Roma – the Eternal City. A top destination on any world traveler’s travel bucket list. Bill and I originally scheduled our adventure to Rome over a long weekend at the end of March 2020 for 2 reasons 1) to avoid the sweltering Roman heat of summer and 2) to avoid the droves of people who flock there over summer vacations. Well we all know how the story goes and we did not end up in Rome at the end of March 2020 as originally intended. Instead that weekend we settled on watching the Rick Steve’s Europe episode on Rome, cooking mediocre Italian food and drinking Italian wine to console us. By June 2020, however, Europe’s case count had dipped to low levels and countries started to open their borders, to other Europeans at least. Bill and I saw the unique chance to capitalize on a once in a lifetime opportunity to explore one of Europe’s more heavily visited cities without one of its normal staples – tourists. So as soon as Italy’s border’s opened, we booked a ticket and embarked on our second Italian adventure.
I had been to Rome one other time what felt like eons ago in high school but this was Bill’s inaugural trip. I remember liking Rome but this trip definitely went down as one of my favorite ones that I took our whole time in Europe. I would say 95% of the reason this trip was so amazing, however, was this was a completely unique experience – an empty Rome. As I think back I remember being at the Spanish steps in the middle of a Friday afternoon with only a handful of other people. We were one of 10 people at the Trevi fountain. We had a (essentially) private tour of the Colosseum. St. Peter’s square was a ghost town. The Sistine chapel was just us and maybe 15 other people. If you have been to Rome before, you know that no matter what time of year you go, these things would never happen. Although a lot of my enjoyment of this trip was based on the lack of people, Rome is a worthy stop for anyone. Hopefully with a few helpful suggestions, I can help you make the most of your Roman holiday.
Getting There
Plane
Rome is a BIG city so there is no shortage of ways to get here. Many people use this as either a starting point or an ending point to their journey because there are a host of international flights that arrive and depart from Leonardo da Vinci airport each day. It’s important to note that the airport is not really all that close to the city – it’s about a 40 minute drive. Personally, I think it’s worth it to just book a car. It cost us EUR 40 to go door to door using Taxi2Airport.com. I like the direct booking route because it lessens your chance of being ripped off by a taxi driver and they meet you right outside baggage claim with a sign so no confusion. There is a direct train from the airport (Leonardo Express) that will take you into Rome proper for EUR 14 each way so less expensive for 2 people but this takes you to the main station (Termini) in the northeast corner of the city which is not where you will likely be staying (if you take my advice) so you have to figure out from here how to get to your accommodations. As I mention, Rome is not a small city so don’t assume you can walk from the station, particularly with luggage. I personally found that the metro is not super convenient to most parts of Rome so you may end up taking a taxi. By the time you add this cost to the cost of your train ticket, that direct car looks more and more appealing.
Train
If you are arriving from another European city you most likely will arrive in Rome’s Termini station. I covered the specifics above but one other note. This station is not in the nicest part of Rome and combine this with you probably very much standing out as a tourist, just make sure to keep an eye on all your things. As I said above, from the main station you will likely have to take another metro closer to where you are staying or a taxi.
Practicalities
This is a common theme in my blog but I say it again, Rome is a BIG city. There is a lot of ground to cover. With that in mind, when you are doing your planning try to consolidate activities to certain areas. If you are doing the Colosseum one day, pick other things that are close by to combine it with – the Forum, Vittorio Emanuele II Monument, Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli. Basically, when you are planning have google maps open and check the things you have in mind don’t have you criss crossing the city. You will waste time and energy. Find some comfortable shoes for walking but if you can, leave the American style sneakers for working out only. Nothing screams “Hi I am a tourist from America” faster than your favorite Asics running shoes. I would invest in a cute, casual pair of sneakers like Nike Air Force Ones or something of that variety. Speaking of fashion – leave the leggings and nike shorts at home unless you are actually planning to work out. Opt instead of skirts and dresses for girls (they are flowy so you won’t overheat and you will not be that American all the time) and for boys a casual tee and normal shorts (not athletic) will do the trick.
Expect the annoyances that usually comes with big cities – pick pockets, petty theft, and ANNOYING street sales people. You will probably be constantly accosted by people trying to get you to buy whatever they are peddling. Just walk by, don’t engage AT ALL (this will only cause them to bother you more) or if you must just say no – that’s it no. It may seem rude but the people in Rome in my experience can be relentless especially in the bigger tourist spots (looking at you Trevi fountain). Also when you are in crowded areas be aware of where your purse is, don’t leave things in your pockets, etc. This applies on the metro too. I know quite a few people who have been pick pocketed in Rome. I think Rick Steve’s said this is the one place even he has been pick pocketed. If Uncle Rick isn’t even immune, you aren’t either. When it comes to cash, you won’t need much anyway. Most if not all places we went took cards. If you want to avoid signing for your credit card EVERY time (I do mean every time), either make sure your card is tap eligible (check the face of your card for three lines that look like a sideways wifi symbol) or load your credit card on your phone and pay with that.
When to Go and For How Long
As with most places in Europe, if you want to go to Rome in the June – August timeframe, be prepared to be there with every other person on the planet and prepare to SWEAT. Sometimes, that’s the only time you can go which is what it is and that shouldn’t deter you from going but if you have any choice in the matter I would avoid going in these months. I would instead opt for one of the shoulder months, April – May or September – October. You will still have pretty good weather without it being too hot and fewer people will be traveling. The winter months November – March you run the risk of it being colder and having rain which is less ideal but I would actually probably prefer that over the blistering sun.
The question of how long is a tricky one. I would say if you want to see everything at a high pace you need at least 3 days. I personally would extend that into 4 – 5 if you have the capacity. If you try to pack everything into 3 days you will be go, go, go and probably exhausted which can dampen your experience. I do understand most people have limited vacation, however, and are probably trying to combine this with other Italian or European cities so I tried to give some tips on what could be skipped if you wanted and how best to combine sites.
Speaking of combining Rome with other cities in one trip, I would recommend doing this but… make sure you don’t set yourself up to just be running around to the point you need a vacation from your vacation. I would do something like Amalfi or Tuscany in conjunction with Rome where you can have a chance to sit back and catch your breath. If you do Rome with another big city (think Paris, London, and Florence to a lesser extent) just know you will be tired. I would also stay within Italy if you can to take advantage of train transportation as opposed to flying seeing how the airport is not exactly conveniently located to the city itself.
Where to Stay
Rome is – say it with me now – BIG! So there is no shortage of options of areas to stay in. My advice is trying to stay central so you can get to most everything within a 20 min walk if you can. As I mentioned before, public transportation isn’t necessarily the most convenient so walking is a good option for your tourist days. When we stayed, we opted to stay near Campo de’ Fiori and we walked everywhere we went – ruins, Vatican City, Villa Borghese, etc. I don’t remember it taking us too long to get anywhere from where we were. Here is a link to the Airbnb we used. I would definitely recommend it if it’s available. It was reasonably priced, huge and had a stunning view of Piazza Farnese. This was also RIGHT next to where Rick Steve’s Heart of Rome starts (which I will recommend later). Another perk of this spot is it’s close to the Trastevere neighborhood which has excellent restaurants and a plethora of charm.
If you don’t pick to stay near Campo de’ Fiorni my second pick would be that neighborhood based on the charm. You are a little farther from some of the sites but not too bad. Another area I would recommend is near the Spanish steps. This is a very posh area (all the fancy shopping) and there are nice restaurants close by as well. We didn’t spend much time in the Monti neighborhood (over by the Colosseum) but I did read good things about that area as well.
What to Do
Since what to do is pretty contingent on how long you are in Rome, I thought it might be helpful in this blog to break down a recommendation on what to do based on the number of days you are in the city.
Day 1 – The Roman Empire: Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Surrounding Attractions
Colosseum
When in Rome, do as the (ancient) Romans and visit some of their most known monuments. Everyone knows the Colosseum and it’s worth getting a ticket to go inside. Trusty Rick Steve’s has a free podcast you can download that will lead you through to learn all about its history so no need to pay for a guide – although during the pandemic the only way they allowed you into the Colosseum was as part of a group with a guide so check how things are being managed these days. One thing is for sure, if you can, buy your ticket in advance because this is as you probably know one of the attractions in the city. Here is a link to the official ticket site. There is a Roma pass you can get which includes entrances to multiple sites but when Bill and I looked into it, it was cheaper to do everything piecemeal. You also need to pay a supplemental fee for the Colosseum anyway and book a ticket through the official site. Good to note here this ticket will also get you into the Forum which has an open ended time unlike the Colosseum which will give you a time to show up.
https://www.coopculture.it/en/products/ticket-colosseum-forum-and-palatine-_24h/
Roman Forum
Depending on what time your entrance to the Colosseum is, you can either hit the Forum before or after that visit. Even though you get entrance to the Forum with the Colosseum, I will say if you are in a rush to get through Rome and are looking for one of the “must do” items to skip, this might be it. Most of what’s inside the Forum are indeed ruins so a lot of the stops require some imagination to visualize what they looked like back when the emperors were still in charge. Similar to the Colosseum, Rick has another walking tour for the Forum which I suggest because without his audio guide or some sort of guidebook you will have no idea what you are looking at and will not really get anything out of this site.
If you decide to skip the Forum, you can go to a vantage point just behind the Palazzo Senatorio (on Capitoline Hill) which gives you a pretty good vantage point of most of the bigger sites within the Forum.
Victor Emmanuel Monument
You don’t need to stop inside this monument but there is no doubt you won’t at least walk by and want to snag a picture – it’s pretty impressive. It’s sometimes referred to as the wedding cake monument. It was built to honor the 50th anniversary of the country’s unification as part of Italy’s push to bring the country together – before the unification in the mid-1800’s Italy was a bunch of regional governments and usually were fighting with one another. If you want views of the Forum, you can also pay EUR 10 to take an elevator to the top. I have not done this but it’s in a lot of guides.
The Imperial Forums
If you are walking up to the Forum/Colosseum down the main Via dei Fori Imperial next to the Victor Emmanuel monument, there are a few interesting sites along the way. The big column you will see is called Trajan’s Column. The Roman Empire saw it’s peak in the time of Emperor Trajan which is interesting because if you are like me you probably had never even heard of this guy. This column has 2,500 figures that tell the tale of the emperor’s triumphs. If expanded, the pictures would span over 200 yards. Interestingly, the column is hallow and there is a staircase inside leading to the top – although that’s not open to the public.
Behind the column is Trajan’s Forum (of lesser fame than the Forum across the street) and Trajan’s market which is where the Emperor spent a majority of his booty from his conquests. You can see into both of these from the street so no need to pay to visit inside.
San Pietro in Vincoli (St. Peter in Chains Church)
Just up the road from the Colosseum is this unpretentious church which today houses two items of interest – first are the church’s name sake, the chains of St. Peter and second the statute of Moses by a little known sculptor named Michelangelo. The chains were those worn by St. Peter when he was imprisoned in Jerusalem.
Now a bit about Moses. This statue was originally supposed to be one of 48 statues for the grave of Pope Julius II which was supposed to be in St. Peter’s down in Vatican City. Well, Julius died and no one really wanted to complete the project, or pay for it. So the remnants were scattered about with the statue of Moses settling in this church. This stop is free which is nice and it’s pretty easy to get to if you have the time.
Day 2 – The Heart of Rome: Piazza Novona, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps
This day is named in honor of the tour Rick Steve’s has of all these sites. I highly recommend if you do any of Rick’s audio tours in Rome you do this one. This will take you by all the greatest non-Roman empire hits (plus the Pantheon) in an easy to follow format with lots of good information. The tour starts in Campo de’ Fiori and weaves through the city including stops at the following:
Piazza Navona
One of my favorite spots in Rome because of the impressive Four Rivers Fountain in the center. This is a Bernini work (get used to that name he is one of the biggest sculptors you will see around Rome).
Each side of the fountain represents a different river. There is the Danube, the Ganges, the Nile, and the Rio de Plata – an interesting choice for South America considering the more famous Amazon.
There are also 2 other fountains on opposite ends of the Piazza that are also pleasant to look at.
Also worth noting this square is an equally stunning view in the evening when it’s all lit up.
The Pantheon
Another of Rome’s most famous sites is the Pantheon. This is a stop on the Rick Steve’s heart of Rome walk I mentioned and he has another separate podcast for the Pantheon itself. It’s about 23 minutes and very worth it in my opinion because without it, you probably won’t have much of an idea what you are seeing on the inside.
In front of the Pantheon – this square will likely look a little different when you visit. It’s usually VERY crowded.
Inside the main sites are the ceiling and a few graves. The dome is perfectly symmetrical – 142 feet by 142 feet. The top circle is open to the air and is the only source of light in the dome. The floor has little holes in it to handle when it rains. This dome was studied to produce the dome at both St. Peter’s and the famed Duomo in Florence.
The tomb of Raphael (the famed painter inspiring the name of one mutant turtle of teenage years) is also within the Pantheon. Also here are Italian royalty including Victor Emmanuel of the previously mentioned Monument who helped unify Italy back in the mid-1800’s.
Piazza Colonna
In the middle of this square is a MASSIVE pillar not unlike Trajan’s column discussed earlier. The 100 foot tower is 28 blocks all stacked on top one another and tells the story of Emperor Marcus Aurelius battling Barbarians.
Trevi Fountain
Another famed stop in Rome is the Trevi fountain. Usually flooded with people – namely tourists or those looking to rip off tourists. As I mentioned earlier, keep your wits about you here. Make sure to throw in a coin to ensure your return trip to this famed city. Also worth noting that similar to the Four Rivers fountain, this fountain is equally stunning in the evening all lit up. Normally you can get right up to the water but when we went you could only access the upper deck.
Spanish Steps
The last stop on rick’s tour is the famed Spanish Steps. Usually these steps are also flooded with people and this is another spot where you should be aware of your surroundings. You actually cannot sit on the steps – too many people were sitting so they will fine you – but you can walk up and down.
Piazza del Popolo
This large square isn’t on Rick’s tour but it’s just up the Spanish steps and there is an entrance just at the top for the Villa Borghese Gardens. I talk about the gardens a little later in this section but if you are feeling energized and want to cram everything Rome into just three days you can easily continue onto the gardens and even visit the Galleria Borghese (see Day 5 below).
Day 3 – Vatican City
While you are in Rome you can take a day and visit a whole other country – Vatican City! Within the city are two different sites: the Vatican Museum and St. Peter’s Basilica. I personally think you would be remiss if you didn’t go to Vatican City while you are in Rome. The museum is home to amazing works of art including the famed Sistine Chapel and the Church is the largest Catholic church in the world (and also the most impressive if you want my take).
Vatican Museums
The Vatican Museums are heavily visited so when you go you should 1,000% get a ticket in advance. The line can go down the road for a LONG way and you don’t want to waste away waiting to get inside because there is plenty of ground to cover. A lot of the advanced ticket options come with a guide but considering Rick has a free guide for both the museums and the Sistine chapel, I don’t think you need one. Instead I would go with just an advanced ticket which will assign you an entry time. When you arrive, there will be a special line for advanced ticket holders so keep your eyes peeled for that. From here just follow Rick! I included some pictures below of some of my favorite things I saw in the museum with some brief descriptions but I won’t bore you with too many details – you’ll listen to it all on your own!
The final stop of the Vatician museums is the famous Sistine Chapel. You won’t be allowed to take pictures inside (although many do) but I am sure you know what it looks like by heart or at least the famed creation of Adam panel. As I said, Rick has a full podcast episode on the Sistine Chapel which I recommend downloading as he will give you a proper rundown on all the different sections of the main ceiling and the Last Judgment wall. Interestingly, the ceiling and the Last Judgment wall were painted at two different times – the ceiling by a young Michelangelo and the wall by a much older Michelangelo.
St. Peter’s Basilica
When you exit the Vatican generally you can exit right into St. Peters square making it easy to go from one site to the next. Don’t worry, Rick has a tour that will take you through the church and explain the main features. Visiting the Basilica is also free! Just make sure not to plan your visit for Wednesday morning, that’s when the Pope has his audience and the church is closed.
If you are interested, you can also climb to the top of the dome for views of the city. I personally have never done this but I do love a good opportunity to climb a tower for a view – good pictures and calories burned for more pasta.
Day 4 – Trastevere Neighborhood and Surrounding Area
Let me start by saying I don’t know that this day is truly a full day but the previous three days I outlined are pretty jammed packed and this area is not necessarily right by the others. If you were set on 3 days in Rome and I had a suggestion of where to put these stops, I would say you could do these things on the evening you do the Roman empire sites or before you start the Heart of Rome sites as it’s probably a 15 minute or so walk from the Campo de’ Fiori.
Tratevere Neighborhood
As I mentioned before this neighborhood is very popular at the moment and features a lot of great restaurants and bars. We did a food tour here I would highly recommend. Our guide Jess told us we were the first people who took the tour since the pandemic had started and I think she cried so was so happy to be back working and seeing tourism come back. It was a little tricky because a few of our original stops were not open because of Covid but our guide quickly adapted and we still had a great experience. I included the link below if you want to check it out for yourself.
I cover food more below but here are some pictures of the great food we had on the tour.
Rick also has a walking tour of this area. I would not say this is a must by any means but there were some interesting factoids. Mostly I would recommend just wandering around here, checking out bars and shops and enjoying the overall feel of the city.
Jewish Quarter
Right across the river from the Tratevere neighborhood is the Jewish Ghetto. Rick has a nice 25 minute walk that will lead you through this area and talk about the Jewish history of the city (including WW2) a bit more. With everything else going on in Rome, this is a portion of Rome’s history that doesn’t tend to get a lot of attention so it’s definitely an interesting listen but if you have to cut something, not 100% necessary.
Day 5 – Villa Borghese and Galleria Borghese
Villa Borghese is the large park on the northern part of the city. As I mentioned above, you can also add this as a stop after the Day 2 Heart of Rome walk. This is a great spot to spend an afternoon and have a picnic and people watch. There are bikes you can rent but really walking works just fine. On the eastern portion of the park is the Galleria Borghese which is worth a visit. To visit the museum you need to buy your ticket in advance (even pre-pandemic this was a requirement). Shockingly, Rick has no tour of this museum – even though he gives it 3 triangles, the highest honor, in his guide. Because of this, I would suggest renting an audio guide so you can hear about what you are seeing. I would recommend the museum if you have time but if you are already finding your agenda overfilled, this is one I would potentially leave off. Also good to note this is basically all statues so if those aren’t your thing, this ain’t your museum.
What and Where to Eat
The moment you have all been waiting for, or maybe just me. Food! There is no shortage of good food in Rome – it will likely spoil Italian food for you forever because it’s just not as good anywhere else. I will get into some specific restaurants in a moment but first let me comment on a Roman dish that you should eat at every turn in the city. Carbonara. You might think you know carbonara but you probably don’t. Like, you probably think carbonara has cream right? Wrong, very wrong, There is no cream in traditional carbonara. The only ingredients are pasta, egg, pecorino romano cheese, and speck (pork belly). The story our guide told us was carbonara came about after the second world war when Rome was freed and the citizens of the city wanted to make a dish to thank the allies. As you might have guessed there wasn’t a lot of fancy ingredients around so they pulled together what they had and carbonara was born. No idea if that’s true, but it’s a nice story. Regardless, Rome is the home to Carbonara and if you see if on a menu, it’s probably worth an order.
Also a tip on how to order. As opposed to each person ordering a separate pasta dish (not very Italian) I would recommend getting dishes of multiple varieties and sharing. Also, this is not the Oliva Garden. Don’t expect to see American-ized Italian food (chicken parmesan, fettucine alfredo, etc.) on the menus. Aside from Carbonara other traditional dishes Cacio e Pepe (literally cheese and pepper) and pasta with arrabbiata (aka spicy tomato) sauce. Similarly, don’t expect Olive Garden sized portions. You will not be served the world’s larges bowl of spaghetti when you order and that is fine. You will leave plenty full trust me.
So now restaurants. The most effective way for me to do this is probably to tell you an area and a place to go so let’s try that.
If you’re near Campo de Fiori try….
Roscioli
A little shop where you can also buy food and take it with you. We had some great pastas and fresh mozzarella here. Also amazing wine selection.
Taverna Lucifero
Hope you like truffles! Most things on the menu are adorned in the delicacy.
If you’re near the Pantheon try…
Da Armando al Pantheon
This is quite a famous spot. We had a great lamb dish and a pasta dish.
Virginiae
Nice outdoor ambiance on a quieter street.
If you’re in Trastevere try..
Trapizzino
Unfortunately we ordered this in on one of the days we were working from Rome so I have no pictures to offer you but I promise you, these are delicious and you HAVE to eat them.
Dar Poeta
PIzza… this is your moment. Also yes that’s a jug of wine.
Peppo al Cosimato
I had a GREAT carbonara here and Bill loved his seafood pasta. This was one of our food tour stops which I included pictures of above.
If you’re by the Spanish Steps try…
Ristorante Adhoc
This was one of the few times in Italy I felt like I needed to be rolled out the restaurant I was so full. We did the 4 course set menu and while everything was incredible the portion sizes were huge. If you go, which you should, no need to do a set menu. I would order one of each of the courses and split it with your partner. One course needs to be their carbonara three ways. Trust me. Also points for ambiance here a well.
If you’re in Vatican City try….
Bono Bottega Nostrana
It’s unlikely you will stay in Vatican for dinner and I imagine you will only be there a day so I threw a lunch recommendation on here. These sandwiches were TOP notch and not too far off St. Peter’s so you can go as you transition between the museum and the Basilica. The sandwiches are big so one is plenty per person.
And there you have it – Rome! If you made it to the end here, thank you. I know this blog was as big as Rome itself but hopefully now you can see what I mean when I say if you try and do it all in only 3 days you will be exhausted. I hope you enjoyed the recommendations and your eventual journey to the Eternal city – even if it has to be in your imagination for now. Ciao for now!
Have Passport Will Travel 