Amie,

As everyone said, check out all the historic landmarks. I was just in Rome last fall (around same time) and you definitely need to buy the tour for the Coliseum! It cost like 5-10 extra Euros, but we got to cut in line and the tour guide was VERY good. Without the rour guide the Coliseum would be just another large stadium. He was entertaining and informative.

There are some college students which give FREE tours in St. Peter's Square/Basilica and in the evening to other parts of Roma. Of course they work on tips, but its money well spent and you can leave any time without paying if you dont like em (kinda like Axiom's 30-day policy! )

Beware on the metro, of course for pickpockets as many have stated, but ALSO of the heat and humidity. The metro was torture where everyone is drenched in sweat and lets just say the odor is not pleasing. Wear a lot of cool clothing that allows your skin to breathe and drink LOTS of water. Cotton is BAD since it stays wet, fortunately I brought a bunch of athletic wear which evaportates sweat quickly (Nike Dri-Fit,Adidas, Under Armor). Also, get comfortable shoes since you will have to do a lot of walking. Unfortunately, their metro system isnt as good as Paris since there are a lot of ruins in Roma which can't just be dug out. Definitely get a map for the places you want to see. I don't think anyone mentioned the Spanish Steps...but there are SO many places to see your camera will fill up quickly. I'd say the Vatican (St. Peter's and Museums) and Coliseum were the highlights and you MUST see them. Sistine Chapel was gorgeous (no cameras allowed tho unless you are sneaky ). Don't worry about the carbs for the pizza....they have a really thin crust and its much healthier than the deep dish of grease we eat in the States. Gelati really hits the spot in 90F degree heat with 75% humidity. Don't count carbs cus you will BURN them off walking and enjoying the city!!!

Octavian,

Sounds like a fun, we did the same exact cities last year also. Venice was gorgeous and definitely a unique city. Firenze was cool since we stayed with a local family and got authentic home cooking. You might want to consider a quick trip to Pisa (45mins by train) to check out their leaning tower. 7 days in Fireze is a long time but you might have time to check out neighboring towns/cities. Of course Roma was awesome too.

For the pickpockets, simply place your money/passports in a zipper,velcro, or buttoned pockets. The backpacks we had were almost always locked as well. Always carry your passport and money on yourself. For an entire month in Europe, no one even tried to pick us cus we always were aware and had everything locked up.

So have fun, be careful and LIVE IT UP!