Ideas on pre-day in Rome before Viva Italia ABD

[Cousin Orville]

In addition to the great suggestions in this thread, I'd like to add a couple of cautions:

• Don't over do it. Be rested for the start of your actual ABD. Yes, there is a lot to see and do in Rome. So much that you just can't do it all. Don't try. Instead enjoy the experience at a relaxed pace. ABD events will be fun but also move along at a good pace. Be ready for that.
• The merchants selling goods from their blankets on the sidewalk are all knock offs. You'll see a lot of them at the Spanish Steps. No, you can't get a legit LV bag for 25 euro. Even if you think knock offs are OK, its still not wise to buy from them.

Good advice. And while we're on the subject, it's illegal to purchase knock off bags, etc from those street sellers. Italy is pretty strict about it (as they should be). If you see those guys holding their blanket their merch sits on, its to allow them to grab and run in a hurry!

 

[minnie4ever]

There are food tours you can do. They take you around the city and go to local shops for meat, cheese, cookies and gelato and then a local restaurant for pasta, but I found I was physically done (jet lag)
before the food tour ended so I skipped the gelato stop and took a cab back to the Hotel. It was kind of fun and got you immersed into the culture right away.

 

[sayhello]

There are food tours you can do. They take you around the city and go to local shops for meat, cheese, cookies and gelato and then a local restaurant for pasta, but I found I was physically done (jet lag)
before the food tour ended so I skipped the gelato stop and took a cab back to the Hotel. It was kind of fun and got you immersed into the culture right away.

I've started doing food tours on my pre-days. I find them a wonderful introduction to the area and the local culture, and it's usually a great way to taste a lot of different foods. I did an absolutely AMAZING one in Reykjavik, Iceland. I *highly* recommend them.

Sayhello