Paris and Rome Travel

[RogerWilco]

Im traveling to Paris and Rome this summer with my family. Does anyone have recommendations for booking tours. I have been looking at the Getyourguide app but don't really know how reliable that is.

Does anyone have any recommendations for how to book skip the line passes, things like day tours to Pompeii, the Vatican ect.

I already know what I want to do, just looking for a reliable way to book. Thanks for any help or advice anyone may have..

[WhiteTiger]

Skip the lines tours are essential. Especially for hot spots like the Vatican or the Colosseum. They aren't too hard to find. You can google it and book them ahead of time.

When we were in Rome (never been to Paris, can't vouch for them there) my wife and I used https://www.ceetiz.com for the Vatican/Colosseum STL tours. We were very happy with them. For the tour, everyone gets a local 2 way radio receiver and earbuds, and the tour guide has a speaker, so as long as you stay about 20 meters around her, you can hear what she's saying.

If I may suggest it, we also went on a food tour with https://www.eatingeurope.com which was worth every penny, as we went back to every single stop on the tour (there were 11) at LEAST one more time to eat while we were there, and some places (such as the gelato place) were an every single day stop.

I can not possibly recommend enough the STL tours. We had a 9am tour at the Vatican, and by the time we got there for our tour (we were half hour early) the lines were already hundreds of people deep waiting. The Colosseum tour the lines were even longer, as it has a maximum occupancy that they are pretty strict with.

[malcolmk14]

We leave tomorrow for Rome & Paris. We've pre-booked a few things through Viator, early morning Vatican, day trip to Pompeii/Vesuvius/Naples. We're doing 6 days in Rome, 5 in northern Italy and 6 in Paris. I'll let ya know what we get up to!

[FLAMESRULE]

We were in Paris 2 weeks ago, just before the crazy heat. I didn't get a chance to do much because of work, but my wife did. I'd start with getting the Rick Steves books (e-books ideally). He has a bunch of great info, self guided qwalking tours, food spots, skip the lines, etc. We find you can save a bunch of money if you do his, but that's just us. Definitely get the Paris City Pass...let's you skip lines, transit passes, etc.

Paris - wife said Musee D'orsay was awesome. We also did a night e-bikes tour. It was awesome. We booked Paris Charms and Secrets. Get to see all the major sites, it's safe, and the Eiffel tower at night. Plus it's guided.

[Ozy_Flame]

Currently in Rome, I would recommend getting advanced tickets if possible for the Sistine Chapel and maybe the colosseum, but that's about it. There is lots of ruins and historic monuments that don't require lineups.

Pompeii is around Naples and not recommended to do from Rome unless you plan to do an overnight stay. Too far in a day, travel alone will be a slog.

Also, bring sunscreen. It's ####ing hot here.

[RogerWilco]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Currently in Rome, I would recommend getting advanced tickets if possible for the Sistine Chapel and maybe the colosseum, but that's about it. There is lots of ruins and historic monuments that don't require lineups.

Pompeii is around Naples and not recommended to do from Rome unless you plan to do an overnight stay. Too far in a day, travel alone will be a slog.

Also, bring sunscreen. It's ####ing hot here.

Thanks for all of the replies everyone. Question for you Ozy, what did you find to be the best way to get around in Rome itself? Transit, cab, Uber, other suggestions?

[Nyah]

Originally Posted by WhiteTiger

I can not possibly recommend enough the STL tours. We had a 9am tour at the Vatican, and by the time we got there for our tour (we were half hour early) the lines were already hundreds of people deep waiting. The Colosseum tour the lines were even longer, as it has a maximum occupancy that they are pretty strict with.

I'd like to second this. We were there in May for a few days and we booked the STL guided tours for the Colosseum, Roman Forum and the Vatican. The guides we had were excellent and vastly knowledgeable about the history, and they were all pretty fun and personable as well. I would say don't just buy the skip the line pass, get a guided tour. You learn so much more. Have a great time!

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by RogerWilco

Thanks for all of the replies everyone. Question for you Ozy, what did you find to be the best way to get around in Rome itself? Transit, cab, Uber, other suggestions?

Honestly walking was the best way, considering the roads are windy and traffic can get dicey. Bring some walking shoes, best way to see the city.

I think Uber operates there, but you could get fined. I remember that being a big sign at the train station in Rome that you can get in trouble for using Uber, but that may just be at the train station pickup location itself.

Taxis can get pricey. They also may add a surcharge based on the weight of suitcases/luggage you are carrying. Heads up on that one, a 9 Euro trip can surprisingly turn into 12. Always ask first.

I never took it, but the Rome train metro system works fine from other accounts from my travel crew.

[Fuzz]

The metro is OK, stinkin hot. And only has a few lines, but it is handy if you stay near it, for cheaper accommodation outside the busy areas. We did that and used It every day. They have an LRT which is OK for short distances. Mostly walking though. I don't think I ever took a taxi.

[4X4]

Walking is definitely the best way to get around and to actually see stuff. Don't be afraid to take some side roads since they all curve anyway. You'll discover tons of cool stuff everywhere in the historic centre, and beyond if you choose to go further. Ozy's recommendation of bringing proper shoes is probably the best advice for a trip to Rome.

Buses are slow because traffic, and stuffy as hell
Metro is underground so you miss tons of cool things
Taxis will literally take you for a ride

[GoinAllTheWay]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Pompeii is around Naples and not recommended to do from Rome unless you plan to do an overnight stay. Too far in a day, travel alone will be a slog.

It's a bit of a slog but can be done. We got up early (our flat was 1 block from the coliseum) and traveled to Pompeii. Did a tour and continued on to Sorrento for half a day. Got home a bit later in the evening. Would have been earlier save for Sunday rush hour back into the city.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Walking is definitely the best way to get around and to actually see stuff. Don't be afraid to take some side roads since they all curve anyway. You'll discover tons of cool stuff everywhere in the historic centre, and beyond if you choose to go further. Ozy's recommendation of bringing proper shoes is probably the best advice for a trip to Rome.

Buses are slow because traffic, and stuffy as hell
Metro is underground so you miss tons of cool things
Taxis will literally take you for a ride

We always like to walk, walk, walk, as far as we can, and when you can't walk another step, take the metro home.

[Winsor_Pilates]

We bought the official Roma Pass when we went, it gets you into 1-2 places free and skip the line. Also gets you free transit for your stay.
It's provided by the city itself, so always felt like less of a scam risk: http://www.romapass.it/

IIRC, it does not work for the Vatican since it's technically it's own municipality.
We used the free site on the Colosseum and booked a different access ticket for the Vatican.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Agree on not doing Pompeii from Rome.

If you're going all the way down there anyway, spend a night or 2 on the Amalfi Coast (Sorrento, Amalfi, Possitano).
It's stunning and would be a shame to go right past it to Pompeii and back.

[Ozy_Flame]

Yeah, Pompeii/Naples/Sorrento/Positano/Amalfi are definitely it's own trip. That can be two weeks vacation right there.

Don't give money to the beggars though wherever you are, especially the hooded old ladies (usually gypsies) who are keeled over and look like they're about to croak. You may feel sorry them, but they have point people watching nearby and will observe where your wallet/money is. You are then more likely to get pickpocketed because they know where to grab.

Rome was generally safe and I didn't worry too much, but I do recommend a money belt worn under your clothes (and preferably close to your crotch). It may look/feel stupid but you'll know it works when nothing happens to you and you have a pleasant vacation.

[D as in David]

If you're doing Pompeii (and have the time), I'd also recommend going to see Herculaneum. A smaller site but better preserved than Pompeii. They're both pretty spectacular and you can do them both in the same day. The transit train between them is very convenient.

[vtec260]

Last year we stayed 5 minute walking distance from the Vatican using Airbnb. Bought advanced tickets for Vatican museum visits online. Sistine Chapel was a bit of let down. So crowded, hot, humid, and paintings were smaller than expected.


Used Rome pass for bulk of sight seeing and metro to commute during busy hours and bus during non-rush hours. For Colosseum visit, go as soon as it opens before crowd gathers. Walked mostly around Spanish steps, Trevi fountain, Pantheon, and surround areas. Got lost a few times and glad we did. Went to walk around places that were not typically found in Rick Steve's book. Try to use mom and pop restaurants over chains and enjoy various caffeinated beverages and pastries in the morning.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by D as in David

If you're doing Pompeii (and have the time), I'd also recommend going to see Herculaneum. A smaller site but better preserved than Pompeii. They're both pretty spectacular and you can do them both in the same day. The transit train between them is very convenient.

Ostia Antica 26k south of Rome is a huge Roman archeological site that doesn’t have the popular history of Pompeii but is amazing.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by RogerWilco

Im traveling to Paris and Rome this summer with my family. Does anyone have recommendations for booking tours. I have been looking at the Getyourguide app but don't really know how reliable that is.



Does anyone have any recommendations for how to book skip the line passes, things like day tours to Pompeii, the Vatican ect.



I already know what I want to do, just looking for a reliable way to book. Thanks for any help or advice anyone may have..

Late to the party, but in Paris two things:

we had a private eBike tour by Martin & Friends - pricey but worth it for the history lesson and tour of the best patisserie shops. Our guide deliberately didn’t take us to the famous tourist spots since we could do that on our own, but every square and neighbourhood we visited was full of history and/or great snacks. For a first day introduction to Paris for our teens it was amazing.

Second, when you go to the Louvre skip the 2 hour lines above ground and find the entrance in the nearby underground shopping mall. We went on a busy public holiday and walked straight in.

Third, Musée d’Orsay is still our favourite

Fourth, eat anywhere, where you least expect it, and enjoy!

[Bigtime]

A twitter follow currently living in Rome recommended this restaurant for us, just ate there 3 days ago and loved it.

Osteria del Sostegno: http://ilsostegno.it/

It's located down a little alley with a support beam holding up the one building. Recommend making a reservation as it starts filling up right away for dinner after opening at 7:30pm.