Rome Itinerary

Rome is basically a massive outdoor museum, with a plethora of sites to see and ancient ruins popping up all over the city, so here are just a few tips/must-sees from our time in the Eternal City...

Where to Stay:

We stayed in Hotel Quattro Fontane (after Hotel La Fenice didn't have our reservation and called and made us another at their sister hotel!) near the Barberini/Fontana di Trevi Metro Stop. This was a good area - only a few minutes walk from Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps, about 15-20 minutes from the Colosseum, the Pantheon, and the Termini train station. I would this suggest staying in that area, near Piazza Navona / Pantheon, or in Trastevere (Trastevere is a little farther away, but a cool neighborhood and, in my opinion, a must-see while in Rome).

Getting Around:

I would advise that, as with many Europeans cities, it would be best not to drive in Rome. The most convenient and cheapest way to get around would be the public transit system, not to mention that I'd personally be nervous to drive in Italy after our taxi driver told us that a "red light is just a suggestion." 

Metro tickets can be purchased at any Tabacchi (tobacco shop) and from vending machines at the train and metro stations. I'd recommend the BTI, a tourist ticket for €11 that is valid for unlimited bus and metro travel for 3 days.

**Also, even though Rome is more spread out than some cities, it is still very walkable and we did most travel on foot. So, transit tickets aren't essential if you like to walk! 

What to See:

Vatican City: Open 9 am - 6 pm, closed on Sunday - buy tickets in advance to avoid line - €15. Plan to spend at least a half day there. Highlights = 

• Sistine Chapel
• St. Peter's Square and Basilica - one of the largest churches in the world, spectacular interior, and contains tombs, relics, and Michelangelo's La Pieta statue (just make sure you cover your shoulders and legs to your knees - as you see in my pics, I had to use my husband's clothes to cover up! oops)
• Vatican Gardens
• Castel Sant Angelo (has underground passageway to Vatican)
• Raphael Rooms

 

Colosseum / Roman Forum / Palatine Hill:  MUST see - €12 admission for all 3 - spend a half day here - bypass long lines at the Colosseum by going to Palatine Hill first - go there, then the Forum, then the Colosseum and you'll wait in virtually no lines! 

Trevi Fountain: one of the most famous fountains in the world - there are lots of rules on how many coins to throw in for different outcomes, but toss in a coin to ensure your return to Rome!

 Pantheon: free admission, closes at 7:00 pm

Piazzas (not to be confused with pizza!): One of my favorite parts of Rome is relaxing in the Piazzas, having a glass of prosecco or enjoying a gelato, viewing the art and street performers, people-watching, etc. Most popular piazzas/squares in Rome (first 4 are my fav):

Piazza Navona                                                 Campo di'Fiori
Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Steps)                     Piazza del Popolo


Piazza Venezia                                                Piazza del Campidoglio
Piazza del Pantheon                                        Piazza Santa Maria (Trastevere)

Piazza Navona

Cuisine:

Well, Italian food is incredible.. plain and simple! Some Roman pasta specialties include Carbonara, Amatriciana, Cacio e pepe, and Gricia. There are loads of amazing restaurants (just do your research to avoid tourist traps!), so I'll just share one suggestion. As I mentioned in Part 2 of our Rome trip, I had the best pasta of my life at Hostaria La Botticella a Trastevere and would absolutely insist on going here!


Enjoy :)

Rome pt. 2

Part 2 of our Rome trip (see Part 1) was equally eventful and amazing. We spent the first half of our second day touring the impressive Colosseum and the Roman Forum. 

It's mind-blowing to think the Colosseum was built by hand in 70-80 AD, and that people used to lose their lives in that arena for the sake of amusement. When we were inside, I couldn't help myself from repeating one of my favorite Gladiator lines, "Are you not entertained?!"

View of Colosseum from Palatine Hill

Next to the Colosseum is the Roman Forum, an area that was once the center of ancient Rome, now filled with countless ruins of important government buildings, temples, statues, etc. In some instances, a single pillar is all that is left of a massive structure. One can only imagine what the forum looked like in all its glory!

After we explored the Forum and the inside of the Colosseum, we met my friend Kate (who we joined for Thanksgiving in Portugal), who had taken the train up from Naples to visit for the day. It had been 5 years since we'd seen each other, so it was great to catch up and meet her gorgeous little one! The 4 of us had a late lunch and visited another incredibly old but well-preserved building, the Pantheon (built in 126 AD as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome).

At a cafe for lunch

 Sadly, Kate had to catch the train back home, so we parted ways and got ready for our last night out on the town. Again, we met up with our friend, Gina, and shared a bottle of Prosecco on the rooftop terrace of her hotel, Intercontinental De La Ville Roma (beautiful!). We toasted to our last night in Rome, overlooking the tops of enormous cathedrals as the city lights began to twinkle. 

To top it all off, a dinner recommendation led us to the lively little neighborhood of Trastevere, where I had the most authentic, fresh, and unbelievably scrumptious pasta I've ever had in my life at Hostaria La Botticella. On the advice of a local, we continued on to Testaccio for a taste of the Roman nightlife... leading to a late night!

The next day, we did our last bit of sightseeing, then relaxed and enjoyed the sunshine-filled piazzas and got our final fix of pizza and gelato before heading back to Ireland. As legend has it, I tossed a coin over my shoulder into Trevi Fountain, so hopefully I'll return to Rome again some day!

Roma!

As I said in my post about our Venice trip, I've always been dying to go to Italy. Well, I got my wish in back-to-back weekend trips to Venice and Rome. One week after our bank holiday in Venice, we flew back to Italy to meet up with a Chicago friend at the end of her 10 day Italian adventure. It was the best of both worlds: sightseeing together during the day, and meeting up with friends for dinners and drinks at night.

After a little hiccup the first day -- the hotel didn't have our reservation and had to book us at a "sister" hotel farther away from where we wanted to be -- we got settled and took off to see the sites. 

We strolled over to Vatican City and saw St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museum, and the Sistine Chapel. St. Peter's Basilica is one of the largest churches in the world, has a spectacular interior, and contains tombs, relics, and Michelangelo's La Pieta statue. The museum is gigantic and holds classical sculptures and Renaissance masterpieces. As for the Sistine Chapel... breathtaking!

Unfortunately, you're not allowed to take pictures inside and I, perhaps foolishly, obeyed and didn't sneak any. The pictures below are from the ornate hallway leading up to the Sistine Chapel and are just a taste of the extraordinary detail and beauty displayed inside. 

After spending about a half day in The Vatican, we wandered back toward our hotel, stopping at other sites along the way, i.e. Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, Campo de' Fiori.

Fun fact: apparently 3,000 euros are thrown into Fontana di Trevi each day. So I guess that means I need to go camp out by the fountain and start stealing people's wishes!

Trevi Fountain

Piazza Navona

Following a long day of sightseeing, we freshened up and walked the few minutes to Piazza di Spagna, where we shared little bottles of wine on the Spanish Steps and watched the sun go down. Here we also met up with B's work friend from Chicago and had dinner at a nearby restaurant into the late hours of the night.

Gina!

Top of the Spanish Steps

It was a great start to the trip! Since there is so much to see and do in Rome, Part 2 is coming soon...