Originally Posted by
EmmaKay
Thanks everyone for the helpful replies!
We are staying at the Albergo Del Senato which is right next to the Pantheon, so from looking at the map, I would rather spring for a cab directly to the hotel rather than try to walk there from Termini.
For the tour, I ended up booking a 3:00 Walks of Italy tour of the Colosseum and Forum and Palatine Hill. That gives us plenty of time in case the flight is delayed and we can dump our bags at the hotel and get some food before the tour starts. I hope we will be up for the three hour tour (three hour tour . . . ) after the not-so-long flight, as Perche mentioned. But it should help us power through the day so we can go to bed closer to local time. Sadly, the tour that included the underground areas was all booked.
The next afternoon we are doing a Context tour "ARTE VATICANA" which includes St. Peter's, the Vatican museum and of course the Sistine Chapel. I picked both tour companies based on many comments in other threads here on FT. I am so excited, I haven't been to Italy for 27 years, when I was in my early 20s.
That's a great hotel, I've stayed there a couple of times. And it is very, very close to Armando al Pantheon, a roman dining mainstay. You need to reserve in advance if you want to go.
If you are looking for a quick snack on the day you arrive, directly across the piazza from the Del Senato is a small shop called Antica Salumeria – you can get good sandwiches and baked goods there. Also beer/wine and meats and cheeses. There is a room at the back with tables where you can eat.