Leaving Florence on to Rome

Day 9, Oct. 16

We were up at 7:30 to have a quick shower & tidy up the apt. Lucy is coming at 9:30 to pick up the keys & return our deposit. We are catching a train to Rome at 10:40. We hop in the taxi & arrive in lots of time. Our luggage is getting heavier don’t know where we have pick up the extra lbs. We are taking the fast train 1&1/2 hrs. Arrive in Rome & go to the taxi stand. Pile into one cab & ask how much, he tells us 45 Euros & Lyn starts arguing. It costs 30 to go from the airport to town! Tells him she will pay 20. He kicks us out & we get in another, we make a deal for 25 because we have 4 pieces of luggage. You have to be on your toes here or you can turn into easy prey. Know your prices before you open your wallet.

Our apartment is in the Testaccio district south of Rome. We will be using the bus or metro.  Not as fancy as Florence but still very comfortable. We overlook the  Testaccio Market which is open every day. Should be some good bargains. This is a blue collar area so the prices are a lot cheaper. There is a grocery store just around the corner so we stock up with supplies & decide to eat in tonight. Lyn bought 2 cans of beer for 1 euro what a bargain.


Some thoughts on Florence: Renting an apartment saves on food costs & from talking to other tourists their hotels were very modest, cramped & expensive. It is a very busy town lots of tourists. If you have trouble walking use the transit service it’s easy to buy the tickets at tobacci shops but get a transit map. The Mercatto is a great place to shop for food very reasonable. There are lots to see so take your time it can be over whelming. You can take a train or bus to other towns such as Sienna, Pisa or Lucca & it is a lot cheaper than a bus tour. A phone or internet is a must just to check reservations, opening times or to book a tour.
We had a fantastic time & left with things to come back to see and do.

Travel Tip:
This is our apartment. The positive points are it has 2 bedrooms, wireless, elevator & lots of room. The negative, it is very dark inside & the kitchen is small & poorly equipped. Testaccio is quite far away from the sites & you have to travel on transit or taxi to get home about 30 - 45 min. The shops have a lot of choices & prices are good. This is the 3rd apart. we have rented. It is difficult trying to pick an apartment but the more we rent the better we are getting. Sometimes pics can been deceptive. None of the aparts. have been awful but we are getting to know what we want.
http://www.vrbo.com/187343