After much delay on my part, I’m finally sharing my Rome travel guide. Before going in to the guide, I have to warn that this was my second time in Rome. My first time was 2017 when I spent three weeks there in January for a short study abroad class. While I saw a majority of the iconic sites, it was a terrible class and definitely clouded my view of the city. January also isn’t the time of year I would recommend visiting…
Anyway, this time around, I wanted to do less touristy activities and just enjoy my three days in Rome. It’s such a big city, so it’s not realistic to expect to fit all of the sites into a few days. With that being said, let’s get into it!
Where to Stay
This time around we stayed at Le Meridien Visconti Rome. It’s closer to the Vatican than it is to the Colosseum. I liked the area, it felt very safe, but it wasn’t teeming with nightlife. If you’re looking for somewhere more lively (and young) I recommend staying in the Trastevere area. We spent every night bar hopping in Trastevere and had a blast.
The first time I stayed in Rome we stayed near the Colosseum. It made since because it was a classical studies class, so we spent most of our time looking at Ancient Roman ruins.
The thing to understand is that Rome is a huge city, but it is walkable. As long as you leave yourself enough time. To get around quickly, I recommend taking a taxi. But, while we were there the taxi drivers went on strike… Public transportation is an option, but it’s quite confusing, so I don’t necessarily recommend unless you’re comfortable with using buses.
So with that all being said, plan out what you want to see and try to find a hotel in a central area to those sites.
Where to Eat
I mean, it’s pretty hard to have a bad meal in Italy, but there are definitely touristy places you should avoid if you want a fantastic meal. If there’s a separate English menu (usually a plastic, laminated one) try a different place.
A restaurant we enjoyed was Antica Osteria Ponte Sisto in Trastevere. My friend spent a summer living in the area and would go to this restaurant often. So, of course, we stopped in. The owner was so nice and this was my favorite meal in Rome — get the pasta all’amatriciana!
We also went to Ciampini, a beautiful restaurant at the top of the Spanish Steps. The meal was excellent and the restaurant has a little fountain in the center with turtles living in it! This is a great place to go for beautiful sunset views.
What to See/Do
Again, there is so much to do in Rome. There are the obvious sites like the Colosseum and Roman Forum, the Vatican, and the Trevi Fountain. I highly recommend seeing all of these on your first trip to Rome.
Some other sites that are a must are Castel Sant Angelo, Villa Borghese, and the Spanish Steps. Something new I saw this time around was the Galleria Doria-Pamphilj. If you are interested in Baroque art, this was a must. Of course, you can see beautiful art in almost any church in Rome.
Another favorite of mine was Piazza Navona — it’s such a lively area with beautiful fountains. It’s a great place to stop for an aperitivo. There’s also an interesting museum about the city of Rome in the piazza. After stopping in, head to the cafe for a great view of the piazza and some people watching.
Stay tuned for my guide for Amalfi next!
xo,
Carey