Roaming Rome: The City of the Seven Hills

We had a wonderful guide for our trip, Enrica. she was very helpful and offered wonderful narratives. the only disappointing part of the trip was not having the after hours tour of the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican museum. this after hours tour was the main reason that I signed up for this tour. This is the first time in 7 trips that Road Scholar has disappointed me.

the tour was exactly as advertised. we did, in fact, walk 2-5 miles a day, though at a leisurely pace. and the number of tour members (13) made it possible to generate friendships and share knowledge. Several had been on multiple Road Scholar trips.

This was an excellent program. The tour leader and almost all of the local experts were exceptional (the exception was the wordy motor-mouth at the Jewish Museum!). The highlight, of course was the two hours we spent in the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. That alone was worth the price of admission! The meals were good but not exceptional -- although the farewell dinner in a restaurant which was the location where Goethe stayed in the late 1790s was memorable because of its location. The location of the hotel was super, right on top of everything -- well, almost. And a good group of fellow travelers! Carl

Rome is such a fascinating city with so much history. This trip was beautifully organized to introduce us to its many facets. We had a wonderful time and learned quite a bit.

I highly recommend this trip! It was informative and well-organized. Everything was top notch and I learned a lot and made new friends that I hope to travel with in the future!

We just completed our first RS trip and have decided we will choose RS for all future world travel as they greatly enhanced the experience. Certainly the best adventure of our lives - so far. Can’t wait for the next RS trip!

Roamin' Rome delivered as much education as one could reasonably expect to pack into that many days, balanced with fun, camaraderie, and enough free time to explore whatever else we wanted (or just rest). Definitely worth it, and we WILL be going on more RS programs!

My husband agreed with my comments. Alessio I was always very helpful when we mentioned the difficulties that we had. He handled them immediately. He went above and beyond to make sure that our trip was great.

Bravo!

Roaming Rome is a delightful, carefully crafted trip that features all the "big hits" in a thematic style. I have only one suggestion -- The last day we had breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The lunch was near/in the modern museum. And then, we also had a "farewell" dinner. Too much food. On Saturday, there was only breakfast. My suggestion is this: Have breakfast and lunch on Saturday; and breakfast and farewell dinner on Sunday. The independent lectures were informative. Instead of a talk comparing Italy and the U.S., I would prefer to have learned about how Italy became a nation. None of my history classes focused on Italy (except for the Renaissance.) It's a mystery to me why the city-states survived for so long, and how one man managed to unite the country. Best wishes, Marcia Whitney-Schenck

Rome was great. The tour guides were all well educated and knew their material. The only downside was the hotel. Very old, in need of repair, mold everywhere and not attempting to correct the problem. Covid is on the rise in Rome, several of us tested positive. I enjoyed the group and most of the dinners. The daily breakfast was nothing to rave about. No hot food.

Great intro to Rome— especially first time visitors-/ with knowledgeable and caring guides Be prepared for crowds, uneven pavement and the surprises that come with a bustling city. The guides will get you through— but this is truly an on your feet program. Lots of free time to customize your experience and central location of the hotel ensures access to many of the major sites and experiences.

Take advantage of the learning experience of a lifetime: you will not be disappointed. Whether it be in your own country or someone else's: there's a lot to see and do. Meet first timers or participants who have extensive travel experiences. Road Scholar has something for everyone (even grandchildren.)

The Rome trip was exceptional. The people in the group were educated and warm, and everyone got along well.

The well-organized tour had a thoughtful structure, and daily guide Alessio Rosoldi was terrific. The other guides/lecturers were expert, as needed for a subject as vast as Rome. The mix of guided tours, classroom time, and free time was well-balanced. The private, after-hours tour of the Vatican Museum and the architect-guided stroll of the Jewish Ghetto were highlights. Although the hotel was a bit worn, it was in a strategic location and a good value. The included meals throughout the week justified the city’s reputation for good food. As always with Road Scholar trips, this one attracted interesting fellow travelers.

This trip did not meet my expectations. Firstly, we were warned that the schedule might change, but it changed too much. For example, on our first full day, the itinerary scheduled the Colosseum and Forum tour in the morning, so I booked a bike tour for 3-7. However, we had lunch first, although it was beastly hot, then the tour, so I only got to see the Colosseum. When we complained, the explanation was that the tickets had been bought a year in advance and they couldn't change them. Then why would Road Scholar provide the wrong schedule in the first place? There was a general disconnect between RS and the main guide. Did she not review the itinerary and work with RS to get it right? Plus, we had to walk to the sites instead of taking the promised van or taxi. This happened three times, when we were promised a taxi ride and had to walk instead. This would have been OK but it was beastly hot EVERY day. I only enjoyed one meal and that was a bento bowl/salad thing. The rest was too pizza-and-pasta heavy with no vegetables. I could have had those if there had been something green. Our main guide treated us like children and scolded those who might have been late for something instead of respecting us as the adults we are and using the phone or text to communicate. Our second main guide at various sites talked a lot about history but not enough about urban design in Rome (Sixtus V!) or its buildings. One can read history later, but the rest needs to be heard at the actual site. The best, and unfortunately last, guide talked about the features of various streets and buildings as we walked along--I wish she had been our guide the whole time. Finally, tours for nearby places were scheduled on different days, so we ended up traversing the same areas repeatedly. Tours should have been grouped like was done for Mussolini's Fori and MAXXI. This was my first RS trip, but I won't use RS again. Instead, I will travel on my own and take individual tours and classes.

Roaming the Hills of Rome City Tour of Rome-is a vey active but stimulating tour. It is fun, the weather is gorgeous, the food delicious and the history of Rome is easily seen in all its glory in the historic district where our Hotel was located.

I was somewhat disappointed in this, my first RS trip. I felt that the severe temperatures (90-92) were given little consideration- should have been some stops, water breaks ( in shade) built in. Doing the forum & coliseum in one day was too much! Some of the info was too detailed, too much historical trivia. Some of the restaurants were poor - the Testravere one particularly- the fried artichoke blossoms almost inedible; the gnocchi was pretty tasteless. Our 50 yr.-old-guide was genial, but tall & set a fast pace- it was difficult, at times, to get pictures in, without being left behind. At one point, the group did move on without me. I searched for them for 1/2 hour in 91 degree heat without success. Thankfully, guide called me, & was able to direct me to lunch restaurant where rest of group had already finished the 1st course.

To quote one of our expert speakers..."3,000 years of history in just one week." (He actually said One hour.) Truly an educational experience.

A great introduction to Rome!

When I signed up for my program, Road Scholar team and website helped me prepare well for this big journey, from travel details to program plans. The days had just the right balance of relevant programs and free time to explore. The program's activity level was exactly as described. Going to the places with an expert guide in a small group was the perfect format as we had opportunity to ask questions and hear their personal perspectives. I will look for another Road Scholar travel program in the future.

Take This Trip! It was a wonderful week spent in beautiful Roma! I saw things I had never seen before (after two other trips there in recent years), and learned more about things I had seen before. There was just the right mix of scheduled time and free time.

This is exactly what I was looking for - a "stay put" but Rome-focused experience. It was wonderful and I would highly recommend to anyone with a similar interest.

What fun to spend a week wandering around the "Eternal City" with knowledgeable experts and lovely fellow participants. It didn't hurt either that every meal was delicious and the weather fantastic. What a blast!

The perfect pace and variety of experiences, some expected and some not, made this an ideal revisit to one of the most amazing cities in the world. I highly recommend this trip and the group of experts who led it.

Rome! What not to love!

Very good overview of main highlights which my wife enjoyed. (note: I have been in Rome many times over the last 55 years.) I did feel that the Vatican Museum and St Peters Cathedral were rushed by being on the same day. If they had been on separate days, these two staples of Rome could have been covered more in-depth. Staying at a very convenient hotel for the entire program was a definite plus. I also learned about a lot of new opportunities and attractions that we will visit on our next trip to Italy.

I am most pleased with the use of vans, rather than buses for inner city travel. The drivers were a delight (we all felt quite safe) and the vehicles comfortable. The hotel was acceptable, not up to the standards of some other trips/locations. At least my room (on the 1st floor) needed attention to things like loose sink faucet, loose electrical connection/outlet at the wall and loose carpet stripping at the bathrm. door & way too noisy facing the main street below. The staff, however, was gracious and efficient. As always, I am so impressed with the quality of the guides and lecturers... all brainiacs and with delightful personalities! Pamela Martin~ p.s. How could I forget...the Vatican Museum was one of the most horrible experiences ever...the crowds, OMG...take that off of your tour itinerary...it definitely wasn't worth the time to be herded like cattle to the slaughterhouse...yuch!

I found the physical demands of the program challenging, but I knew what I was getting into. I often used the free time to rest.

Very easy to navigate.

This was my third tour with RS and more than a dozen trips to Europe. It accomplished what I had hoped as Rome is a challenging city for a first time visitor. The tour director for my trip was excellent and attended to a variety of the partipants requests and comments with speed, clarity and concern. The hotel accommodations were less impressive. Overall, the concept of visiting a major city with structure and multiple options for free time are good. This trip accomplished much for me but could be improved for everyone’s benefit.