When in Rome…..

[CWendling]

if you have time, look for the basilica of st mary of saints and martyrs in Rome. It looks like nothing from the outside, inside is incredible. Did you have the Worlds Greatest Gelato in San Gimignano?

[ThisLadyHunts]

How did you get around Rome? Did you rent a car? Taxi/Uber? Public transportation?

Did you take any guided tours or were they all self-guided?

[CWendling]

How did you get around Rome? Did you rent a car? Taxi/Uber? Public transportation?

Did you take any guided tours or were they all self-guided?

Walk or take uber/public trans. Dont try to drive in Rome. They have their own rules and it's crazy. Ive been to Italy twice and all over Europe for weeks at a time. Rome is the craziest place to drive that I saw and i parked the rental.

[ny bowhunter]

Thanks for sharing, 220! Love the pics.

Been a few times to Rome. Going back this December. Super, super cool place on the planet. Gonna try and see things I've never seen before. Ancient and amazing city.

[WRasco]

Very nice!

[220swift]

if you have time, look for the basilica of st mary of saints and martyrs in Rome. It looks like nothing from the outside, inside is incredible. Did you have the Worlds Greatest Gelato in San Gimignano?

We did!

[220swift]

How did you get around Rome? Did you rent a car? Taxi/Uber? Public transportation?

Did you take any guided tours or were they all self-guided?

A lot of walking, a lot of taxis, and some trains. It was not hard to get around. All the tours were guided. We did a golf cart tour that lasted about 3 hours and we covered a lot of ground.
You can walk into most churches/basillicas and they are incredible.

[Bowhica]

Thanks for sharing. I'm not the biggest golf fan, but I've always wanted to attend a tournament. Living around the Houston area, the Houston Open would be my best bet. Maybe 2024 will be my year.

[SETXoutdoorsman]

OP, any suggestions for the Ryder Cup from your experience? Me and my wife put in for tickets for 2025, hoping we can make it happen. Would love to hear your experience, what days you were there, how you followed along, do's and dont's etc...

[220swift]

OP, any suggestions for the Ryder Cup from your experience? Me and my wife put in for tickets for 2025, hoping we can make it happen. Would love to hear your experience, what days you were there, how you followed along, do's and don'ts etc...

I'm 60 years old and in decent shape. We had tickets for all 4 days but ended up going Friday and Saturday. We walked well over 10 miles those 2 days. The crowds were so large, it was really hard to walk and follow along and see anything. Because during the Friday and Saturday sessions there are only 4 matches going on at one time, there were huge crowds trying to walk with and watch those matches. Most of the time we tried doing that we could not see anything. We ended up sitting on the 6th green and watching all 4 groups play that hole. There was a giant screen right in front of us so we could watch the action of the other holes.

Here is my take on the overall experience. I'm glad we did it and would do it again. The negative part is the crowd attitude. It is one thing to be passionate and cheer for your team, but another when you cheer for the other teams mistakes. The Ryder Cup can get very ugly. The home team crowd can get very ugly. Heckling the other players, laughing at mistakes or perceived stances on not wearing a hat for example. That tiff that Rory had with Joey LaCava on 18 was a direct response to the disrespect that fans were constantly showing Cantlay. Golf is supposed to be a game with values and respect. The Ryder Cup brings out the worst in fans in my opinion. All I can say is that the Ryder Cup in New York in 2 years will be out of control and payback is a *****....

[SETXoutdoorsman]

I'm 60 years old and in decent shape. We had tickets for all 4 days but ended up going Friday and Saturday. We walked well over 10 miles those 2 days. The crowds were so large, it was really hard to walk and follow along and see anything. Because during the Friday and Saturday sessions there are only 4 matches going on at one time, there were huge crowds trying to walk with and watch those matches. Most of the time we tried doing that we could not see anything. We ended up sitting on the 6th green and watching all 4 groups play that hole. There was a giant screen right in front of us so we could watch the action of the other holes.

Here is my take on the overall experience. I'm glad we did it and would do it again. The negative part is the crowd attitude. It is one thing to be passionate and cheer for your team, but another when you cheer for the other teams mistakes. The Ryder Cup can get very ugly. The home team crowd can get very ugly. Heckling the other players, laughing at mistakes or perceived stances on not wearing a hat for example. That tiff that Rory had with Joey LaCava on 18 was a direct response to the disrespect that fans were constantly showing Cantlay. Golf is supposed to be a game with values and respect. The Ryder Cup brings out the worst in fans in my opinion. All I can say is that the Ryder Cup in New York in 2 years will be out of control and payback is a *****....

Thanks for the info. Yeah, I'm sure it'll be brutal in 2025 for the European team unfortunately but that is part of the Ryder Cup. Seems like it may be best to sit tight on one hole and watch each group come through? May not be worth fighting the crowd to move around a ton if you miss the action or can't see.

[Burnadell]

Oh man! I’m jealous! Italy is our favorite place in Europe. We have been 5 times and love it from the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, Naples, Rome, Florence, Venice, Lake Maggiore, Lake Come, Milan, and small towns in between. We would go back at the drop of a hat. Nothing like it. We love sitting in the outdoor cafe’s, eating great food, drinking good wine, and watching people go by; not to mention touring the wonderful old churches and buildings. I highly recommend everyone try to visit Italy at least once in their life. Enjoy!!!

[ny bowhunter]

Oh man! I’m jealous! Italy is our favorite place in Europe. We have been 5 times and love it from the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, Naples, Rome, Florence, Venice, Lake Maggiore, Lake Come, Milan, and small towns in between. We would go back at the drop of a hat. Nothing like it. We love sitting in the outdoor cafe’s, eating great food, drinking good wine, and watching people go by; not to mention touring the wonderful old churches and buildings. I highly recommend everyone try to visit Italy at least once in their life. Enjoy!!!

Italy is still my favorite place on the planet (after America ). Cafe culture is a beautiful thing. And you're surrounded by natural and man-made beauty nearly everywhere you turn. The people are warm and friendly, the food off the charts, and the overall dolce vita is hard to not fall in love with. Going back this December. 2nd time this year. Thinking through how to retire with 3 or so months a year in bell'Italia.

[ThisLadyHunts]

For those of you who’ve been to Italy, where would you recommend first-timers go if they could only do one city or one province(?) at that time?

[Burnadell]

For those of you who’ve been to Italy, where would you recommend first-timers go if they could only do one city or one province(?) at that time?

For the first time, I would suggest the historic sites...Rome for a few days, then Florence for a few days, with a stop in between in the city of Orvieto (check it out). Probably best in the fall or spring when most children will be in school, and presumably less crowded.