This is one of the places which you have to visit when in Rome. An area full of antique buildings that were built over and over, and which miraculously have remained to our times. The Foro Romano is easily accessible as it is in the centre of Rome and there is a huge area. We bought the Archaeological card (28 euros entitled for entrances to several places) and jumped the queue waiting to buy the ticket. Take a bottle since in summer it is very hot - there are plenty of springs from which you can fill bottles - the water is good for consumption. A sort of guide is needed since there are many ruins - our book listed over 50 different buildings, and take your time trying to imagine the places as they were in antiquity. Enter the Forum building where sometimes different exhibitions are made.

We booked Maximilio Tour of the Vatican via internet and were amazed at how great the tour guide was. So good that we signed on with another guide from the same company the next day for the Roman Forum. 3 to 4 hours each time, mesmerizing and kept 2 restless tired 9 year olds entertained. These guides really know their stuff!!

The Roman Forum, along with the Colosseum, is a must-see. There are two entrances: one closer to the Palatine Hill (on Via di San Gregorio) and the other closer to the northwest end of the forum (on Via dei Fori Imperiali). If you go through the Palatine entrance, be warned that there is a hike to get to the forum. Don't bother with the audio guide. Even though they give you a labeled map of all the ruins, it is very hard to figure out what you are actually looking at (as the ruins themselves are not labeled). My traveling partner and I spent a long time trying to figure out what we were supposed to be looking at. I would highly recommend getting a guided tour or at least having a very good map. Highlights include the Tempio di Vesta, the Arco di Tito, the gigantic Basilica di Massenzio, and the Arco di Settimio Severo. The whole place is very interesting and layered with history, but don't expect to see complete structures. Most everything is a fragment (or single column) of what it once was. Overall, it took us about 3 hours to get through but probably would have been shorter if we had known what things were. Entrance to the Roman Forum is included with your ticket to the Colosseum (and also includes Palatine Hill, which you can access from the Roman Forum), so take advantage of it.

I recommend before you go to download Rick Steve's audio guide and map. If you bring your ipod with you you can have your own audio tour. There is a lot more to see here than Palatine Hill and the stories are rich with history. Make sure you have about 45 minutes to see and walk everywhere. When I went you couldn't enter down the main entrance (La Sacre), you have to enter through Palatine Hill.