The following morning we took the train to Rome Termini ($38/person). When we arrived in Rome, we started to wait in line for a taxi, but the line was really long and there were not any taxis lined up, so I tried calling an Uber and, sure enough, they showed up within 4 minutes. It was awesome. We arrived at our Airbnb and then walked to dinner at Antico Arco for their finger foods tasting menu. Everything was truly amazing and different. Our Airbnb was located in Trastevere, which is a wonderful location to hang out. There are a number of great restaurants, street entertainment, and vendors selling items along the street. It is a very lively area with a lot of great energy.

I had the Omnia Vatican & Rome Card card, which gives free entry into various museums and attractions, so I used my card to get into the Colosseum. I was lucky enough to be able to purchase tickets in advance for the Belvedere tour, as this is a new tour they just starting doing last year. I had a reservation at 2:45 so at 2:20 they allowed us to go into the Colosseum to explore while we waited for our tour. The tour was wonderful. It takes you up to the top levels of the Colosseum and gives you the history of the Colosseum and the surrounding areas. After the tour we were exhausted, so we hopped on the hop-on, hop-off bus that comes with the Rome Card and rode around the city until we were near our Airbnb in Trastevere. If you are buying tickets in advance for the Colosseum, their website is very confusing.  There is a great thread on TripAdvisor with a wonderful woman named Donna who answers all of your questions, so I would suggest reading there for advice. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187791-i22-k11525592-o110-2018_underground_belvedere_booking_process_Updated-Rome_Lazio.html#92289236 

Also, if you are looking for a place to eat near the Colosseum, we had a wonderful lunch at Taverna del Fori Imeriali. They open for lunch at 12:30 and be sure to make a reservation in advance.

The next day we just walked all over Rome and visited the various sites including the Pantheon, Tivoli fountain, and different Piazzas. The following day we had reservations at the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica. We had a 9:00 reservation and needed to check in at 8:45. In the morning I checked Uber and it was going to cost $30, but I also checked MyTaxi app, which I set up before I left town, and it was only $11, so I used My Taxi app. It worked great. Once we arrived we checked in and waited until 9:05, at which time Omnia led the group on a long walk to the entrance. We passed a super long line of people waiting to get into the Vatican, but with the Omnia Vatican & Rome Card you get to skip the line. We walked to the other side, where we waited in a short line to get through security. Once inside we were free to explore on our own. You can wander through on your own, get an audio guide, or listen to Rick Steves’ Podcast and have him guide you through the museum. You are eventually led to the Sistine Chapel. When you leave the Sistine Chapel you can go to the left to exit the museum, or you can go to the right to visit St. Peter’s Basilica.  This is very important! If you go to the left, you will have to wait in a long line to visit St. Peter’s Basilica, but if you exit to the right where it says “groups” (there was no one stopping us from entering without a group), you can go straight to St. Peter’s Basilica without waiting in the long line.