Rome is a city that I have wanted to visit for quite some time now so I was thrilled to be heading there with mum! Filled with rich history and stunning architecture it’s somewhere you can practically travel back in time and let your imagination run wild. The beautiful side streets come alive at night and there is definitely no shortage of incredible food.
Getting there…
We flew into Rome Fiumicino Airport pretty early in the morning. From here you can take one of two trains into Rome Termini train station in the city centre. It’s pretty easy to get anywhere in the city from here, either on foot or on the Metro. The first train is very expensive but direct and fast. The second is much cheaper but requires changing at Roma Ostiense onto either another overground train or onto the Metro. We opted for the second type of train and found it pretty easy to navigate our way to our hotel.
Where to stay?
Taking the trip with mum meant that staying in hostels was not an option, however I still wanted the best deal I could find! Wanting to be as close as possible to the historical sites we stayed in Colosseo Accomodation Guesthouse, less than 5 minutes from the Colosseum on foot. I would highly recommend this guesthouse to anybody visiting Rome. The staff were friendly and helpful, our room was comfortable and clean and breakfast was always fantastic.
What to do?
Our very large, very filling breakfasts set us up well for our sight seeing. Rome is a city where you should expect to do a LOT of walking. In just 3 days we had walked nearly 100km!
Ancient Rome
First on the list were Palatine Hill, the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. I put these all in together because one ticket will get you into all three attractions. The best way to do it, especially in peak season, is to purchase a skip-the-line ticket online. Depending on which type of ticket you go for you can get a full tour of all three historical sites, entrance into all three without a tour or anything in between. This means you can tailor it to how much available time you have and how big your budget is.
Palatine Hill
Palatine Hill is the most central and most famous of the seven hills in Rome. It is said that the city was founded here in 1000 BC. Now remain a collection of ruins that include the private residences of emperors past, gardens and a museum filled with items recovered from the site. You could quite easily spend all day wandering the ruins and there are many hidden gems to find so try and plan your time wisely. If you don’t opt for the guided tour make sure you take some sort of guide book in with you so you know what you’re looking at. It really helps!
Roman Forum
The Roman Forum was once in the middle of the hustle and bustle of ancient Rome. A central plaza that was surrounded by multiple government buildings including the Temple of Saturn, the Curia and the Arch of Septimius Severus. Now you need to use your imagination to conjure the grandeur of these once magnificent buildings as you stroll along ancient Roman paths. Take some time to sit and admire your surroundings if you can. Again, if you aren’t on a guided tour then a good travel guide will give you all you need to make the ancient city spring to life again.
Colosseum
Finally we headed towards the Colosseum, originally named the Flavian Amphitheatre, one of the most visited sites in the world. Mum and I had bought tickets that allowed to us to walk in through the gladiators entrance. You can just imagine what it would have been like to walk down that tunnel into a stadium full of rowdy spectators. It’s pretty incredible to think that the entire structure was built in just 8 years and has survived till this day. A testament to Roman architecture.
Circus Maximus
Continuing on the theme of Ancient Rome there are multiple nearby sites to continue onto from the Colosseum. Circus Maximus is overlooked by Palatine Hill. This now bland, green space was once home to an enormous chariot-racing stadium. The sheer size of it is absolutely incredible and that’s with the bottom half of the stadium now buried. In it’s day 150,000 spectators could enjoy the races, making it the largest stadium in the Roman Empire.
Imperial Forums
Other ancient sites nearby are the Imperial Fora. These are a collection of ruins of ancient government buildings bearing the names of Emperors past. A separate ticket is needed to gain access to these forums which you can again walk around at your own leisure. I would still recommend you take a guide book!
Light Shows
Those of you visiting Rome during the summer should come back in the early evening. Historical light shows take place every night on the Forums of Caesar and Augustus. You receive a set of headphones so you can experience the shows in your preferred language whilst wandering through the exhibits. I must say that I highly recommend this as something to do whilst visiting. We stumbled across it by accident and thought it was a fantastic experience!
Capitoline Hill
Next up is the Capitoline Hill area of the city, featuring the Capitoline museums and the Vittoriano. These attractions stand atop of one of seven ancient hills of Rome, once dedicated to the god Saturn.
The Capitoline Museums house an incredible collection of ancient artefacts and artworks. Mum and I used our travel guide to find our way around. If you look carefully you can find gorgeous views of the Roman Forum and St Peters Basilica from various windows and balconies.
The Vittoriano is pretty hard to miss. This monument to Victor Emmanuel II stands tall and is a pretty impressive sight. Inside it is home to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Altar of the Fatherland. There is also a lift that takes you to the top for amazing panoramic views of the city! Perfect at sunset.
Sunset Viewpoints
Other glorious sunset viewpoints in the city include Janiculum Terrace and Pincio Terrace. Mum and I made our way up to Pincio Terrace. This can be found just off of Piazza del Popolo (which is a very picturesque little square by the way). The climb to the top is not too strenuous and you’ll be rewarded with beautiful views at every level. The park behind is also a great way to spend an the afternoon, either exploring through to the Villa Borghese or roaming around on segways.
Vatican City
Now a trip to Rome would not be complete without visiting the Vatican City! Again I would suggest you book your tickets online to avoid waiting in massive queues. Unless you go on a Wednesday morning when you can’t get into St Peters Basilica, one ticket will grant you entry to the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and the Basilica.
Vatican Museums
We had a tour guide take us through the museums, which is a fantastic idea because you would otherwise have no idea what you were looking at. The museums are so extensive and contain so many different exhibits that it would take you days to look at every single one. My absolute favourite room contained painted maps of the world, including a map of Rome!
Sistine Chapel
The Sistine Chapel draws large crowds that gather to admire two frescoes painted by the sculpture Michaelangelo. One on the ceiling and one on the wall, named the Last Judgement. The detail in these pieces and thought that went into them is absolutely incredible. You could sit and admire them for hours! Unfortunately taking pictures is prohibited and you can’t stand still for too long in there before security moves you along so take it all in while you can.
St Peters Basilica
St Peters Basilica is famous the world over and when the Pope delivers his speeches, vast crowds gather in the square outside. The silhouette of St Peters is prominent on the Roman skyline, mainly because it is illegal in Rome that any building should be taller than the dome of the basilica. As such it is an iconic landmark from every direction.
Castel Sant’Angelo
For one of the best views of St Peters I suggest you head over to Castel Sant’Angelo. Sitting on the banks of the river Tiber this ancient castle was built as a mausoleum for the family of Emperor Hadrian. Now it is a museum that tells the story of the castle and contains many artefacts and exhibits to wonder at. But the true star of this museum is the little restaurant from which you can sip wine, under a flower trellis, in front of a stunning view of the basilica. I would highly recommend sitting here and watching the world go by. It really is beautiful.
The other main attractions in the city can be found by wandering through the side streets.
Pantheon
The Pantheon boasts the largest un-reinforced concrete dome in the world which uniquely contains a central circular opening, exposing the inner sanctum to the elements. It is free to enter and contains beautiful decoration in the form of coloured marble and detailed sculptures. Numerous buildings around the world have been designed based on this glorious ancient Roman structure, highlighting again the incredible architecture of the time.
Trevi Fountain
The Trevi Fountain is a complete honey trap. It has tourists lining it from the early hours, late into the night. They come in large numbers to catch a glimpse of the incredible architecture and to try their luck with love. If you can get through the crowd to the edge of the fountain itself you can throw a coin in to secure your true love, specifically with your right hand over your left shoulder.
Piazza Navona
Other fountains of note in the city are located in Piazza Navona, also known as Romes prettiest square. This is another great place to just sit and watch the world go by. The buskers put on amazing performances throughout the day and it’s hard not to let the romantic atmosphere take over.
#TopTip – If you want to save some money why not do as the Romans do and take your drinking water from one of the 2,500 Nasone (big nosed fountains) across the city? The water supplied is fresh and safe, and any unused water is recycled back into the fountain system. Amazing!
Spanish Steps
Another of the big honey traps in the city is the Spanish Steps. The iconic 135 step landmark was completed in 1725 to join the Piazza di Spagna to the Piazza Trinita dei Monti. Over the years they have been subject to many artists works. They now serve as a popular meeting point and photography spot. Those of you wanting something more than just a photo can visit the house that the English poet John Keats lived in. It can be found to the right of the steps where it now contains a museum dedicated to him.
What to eat?
After all of your walking you will definitely have worked up an appetite for some fine Italian food. With so many incredible restaurants across the city it’s hard to pick just one favourite. The best way to find a good meal is to roam the back streets. Trastevere contains the cheapest and best of these restaurants as recommended by the locals so make sure to explore this riverside district when you need refueling from all the sight seeing you’ve done!
All in all, I absolutely loved Rome, and it was fantastic to be sharing my love of travelling with mum! I would highly recommend a break in the Italian capital city to anybody. Just make sure you take your comfy walking shoes!
Have you been to Rome? Let me know in the comments below!
