It is easy - and advisable - to spend a whole day in Vatican City, checking out the acres of treasures in the museums. And really, once you’re inside, you don’t want to think about leaving early and coming back another day - do you remember that line you just stood in for hours to get where you are? Stay, see what you want to see, and be done with the Vatican Museums once and for all. Oh, and reward yourself with a stop in St. Peter’s afterwards - with no fee and (often) no line, it’s bliss.

The highlights of ancient Rome can be seen in a day, from the Forum, Colosseum and Palatine Hill to the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. A day spent visiting those sights (and the views of the Forum from Capitol Hill) is a day spent walking - a lot. So wear your comfortable shoes, and bring sun protection if your visit is during nice weather. In the Forum especially there is no respite from the heat (ruins provide little shade when they lack rooftops). Oh, and you’ll need to save extra cash for a gelato or espresso on Piazza Navona - the prices are exorbitant, but the views are fantastic.

 

The Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps might be kitschy, but you sort of have to do them anyway. Get in line, stand with your back to the fountain and throw your coin - even if you don’t really want to return to Rome by the time you squeeze your way up to throwing distance. (The coins are collected once a week and donated to the Italian Red Cross, so at least there’s that.) A visit to the Spanish Steps just might make you want to watch “Roman Holiday” again, too, which is never a bad thing.

The bottom line is that although a visit to Rome might not inspire the heartfelt sighs that a view of Tuscan hills or a stroll through Venice at dusk might inspire, Rome is not a city you can skip when you visit Italy. So, rather than worry about what might happen, plan ahead to make sure that a great visit to Rome does happen.

 

 

| Pantheon| Rome Transportation 101 | How Much Time to Spend on Each “Must-See” Sight | Trevi Fountain: History & Legend |
| Spanish Steps in Rome | Piazza Navona in Rome | Roman Forum. Palatine Hill in Rome | Vatican City |