OK, we've gotten into the city and, hopefully, to the Airbnb, although Cathy and Fernando will be there a day ahead of me..and will have walked around scouting things out.
So, how are we going to get around? Should we get a Roma Pass? All the following comes from Rick Steves' Rome so, if you prefer, you can read it there..on page 54. Or you can read about it on the Roma Pass website. And check out the FAQ
The Roma Pass costs 36 Eur and is valid for three days, covering public transportation and free or discounted entry to Roman sights. You get free admission to your first two sights and also get to skip the ticket line, and then a discount (c. 30%) on the rest within the three day window.
Sights covered (or discounted) by the pass include Colosseum/Palantine Hill/Roman Forum, Borghese Gallery (although you still must make a reservation), Capitoline Museums, Castel Sant'Angelo, Montemartini Museum, Ara Pacis, Museum of Roman Civilization, Etruscan Museum, Baths of Caracalla, Trajan's Market, and come of the Appian Way sights. The pass also covers four brances of the National Museum of Rome, considered as a single sight: Palazzo Masssimo, Crypta Balbi, Palazzo Altemps and the Museum of the Bath.
The Roma Pass does not cover the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel.
RS feels that if you'll be using public transportation and visiting any two of the major sights in a three-day period, you should get the pass. It's sold at participating sights,
TIs, and many tobacco shops and newsstands around town. Validate your Roman Pass by writing your name and validation date on the card. Then insert it directly into the turnstile at your first two free sights. At the others, show it to the ticket office to get the reduced (ridotto) price.
Visit the two most expensive sights first. I figure the Colosseum/Palatine Hill/Roman forum at E 12, and the Borghese at E13. I don't know how many museums we want to see. That will be another assignment, but I imagine we can handle at least one more. Should we buy the Roma pass first, and knock off the Colosseum and Borghese at the beginning of the trip (Mon/Tues)? If we spend a couple of hours in a museum, we can then spend the rest of the day wandering or visiting churches, or whatever.
Having the 3 day transit pass will allow us to determine how much we use it, and whether we want to buy a week pass for the following days. Here's how to use the transit pass. Write your name and birthdate on the pass, validate it on your first bus or Metro ride by passing it over a sensor at a turnstile or validation machine (look for a yellow circle) and you can take unlimited rides within Rome's city limits until midnight of the final day.
The Rome Toolkit has a good and extensive page on Rome Travel Passes - 1, 3 & 7 Day...valid on the Metro, buses, trams and some train services. The weekly pass looks like it costs E 24. "Many visitors will be arriving at Termini Station. Termini Station is a good place to get your tickets, especially travel passes. There are a lot of kiosks at the bus station in front of the railway station and many tobacconists around the station who are used to dealing with visitors and advertise the fact in English."
So, how are we going to get around? Should we get a Roma Pass? All the following comes from Rick Steves' Rome so, if you prefer, you can read it there..on page 54. Or you can read about it on the Roma Pass website. And check out the FAQ
Sights covered (or discounted) by the pass include Colosseum/Palantine Hill/Roman Forum, Borghese Gallery (although you still must make a reservation), Capitoline Museums, Castel Sant'Angelo, Montemartini Museum, Ara Pacis, Museum of Roman Civilization, Etruscan Museum, Baths of Caracalla, Trajan's Market, and come of the Appian Way sights. The pass also covers four brances of the National Museum of Rome, considered as a single sight: Palazzo Masssimo, Crypta Balbi, Palazzo Altemps and the Museum of the Bath.
The Roma Pass does not cover the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel.
RS feels that if you'll be using public transportation and visiting any two of the major sights in a three-day period, you should get the pass. It's sold at participating sights,
Visit the two most expensive sights first. I figure the Colosseum/Palatine Hill/Roman forum at E 12, and the Borghese at E13. I don't know how many museums we want to see. That will be another assignment, but I imagine we can handle at least one more. Should we buy the Roma pass first, and knock off the Colosseum and Borghese at the beginning of the trip (Mon/Tues)? If we spend a couple of hours in a museum, we can then spend the rest of the day wandering or visiting churches, or whatever.
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| Kiosk at Termini Bus Station Selling Travel Passes & Tour Tickets |
The Rome Toolkit has a good and extensive page on Rome Travel Passes - 1, 3 & 7 Day...valid on the Metro, buses, trams and some train services. The weekly pass looks like it costs E 24. "Many visitors will be arriving at Termini Station. Termini Station is a good place to get your tickets, especially travel passes. There are a lot of kiosks at the bus station in front of the railway station and many tobacconists around the station who are used to dealing with visitors and advertise the fact in English."
