Buon giorno and welcome to Stefano’s RomeCabs Transfers and Tours travel blog.

Summer time is the best time to visit Rome. Long sunny days to enjoy more sites, cool evenings to enjoy the night time scenery,  and the perfect time to sample as many gelato shops in Rome!

Rome can also get very hot in the summer, and for some making sightseeing a challenge when dealing with high temperatures. However, if you plan your days and sites in advance, you can enjoy Rome more comfortably.

 

5 Ways to Stay Cool Touring in Rome this Summer

 

1  BOOK MUSEUM AND MONUMENT TICKETS IN ADVANCE

 

Avoid long ticket lines that can cause you to wait hours in the heat or in the sun by booking your tickets for the Vatican Museums and Colosseum in Advance.

If you book your tickets in advance you can skip the unnecessary wait time in ticket lines – the time you save by avoiding ticket lines you will have to enjoy the museums and monuments!

Book your tickets below:

Vatican Museum Tickets

Colosseum Tickets

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2 AVOID LONG SECURITY LINES UNDER THE SUN

Some sites like the Colosseum and St Peter’s Basilica have security checkpoints installed that require all visitors to first clear security prior to entering.

At the Colosseum, even ticket holders must clear security which can mean unpredictably long wait times in the security lines.

At Saint Peter’s Basilica the security checkpoints create lines that extend around St Peter’s Square.

Security lines at both the Colosseum and St Peter’s Basilica require standing under the hot sun and wait times can be anywhere from 10 minutes to more than 1 hour.

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The best time to avoid long security lines at the Colosseum is to arrive just before the Colosseum opens in the morning.

 Although you would find a small gathering of early risers in line to enter the Colosseum when it opens, the wait time is significantly  shorter than if you wait until later morning or later in the day to visit.
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Likewise, the best time to visit St Peter’s Basilica is also when it first opens in the morning.

Otherwise, if you are touring the Vatican Museum with a licensed tour guide, the guide can guarantee you shortcut access to St Peter’s Basilica through the guided tour designated entrance.
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Be aware that if you book a Vatican Museum guided tour through the Vatican, it most  likely their guide is not authorized to also guide visitors into St Peter’s Basilica and you will be left just before you enter the Sistine Chapel to proceed on your own.

Without a licensed guide you may or may not be permitted to access this backway entrance.  As such, you will have to exit the Vatican Museums, travel around the Vatican to St Peter’s Square,  and try to enter the basilica from St Peter’s Square with the potentially long security lines.

Rome licensed tour guides, such as the private guides from My Rome Guides are fully licensed to tour the Vatican Museums as well as St Peter’s Basilica and the rest of Rome.

 

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3 COMMON MISTAKES THAT RUIN YOUR SUMMER TRIP TO ROME

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3   VISIT “COOL” SITES

Some “cool” sites to visit that are both cool in temperature and magnificence are Churches and Rome underground.

With nearly 1,000 churches to choose from in Rome, there is no shortage of opportunities to enjoy the cool temperature and the artistic interiors of most churches that are most often Renaissance, Baroque, or Gothic in architecture and style.  The thick stone walls and dim lights keep the interior of churches cool during the otherwise hot summer months.

Some other cool sites to visit will take you on a journey underground to distant eras from as far back as Ancient Rome
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BASILICA OF SAN CLEMENTE

The Basilica of San Clemente is currently an early 12th century Roman Catholic minor basilica dedicated to Pope Clement I.  

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What makes it fascinating is that it was built on top of a lower 4th century AD basilica, which was an early church converted from a Roman nobleman’s house. In turn, this early church was built on top of an early 1st Century AD Roman structure that included a sacred sanctuary dedicated to the roman god Mithras.

You can see this pagan Mithraeum  within the ancient Roman structures deep underground.
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Ancient passageways and chambers, spectacular mosaics and frescoes, pagan temples and early christian churches make visiting San Clemente a fascinating journey into the ancient world of Rome!

Excavations below are open as follows:
Monday – Saturday 9 AM- 12:30 PM, 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
On Sundays and State Holidays: 12:15 – 6:00 PM

Admission tickets to the Excavations below:
Adults tickets are 10 Euros per person
Students up to 26 years of age with valid Student ID are 5 Euros per person
Children under 16 years of age accompanied by their parents visit free
Children under 16 not accompanied by parents are 5 Euros per person

 

BASILICA DI SANTI GIOVANNI E PAOLO

The Basilica of Saints John and Paul (Basilica di Santi Giovanni e Paolo), is another historic church located on Celian hill near the Colosseum that is famous for its underground Roman Houses (Case Romane del Celio).

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Saints John and Paul were two Roman soldiers and brothers who were martyred in 262 AD and this church was erected in their honor on top of ancient Roman houses presumed to have been their family residence and burial site.

The Roman Houses beneath the church were excavated starting in late 19th century and a vast number of underground chambers were unearthed that contained stunning ancient frescoes that you can admire today.  A small museum houses ancient artifacts discovered during the excavations of the site.
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Roman Houses of Celio are open from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
The site is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Tickets are 8 Euros per person
Tickets for Children 12-18 years old are 6 Euros per person
Children up to 12 years visit Free.

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SUMMER IN ROME FOR SHOPPING SPREES!

 

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4  VISIT HOT SITES FIRST THING IN THE MORNING

Mornings are cooler in Rome and less crowded.

If you are a morning person, early mornings are great to explore Rome and enjoy the quiet streets and attractions.

Plan to arrive just before a site opens to be among the first to enter. Not only you will benefit from the cooler temperatures, but you will enjoy the sites  before the crowds start pouring in.
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5   BOOK A PRIVATE TRANSFER AND TOUR AND ENJOY ROME COMFORTABLY

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If wandering through the hot cobble stoned streets of Rome from site to site under the baking summer sun, or depending on stuffy and crowded buses and metros to get around is not your cup of iced tea, then you can book a private day tour by car and enjoy Rome in the comfort of your private deluxe air conditioned vehicle with your personal English speaking driver who will whisk you on a wonderful day in Rome so you can see more in one day that you would in 2-3 days on your own.  

Not only will your tour Rome comfortably and in style, not only will you see more of Rome in a single day, but at the end of your tour will you arrive at your hotel refreshed and rested, and ready for your evening out!

To enjoy Rome by car, please visit our website for a variety of tour options:
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http://www.RomeCabs.com

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VISITING ROME THIS SUMMER? WHAT TO EXPECT

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ENJOY YOUR TOUR VIDEOS ON STEFANO’S ROMECABS YOUTUBE CHANNEL
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 ROME IN A DAY TOUR with RomeCabs

 

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PANORAMIC ROME TOUR with RomeCabs

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Thank you very much for choosing Stefano’s RomeCabs for your Tours and Transfers in Rome and beyond.  We look forward to welcome you to Italy!
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Stefano’s RomeCabs Team

 

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