Plan your trip to Rome

Rome, Italy

Recommendations to help plan your trip to Rome, Italy

 

First Speed train to Rome got us to Rome by 11am.

  • Walk around and have Lunch until check-in.
  • Visit the Colosseum – Pre-buy tickets
  • Dinner in the Jewish Quarter

Sight seeing in Rome. Expect crowds. Arrive early and buy ticket for as soon as they open or go late right before they close.

  • Vatican Museum. We visited as soon as they opened.
  • St Peter’s Basilica. Visited right after the Vatican. Picked up a Lime Bike to get ti St Peter’s.
  • Roman Forum (part of our tickets for the Colosseum)
  • Lime Bike self guided tour to see the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps

*We left Rome the next morning but went back to St Peter’s to climb to the top. Going as soon as they open to skip the crowds.

Rome Recommendations – Top Picks

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Visit the Colosseum

HOURS: 9 – 16.30
ADMISSION: Pre-buy tickets online. Buy a combo ticket to save money.
Metro: Colosseo, line B (blue)

Visit early, arriving at least 30 minutes before they open or close to closing time to avoid the crowds. Last admission is one hour before closing.

Tip: Down Load Rick Steves App. Bring air-pods and listen to his tours for free.

Visit the Roman Forum

HOURS: 8.30 – 19.00
ADMISSION: Pre-buy tickets online. Buy a combo ticket to save money.
Metro: Colosseo, line B (blue)

Right next to the Colosseum. Visit early, arriving at least 30 minutes before they open or close to closing time to avoid the crowds.

Tip: Down Load Rick Steves App. Bring air-pods and listen to his tours for free.

Vatican Museum

HOURS: 9.00 – 18.00 (last entrance at 4 pm).
ADMISSION: Pre-buy skip-the-line tickets
Metro: Ottaviano
DRESS CODE: cover shoulders and knees

Visit early, arriving at least 30 minutes before they open or close to closing time to avoid the crowds. NO backpacks, umbrellas, camera tripods, or selfie sticks. Tours are very popular for the Vatican Museum. NO pictures in the Sistine Chapel.

Tip: Down Load Rick Steves App. Bring air-pods and listen to his tours for free. We went on a tour and quickly learned we are not tour people.

The View From the Rialto Bridge

Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck rode across Rome’s streets on a Vespa’s in the movie Roman Holiday. In the spirit of that movie we recommend taking a DIY bike tour in Rome on a Lime Bike or Scooter. We hopped on a Lime Bike after the Vatican Museum to around the Vatican Wall to St Peter’s Square. Enjoyed it so much we bought a day pass and use the bikes to get around town.

Our bike ride DYI tour included the Spanish Steeps, the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, and Piazza del Popolo, and the Victor Emmanuel II.

If you would rather do a Guided Bike Tour: fattiretours.com

Trevi Fountain

We visited at sunset and it was absolutely magical. Toss a coin into the fountain with your right hand over your left shoulder to guarantee your return to the Eternal City.

The fountain is walking distance to the Spanish Steps.

A View From Above

St Peter’s is amazing inside and out but did you know you can climb to the top of the dome of St Peters Basilica. The view is worth the effort.

Entry to Saint Peter’s basilica is free. To climb the dome it costs 8 Euros to climb via the stairs, and 10 Euros to take the lift/elevator part way up. Go as soon as they open to avoid the crowds. The ticket window is to the right of St Peters Basilica’s doors.

Don’t Forget The Food

Overwhelmed by the food choices? Consider taking a Food Tour.

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Eat in the Jewish Ghetto Neighborhood

Visit the Jewish Ghetto Neighborhood for Dinner. In the high season do you research and make a reservation. Go to the one we enjoyed or find your own!

Ristorante Arco Di S. Calisto.

Made to Order Raviolis

Recommended to us by our AirBNB host, Mariolina was perfect for take out after a long day of sight seeing. You can even watch them being made.

The Pesto Raviolis were our favorite.

Lunch Close to the Colosseum

La Licata was another cafe recommended by our AirBNB host. We really enjoyed lunch sitting outside and being able to see the Colosseum down the street.

Mapped Recommendations

CLICK for more information. Save and use for your trip! OR create your own. Saving locations on a Google Map is will save you a lot of time and frustration when you are in a new city. We like to research restaurants before leaving. Better to do it at home vs on a crowded sidewalk while starving to death.

More on Italy

2023-03-31T16:43:32+00:00
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