As a result of several miscalculations, one or two misprints in train and boat schedules and the simple fact that some European cities suck you in and leaving when expected doesn’t happen I arrived in Rome with only one full day to see the sites.  At first I thought this would be impossible but as it turns out with some good walking shoes and better planning you can see the essentials.

  Of course planning on having one day in Rome or any major city is never a good idea.   A one day sightseeing visit should be left to small towns or Euro Disney (Europa Park if you’re in Germany; class “A” fun).  However, things do happen and you may find yourself, like me, with no other option but to tough out the great leg workout that is Rome in a day.  Having been to the Italian capital before I had an idea of where I needed to go and what I needed to show my travel partner who had never set foot in the eternal city.  Being able to accomplish all of it in 10-12 hours and still have some idea of what we were looking at was the goal and the challenge. 
The itinerary we followed was quite frankly not the most efficient but it did work. With that in mind a savy traveler will be able to modify such to include more and a savy reader will see how much can actually be accomplished with a time constraint.  Our trip begins then upon arriving at Termini Station in Rome at 6pm the day before our sightseeing whirlwind.
Lucky for us we had booked a place prior to arrival but in an effort to save money (which rarely goes well with saving time) that place was at least 25 minutes out of town.  It turns out that the “campground” (Tiber village) was an excellent and recommended choice and helps to demonstrate what can be accomplished in a short span.  Disembarking the train we made our way to the lower level where, after a few attempts at piecing together Italian sentences from my guidebook, we located the “convenience” type store that sold the Roma Pass.
A very useful pass, this nifty little packet of goodies includes a three day transit ticket valid on most transportation in the city and some great deals that will help with site seeing.  Knowing we would need to travel some d istance outside of Rome several times, grabbing one of these was essential.  Activating the three day pass by signing its reverse we made our way to metro line A at about 6:45.  Having written down detailed directions from the campground’s website we knew our heading was towards Flamino station (Eight minutes from Termini) where we would transfer to the F line (Ferrovia regionale Roma towards Viterbo) and head out of town to the Prima Porto stop. Baring wait times this second half of the journey should take about 25 min.  Expect to wait for 10-15 minutes however, while the locals commuting to and from the city board the worn out train.   Be aware that the F line is above ground while the A is below.  This means going up and out of the metro stop to transfer is necessary.
  Before long the Prima Porto stop was announced and by 7:45 we had caught the campground bus from the station and taken it the 1 kilometer (.62 miles) up the road where we moved into our room and waited until the next morning.  The next morning for us just happened to be the last Sunday of the month.  As it is, Monday in Rome tends to be the day where most sites shut down and there is little to do beyond walking the city or taking another long bus ride out to the catacombs.  This of course added to the urgency ticking away on our wrists.  At the same time, the last Sunday of the month is the only Sunday that the Vatican Museum is open and is the only day on which entrance is free.
With visitors allowed entrance only between 8:30 and 12:30am to the Vatican Museum on Sunday and all the other sights ahead of us we set off from the campground at 8am.  When all was said and done we got off the F line at 8:40 and made our way underground in order to take the Metro line A the 5 min ride to the Cipro-Musei Vaticani stop.  From here it is a short walk to the Vatican Museum entrance (just follow the signs) and where you will undoubtedly see a line of eager and frugal tourists that wraps around the massive wall surrounding the location.  In line by 9:05am and to the door by 10:15 the wait went by rather quickly.  It is quite funny to see just how quickly the street vendors pacing back and forth along the crowd can go from hawking imitation designer purses to umbrellas when the clouds roll in. 
   The Vatican museum is  huge.  If you weren’t being pushed along the predetermined path by the thousands of people behind you as you make your way to the Sistine Chapel it would take days to see everything.   Keep your eyes open and take in as much of what you see as you shuffle along.  Unless you show up in the off season and have a guide you will never know what it is you are looking at 95% of the time.  Enjoy the fact that you are in the Vatican Museum (possibly for free) and that at the end of a very long walk through you will get to see the Sistine Chapel.  Don’t think you are getting close to the end of the museum when you see signs for Michelangelo’s masterpiece however; you still have a ways to go. O nce inside the chapel, take a few minutes to admire the artwork; for the last two hours you have not been able to and now is your chance.  The guards will effectively quite the crowd with a loud “SSSSHHHHHH!” and then the murmurs start again until another “SSSSHHHHHH!” calms the visitors in a somehow soothing repetition. Snap a few pictures in defiance of the rules or commit what you see to memory and move along until you pass the cafeteria and can make your way out of the Museum.  Having decided against stopping for a St. Louis beer at the Vatican cafeteria my travel partner and I were able to exit the Museum by 12:30pm.
Our next stop was St. Peters Basilica; a must see on any trip t o Rome.  Essentially around the corner (a big corner) you can get to the Basilica by following v. le Vaticano to the north (follow the Vatican wall you waited in line next to) until it hits v. de Bastioni di Michelangelo.  Head south following the huge stone wall until you see can make a right on v. di Porta.   Taking about 15 minutes to walk here it’s a good time to grab a bite to eat.  If you head down b.go Pio to your left you should see a small pizza place.  There is no room to eat inside but you can get a slice or two priced by the weight from a huge selection of toppings, take it outside and enjoy some of the best cheap pizza I have found.  Having done this ourselves we found that 1:10 had approached rapidly and there was still so much more to see. Continuing on down v. di Porta we arrived in the Piazza San Pietro where the statues of Saints surround you from above. 
  Facing St. Peters Basilica the  line to enter forms on the right which is where we just entered the plaza from.  A relatively quick moving line will get you into the magnificent center of Catholicism (a judgment of architecture only) in no time.  Be sure to have worn pants or a dress that extends below the knees and closed toed shoes or you will not be let in.   Although impressive from the outside, what awaits the first time visitor inside the Basilica is awe inspiring.  The sheer size and opulence of the structure and its decoration is breath taking and slowly taking some time to walk around is well spent.  Be sure to see Michelangelo’s Pieta (to your immediate right after you enter) and rub the toe on a statue of St. Peter for good luck (you’ll see a short line in the middle of the basilica waiting to do this). 
Before you leave Vatican you may want to take a quick walk around the Papal tombs.  Located adjacent to the Basilica the entrance takes you underneath the high Altar to the proposed burial place of St. Peter and the Catholic leaders who followed.  Having taken in as much as we could while still being conscious of the day ticking away we pressed on at 3:10.
Depending on what day and season you are in Rome you may have to make some adjustments to this schedule.  Your next destination will hinge on the closing times of the attractions which are based not only on the day of the week but also the setting sun.  The Pantheon is open until 7:30 Mon-Sat but closes down early at 5:30 on Sun. The Colosseum and Palatine Hill can be entered one hour before dusk.  In May the sun sets around 8:00pm but in November this is around 5pm.  You will have to plan accordingly but if the choice must be made, see the Colosseum over the Pantheon.  The trip I have been relating so far works nice for our purposes since we had to deal with both issues.  Being May we did have a later entrance time for the Colosseum but given it was Sunday the Pantheon would close early. 
     With no Metro stops close by and not wanting to wait for busses we marched on towards the Pantheon which is about 1.5 miles from Vatican.  Heading straight down the large street that runs directly into St. Peters Square, v. del Conciliazione, we eventually reached v. San Pio X on our right.  Taking this street down, we crossed the Tiber River   and from here followed the river to our left passing one more bridge and making a right onto v. Giuseppe Zanardelli.  Follow Zanardelli about two blocks and you will run into Piazza Navonna, a rather long and impressive plaza.  Make your way to the east of Piazza Navonna (to your left) for a couple blocks and you will find yourself standing in front of the Pantheon just as we did about 3:35pm.
     The Pantheon is free to enter and usually there is little wait to get in.  The building which just might be the best preserved building of its age is beautiful and has been used for a variety of purposes over the years.  Frankly however, there isn’t much to see inside but at least you can say you saw it and by 4:00 start moving on to the Colosseum.
Knowing sundown was around 8:00pm we decided to slow our pace a bit and walk the one mile to the Colosseum with a hurried leisure.   Facing the front of the Pantheon my travel partner and I strolled down the smaller street on its left side and made our way to the next big street we came to.  Turning left we continued down towards Piazza Venezia (signs will point the way) which lies at the foot of the giant white marble structure known as Il Vittoriano (or the “typewriter” because of its shape).  As a monument to the first king of a united Italy, this imposing structure has some great fountains at the base of the stairs to take pictures by or cool your feet in.  Directly behind this structure you will find the Roman Forum and being 4:35pm we had best pick up the pace.
By making our way behind Il Vittoriano we soon found ourselves amongst the ruins of Imperial Rome (as well as its Republic).  Open to the public and free you can make your way along a path that Romans had used thousands of years earlier to mingle with fellow citizens, speak publically on political matters and buy goods and services.  The ruins around you are certainly not as well preserved as the Pantheon we left recently but with a little imagination one can picture a bustling city center.
As you meander through the ruins you will pass the entrance to Palatine Hill on your right.  The hill which overlooks the Forum as well as Circus Maximus was home to the most influential politicians in ancient Rome. Understanding what you are looking at is rather difficult without a guide or book full of pictures.  Still, there is something to be said for knowing you are walking where the likes of Augustus and Domitian called home.  Going straight to the Colosseum however will let you wander around this rather expansive area at your leisure until they close down at dusk or around 7-8pm in the summer.
By the time we reached the Colosseum after taking a look at Constantine’s Arch it was approaching 5pm.  Pulling out our handy Roma Pass we approached the line that clearly read “Roma Pass”.  This allowed us to bypass the rather long line of visitors waiting to buy tickets and for entrance into the huge arena.  Walking right in we decided against the 45-70 minute tours that sell for 3.50-5.50 Euros.   Encircle the massive structure a few times, sit on the stairs that onlookers once used to watch gladiator battles and marvel at the network of, what was, underground hallways and animal cage areas.  While interesting and an important stop during a visit to Rome, with one day to see everything the Colosseum struggles to hold your attention for 45 minutes.
Hurrying on ba ck the way we came we entered Palatine Hill at 5:45 (once again using the Roma Pass) and casually walked the ruins for about the next hour.  With the sun starting to set and our feet showing the wear and tear of a race against the clock in the eternal city we began to make our way towards our last stop of the day.  Strolling back towards the Colosseum and making a left at Constantine’s arch one will easily find the Metro station Colosseo.  Having our Roma Pass with us we hopped right on to Line B and headed towar ds Termini station where a quick transfer to Line A and 8-10 minutes later we arrived at Barberini-Fontana di Trevi station at 7:25.
Exiting the metro station and heading west (towards the Pantheon) just a few blocks on v. del Tritone we followed the signs towards Trevi Fountain.  Although close to the Pantheon, where we were e
arlier, saving this stop which has no closing time until the end is a relaxing way to end the hard day.  With dusk falling over the city and a small crowd of travelers gathering around the iconic cascades of water we soaked our weary feet in the illuminated waters. As the largest of the Baroque fountains of Rome (85 feet high x 65 feet wide) the Trevi was completed, after several artists such as Bernini and Salvi made their mark, in 1762.   Feeling much like we had been walking since the 18th century, it was now time to return to the campground with a much earned sense of accomplishment.
Backtracking to the Barberini metro stop we continued on Line A to the Flamino transfer station, boarded the F line and made the 30 minute journey back to Prima Porto.  By 9pm we had slipped our hiking shoes off, put on our sandals and made our way to the campground bar for a nice cold beer amongst fellow travelers who, tomorrow, were heading in to see what they could of Rome.

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