“All roads lead to Rome” — Romans have built one of the most sophisticated road networks, and all of them ended in the heart of the Empire — the City of Rome. I’ve cheated and took a plane, but eventually made it to one of the most interesting cities in the world.
“All roads lead to Rome” — you’ve heard this expression before. Maybe in the history class, maybe in the tourist guide. It comes from Roman Empire times. Back then, they built one of the most sophisticated road networks, and all of the roads led to the heart of the Empire — the City of Rome. I’ve cheated and took a plane, but eventually made it to one of the most interesting cities in the world.
There are two main reasons why you want to visit Rome: history and food. Guilty as charged, I have a soft spot in my heart for both of them. Growing up I have read numerous books on the history of Ancient Rome and have always been drawn to it. Romans made a huge contribution to our everyday lives: their political, economic, cultural and social norms had set the precedence for quite a lot of ways in which our modern society works. Food is amazing and available pretty much everywhere.
Also moving forward I will start to feature some music from the country I’ve visited to set your mood while you are reading the blog. The first are italo disco heroes Marvin & Guy.
When you start planning your trip, keep in mind that you will be walking a lot. Most attractions and sights are fairly close to each other and easily accessible by foot. Although Rome has public transportation and taxis/ridesharing services, I would recommend staying in central areas and just walk around. There is nothing like getting lost in the small ancient cobblestone streets of Rome… well, as long as you have comfortable shoes ;)
With that in mind I’ve ended up choosing the hotel in the Prati neighborhood, which is located halfway between the Vatican and Historic Center. I didn’t want to be in the midst of touristy areas but still appreciated an easy access to all sights. It worked out perfectly. I would also recommend Trastevere for good nightlife. Otherwise, most areas in Historic Center will provide you with numerous accommodation options. The only exception is the area around Termini — city’s main train and bus station, it seems to have a bad reputation.
Rome has 2 international airports but you most likely will arrive at Fiumicino Airport (FCO). It is the largest airport in Rome and Italy. Technically its official name is Aeroporto Leonardo da Vinci. From there you can take an express train or bus to Termini station, the ride will take you about 30–40 mins. I’ve chosen to take a bus because it had a stop near Vatican about 5 mins away from my hotel. I was advised against taking a taxi from the airport since they tend to overcharge tourists regardless of the mandated fixed fee. Unfortunately, you can’t order Uber from airport. In general Uber allowed in the city but only for premium cars/vans. If you want a regular UberX/Lyft experience, download MyTaxi app.
Day 1: Colosseum, Forum and Palatine Hill
Start your trip from Colosseum. It is an amphitheater built in Ancient Rome times, which used to hold 50,000 spectators. Throughout times it was modernized, rebuilt and upgraded, all the while remaining a world-famous landmark. It hosted gladiator fights, animal hunts, mock sea battles, and executions. Colosseum is the symbol of Imperial Rome and one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.
Because of its popularity, it’s a major tourist trap. If walking around as a part of the crowd where everybody is trying to take a picture of every stone is not your thing, play smart. Rule #1: buy the ticket in advance here, the same ticket will get you to the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine Hill — all while avoiding the ticket line. Rule#2: get there super early and ideally on the workday, drink espresso in the morning (we’ll come back to that) and head over right away. You goal is to be done with all of this by early afternoon and switch to drinking Aperol Spritz somewhere.
Roman Forum is the plaza in the center of Rome next to Colosseum and Palatine Hill. Back in the days it was a center of Roman life, and now surrounded by the ruins of the several ancient government buildings. But even ruins give you an idea of the majestic importance and the spirit of the place.
Palatine Hill is one of the oldest parts of the city and the original location of imperial palaces. You can walk around the territory and learn about ancient buildings. Now remember my previous point of getting there earlier. Well, we didn’t. For some reason we’ve decided to grab lunch after Colosseum and do the rest after. Rookie mistake. Don’t be like us. That Aperol Spritz not going to drink itself.
Actually, let’s talk about Aperol, Campari and all other good stuff. Italians have a strong culture of aperitifs — drinks served before the meal. Aperol is an orange liquor, and Campari is a blood orange liqueur. Both are very popular aperitifs and bases for popular aperitif cocktails: Aperol Spritz (Aperol+Prosecco+club soda) and Americano (Campari+sweet vermouth+club soda) respectively. Needless to say, there’s nothing better than sipping one (or more) of them on a warm sunny day while enjoying the view after some touristy activities. Mark my words. You’re welcome.
Finish the walk at Piazza Venezia — the home of Vittorio Emanuele II Monument. It is a monument built in honor of the first king of unified Italy in 1919. It is one of the most amazing Roman buildings and just a colossal piece of architecture, which simply hypnotizes you. That’s probably one of the reasons Mussolini used it as a place for the military parades and public speeches.
Day 2: Historic Center
It is the second day and you’re a bit tired from walking yesterday (or drinking last night), so you need a little pick me up. Now let’s pause here for a second. Coffee is somewhat a religion in Italy, and they take it seriously. There are also some rules, which you might consider even weird, but it’s their country and their rules. Rule #1: cappuccino (and other milk espresso-based drinks) or espressos with some pastry (croissant) in the mornings, only espressos in the afternoons. Rule #2: you order coffee at the bar and drink it quickly while standing. There is also the specific way to order it: you pay first, then take your receipt to the barista, who then will make it for you. Now you’re not the first foreigner who visited Italy, and most likely you will be near the major touristy area. So, nobody will really care, if you sit down in the afternoon with a cup of latte. But it’s generally a good idea to be aware of the local customs, so you don’t look like a complete idiot in their eyes.
Once you’re energized and ready to do, start from Piazza Navona. It a famous square of three fountains: Fontana del Moro, Fountain of Neptune and Fountain of Four Rivers. You would probably recognize them from various movies or famous photos.
Your next stop is The Pantheon. It’s a former Roman temple turned to church. It’s one of the best preserved Ancient Roman buildings because of its extensive use over the years. Interesting fact: its ceiling is done in the form of a dome, and till this day its world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome, and of course there are rumors of gods helping out there.
The Trevi Fountain is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and another world-famous piece of architecture. Rumor has it, you have to drink a glass of water out of it in order to come back to Rome. Today you’ll have to put some work in to get to it through the crowd of tourists. If you do so, there’s a pretty good chance that you’ll come back.
The Spanish Steps is another iconic sight, which was originally built to connect Spanish embassy with the church on top of the hill. By then you are probably a little tired and want to sit down, relax and eat gelato. Steps sound like a perfect place to do it. Wrong. The majority of the people sitting on the steps are tourists. Italians are not huge fans of sitting on the historical monument. Recently they’ve passed a law that allows police to give out tickets up to 400 euros to ppl sitting there. It might be a very expensive gelato after all. If you’re still full of energy you can walk up to Villa Borghese Gardens, which is a public park on top of the hill.
Day 3: Vatican
Vatican is an independent city-state within Rome borders. It’s the smallest sovereign state in the world by area and population, and primarily exists under the governance of the Catholic Church. Again, follow the rule: sightseeing in the morning, relaxing in the afternoon. Beat the crowds by arriving earlier. Vatican’s main sights are St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums.
St. Peter’s Basilica is the largest church in the world and one of the holiest Catholic shrines. The entrance is free, but if you want to go up to its top and enjoy the amazing view, you’ll have to join the separate dome line and pay the fee. The Sistine Chapel is the official residence of Pope in Vatican City. The Vatican Museums are Christian art museums, which display works collected by popes over the years.
From Vatican walk to Castel Sant’Angelo. It’s cylindrical building on the right bank of the Tiber. It was originally built as a mausoleum and later used as a fortress or castle. Inside there’s a museum and you can also go to its roof and grab a bite while enjoying the view.
While doing all of the discussed sightseeing, you should not forget the second reason why you are in Rome: food. You will see it everywhere. The rule of thumb: if you see a lot of tourist crowds, do not buy food there. Walk a couple of blocks, look where locals eat. Also embrace carbs, carbs, carbs.
Several dishes you should absolutely try in Rome:
- Pasta: Amatriciana (tomato, bacon, cheese) and Carbonara (egg, hard cheese, bacon)
- Pizza: all different types with thin crust
- Artichoke: a traditional Roman Jewish dish, go to Jewish Ghetto for it
- Gelato: so many good options, especially since it has less sugar than a regular ice cream.
Generally, I would recommend to explore Trastevere neighborhood, which is famous for its nightlife: restaurants and bars.
In a nutshell
- Although Rome is a major tourist destination, there’s a way to do it: try to do sightseeing in the morning and focus on Aperol Spritz and amazing food at night.
- Most tourist destinations are in the old parts of the city, so the easiest way to get around is by foot — bring comfortable shoes.
- Forget about your diet or you will really miss out.
Ciao!
