I am beyond sad that this is my last of my Europe Travel Guide series. Hopefully, I’ll travel back to Europe soon so I can write more travel guides 😉 (priorities?). We were lucky enough to spend two full days in Rome that were beautiful, jam-packed, delicious, wacky, and so much fun.
NIGHT ONE
We arrived in Rome fairly late in the evening around 7PM. Truthfully, at this point in the trip, we were absolutely exhausted. And, our first few hours in Rome were, quite honestly, a disaster. I will say that the flight from Paris to Rome was amazing. I put in my headphones and looked out the window for the rest of the flight as we flew over the Swiss Alps. I also loved how the flight attendants in Rome are so dressed up and cute! They dress to match the colors of their plane, is that not the cutest thing ever? Anyway, when we arrived in Rome, there was a ton of traffic so we had to take a different route, which annoyed our taxi driver greatly (typical haha). When we finally arrived at our hotel, we walked in to find that our hotel was overbooked and that we were moved to a different hotel down the road. The bellhop literally grabbed our bags and dragged them probably three blocks down the road to our “new” hotel. Just when we thought things couldn’t get worse, we arrived at our new hotel, The Hotel Madison, to find that our room had no air conditioning, no working safe, and no wifi. The hotel did work with us to upgrade our room free of charge after a great deal of hassle. Regardless, I would not recommend the Hotel Milani (our original hotel that overbooked) or the Hotel Madison (where we ended up). Though it may be pricier, we found that it may be better to book through an American hotel chain if you are looking for typical American comforts while in Italy. The craziness of our first night continued when we headed out to get our first authentic Italian meal. We ordered pizza, different pastas, salads, and limoncello to find out that our pizza didn’t have any cheese! PIZZA WITHOUT CHEESE PEOPLE. I do not recommend.
Flying over the Alps
Everything changed when we walked out the restaurant and tried our first Roman gelato. I think it may have changed my life. We grabbed gelato and headed to a spot we had all heard about for many years – The Trevi Fountain. The fountain was absolutely stunning and surrounded by tourists taking in the lovely sight. After seeing the Trevi Fountain, we remembered that we were in ROME and that we were beyond lucky to be there, despite any obstacles. We headed to bed and woke up the next morning on the bright side.
DAY ONE
On Day 1 in Rome, we decided to book two tours. We knew that we had an extremely limited time in this city and we wanted to see as much as possible. That being said, we did spend a good amount of money on tours. I promise you, it was absolutely worth it, given our limited time in the city.
Our first tour was of the Colosseum and Ancient Rome. We hopped on the train from the Termini, which was conveniently located across from our hotel. The Roman train system was fairly easy to navigate, especially since we left from Termini (the main terminal) every day. Our tours were booked through Golden Tours. We arrived at the set location dictated by Golden Tours, but only saw tours by CityWonders. We finally realized that they are the same company and that we were in the right place after a lot of confusion, so be sure to note that if you book through Golden Tours. One amazing thing about these tours is that you skip the line and tour in a small group, led by a knowledgeable local tour guide.
I was absolutely amazed by the Colosseum. I couldn’t believe the shape of the building given that it was built in 70 AD. You heard me right, 70 AD. How is that even possible? I loved standing inside of the building, picturing the Romans inside of this building, almost 2000 years ago. Everything I had learned in Latin class years ago was coming to life. Another thing that amazed me about the Colosseum was how the architecture of stadiums has not changed drastically since 70 AD. Walk into any football stadium today, I promise you it will resemble the Colosseum.
Next stop was the Roman Forum and Ancient Rome. I loved how on this tour there was just old stuff, everywhere. The ancient city of Rome is mixed in with modern day Rome and nothing is behind bars or glass. You can touch things that were created 2000 years ago. You can literally sit on things that were created 2000 years ago. You can see and walk into the structure where Julius Caesar lays. Rome is known as the Eternal City, and now I know why! We saw Palatine Hill, where Romulus and Remus battled, with the outcome being the creation of Rome. We saw the heart of Ancient Rome where commerce took place, where the Vestel Virgins lived, and where political elections and activities occurred. The structures and ruins created in the first century AD were unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It was absolutely unbelievable to me how well the structures held, considering it had been almost 2000 years since most of them were created. We had an excellent lunch at the end of our tour, where we had delicious pastas, pizzas, and focaccia. Unfortunately, I cannot remember the name of the restaurant but it was very close to Palatine Hill and a train stop if you ever go looking for it.
After a quick rest at our hotel, we headed back out for tour #2! Our next tour, “The Best of Rome Walking Tour,” was also booked through City Wonders. Our meeting spot was the Spanish steps, which were incredibly beautiful. From the steps, we headed out walking down the streets of Rome, taking it all in. I loved seeing how the water fountains and the aqueducts built 2000 years ago were still functioning today. The Ancient Romans were an extremely intelligent culture, and seeing their engineering and architecture still functioning today was truly amazing. Along our way was the Trevi Fountain, where I stopped and had my “Lizzie McGuire moment.” It is rumored that if you throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain, you will one day return to Rome. Next, we were off to the Pantheon. I know I keep saying this, but I was absolutely in awe of the architecture in Ancient Rome, given that the building that is 1,900 years old! Standing in the center of the Pantheon and looking out the skylight was surreal. Another part of Rome that I loved was seeing how American structures and even structures I saw in France and England, were based on Ancient Roman architecture. After the Pantheon, we headed to Piazza Navona, where we enjoyed free (!!) gelato and hearing about Bernini’s famous architecture.
After our tour, we walked around the area near the Spanish Steps and did some shopping. Or should I say window shopping? The stores ranged from Chanel, to Dior, to Louis Vuitton and more. Did I mention Valentino’s headquarters are in Rome? Amazing. I did find a more budget-friendly shop where I got some really cute items. The store is called Tally-Weijl. I’m not exactly sure what that means or where the store is based, but the clothes were really cute and inexpensive.
I would highly recommend both tours that we did. We were able to see a great deal of Rome in such a short time, especially given that we had access to many buildings that we may not have otherwise and that we were able to skip the lines with our tour guides. If you only have a limited time in Rome, book the tours. I promise you, you will get your money’s worth. The way I saw it was, “When will I ever be in Rome again?”
DAY TWO
We headed out the door early on our second day in Rome to get to the Vatican. We took the train from Termini over to the Vatican stop, where we hopped off for our tour. Note that if you are going to the Vatican, you must dress conservatively. I wore long flowy pants and an off-the-shoulder top with a scarf over my shoulders. Luckily, in some areas you do not need to cover your shoulders and knees. In those areas, I would remove the scarf as it was over 90 degrees. I would definitely recommend wearing a scarf in the summer as you can remove it versus wearing a long sleeve shirt that covers your shoulders. You will be walking around in the heat and though you will want to respect the religion and culture of the Vatican, you will be sweating. We began our tour, walking into the Vatican City and Museum through security. If we had not purchased our tour, we would have waited in a three and a half hour line (sparknotes: buy the tour!!!). Going through the Vatican security was the longest line we ever waited in and it was only ten minutes. Our tour was called “The Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter’s Basilica Tour.”
Walking through the Vatican Museum was surreal. As much as I loved the Louvre in Paris, I think the Vatican Museum was almost as amazing. I loved seeing tapestries, bathtubs, and other everyday items that were created anytime from B.C. to medieval times. Every corner we turned provided stunning ceilings, architecture, statues, and more. I highly recommend going to the Vatican Museum.
After the Vatican Museum came the Sistine Chapel. Going in the Sistine Chapel was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had in my entire life. Seeing Michelangelo’s work in person was absolutely surreal. The room is quiet as people are actually awestruck by the artwork around them. I could have stayed in the chapel for hours, staring at every inch of that ceiling. Everyone said that the Creation of Adam was the best part, and while I loved it, I took as much as I could of the chapel’s ceiling in just the 15 minutes we spent there. I wish more than anything that I could have taken pictures so that I could remember the experience, but I wanted to respect the religion, Michelangelo’s work, and the Italian culture. Unfortunately, it was shocking to see how many people were disrespectful inside of the chapel. Despite the rules, many people did not have their shoulders and knees covered, they were talking, and taking pictures inside. So, if you go, please don’t be like them. In my opinion, the room had a sacred feel to it that really was unlike anywhere I’ve ever been or seen. The artwork and culture deserve respect as the people of the Vatican are kind enough to let us into their sacred place of worship.
After seeing the Sistine Chapel, we headed out to St. Peter’s Basilica. On our way, we passed the area where the Pope comes out on Wednesday’s and Sunday’s. Unfortunately, we did not get to see him, but if you are interested in doing so, now you know the days to go! We were told that the line is much longer on those days, so be aware of that. Walking inside of St. Peter’s Basilica, I was in awe of everything around me. From the ornate architecture and design of the building, to the altars, to the burial area of each Pope, I was amazed. Yes, you heard me right. Each Pope is buried inside of St. Peter’s Basilica. Some of the Popes are able to be viewed as they are mummified and bronzed in clear display cases. I loved seeing the markers inside the building that showed how St. Peter’s Basilica was the biggest cathedral in the world. The markers indicate the size of other cathedrals, like St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, relative to the size of the Basilica. The coolest part of the Basilica for me was seeing where Saint Peter is buried. He was buried in the area of the Basilica in A.D. 64. When the Basilica was constructed in the 16th century, it was built around and on top of Saint Peter’s grave. You can literally see the remains of someone who lived in the first century A.D. in plain sight. It may sound strange, but it was pretty cool to see that.
After our tour ended, we walked around the Vatican area a bit and then headed to get Gelato. We walked around a different shopping area of Rome and stopped at Coin, an Italian upscale department store. Here, my mom and I fell in love with Jo Malone London perfume (figures that we wouldn’t have found it London, right?) We walked out with the Wild Bluebell perfume and it smells SO good. After stopping in a few shops and eating some local street food, we headed back to our hotel to freshen up before dinner.
We spent our last night in Trastevere, which ended up being one of our favorite places in all of Rome. Our dinner that night was likely the best meal I have ever had, no exaggeration. We ate at Tonarello, which is now my favorite restaurant I’ve ever been to. We enjoyed prosecco, focaccia, pasta carbonara, cacio y pepe pasta, pesto pasta, and tiramisu. We all agreed that the pesto pasta was the best pasta we ever tried. It was one of those meals where you’re so full, but all you want to do is keep eating because you don’t know when you’ll ever eat food that good again. After walking the beautiful streets of Trastevere, reflecting on our amazing time in Rome and trip overall, we headed back to the hotel to rest up before our 15 hours of travel the next day.
TRAVEL DAY
I won’t get into much about the travel day back to Florida. But I will say, if you are flying out of Leonardo di Vinci Fiumicino airport, PLEASE, get there early! We gave ourselves about two and a half hours and I swear to you we almost missed our flight. We were those people running through the airport during the “final boarding call.” Don’t be like us. Traveling in Italy is not American air travel. I’m used to showing up to the airport an hour before and easily making my flight. You CANNOT do this in Italy. Just trust me, customs takes FOREVER here.
Our trip to Rome was absolutely amazing and a once in a lifetime opportunity. I was so lucky to be able to take this wonderful trip with my parents and hope that you all get a chance to go to Rome one day. I am so thankful to my parents for allowing me to tag along on this amazing vacation! I have never seen anything like this city and am still in awe of this trip. As always, let me know what you all think and please share your Rome traveling tips as well.
