When in Rome … The Wish-I-Knew Travel Tips List
Rome has not seen a modern building in more than half a century. It is a city frozen in time.
— Richard Meier
There is so much beauty in the city of Rome ♥ I recently took a trip — my first time — with Jeff for our friends’ wedding. Though our trip was 7 days long — something about Italy makes time go by slower. It was spectacular!
Here are a few tips I wish I knew going in → about airport, transportation, where to stay, and sight seeing. An in depth article of the food and fashion to come soon.
TIP: Rome is very accessible by foot — I recommend to walk a lot and allow yourself to get lost, you will stumble upon amazing sights.
But, ancient Greece and ancient Rome – people did not happen to believe that creativity came from human beings back then, OK? People believed that creativity was this divine attendant spirit that came to human beings from some distant and unknowable source, for distant and unknowable reasons.
— Elizabeth Gilbert
♥
Airport & Transportation:
TIP: There are two airports in Rome and both are about 30-40 minutes from the center: FCO that is the Leonardo da Vinci – Fiumicino Airport. Then there is CIA, Ciampino – G. B. Pastine International Airport. We flew into FCA and out from CIA.
Get a shot of espresso at the Cafe once you arrive — you’ll need to be sharp to figure out how to get to your destination.
Local TIP on the food in this area: FCA is on the west side by the water where the seafood is great and recommended by locals. If you are thinking about having seafood anywhere else — don’t! It’s probably frozen and overpriced. A great place recommended by an Italian to eat at near this airport is Dai Quattro Cantoni — It’s a local treasure.
AIRPORT TRANSPORTATION TIP: Once you exit your terminal, take the air train where you will have options for ground transportation.
- Uber is available.
- For taxi, look for the white cars — the distinctive white taxi cabs can be found just outside of arrivals at a fixed rate of 48 euro.
- For private transportation, note that the price is per passenger. To book your private airport transfer directly with Rome Airport Transportation, please do so HERE.
48 euro 1-2 ║ 60 euro 3-4 ║ 70 euro 5-6 ║ 80 euro 7-8
TRANSPORTATION TIP: There is free WiFi at the airport (and most places) so open up your google map — this will help you track your location even if you’re off WiFi and on airplane mode. This is important to do because, like most places, some drivers will try to take advantage of your lack of knowledge of the city and take you on a whirl-wind journey — don’t let that happen. Be on top of your situation and one step ahead.
We ran into something like this where the driver asked us if it was our first time in Rome — we said yes — and he took us West when our destination was East. Since Jeff was monitoring this on his map — he called out the driver right away.
Accommodations:
WHERE TO STAY
TIP: We stayed a couple blocks from Piazza del Popolo — this was incredible, we got to see the monument every night when there was no other person in sight.
Rome after midnight at Piazza Del Popolo║ wearing Saint x Sinner from Styling On
Piazza del Popolo is a large urban square in Rome. The name in modern Italian literally means “People’s Square”, but historically it derives from the poplars (populus in Latin, pioppo in Italian) after which the church of Santa Maria del Popolo, in the northeast corner of the piazza, takes its name.
♦Thanks Wikipedia♦
The square is very important for Rome. As travelers — no matter where we ended up — once we were on one of the main road, Del Corso, we could see the tower and knew home was straight ahead.
This square has always been one of Rome’s most important ones. This was the starting point for the vital northbound route, which connected Rome with the northern coastline. This meant that the square was the first or last thing that met travelers entering or leaving Rome from the north.
ACCOMMODATION TIP: Look at Airbnb options for your stay — there is also FlipKey and has options for larger parties. We got a place last minute through Airbnb for about $80 a night and the location was perfect! We stayed in a really cool spot with a ton of history. Our room was in an artist’s loft type space on the bottom floor of a building built in the 1600s that was a converted water cistern which would have held the water for Roman families who lived there over a thousand years ago. Jeff studied Latin and ancient Rome through high school and college so we were looking for the most authentic experience possible.
There are also many beautiful luxury hotels in the Piazza del Popolo. One of the favorites is Hotel de Russie ♥
As far as sight seeing goes, here are some of the best ones to see:
But first — let’s be honest — food is a big portion of this — so when feeling hungry … ↓
FOOD TIP: Stay away from restaurants near any square — it’s a tourist trap — they will inflate prices for lower quality! Instead, for an even greater local type experience, walk a few blocks away to find the local cafes and restaurants. Espresso drinks should be around 1.50 to 3 euros. Pastas and pizzas should be under 11 euros → These are almost all small portions and personal pizzas. Check out the menus before entering. This is a great tip given to us by our host.
You can see a lot in a day. Most of these must see monuments are walking distance apart. If you start at Piazza de Popolo, these sights should be on your radar:
Here is some information I pulled from A View On Cities with my own pictures on these incredible destinations:
The Piazza di Spagna is one of the most popular meeting places in Rome. It is also one of the most visually pleasing squares. The combination of a monumental staircase (the famous Spanish Steps), an obelisk and a beautiful church is a draw for tourists and photographers.
Piazza Navona is one of the most famous and arguably the most beautiful of Rome’s many squares.
The square is built on the former Stadium of Domitian, built by Emperor Domitian in 86 AD. Hence the long, oval shape of the square. The stadium, which had a larger arena than the Colosseum was mainly used for festivals and sporting events.
The stadium was known as ‘Circus Agonalis’ (competition arena). It is believed that over time the name changed to ‘in agone’ to ‘navone’ and eventually to ‘navona’.
In the fifteenth century the stadium was paved over to create the Navona square, but remnants of Domitian’s stadium are still visible around the area. Guided tours to this underground monument are available, they start at Piazza Tor Sanguigna 13.
The Pantheon was built more than 1800 years ago, the magnificent Pantheon still stands as a reminder of the great Roman Empire. The name Pantheon refers to the building’s original function as a temple for all the Gods. It is also the resting place for Rome’s first emperor and others, including the famous painter Raphael.
It was the largest dome in the world until 1436 when the Florence Cathedral was constructed.
Fontana di Trevi was breathtaking — filled with lots of tourists during the day TIP: so consider visiting after midnight. It’s more charming and peaceful. Jeff and I visited again after midnight on his birthday June 1st and made our wish ♥
The central figure of the fountain, standing in a large niche, is Neptune, God of the sea. He rides a shell-shaped chariot that is pulled by two sea horses. Each sea horse is guided by a Triton. One of the horses is calm and obedient, the other one restive. They symbolize the fluctuating moods of the sea. The statues were sculpted by Pietro Bracci.
The Colosseum is probably the most impressive building of the Roman Empire. Originally known as the Flavian Amphitheater, it was the largest building of the era.
Emperors used the Colosseum to entertain the public with free games. Those games were a symbol of prestige and power and they were a way for an emperor to increase his popularity.
Games were held for a whole day or even several days in a row. They usually started with comical acts and displays of exotic animals and ended with fights to the death between animals and gladiators or between gladiators. These fighters were usually slaves, prisoners of war or condemned criminals. Sometimes free Romans and even Emperors took part in the action.
The southern side of the Colosseum was felled by an earthquake in 847. Parts of the building – including the marble cladding – were later used for the construction of other landmark buildings such as the St. Peter’s Basilica and Palazzo Farnese.
Trastevere is where the locals like to be — I was told it is like the Williamsburg (Brooklyn, New York) area of Rome. Our host told us it’s the best place to go for drinks and appetizers.
Campo de Fiori is a great local market experience and the #1 advice in the Business Insider article ‘Locals Reveal The Best Things To Do In Rome‘ ♥
1. Buy some good bread and then go to Campo de’ Fiori in the morning and sample the olive oils and balsamic vinegars at the market that is there daily — Leah from Leah Travels
Castel Sant’Angelo was originally built in the second century as a mausoleum for Emperor Hadrian, Castel Sant’Angelo (Castle of the Holy Angel) was later transformed into a large castle where Popes could take refuge in turbulent times.
At the top of the fortress, overlooking the panoramic terrace, stands a statue of an angel, built by the eighteenth-century Flemish sculptor Pieter Verschaffelt. The bronze statue replaced an earlier, marble version.
The statue depicts the archangel Michael who, according to legend, appeared on top of the fortress in the year 590 and miraculously ended the severe plague that had infested the city of Rome. After the purported event, the building was renamed Castel Sant’Angelo – literally translated ‘Saint Angel Castle’ – in honor of the archangel.
Vatican City … need I say more?
If so — Wikipedia says:
Vatican City, a city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy, is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. It’s home to the pope and a trove of iconic art and architecture. Its Vatican Museums house ancient Roman sculptures such as the Laocoön and Renaissance frescoes in the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel, famous for Michelangelo’s ceiling.
Another tip from a local on the Business Insider article ‘Locals Reveal The Best Things To Do In Rome‘ ♥
Mail your postcards from Vatican City. Aside from the cool stamps and postmark, the Poste Vaticane is Swiss run and famously more efficient than the Italian postal system.
— Jessica of Andiamo
For more — check out this list I followed from Business Insider compiled in 2014 ‘Locals Reveal The Best Things To Do In Rome‘
