2 years, 1 month ago
In Rome, are the scheduled tourist buses the best way to see the city for the first time?
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M$1 Answer
I would say no.
I visited Rome a number of years ago, and was brought around to a lot of the major sites, such as the Colosseum and The Spanish Steps.
However, I have only very vague memories of both of these.
I have a lot of memories of The Vatican and the Trevy Fountain, because my group were making our own way around those attractions. A tour guide leading you around and speaking while you're trying to soak up the sights, in my opinion can detract from the experience.
The truth is, we were talking more about the tour guide afterwards than we were about the Colosseum. :)
These organised tours / bus trips might take a lot of organisational pressure off you, but I think it's worth keeping as much of the holiday as you can in your own hands.
I visited Rome a number of years ago, and was brought around to a lot of the major sites, such as the Colosseum and The Spanish Steps.
However, I have only very vague memories of both of these.
I have a lot of memories of The Vatican and the Trevy Fountain, because my group were making our own way around those attractions. A tour guide leading you around and speaking while you're trying to soak up the sights, in my opinion can detract from the experience.
The truth is, we were talking more about the tour guide afterwards than we were about the Colosseum. :)
These organised tours / bus trips might take a lot of organisational pressure off you, but I think it's worth keeping as much of the holiday as you can in your own hands.
source(s):
Visit to Rome in 2000
Visit to Rome in 2000
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M$
I would accept that. If you had time constraints of perhaps one to two days, then they might be very helpful.
The essentials to see in Rome are probably the attractions mentioned above, and also the shopping thoroughfare Via del Corso . . . I happened to be on that street at the height of Saturday afternoon business and to see the throngs of people stretched along it was something else . . . there was at least 100,000 shoppers on the street, probably a similar figure contained within the street's shops.
http://www.roma2000.it/zcorso.html
Might be quieter on weekdays . . .
Also, if you are in the market for some stylish menswear, Rome is the answer . . . there are menswear shops every few metres.
My experience is that the Hop On Hop Off buses are an excellent way to see a city on the first day of your first visit. You will get to see all the highpoints and - just as important -- all the bits in between. From that experience you can decide how to self plan the rest of your stay.