We will be arriving at the Rome airport late in the morning on the day our tour begins. I'm assuming it could be a few hours to get settled into our hotel from the airport. That still will probably leave us a good 5-6 hours before we meet up with the TD and group. What types of things have people done with that time? We will be staying over 2 extra days after the tour and had planned to see the Borghese Gallery then, but am wondering if it might be a better idea to see it that first afternoon. Any suggestions?

check to see where your hotel is located in the city. We arrived Sunday about noon. By the time we passed through the airport and arrived at our hotel it was probably 2. Our tour director met with us for about 15 min in the lobby and sent us to check out our rooms. The bags arrived by 2:30, and our group was to meet at 5. That left enough time to unpack, get a quick swim and shower in and then it was already 5. We were at the Villa Pamphilli. Too far to travel into the city and back by 5

Thank you for the feedback. We're supposed to stay at the Cicerone and I think that's right in the middle of Rome. I posted this on another board and the suggestion was to just take that time and walk as we will probably be suffering from jet lag and walking and keeping busy will be the best thing. Maybe we can use the time to get a feel of the layout of the city.

and worth a quick visit. My wife and I just finished a Globus tour of Italy and Sicily. And on that first day we went on our own over a few blocks to the Castel St. Angelo. It has great views from the roof. It also has a very nice roof terrace cafe. You will be very pleased by that terrace cafe and the views of Rome from there and up on the very top. Dont miss the top most roof. This place is only about 4 blocks from the Cicerone and can be visited in a short time and should not be missed.

joeb- So you have just recently taken the Grand Tour of Italy/Sicily? Would you mind giving me a trip report and how you found the tour to be? What hotels were you in and what they were like. We have some questions about Florence. We definitely want to tour the Ufizzi and it isn't a part of the tour. I've read from some on the message boards that Globus does offer it as an optional but then I recently saw a optionals list online that didn't have any optionals in Florence included. We will arrange reservations on our own before we leave for it if we have to. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

No optional for the Uffizi was offered to us. My wife wanted to go there but could not get a reservation. you can make a reservation on line now. but will you have time enough in Florence to go there. We did not. Which tour are you on? If you are in Florence for 2 or three days you should be able to go there if you make a reservation now.
We took all most all of the optionals offered to us and all were fine. Only one disappointment. the night out meal in Sorrento was overpriced and no so good. however the musical part was fine. Globus exceeded my expectations. the tour director Nicholas was super. 5 stars for Nicholas and our driver Loborio. they were all well organized and everything went off like clockwork. any other questions?

Museum or Gallery also.
In Florence we only had an hour or so of free time after the tour by the local tour guide through the Academia Gallery and the tour of the center of Florence. One hour is not enough time to see the Uffizi even if you have a reservation. This is the Grand tour of Italy and Sicily I am speaking about. Time is very limited in Florence on that tour. But I hope you can see the Uffizi. But it needs more than one hour.

Yes, we are booked on the Globus Grand Tour of Sicily and Italy for September 29. As far as Florence and the Ufizzi it sounds like there won't be time to schedule that. The people who took it last year said the organized sightseeing was finished at about 11:00 and so the Ufizzi could be fit into free time. So, it sounds like we'll just have to plan on not seeing it. I'm sure any number of things can come up to delay the schedule on a tour.
We will be staying 2 extra days in Rome at the end of the tour and are planning on making our reservations for the Borghese prior to leaving the States.
Were you offered a Tuscan Dinner on the tour? I've heard that it is a superior optional and hoping it will be offered to us. I have read that the Sorrento optional meal isn't very good so will probably pass on that one.
What did you and your wife think of Sicily? Did you go on the optional Mt. Etna tour and was it worthwhile?

in Sorrento which was not. The one in Sicily was exceptionally good. We did not go on the Mt. Etna extra trip. I think some liked it others said it wasnt worth it. We went to the beach at Giardini Naxos that morning instead. Of course you can go to Mt. Etna in the morning and then the beach in the afternoon.

I contacted my TA today and she emailed me the optionals for our tour. It doesn't show a "Tuscan Dinner" (I've seen many people post about what a fantastic optional that was)as being one but there are 2 dinners that are out of Rome, one to Tivoli and one to someplace past the Pope's summer quarters. Did you do either of them? Also, I noticed that there are no optionals listed for Sicily? Was the Mt. Etna the only one offered in Sicily? Please forgive me for having so many questions.

We were not offered the other two you mention. I dont remember any Tuscan dinner. There is a dinner in Florence but it is included. I think maybe we were not offered that Tuscan dinner you mentioned. All dinners included and optional are excellent excpet that one in Sorrento which is not so good. Best of all was a dinner in Sicily near Mt. Etna in what had been a farmhouse. All local foods and wines were fantastic.

Thank you both for all the info. We are on the Sept 8-23 trip. How were the hotels and the ferry ride to Palermo?
Can't wait to go!!!

And the ferry ride to Palermo was fine and one of the real highlights of the trip. The whole tour is wonderful. No one complained about anything. Except maybe having to walk so much and climb so many stairs but everyone did it anyway and did not complain. Get in shape for walking and climbing and this tour is fast paced and on the go. As everyone says you will have a wonderful time.

Thanks for the info. We have our walking shoes all ready and have been hitting the gym 5/week to get in shape. I'm glad to hear all the hotels were good. Should we take a bathing suit? Is there time to take a swim anywhere?

Swimming at the beach at Giardini Naxos is really nice. My wife and I went to the beach at Giardini Naxos(free shuttle bus from the hotel)instead of going to Mt. Etna in the morning. However another couple went to Mt. Etna in the morning and still had time to take the shuttle bus at 1pm to the beach at Giardini Naxos.
Nice pool in Sorrento at the hotel also.
That beach at Giardini Naxos is really nice.