When in Rome

Rome, a city of so much history, architecture, culture and such good food. I recently spent just a day and half in the Italian capital, with it been my second visit. I got a super cheap deal on lastminute.com and jumped at the chance for a bit of warmer weather in November, and the best pizza and pasta around. Rome certainly wasn't built in a day, but if you only have a few days then that might just be enough. I knew my time in the capital was limited but I managed to get through a hell of a lot in 36 hours.

So what is there to do?

Top sites are easy to know and come by in Rome. From the Colosseum, Trevi fountain, the Vatican, all can be covered in just a short amount of time

The Colosseum

The Colosseum is right in the centre of the city and has it's very own metro stop so you can easily stop off. I arrived to the Colosseum on the day and expected a bit of queue but not a massive one. I was wrong. I highly recommend booking online the day before, something I wish I had done! It's not that expensive at €12 and it's free for under 17s. Once you finally get in, you can opt for a guided tour or just roam around yourself. It is pretty spectacular inside, but without a tour, you don't really learn too much as there isn't that many signs and stuff to read. But still awe inspiring at the same time.

Trevi Fountain

Best discovered at night as the fountain lights up and it looks stunning. I imagine the Trevi fountain is packed at the quietest of times so don't expect the place ever to yourself and watch out for pickpockets.

The Vatican

The Vatican is a beast in itself to explore and you could spend a few days just enjoying this country alone. As The Vatican City is the smallest country in the world, there certainly is a lot to take. To make it easier, you can get tickets to the Vatican Museum, St Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, which you can visit at the same time. This allows you to explore a small part of the Vatican and then to see the famous Michelangelo's ceiling mural. I'd advise to get your tickets online beforehand, otherwise you will spend half your time queuing. 

Missed Spots

Of course, there are plenty of other places to visit in Rome, but when you have less than 48 hours, you can't really explore them all. Other places of interest are the Pantheon and the underground Rome tour if you want to find out about the city's many catacombs.

How to get around?

Rome is a city that is really easy to get around. The two airports aren't too far from the city centre and you can opt to take a bus from Ciampino airport or take a train or bus from Fiumicino airport. Both airports' transportation takes you into the centre of Rome, so really easy to make your way from there. 

To get around, you can choose the underground, which is crazy easy to follow and not that big at all. Buy a day ticket and make your way to the Colosseum, Vatican, Trevi fountain and so many more sites from the few subway lines that exist in the Rome's centre. The city however is really easy to walk around and your main sites can all be accessed by foot. This is often the best way as down the little back streets, away from the main squares, you can find the best food.

Pizza and pastas for days

There are probably top, must go to restaurants in Rome, but as it's Italy's capital, you're never going to be short of great food! I assumed as a capital city that the prices would be quite steep but I couldn't believe how cheap some of the restaurants were. As just stated, head away from any main square just by a few streets and you will find small Italian restaurants full of pizzas, pastas, risottos, tiramisu and ridiculously good food. I tried a pizza place opposite the Colosseum but just a few little streets down the back alleys and the pizza came to around €8 and it was huge and so tasty. Do as the Italians do and try some great Chianti wines and I love the aperitif culture of an Aperol spritz before dinner.

Such an amazing city and worth a few days of your time. I wish I had more than my day and a half but we managed to fit so much in there and eat so much great food that it still was amazing!

Ciao bella for now!