hear of your plans for a trip to Rome šŸ‘
My family went on a pilgrimage to Rome in 2001.
My main suggestion to you is to go with a Catholic Group.
There are many excellent Catholic tour groups, that are always going over there.
Trust me, Rome is no where to be if you are alone.
If you want to send me a private message, I will look for Catholic Groups for you to go with.
Having a priest as a spiritual guide is sooo important.

Also the group we went with, gets you the cheapest rooms possible. In Rome we stayed in an old convenant. However we went to several places outside Rome, where we stayed in cheap, clean hotels.

If you want you can check out Ave Maria Centre; and Scott Hahn and many good Catholics are always leading spiritual pilgrimages.
I would suggest you take a look into going with a group with a priest.

Good Luck:
(You have lots of time to look into this) šŸ‘
Jeanette
 
Just one more thingā€¦
When you go with a group, they provide a person, who is a guide and will tell youā€¦and take you to many placesā€¦that you may never get to if you go it alone.
Also, a guide certainly is a bonusā€¦They know all about everything you will be seeing and they are excellent.
Jeanette
 
Spatulate! said:
*Any BTDT advice would be much appreciated, especially money-saving tips. šŸ‘ *
Thanks!
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My wife and I went to Rome and Assisi in Oct 2001 (we were in Assisi for the feast day :bounce: ). My first piece of advice is: TAKE ME WITH YOU! I WANNA GO BACK! šŸ˜ƒ

If you have trouble with hostels/convents, we found the Hotel Emmaus reasonable and handy to the Vatican.

If you are able-bodied and go to the top of St Peterā€™s dome, I recommend taking the stairs rather than the elevator, at least on the way down. On the way back down are displayed the ā€œretiredā€ Holy Door plaques that say things like ā€œHis Holiness Paul VI opened this door for the Holy Year 1975 and sealed it again on such-an-such dateā€ (only in Latin of course)!

The other advice, which we received from our frequently-Rome-travelling associate pastor, is to avoid the Wednesday general audience, just because it eats loads of time. Instead, he recommended attending the 10:30 Sunday morning canonsā€™ Mass at St Peterā€™s, and immediately afterward go out under the balcony to receive the popeā€™s Angelus blessing. (We didnā€™t actually get to follow this advice ā€“ instead of a canonsā€™ Mass, we *had * to attend a 10am beatification service. Oh well :bounce: )

Inexpensive but quality religious items: Soprani (also recommended byt our assoc pastor ā€“ number 9 on this map (be sure to try the Gelato place described here ā€“ you wonā€™t be sorry!))

Final piece of advice: TAKE ME WITH YOU! I WANNA GO BACK! šŸ˜ƒ

enviously,
tee
 
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tee_eff_em:
My first piece of advice is: TAKE ME WITH YOU! I WANNA GO BACK! šŸ˜ƒ
Final piece of advice: TAKE ME WITH YOU! I WANNA GO BACK!
Click to expand...
So, what I hear you saying is ā€œTAKE ME WITH YOU?ā€

Thanks for the (name removed by moderator)ut.

We had not considered going with a tour group; we were planning to go it on our own. I will discuss this option with my friend.

Thanks again to all!
 
actually if you have the personality for it, being alone in Rome can be wonderful. You can see the city at your own pace, linger over wonders that a tour group might rush by. I studied abroad in Rome in the fall of 2001 and saw most of the city by myself as the other students in my program were more interested in shopping, drinking, and clubbing than seeing the many architectural, artistic, and religious treasures of the city. Their loss! How long will you be in Rome for?
 
We are aiming for 14 days with a few days in Assisi as well. Another friend who is just back from Rome tells me she will loan us a book entitled A Pilgrimā€™s Guide to Rome or something similar.

Iā€™d love to go longer and see more, but as you can see from my sig line, I have some kidlets who need me at home.
šŸ™‚
 
one or two days would be more than enough for Asissi since itā€™s very small. Rome is huge but 14 days will give you alot of time to see many things there. Just be sure to plan your time wisely if you want to see alot of things. A very good, though secular, guidebook is the DK Eyewitness Guide - it lists EVERYTHING thatā€™s in the city and has lots of pictures and guided walks you can do on your own. Excellent book.
 
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Minerva:
one or two days would be more than enough for Asissi since itā€™s very small. Rome is huge but 14 days will give you alot of time to see many things there. Just be sure to plan your time wisely if you want to see alot of things. A very good, though secular, guidebook is the DK Eyewitness Guide - it lists EVERYTHING thatā€™s in the city and has lots of pictures and guided walks you can do on your own. Excellent book.
Click to expand...
Wasnā€™t there a big earthquake in Assisi a few years ago that damaged a lot of sites? Or was that Siena?
 
the earthquake was in Asissi, not Siena. I was in Assisi 4 years after the quake and really couldnā€™t tell that there had been much damage. The marvelous cathedral of San Francesco lost a few ceiling frescoes in the upper church - but honestly it just looks like the wear and tear youā€™d expect in a 800 year old church. The rest of the cathedral was in fine shape and utterly magnificent.

Siena is great too if you have the time. Itā€™s quite a bit further away from Rome than Assisi is, however.
 
Good luck with the trip - Rome is a great place to visit (in fact, Iā€™m going back again next month šŸ™‚

Three suggestions:
  1. Scavi Tour - find out about it and go!!
  2. Talk to your local diocese about tickets for Wednesday Audience with the Pope (and any other special events that might be going on then)
  3. Be prepared to walk a lot - its by far the best way to see/experience Rome.
FYI, the Year of the Eucharist ends next October - so they might be some events related to it when yaā€™ll will be there.
 
My husband spoke the language, I didnā€™t like Rome alone. I would go with a tour group.
 
Iā€™m planning a trip to Rome, too - next June. I was there two years ago for the canonization of St. Josemaria Escriva and now want to share the marvels of Rome with my husband and my seminarian son.

I have purchased a book - ā€œThe Companion Guide to Romeā€ by Georgina Masson - you can get it from Amazon.com.

As well as that, I have been looking into where to stay, and have found sleepingrome.com/appartamenti/index.html You can find apartments to rent here.

Hereā€™s another useful link - romeguide.it/
 
Weā€™re planning the same trip this December!! Weā€™ll be in London for 2 days, Rome for 1 week, and Assisi for 5 nights. While in Assisi, we plan to take day trips to Florence, Venice and anywhere else that looks interesting!

There will be 6 of us, so we rented an apartment for our week in Rome. Itā€™s more economical than the convents we contacted. In Assisi we have a hotel, because all the convents and guest houses were booked šŸ˜¦ We heard GREAT things about St. Anthonyā€™s Guest House in Assisi but it was booked.

Weā€™ll be in Rome for Christmas and Assisi for New Years. If you want web addresses for apartments or convents, let me know.

ā€”KCT
 
I second the post about being prepared to walk alot in Rome. It really is the best way to get around because the public transportation is terrible. The buses never run on time, are slow, are full of pickpockets, and are generally unreliable. The subway is a bit better, but there are only two lines so alot of the city and the sights are inaccessible by subway. It is also very crowded and full of pickpockets - be very careful about your wallet and belongings in Rome! Wear your money in a neck pouch, or keep your hand on your purse at all times in crowded areas. Be very cautious if someone tries to distract you, even children - because sadly many thieves use their kids to help steal things. Watch out for the gypsies in particular.
 
I spent last semester in Rome and we traveled to Assisi as well. I would suggest going to Assisi after Rome. Rome is a very big city with so much to see that after the hustle and bustle of the city life itā€™s really nice to slow things down and reflect on everything in a calm place. Assisi is perfect for that. I also traveled previously with a Catholic tour group to Medjugorie and I loved being in such a group because we were able to attend mass everyday together and we were always able to pray together during our travels (on buses, planes, etc.). Good luck with the planning!

ks
 
Ha - my home away from home! If you want to stay at a convent in Rome, try the Istituto di Santa Maria Bambina (if I locate my brochure Iā€™ll try & post the information). The nuns are sweet and it is literally right next door to St. Peterā€™s - you go down the driveway & youā€™re at the square. Be mindful that most convents & monasteries will have a curfew, so if youā€™re a night owl it will be difficult. I only stayed there once & it caused me problems because I have close relatives in Rome & couldnā€™t spend a lot of time with them.

Assisi is a beautiful place, but stay away during the peak season if you can because itā€™s extremely crowded. Youā€™ll enjoy it more when itā€™s less crowded. There are some small hotels around the town, which is way up on a hill. Be prepared to walk a lot & remember that itā€™s very hilly. If you know any Franciscans, ask them because most of them make a point of going there at least once in their careers & they would surely know where to stay. You might also try staying in one of the nearby towns like Orvieto, which are just as lovely & historic but much less touristy, and then go to Assisi during the day.

Generally, Italy is still reasonably priced for Americans despite the bad exchange rate that exists now between the dollar & the euro. The Italians will go out of their way for you because the EU & terrorism threats have kept a lot of Americans away. Donā€™t try to bargain (it hasnā€™t been done there in decades and itā€™s kind of rude besides), but also donā€™t be surprised when they lower the prices when they see you hesitating. Tips are included in the price of restaurant meals, so donā€™t leave anything unless theyā€™ve really gone over & above the call of duty.

You can save a lot of money on food by eating in the corner pizza shops (the kind that sell it by the piece) or the little plain-looking coffee bars where Italians grab a pastry for breakfast (theyā€™ll have sandwiches, etc. for lunch). Donā€™t be afraid to have some nice dinners out, because the average Italian restaurant has spectacular food and it really wonā€™t cost you more than a middle-of-the road chain here. The best thing to do is ask the Italians where they like to eat - ask everyone from the desk clerks to shopkeepers. I was buying a purse in Rome and asked the owner for a recommendation, which he not only gave but called personally & made the reservation for me - once I arrived, the waiters treated us like royalty & gave us complimentary soup & a cordial after dinner.

In Rome, avoid the buses because the routes & schedules are really confusing, and many routes arenā€™t safe for tourists. However, the subway will get you everywhere youā€™ll probably want to go anyway, and itā€™s cheap and fast even if it does get crowded. Just keep your wits about you the way you would in any American city. It will go against your Christian impulses, but donā€™t give any money to beggars because theyā€™ll harass you - put it in the box in a church & it will do much more good.

To be honest, Iā€™ve found Rome to be much safer than most of our big cities (especially New York & Washington), so donā€™t be afraid to spend time there.
 
went to rome in july of 2003ā€¦ stayed in the michaelangelo hotelā€¦ 100 yards from st petersā€¦

closest thing to heavenā€¦

Iā€™m going back someday, hoping to stay in the same placeā€¦ šŸ‘
 
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snuffy:
Great to hear of your plans for a trip to Rome šŸ‘
My family went on a pilgrimage to Rome in 2001.
My main suggestion to you is to go with a Catholic Group.
There are many excellent Catholic tour groups, that are always going over there.
Trust me, Rome is no where to be if you are alone.
If you want to send me a private message, I will look for Catholic Groups for you to go with.
Having a priest as a spiritual guide is sooo important.

Also the group we went with, gets you the cheapest rooms possible. In Rome we stayed in an old convenant. However we went to several places outside Rome, where we stayed in cheap, clean hotels.

If you want you can check out Ave Maria Centre; and Scott Hahn and many good Catholics are always leading spiritual pilgrimages.
I would suggest you take a look into going with a group with a priest.

Good Luck:
(You have lots of time to look into this) šŸ‘
Jeanette
Click to expand...

Be on your guard when paying taxi-drivers - they are not slow to take advantage of tourists.​

Donā€™t miss the Spanish Steps or the Trevi Fountain:
jhorman.org/images/rome/trevi_fountain_3.JP šŸ™‚

ā€œGo in a groupā€ is excellent advice.

St. Peterā€™s is a bit overdone IMO - but still very impressive. There are tours round the catacombs, underneath it. ##
 
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