Rome, Italy.
I like to think sometimes that I may have Italian blood in me from somewhere because I absolutely love Italy. The food, the history, the landscape, did I mention the food? I had been to Rome previously in Winter and I was pretty ill (it was part of a Top Deck tour) so I made up for it this time when visiting again during the Summer.
Stay Here.
Terrace Pantheon Relais.
There is a lot of choice for places to stay in Rome. We found this hotel and it was perfect for the four of us. The location is fantastic with it being two minutes away from the Pantheon and about a 15-20 minute walk from the Colosseum / Roman Forum. We also walked to Vatican City which took approximately 20 minutes or so but there is a bus stop nearby if need be.
The best thing about this hotel is the roof terrace. You can bring your own drinks so you can have a pre-dinner Aperol or two after a long day of walking. The staff are really friendly and helpful so this place had everything we needed for our visit.
Roof top views at Terrace Pantheon Relais.
Visit Here.
I've ordered all the sites to how we visited each day as I thought it might be useful to help plan your trip.
Colosseum / Roman Forum / Palatine Hill / Aventine Keyhole
I find it incredible that the city is built around all of these beautiful ruins.
We awoke early to take advantage of it being the first Sunday of the month where most of the museums and sites are free. We arrived to the Colosseum by 7:30am which allowed us to walk through the quiet streets of Rome, past the usually bustling Piazza Venezia.
The Colosseum still blows my socks off whenever I see it. Not just the structure but also the violent history attached to it.
Entry to the Roman Forum is also included in the ticket to the Colosseum so we spent a lot of our time walking around the city's previous centre. We then moved over to Palatine Hill which is where many of the affluent Romans had their residences.
Allow at least half a day to take in everything from these three areas.
We then made our way to Aventine Hill, walking past the Circus Maximus which was used for chariot races. We came to the hill mainly to check out the infamous keyhole located at the Priory of the Knights Malta. Prepare to wait in line to peer through an inconspicuous looking door as it worth it and can only truly be witnessed in person. The teeny keyhole will show you a perfectly aligned view of St Peter's dome at the end of lined trees from the garden.
Pantheon / Piazza Navona / Campo de Fiori
The Pantheon, with its iconic columns, is free to enter so arrive early to avoid the lines. I was trying to rack my brains about everything I had learnt during Ancient History in high school and I'm sorry Mrs McCarthy, but I could not remember much.
After checking out the Pantheon, we made our way to Piazza Navona which is an open square with a beautiful fountain you may recognise from the Angels and Demons movie. We then strolled to Campo de Fiori which, from what I have read, is quite a famous square given that it was a focal point for Roman life since the middle ages. It now hosts a fresh food and flower market where you can also pick up a panini for lunch from the surrounding bakeries and do a bit of people watching.
Trevi Fountain / Spanish Steps
Again, we woke early in order to see the Trevi Fountain without all of the crowds and it is a bit of a must see when you are in Rome. It was a dream going early so if you aren't a fan of crowds, I recommend doing this. We then wandered over to the Spanish Steps and as it was still early, there weren't many people there however there was a wedding dress photo shoot so they took up the main part of the steps. As we walked past it later in the day, a lot of people just sit on the stairs and watch the world go by.
Vatican City / Castel Sant'Angelo
You need about half a day here depending on what you want to see. We had a nap after visiting Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps as we had pre-booked tickets to the Vatican Museum for the afternoon. I would highly recommending pre-booking (which you can do here) as the line up is very, very long. You can then go to the front of the line if you keep to the right. This is not very well sign-posted but this will save you a lot of time!
The museum is quite big so it will take a couple of hours to wander through. I found it quite interesting however I thought it was going to be more about the history of the Vatican but it is literally the antiquities the Church holds. The most impressive element you will see though is the Sistine Chapel. You can't take any photos or videos and as it is a Chapel, you must be silent. Of course, a lot of tourists do not have this respect and you hear the security guards yelling out a bit.. However, it is something really special to see as you stare up at the ceiling, looking at the nine scenes from the Book of Genesis painted by Michelangelo with his most famous scene, The Creation of Adam.
We didn't visit St Peter's Basilica however if you did wish to, it opens from 7am but is closed on Sundays so I would suggest going early before visiting the Museum as entry to this is free and the line up is usually long as well. You do need to pay however in order to go up The Dome (there is stair and elevator access).
Castel Sant'Angelo is near Vatican City if you did want to visit. We wanted to go to their cafe as it is on top of the castle to look over the Tiber River however you need to pay entry in order to access and we weren't that keen. We walked back along St Angelo Bridge which was built by Emperor Hadrian in 134 A.D (I remembered that name from school!).
Scalinata dei Borgia / Rione I Monti
Ok, so this is a bit random but my friend and I love Keanu Reeves. In one of his movies, John Wick 2, there is a fight scene in Rome which is on these steps. The stairs are quite pretty to see in any case as the arch of the tunnel is covered in foliage and I do love me some leaves over any building. No punch ups or falling down steps involved.
No-one was hurt during the walking up of these stairs.
The Monti area is also a really nice area to stroll through as it is known as being quite eclectic / hip / bohemian.
Eat Here.
Trattoria Da Augusto, Trastevere
We were recommended this restaurant from a friend's brother who is from Rome. Located in the area for food, Trastevere, it is an unassuming looking restaurant that opens at 8pm for dinner. They do not take reservations but we had a few pre-dinner wines / beers at nearby Ferrara then arrived a little bit before it opened to nab a table. The food is simple but delicious so we went all out having a dish from every course. The pasta was perfect, the meat was tender and the wine was tasty. The best thing is the price, it is fantastic value for what you pay.
Pane e Salame, near Trevi Fountain
Another friend had just been to Rome and stumbled across this place and said I had to go. If you are after a good sized (i.e. huge!) panini for lunch then this is the place for you. There are loads of options for fillings and it is absolutely delicious. We grabbed one and sat in the shade at the nearby Piazza di San Silvestro.
Analemma, Monti.
After our early start at the Colosseum we were all verging on the edge of being hangry and thankfully found this place. It portrayed the area of Monti perfectly with its art work in the back and bohemian style interior. The breakfast was decent and filled us up, ready to tackle the Roman Forum.
Urbana 47, Monti.
We were here for an Aperol Spritz pit-stop but the food here looked really good too. They use seasonal, local produce and there looked to be a number of locals enjoying the fare.
Coffee.
There are so many places you can just pull up to for coffee on the go. This is Italy and it is coffee heaven.
We had a cafe near where we were staying, Caffe Tazza D'Oro, which is diagonal from the Pantheon with large yellow signs above its doorways. The espresso is cheap and delicious, plus it is open early so you can pop in en route to any of the sites should you wake up at the crack of dawn like we did.
My return to Rome was as incredible as I expected. So much history, culture and delicious food all piled into one weekend. I dare say I will be back again in the future to quality control some more.
Rome's Top Five
1. The first Sunday of every month, a lot of the museums and sites are free. Yes, free! A comprehensive list of what is included can be found here.
2. Rome is very busy with tourists so make the most of it and wake early. We did and it was definitely worth it to miss a lot of the crowds where possible.
3. Italy is a Mecca for coffee lovers. Do as the Italians do and drink your espresso at the counter to save some Euros.
4. If there is a group of you visiting, it is worth getting a taxi/shuttle to your hotel. They usually hussle a few groups together near where you buy train tickets and take you to their mini van. It is so convenient and the same price as a train fare into town.
5. Pre-book entry where you can to any sites you have your heart set on as the lines can be crazy long if you don't arrive early. If you don't pre-book for the Colosseum / Roman Forum, I have heard it is quicker to gain tickets if you buy them at the Roman Forum (with both sites included in the ticket price).
We flew British Airways to Rome as they had a sale so flights were cheap from London Gatwick - do search comparison sites for your best options.
For accommodation, there are a lot of lovely places on both Booking.com and Air BnB. Have a look around and see which ones suit your budget, and group size.
I didn't find Rome too expensive. Where we went for food was quite inexpensive and we walked everywhere so I didn't spend a lot of money. I would say it is definitely a weekend break for any budget.
