Here is our personal tour of Rome and planning guide from personal experience. Visit your family in Contessa Entellina as part of your tour.

To receive the maximum benefit of a vacation, one must visit for at least two weeks when traveling overseas, so this trip planner allows you to take two 5 day work weeks off which includes three weekends.

Off peak times (Nov. to March.) can cost $600 for air fare and peak times (April to Oct.) can cost $1,000 to $1,200 forair fare. Our trip was planned to visit family for a wedding and to participate in the Maria Shen Festa. Other festivals are the Santa Rosalia festa in June.

Here is my itinerary, to give you an example on how to plan each day

SATURDAY -  Day 1 - LEAVE Charlotte / New Orleans

SUNDAY - Day 2 - ARRIVE ROME - 12:30 pm - From Rome fly to Palermo - Arrive 3:00 pm stay one night

SUNDAY -  Day 3 - Stay at the Politeama Hotel. Take a $7 thousand lira bus from the airport to the hotel. The bus stops right in front of the hotel. otherwise a wild taxi ride posted for 80,000 lira, can be negotiated down to 50,000 L.

Walk around the piazza and find a pastry shop. Take a tour to the open air markets. Most restaurants don’t serve dinner until 8 p.m.

MONDAY - Day 4 - ARRIVE CONTESSA - Early Morning - family will pick us up or take a bus

MONDAY - Let the body relax after such a long trip. Meet family, enjoy wonderful food and nap

TUESDAY - Day 5 - Take day trips from Contessa - Go see Sciacca, Trapani, Erice, Bonnagio, Marsala

WED - Day 6 - Visit Segesta, Entella,

THURS - Day 7 -  Go touring again - Mount Generado, Belice Valley, Giuliana, Contessa cemetaries

FRIDAY - Day 8 - SATURDAY - SEPT 8th - Prepare with family for the festival

SUNDAY - Day 9 - Maria Favara Festi -

MONDAY - Day 10 - Leave early and return to Rome - Stay near Piazza Navona - $120/night - 3 nights -

TUESDAY - Day 11 - ROME

WED - Day 12 - ROME

THURS - Day 13 - RETURN to U.S.A. (Unless you want to add one more day)

FRIDAY - Day 14  - Use the final weekend to relax at home before going back to work

6/29/01 - Sometimes it is less expensive to fly directly to a major airport hub, and we chose British Airways with the lowest fare from Charlotte, NC . We arranged a flight from New Orleans to Charlotte, NC for a web based fare of $214 from US Air E-saver. We were able to secure a fare of $991 (incl. taxes) from British Airways, from Charlotte (CLT) to London, to Rome (FCO). Then to give us flexibility to travel to Palermo (PMO), a ticket from Al’atalia was secured for $260. Use the computer to help with planning by copying and pasting internet information for airfares, hotel rates and itineraries into a word processing file. Sometimes during the summer US Air will offer an international E-saver (web based fare) to Frankfurt (FRA) for $330, but they fly only out of Charlotte, and not New Orleans. Then a flight from Frankfurt to Rome might only be $360. If you can’t find a low air fare to Rome, try flying to London (LON), Brussels (BRU) about $800, then locate a connecting flight to Rome (FCO) about $150 from Virgin Airways. Total air fare $1,275, which is reasonable for travel to multiple cities.

HERE IS THE 3 DAY TOUR OF ALL THE BEST ROME SITES. This is a collection of recommended sites from many tour operator itineraries.

Day 1 - Vatican museum tours, Pranza at 1pm, Dinner at 8pm. (It is better to have Lunch, then go at 2 pm)

Day 2 - Walking Tours and Museums, Pranza at 1pm, Dinner at 8pm, Fountain tours at night

Day 3 - Walking Tours and Museums, Pranza at 1pm, Continue Museum tours, Dinner at 8pm.

 

Most Popular sights - San Pietro and Il Vaticano, exploring the ruins of Il Palatino, climbing the steps of the Piazza di Spagna, admiring the Colosseum.

Best Airfare planner - ORBITZ.com

Best Hotel Locator - VENERE.IT

Best Sightseeing Tour Planning - ACTIVITALY

Rome Travel Tips

Information on acquiring a passport is available at the U.S. State Department's Website:

http://travel.state.gov/passport_services.html.

Map of Rome - Interactive

 

Don’t be the Rude American