Exploring Rome: A Guide
All Roads Lead to Rome
…And the saying is still true today! My husband and I spent the last 5 days of our honeymoon in Rome and I could still use 14 more days! Endless culture, amazing food, and so many hidden streets to explore, Rome is the perfect place to get lost in history and indulge in true European lifestyle. We certainly tried to capture everything we could in our few days there!
Getting There
Rome’s biggest airport, Fiumicino (FCO), is the best option for flying in as majority of flights will head there. From the airport, it’s easy to grab transportation to your hotel/airbnb/hostel. We had actually been in Vienna before this so we opted to take the night train from Vienna to Rome Termini Train Station. The train was an interesting experience! If I had to do it again, I would certainly reserve a private sleeper car - our “section” of the train had six seats total, 3 in a row with another 3 facing us, and it made for quite a long night of restless sleep. Part of the train tracks were also under construction so at about 3 AM we all had to exit the train we were on and transfer to an alternate train to complete the journey to Rome. It was a long night but we arrived excited and only slightly exhausted ready to explore Rome!
Getting Around
In my opinion, the best way to experience any city is to walk. Rome is definitely a large city but can certainly be traveled by foot - and will actually give you the true feel for the city!
If walking is not an option for you, there are great public transportation options in Rome. There is a metro, but it has limited stops. The bus system in Rome is much more robust and can certainly take you to all of the top attractions. Plus, their metro system is incredibly inexpensive!
Rome does have taxis, but many times the drivers are not always honest about fare pricing. I would recommend trying Uber or Lyft before hailing a cab. This is certainly the more expensive option, but an option none the less.
ALSO! Be absolutely POSITIVE you buy a bus or metro ticket before boarding any public transportation. The buses do not require you to swipe a card, so it is easy to think you can hitch a quick ride without paying. Police officers do board these buses and you will be fined if they find you without a ticket (Trust me on this, I speak from experience).
Where To stay
There are so many different areas to Rome and places you could stay. If you would prefer to be closer to the city center and tourist attractions, certainly there are many hotels and AirBNBs in that area. If you would like to experience a little more of traditional Roman culture, Trastevere or Testaccio are great neighborhoods right outside of the city center that boast amazing restaurants and wonderful night life.
We chose to stay in Trastevere as it was a little bit closer to the Rome city center and our goal was to walk to the majority of the things we wanted to see!
What to do
Day 1
11 AM: We arrived at our Trastevere LeClarisse Bed and Breakfast around 11 AM and were lucky to score an early check-in. Wasting no time, we headed straight for the Vatican and Vatican Museums - I had purchased tickets through GetYourGuide. I highly recommend using GetYourGuide or another service to book tickets ahead of time. One, it ensures you entry into the museums and two, it helps you not waste time standing in lines!
3 PM: Stop for a quick coffee and small bite to eat at one of the cafes near the Vatican.
6 PM: After taking a quick break and rest at our Bed and Breakfast, we headed out for our first night in Trastevere. Side note - we stayed at Relais Le Clarisse, steps from the heart of Trastevere and just the nicest little place to call home for 5 days. They had the sweetest little courtyard and provided complimentary, authentic Roman breakfast every morning. We adored this place and the location!
8 PM: Dinner at Tonarello. Eric chose the traditional spaghetti and meatballs, I went with carbonara. They were both mouth watering - although I’m not sure you can go wrong with pasta in Italy!
10 PM: Rome hosts a summer long festival near Trastevere known as Lungo Il Tevere. The banks of the Tiber River are lined with tents featuring food, drinks, artists, games - so many fun things! We had a great time wandering around and experiencing this truly Roman event.
Day 2
8 AM: Rise and Shine! (Jet lag is real) After a traditional Roman breakfast at our adorable Trastevere Relais LeClarisse Bed and Breakfast, we headed out for the day! We walked from Trastevere to Altar of the Fatherland - I love walking in European cities and always feel that I get to see more of the “true” city that way.
10 AM: Embark on our tour of the Colosseum. I purchased “skip the line” tickets for the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. Such a cool experience to walk these ancient pathways.
3 PM: After finishing up around the Colosseum, we wandered further to The Pantheon. Luckily, there was no line so we jumped at the chance to explore this ancient wonder. Once finished, we were starving and grabbed lunch at Pantha Rei, a quaint little restaurant located down a side street from the Pantheon.
5 PM: Walking back to our bed and breakfast, we made sure to pass through Piazza Navona, a square famous for its many beautiful fountains. We also peeked into Sant'Agnese in Agone - an incredibly stunning church located in the square!
10 PM: Dinner at Mimi & Coco - Trast! Such a unique restaurant nestled in the heart of Trastevere. We indulged in some of the BEST pizza before grabbing a drink at one of the many places in the neighborhood.
Day 3
10 AM: After a slower morning, we grabbed a coffee and a bite at our bed and breakfast and headed out to explore the city at our leisure.
12 PM: We found ourselves at the Trevi Fountain. Pro tip: if you want to experience the Trevi Fountain without a crowd, you need to get there earlier. Like, 6 AM early haha. The Trevi Fountain is my favorite Roman landmark - and it’s many others’ favorite as well! The Spanish Steps are close to the Trevi Fountain so we made sure to stop there and take photos as well. Fun Fact: you cannot sit on the Spanish Steps. Officers will yell at you.
1 PM: We continued walking to Villa Borghese, beautiful gardens located near the Spanish Steps. We explored the gardens and stopped for an absolutely delicious lunch at Casina Valadier. Literally one of the most picturesque dining experiences of my life and the food was to die for!
8 PM: Wandered around the city some more, grabbed some excellent gelato, took photos of stunning architecture and grabbed dinner at Il Falchetto (I had the gnocchi, OMG). We walked around a little more before going to the Trevi Fountain to experience it at night!
Day 4
11 AM: After a quick photo shoot at Altar of the Fatherland, we grabbed an Uber to Quartiere San Lorenzo. Known as a bohemian, counterculture area, San Lorenzo has excellent restaurants, cool art vibes, and allows an escape from the tourist packed center of Rome!
3 PM: We made our way back to the city center of Rome and grabbed a small lunch at La Locanda del TemPio. We followed this up with a much-needed scoop of gelato :)
4 PM: Wandered back to Alter of the Fatherland, Trajan’s Column, and made a quick stop Bocca della Verità, or Mouth of Truth. Spoiler alert: We both passed the test!
8 PM: Making our way back to Trastevere, we stopped for a quick aperitif at Il Maritozzo Rosso, followed by dinner with the best ravioli of my life at Caramella. We spent our last night taking in all that Trastevere has to offer and soaking in our last moments in The Eternal City.
What did I miss? Any must-dos that we did not tackle during our time there? Share with me in the comments below!
Until next time,
