Rome, the Eternal City, has a history that spans 28 centuries. It has the distinction of being one of the oldest continuously occupied cities in Europe. Within its boundaries, lies the Vatican the smallest country in the world with the only example of a country existing within a city’s boundaries. It is considered to be the cradle of Western civilization and is sometimes referred to as the Capital of the World.
Where to stay in Rome really depends on what you want to be close to. Most of the big hotel chains have a presence in the Eternal City. A simple internet search of neighborhoods of Rome will bring up the different quarters and neighborhoods along with a couple of key characteristics of each neighborhood. Additionally, there’s no shortage of bed and breakfasts and hostels all over the city which in 2019 attracted over 8 million visitors.
PRO TIP: Try and ensure that you’re within a 5–10-minute walk of the metro A line, this is the route of most of the major landmarks. You can buy a 24-hour metro ticket for 7€ making it the cheapest way to navigate the city and see all the landmark sights (Colosseum, Vatican, Spanish Steps and Fontana di Trevi to name a few).
Cafes, gelaterias and pizzerias are more common in Rome than Starbucks in Seattle. You can’t go more than a few blocks to find pizza better than anything you’ve eaten anywhere. Be sure to have an Aperol Spritz – a refreshing prosecco and Aperol (orange bitters) mix served over ice and garnished with a wedge of orange. Whether you’re usually a fan of pizza or pasta, or usually eat a low-carb diet, eating both these foods at least once in Rome is a must. You’ll find the pizza crust is both crusty and chewy, and the al dente pasta borders on a touch underdone but somehow makes you feel like you’ve been eating pasta incorrectly all of your life prior to that point. Simple ingredients like cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil can transform your opinion and give you a gastronomic adventure.
PRO TIP: the restaurants closest to the landmarks all tend to be busy – with a little patience and tenacity move away from the landmark into any one of the side streets to find better quality food without the crowds.
If you’ve never been to Rome, the hop-on hop off-bus – complete with air-conditioning on the lower enclosed level, and shade covers on the top ‘open air’ level making it comfortable even on the hottest of days is ideal. The origin point is the main Termini station but you can catch the bus at any stop is the best way to take in all the sights. You can sit on the bus for the entire duration of the tour – typically just under 2 hours, or you can step off at any of the sights for any length of time and get back on when a future bus rolls around. If you’re doing the 24-hour unlimited use – be sure to save your ticket as you will need to present it each time you get on. If you pre-purchase, you’ll get an email with a QR code and instructions to go somewhere specific. We found that simply showing the code at the bus itself sufficed.
The nice thing is that most of the stops for the numerous tour companies are all around the same area. During peak time, the bus rolls around about every 15-20 minutes. Summer and winter hours differ. Be mindful of the last bus time but know that the metro A line is a viable back up plan. When you buy your ticket, you receive a set of headphones so you can take in the sight with a little bit of history narrated in over a dozen languages. Just realize that if it’s a high traffic time, the narration might be a little bit off relative to where the bus is passing through. The handy map in their pamphlet provides you with an easy-to-read map of the sights and stops.
PRO TIP: consider doing the entire route once, so that you get an overview of all the sights, and then hop off where it strikes your fancy. The Vatican is best done earlier in the day when the lines are shorter. Consider buying ‘skip the line’ passes for anything you want to visit but remember that skip the line doesn’t mean no line, it usually just means a shorter line.
During the summer months, the high temperatures can hit over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. At most all bus stops, you’ll find hawkers selling icy-cold bottled water, many which have been frozen so there’s a solid block of ice in the bottle. You don’t have to accept the price they charge you – usually 2€ per bottle. You can easily get a bottle for 1.50€ or 3 for 5€.
The sights of Rome are riveting, and doing the tour via double-decker bus, gives you an ideal vantage point from which to decide where you want to go back to spend more time visiting. There are some parts that you might not have on your list of places to visit, making the tour ideal to take in more than would be feasible via foot (and you most certainly don’t want to have to drive around in Rome).
Being in a city that has stood the test of time for nearly 3,000 years and walking where gladiators fought, charioteers competed, and emperors ruled is a surreal experience. Wherever you decide to spend your time in Rome, be sure to soak in this thought – you are standing on grounds that people stood on thousands of years before your time.
