Italy - This is why I love FT! Rome ?

Here's my success story.

Not only did we redeem AA miles for a week long Disney trip for my daughter's birthday via the 75K AA miles cards, but I also signed up for the PRG Am Ex. I did the bump my bonus code, met the spending quickly, and called to have my points expedited. Well, they expedited my 75K points. So a couple weeks later, I got 25K more MR points, bringing my total to 100K! I transferred to DL for the 25K MQM's and 50% bonus, netting me Platinum status, and 150K DL miles.

So now I've booked 2 tickets in the low level from BNA-CDG-FCO-BNA with a 5 day stopover in Paris and 5 days in Rome! Grand total was only 120K DL miles, plus $200 in taxes. I will use my SPG points (I received 60K and the Mrs. received 60K from both personal and business cards) to pay for our hotels in Paris (4 award nights plus 1 free) and in Rome (4 award nights plus 1 free). So grand total, I will spend 96K SPG points for 10 nights. Because of my PM status, I also get Economy Comfort for free, so I'll have plenty of legroom (and drinks:D). So we will have a 10 day trip to Paris and Rome for only 120K DL miles and 96K SPG points all from credit card sign up bonuses since August! Thanks to all those in FT that helped along the way!

We have been to Paris before, but never to Rome, so now we just have to decide what to do in Rome for 5 days. Any suggestions?

Since your only question is what to do in Rome I'll move your thread to the Italy forum. Enjoy your travels!!

Nice redemption results! Suprised you found availability on DL since the lack of seems to be discussed often there on FT and I have not had much luck when looking in the past. Enjoy your trip!

Welcome to the world of FT!! (Should we change the name to Free Travel?)

Looks like you are reaping the benefits of your hard work in obtaining those miles/points. There's plenty more where those came from :)

__________________________________________________ ________

FT has also changed MY life for the better since joining FT about a year and a half ago. Since then here is what I have done with the miles/points which I have accrued:


1. May 2011 - Coach R/T Ticket BOS-AMS = 60K Delta Skymiles + $65 in taxes/fees (Traveled with a friend who had 60K Delta miles of his own so we traveled in coach together.)

2. October 2011 - 8-day all-inclusive vacation to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico for my family of 4, including RT direct flights on JetBlue = All paid for with my 385,000 Capital One Venture Points. All food, drinks for theweek included in the AI package. We did spend $550 for an amazing all-day private land/sea tour of Palaya Del Carmen, Tulum, Akumal.

3. April 2012 - 9-day trip to Anna Maria Island, FL for my family of 4 (This place is sooo beautiful). Been thrice before. This trip includes
- 9-Day standard-size SUV rental = 54K Delta Skymiles
- 2 nights at the Hyatt Regency in Sarasota = 24K Hyatt Points
- 6 nights at a house that is 50 yards from an amazing beach and nice pool on Anna Maria Island = My in-laws are paying for our house rental :)
- 4 R/T tickets on JetBlue direct BOS-TPA = 110K JetBlue points + $90 in taxes/fees

4. December 2012 - 10-day trip to St. Lucia with my wife to celebrate our first 15 yars of marriage.
- 2 R/T coach tickets BOS-JFK-UVF on AA metal using British Airways/Avios points = 80K BA/Avios points. I may decide to do a couple of the legs in Business Class, but may not since BA/Avios require FC award points for any 2-class aircraft on AA metal, even if the front of the plane Business and has no FC. Ugh... So, anywhere from 80K-160K BA/Avios points
- 4 nights all-inclusive at Calabash Cove Resort in Gros Islet = 175K AA miles + approx $600 cash
- 5 nights all-inclusive at Jalousie Plantation = 240K AA miles + approx $1000 cash

After all of this my wife and I combined still have over 1 million points/miles in various hotel/airline/credit card programs.

All I can say is...thank you FT!!!!!

Love these success stories! They inspire me. Before FT I would have never believed it could happen.

We have been to Paris before, but never to Rome, so now we just have to decide what to do in Rome for 5 days. Any suggestions?

read about rome 250bc-100ad. go there. also throw in the Vatican and museum

One place I recommend (access from Rome by train, but it is also close to FCO) is the ancient port, Ostia Antica, where 100,000 lived and the ships with treasure, soldiers, amphorae of wine and olive oil, Tyrian purple dyes, etc. passed through. Sure, you can spend a lot of time going to and from Pompeii, but Ostia is cool and very historical.

Of course, this Forum has lots of information on Rome, so prepare for your trip - and enjoy!

Congratulations on your great redemption. As far as Rome goes, there are a couple of things you pretty much have to do that burn a couple of days, so that can narrow down your options. Also, be prepared to walk a LOT, so comfortable shoes are essential. If you're into art/culture I usually recommend something like this...

Day 1 - often half a day or so since you're arriving, thus no major sightseeing in favor of wandering around to the Fontana di Trevi, the Pantheon, go check out the Caravaggios in San Luigi dei Francesi, go to Piazza Navona and have dinner somewhere in the area (probably Cul de Sac). Stop and gawk along the way (always!).

Day 2 - Colosseum & Roman Forum - this can take hours depending on your pace and interest in archeology. Lunch somewhere in the area (maybe la Piazzetta), then off to San Clemente to see the historical layer cake that is Roman architecture.

Day 3 - St. Peter's and the Sistine chapel (unless you're a devoted catholic this should be timed to avoid Wednesdays - papal blessing - and Sundays for obvious reasons). This will also take hours. In the afternoon/evening make my way through the Jewish Ghetto, across the Tiber Island and to Trastevere. Have dinner somewhere like Le Mani in Pasta, and then head over to Santa Maria in Trastevere to look at the mosaics and a post-dinner drink.

Day 4 - Get a reservation for the Galleria Borghese and go see amazing Berninis etc. Then move along to the MAXXI for a change of pace to contemporary art and/or go down to Piazza del Popolo, see Santa Maria del Popolo, work my way to the Spanish Steps, do some shopping.

Day 5 - depending on your schedule pack up and go or if you have a full day and a car maybe set out early for a day trip to Tivoli and Hadrian's villa, or Ostia antica as recommended above. Or see more of Rome... it never ends! My mother has lived there for 50 years and she's always making new discoveries.

Have fun!!!

Thanks everyone for the advice! I'm got plenty of time to plan everything out, so that's for all the suggestions!

Here's my success story.

I've played USAir's Grand Slam the last two years. This year I accumulated 112,700 miles for an out of pocket expense of $382. Some of that was for rental cars I never drove, while some was Netflix which I watch, sponges from OfficeMax that we use etc). Last year I spent similar, received 100,000+ points.

Last month I redeemed for two tickets in C, CLT-JFK-FRA-VCE//FCO-EWR-CLT. ~$200 in ticketing fees. So for under $500 apiece we are flying business class to Italy and back.

We are two nights in Venice at the Molino Stucky Hilton on free night certificates, 5 nights in Florence on Hhonors points, and two nights at the Grand Flora Marriott in Rome with points. Last night will be at the airport Hilton, also on points.

FT is addictive, eh? Snaporaz, your suggestions are great. I wonder...what would the Vatican be like on a Sunday? Is the museum still open? Or do the crowds make it a zoo?

Here's my success story.


^

We have been to Paris before, but never to Rome, so now we just have to decide what to do in Rome for 5 days. Any suggestions?

When? Winter, Spring, Summer?

dwcatty, the Vatican Museums are only open the last Sunday of each month. On those Sundays, admission is free but the crowds are terrible. It is limited entry hours - from 08:30 to 12:30 - on these Sundays with a museum closure of 14:00. I've been one time on a "free-Sunday" and I'll never do it again - you cannot move, or enjoy the museums, due to the crowding. For some more help on your visit, you might read 20 tips for visiting the Vatican Museums (http://tinyurl.com/vatican-tips) . Enjoy!

dwcatty, the Vatican Museums are only open the last Sunday of each month. On those Sundays, admission is free but the crowds are terrible. [/B]. Enjoy!

i do not think that statement is correct.

http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-Info/MV_Info_Orari.html

i recall going 3 days in a row, and only had special permissions for one of those days(letter of intor from a couple of museum directors for back galleries).

slawecki, I lived across the street from the Vatican Museums entrance for almost three years. They are closed on Sundays... You might re-read that link you posted. Regarding Sundays it says:

----------
Closed...
Sunday (except the last Sunday of every month, free entrance from 9 am to 12.30 pm; the Museums close at 2 pm unless it coincides with Easter Sunday, the 29th of June (St. Peter and Paul), 25th and 26th of December (Christmas and St. Stephen). Free entrance also the 27th of September (World day of Tourism)
----------

Thus, they are closed all Sundays except the last Sunday of the month, unless that Sunday is Easter Sunday, June 29th, Chrtistmas Day or the day after....

On those "last day of the month" Sundays, the museums are packed and many people waiting in the 2+ hour line actually never even get in. Upon leaving my apartment and heading downtown, I often walked up to people at the end of the line around 11 AM and told them that they would NOT be able to get in before the 12:30 last-entry time. Most often they stayed in line anyway. Better ways to spend your Sundays!

dwcatty, the Vatican Museums are only open the last Sunday of each month. On those Sundays, admission is free but the crowds are terrible. It is limited entry hours - from 08:30 to 12:30 - on these Sundays with a museum closure of 14:00. I've been one time on a "free-Sunday" and I'll never do it again - you cannot move, or enjoy the museums, due to the crowding. For some more help on your visit, you might read 20 tips for visiting the Vatican Museums (http://tinyurl.com/vatican-tips) . Enjoy!

Great stuff, thanks.

dwcatty, the Vatican Museums are only open the last Sunday of each month.

I think this sentence is ambiguous enough to warrant slawecki's statement. ;)

5 days are too few to see Rome. Besides all the landmarks you can visit, all listed in the traditional travel guide books, check out some websites to know what's going on in terms of lifestyle & events. the best one in English is http://www.buzzinrome.com

5 days are too few to see Rome. Besides all the landmarks you can visit, all listed in the traditional travel guide books, check out some websites to know what's going on in terms of lifestyle & events. the best one in English is http://www.buzzinrome.com


Ummmmm, agnes87, 12 posts on FT and all of them pushing this website. :rolleyes:

5 days are too few to see Rome. Besides all the landmarks you can visit, all listed in the traditional travel guide books, check out some websites to know what's going on in terms of lifestyle & events. the best one in English is http://www.buzzinrome.com


I disagree, respectfully of course. Five days are too few to really experience any city but, from a tourist perspective, five will get the job done.

I'm with Alice11 as well, what time of year are you going? This makes a difference in the outdoor activities, closures of buildings, 'eccetera, eccetera'.

Ummmmm, agnes87, 12 posts on FT and all of them pushing this website. :rolleyes:
4 out of 12. You can't count or you are a lier, geo 1005? in both cases, think twice next time you falsely blame someone, ok?