My two children and I are booked on a cruise in Oct. 2005, which includes several ports in Italy - my first time there. These ports are usually at a distance from the cities, and the one for Rome is 90 minutes away. So we are going to use the ship's arranged transportation to get us to St. Peter's, and then they expect us to walk to the Coliseum where we will be picked up for the trip back to the ship.

We will have approximately 6 1/2 hours in the city. We want to spend part of that time at the Vatican, especially to see the Sistine Chapel, and then the rest of the time at the Coliseum and the Forum. In your experience, what is the best length of time to spend at each place, and what would be the best way to navigate between both areas? My son said it's 3 miles, and my daughter and I don't want to walk it. I especially don't want to, as I found out in Paris this year, that the leg I broke last year can't tolerate a lot of walking, so in Paris I took the Metro to the area I wanted to walk around in. I assume Rome doesn't have a Metro, especially between the Vatican and the Coliseum. Is it best to take a taxi, and do you know about how much that would cost for the 3 of us? Or is there another way to get there?

Thanks so much for your help. Diana San Diego, California