STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

jettie · Kate Spade

Rome (all by myself!)

Sevilla · BCBG

You'll be fine by yourself... Rome is a wonderful city and very female friendly, maybe even a little too much so at times... but all in a good way

I think the main thing to watch in Rome is your personal belongings, especially in crowded places like the subway. When I'm there I always sling my purse to my front and hold it that way, especially on the subway during peak times and at major attractions where gypsies and the like tend to congregate. Other than that, I think Rome is a really safe city, assuming you're smart and use common sense (not walking by yourself at night, etc.).

I have a list of hotels that I've used before and that I send students to on my work computer, and I'll post them tomorrow.

And just one more thing... you must eat at this little restaurant called RomAntica... it's the best trattoria in Rome, IMO! They serve the best pasta and have the most adorable older Italian man who walks around playing a guitar singing, "That's Amore"... it sounds cheesy but it's really a great atmosphere.

HTH!

-- Edited by Sevilla at 19:12, 2007-01-18

cc · Marc Jacobs

I'm so jealous! I've been in Rome by myself and never felt unsafe. As Sevilla said, the main thing you have to watch out for is pickpockets. Before going I was warned repeatedly that even though I've spent my whole life in NYC I would not be prepared for the level of pickpocketing but I didn't have any gypsy encounters on either of my 2 trips there. Maybe I got lucky or maybe I have more street smarts than I thought but I think if you follow basic common sense (like Sevilla mentioned, keep your bag in front of you while on buses and trains, etc.) you'll be just fine.

On my first trip I stayed in an expensive hotel but on my second I stayed in two fairly budget places. One was the Hotel Navona which had a great location but which was a little bit run down. The other was the Smeraldo which is also in a good location and I liked that a bit better. It had been renovated recently and at the time there was also a great bakery down the block.

As for what to do, here are my favorites:

- the ruins! The Forum, the Colosseum, Domus Aurea (Neros' Golden Palace), the Pantheon

-Galleria Borghese- such a great museum and since they limit the number of tickets it's never really crowded. Titian, Caravaggio and 3 absolutely AMAZING Bernini sculptures.

-Caravaggio!! - if you're a fan you must see the paintings in San Luigi dei Francesi and Santa Maria del Popolo

-the Vatican museum. Sooo overwhelming but obviously amazing.

-St Peter in Chains - for Michelangelo's Moses

-Capitoline hill - designed by Michelangelo and the museum contains some of the most important monuments of ancient Rome

-Capuchin Cemetary (if you're not easily freaked out)

-gelato!

littlebean · Kate Spade

cc's list of things to do is great. The hotel I stayed at in Rome has closed, so no suggestions there, but I just wanted to say that you will love it! Rome is awesome. And although you should try to be savvy since women always have to be while traveling alone, you should be totally fine there.

Cricket · Gucci

Like CC, I stayed at the Hotel Navona during my last stay too! Although it was not luxurious, it was clean and the people were friendly. It is run by an Austrian family. What makes it great, though, is the location. Right around the corner from the Pantheon. So close to Piazza Navona. Last time we were in Rome, I was SEVEN months pregnant and we had a two year old. We were definitly looking for an inexpensive hotel, but with me being so HUGE, location was my first priority. We walked everywhere from that hotel. The coloseo, forum, Trevi, Spanish Steps, everywhere. Sure it was expensive for such a sparse room, but we saved so much time and money by being in that location, that it was more than worth it.

I just have one restaurant rec, the Myosotis. It's between Pantheon and Piazza Navona. It's a cute Meditteranean restaurant with an AMAZING wine list and superb service. We ate our last meal in the city there and had the best time. Even though it is an upscale restaurant, we brought our two year old, and the wait staff was so sweet to her, and they made us feel so welcome. Here's the link to their website...

http://www.myosotis.it/secondo_ristorante1.htm

HTH