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Exploring Rome in 1 day
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"Even a lifetime isn't enough to see Rome."
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This last sentence is what the Romans say, and it is very true!! Another saying which goes: Rome was not built in a day — and that you won't see it in one or even in three — is true. I figured it out the minute I was planning my itnerary for Rome, that this one will not be an easy one. But staying in the city center defnitely helped us fulfilling our itenerary and it will be your best bet if you want to do as much planned as possible. But in our case, we are dinitely going back to visit Rome, for all our other missed sites and as well as, we just didnt get enough of the colosseum, we will go back to revisit the bottom floor!
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This city is a living museum of history from Roman times to present. It also boasts many fine restaurants, cafes, and good nightlife too. All I can remember from our trip to Rome is HISTORY. And history that I never enjoyed as much as I did in Rome, seriously! I never knew how a trip can be so much more fun if you incorporate history to the power of, oh God, I dont even have a number here, so we will just leave it at that, you already know what I mean!
Another thing I remember very well restaurants and cafes everywhere you corner you turn, thare are just too many terrasasses to choose from! Which is better I would say, since you can literally just go anyone of them without being too picky. Lets just go ahead with visiting Rome since we have a lot to cover!
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Day 1
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Getting out of the Fiumicino Airport in Rome is probably the easiest one we have ever found. The train leaves about every half hour and costs about 15 euros per person. This is how much it costed us to go to the hotel we were staying at, Berg Luxury hotel, which I will be talking to you about later in the post. We took the train from the airport to Roma Termini Railway station, about half hour train ride, and once reached the train station, we took the metro to Barberini and walked to the hotel.
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Staying in the city center really helped us save time and money on this trip. As soon as we got to our hotel, we dropped our bags and made our way out! We went to get our gelato from the first ice cream shop we saw, and starting to walk to the Trevi Fountain. The streets are so old here, and fountains with statues every corner you turn! Many many churches as well and museums, this is place great for history junkies like ourselves! It is so nice just to walk on such old streets and admire what the city has to offer.
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Trevi Fountain
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No trip to Rome is complete without a visit to the Fontana di Trevi. When we got there, (well I, because my husband started travelling the world way before me, so he has seen all of this) I completely understood why the Trevi Fountain is known as one of the most stunning fountains in the world! It is absolutely glorious!!! There are SO many fountains in Rome we saw, but this one definitely stands out! The name Trevi is from the fact that it is a three street fountain, basically it stands at the junction of three roads. We are lucky we didnt go in the summer of last year, because it was closed for restoration work by the the fashion house, Fendi who spent apparently $2.2 million. So we got to see the new look of the Trevi fountain. It is definitely a romantic spot. It took 30 years to build and it is from the same material as the Colosseum, considering it was completed in 1762, with limited material supply.
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Tons of tourists just stay here mainly in the night as the lights on the Fountain turn on (we came the next day, but not as many people in the day time than at night, and the fountain is obviously more beautiful at night), most of them after a long day of sightseeing and some having their late night picnic in front of the Fountain. It is definitely a romantic spot, you can just sit there for hours with your loved one. The original legend says that if you throw a coin into the Trevi with your back to the fountain, throwing the coin with your right hand over your left shoulder, that will ensure a return to Rome. So make sure you do that if you want to go back to Rome! The money goes to charity anyway so it is for good cause, my husband and I made sure we threw coins before heading to our next stop, because we already know we will need to come back! There were way too many people here, and we were hungry so we made our way to the restaurant.
Dining in front of the Pantheon
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As we made our way towards the restaurants near the Fountain, we couldnt find a better place which was right in front of the Pantheon! The restaurant is called Ristorante caffe da Claudia, and we had pizza there. It was pretty good and it was really nice to have a view of Pantheon right in your face while enjoying supper. If you want to dine right in front of the Pantheon, then this is the go to restaurant, as the food is great too. Just like Trevi Fountain, tourists are all over the Pantheon taking pictures, or dining like ourselves around it. We stayed there admiring the beautiful Pantheon with the moon in the back, which made it a perfect live picture!
Time for dessert: Gelato!
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As you can never get enough of this delicious treat, we went to get our Gelatos and sat in front of Trevi Fountain, except this time there were really not that many people. The later you go the least packed it is, hence better luck with pictures as well! So we enjoyed our second Gelato again in front of the Fountain, then slowly made our way to the hotel.
Day 2
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Free walking tour
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Rome is a place where it will not be difficult for you to find guides on the street promising you to show you the whole town! It would make sense though, considering there is history hidden in every corner of Rome, every statue, every monument, every church represents and dates back thousands of years ago. That is why there are so many walking tour companies out there that arrange free walking tours and meet up at the more or less the same spots as other tours.
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One thing is for sure, a trip to Rome is best seen with a tour guide. Because there is just so much to know on every little street, sometimes you would pass buildings that you wont think represents something in the past, yet it will and a guide will definitely be able to point it out. Walking through so much history and not knowing anything about it just spoils the trip! It is nice to get a general idea of everything around us. The tour was at 10 am, we had breakfast at our hotel. So we met the group at the designated spot and off we went. This tour was about 2 hours long, the guide was pretty good, and since we had booked in advance, we had fewer people in our group, hence we got to understand what the guide was explaining pretty easily. He took us through Spanish steps, Trevi fountain, Piazza Venezia, to name a few.
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Tip: I would definitely recommend you to book a spot on any free tour company of Rome. I would refrain from the ones that say no reservation required, because first, you are not guaranteed a spot and it could get very overwhelming if there are too many people in the group. And don't be shy to ask questions that is the best way to learn!
Colosseum
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After the tour that ended around 12:30, we went for a nice cup of coffee. Even though it was boiling hot today, we went first for a nice cup of cappuccino and some snacks from one of the bakeries we saw near us. In rome, there is no counting cups of coffee, at least for us there wasnt since we all know Italians drink coffee for breakfast, lunch and even after supper! And their coffee are just absolutely the best! In heat, we were really not hungry so we opted for coffee and snacks, but this is really the time for lunch and I would suggest you stop off at a nearby lunch stop at one of the terraces facing the Colosseum!
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Then, we took the metro to Colosseo, and Im sure you can guess where we are taking you, as the name pretty much spills the beans! We were right in front of the Colosseum, when exiting the metro.
AND OH MY GOD!!! Right in front of my eyes, was one of the seven wonders of our planet! Any which word you will use to describe this piece of art, will not be sufficient. It is incredible and just amazing to see it in real life than in just pictures and movies. This amphitheater is nearly 2000 years old, and it is the largest one in the entire Roman Empire. It can hold from 45,000-55,000 spectators, which now are replaced by tourists just trying to feel and imagine how and exactly what happened here all these thousands of years ago. I wont talk much about the history of the Colosseum, since it would be endless.
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So as you exit the metro, the first faces you will see approaching you will be of tour guides! Yes! There are so many tour operators right outside of the metro, trying to get your attention to take their tour. You dont even need to be in front of the Colosseum, you just need to be in the area! So since we didnt want to waste any time, we went with the first one that approached us, and about 20 minutes later we were on our way to the Colosseum with the guide, with no line-ups to deal with. The ticket costed 45 euros per person, but we gained a lot of knowledege along the way, so it was well worth it (except the fact our guide was an italian lady with a very strong italian accent, a bit hard to understand).
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As we entered this beautiful piece of art, I can already imagine how this place looked thousand of years ago. We got to find out about the emperors, how the colosseum worked and all of the history behind it. We got to find out small details as to why a certain place in the colosseum was made the way it is. For example, The Colosseum's interior is divided into three parts: the arena, cavea and podium. The arena had a wooden floor covered in sand to prevent the combatants from slipping and to soak up the blood. Very wise! Trapdoors led down to the underground chambers and passageways beneath the arena floor – the hypogeum, thats where the animals were caged. The cavea, for spectator seating, was divided into three tiers: the lowest tier was reserved for magistrates and senior officials, in the middle were placed wealthy citizens and the plebs in the highest tier. Women were placed at the cheapest sections at the top. The podium was reserved for emperors, senators and VIPs. It is truly amazing to see and find out how the Colosseum was designed at such time.
Temple of Venus and Rome, viewed from the Colosseum
Some stuff you get to see inside Colosseum
Tip: Although you can buy your ticket online for only 12 euros and the audio guide for 6 euros, we decided to go ahead with the guides since they also include information on Romun Forum and Palentine Hill. With the ticket bought for the Colosseum, you can also get an entry to Roman Forum and the Palentine Hill, so if you are looking for just doing it on your own and at your own pace, I would recommend you to just buy the ticket online and go ahead (but definitely dont line up in front of the Colosseum for something that can be done beforehand online.
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With this option, I would also recommend getting an audio guide since there is not much information on any of these three sites. One last thing, I would also recommend you to book in advance your visit to the underground chambers of the Colosseum (the Hypogeum), since we were unable to book anything on the phone one week before. We were really excited to visit the underground part until we found out that the tickets were sold out until the following month! So if you are going with the mindset of visiting the underground, which is very well worth it, just call in advance to reserve your spot. Buy a water bottle and fill them up at fountains provided throughout the city! We desperately needed them since we visited the Colesseum on a super boiling hot day!
Behind me is the Arch of constatine-The largest Roman triumphal arch
View of the Colosseum from the Palentine hill
Roman Forum and Palantine Hill
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After the Colosseum, which was about 45 minutes visit, we made our way to Palentine Hill and the Roman Forum with the guide. All these attractions are walking distance from each other. You see pretty much everything from the Colosseum. Our guide explained pretty well the purpose of Palentine Hill and the forums. I will put a video of the briefing of our guide for these two sites to give you an idea.
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Palatine Hill is located right at the center of the famous seven hills of Rome. It is located in between major attractions as the Circus Maximus, the Colosseum, and the Roman Forum. Roman empire basically began on this hill and even more amazing than this is that Augustus, Cicero, and Marc Antony (Marcus Antonius) all had homes on the hill. So we were literally walking on the area of which was owned by all these big emperors, it is pretty cool to imagine it, closing your eyes and just picturing the old time. Later, emperors built their domains here and, at one point, the entire hill was covered with imperial palaces. It was also believed according to historians - that the air was cleaner on top of the hill and that those who lived on it were less likely to catch the diseases of the working class that festered in the bad air below! Very wise again.
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Roman forum
The Roman Forum was ancient Rome's showpiece centre, a district of temples, basilicas and vibrant public spaces. It was the social, political and commercial hub of the Roman empire. Landmark sights include the Arco di Settimio Severo, the Curia, and the Casa delle Vestali. This is where the oldest and most important structures of the ancient city were located.The most ancient monuments at the Roman Forum are from the first kings of Rome, dating back to the sixth century BC. Emperors kept making monuments and basilicas regularly and trying to do better than their predecessors, the last being added around 600AD.
Tip: Here, as there are no sings anywhere, I would defeinitely recommend you the audio guide for both of these sites. It will definitely be more amazing to see what stands in front of you on these much to cover sites. The ticket bought for the Colosseum gives you two days to cover all these three sites, but most people cover it in the same day as we did, since they are right across each other in the same area. I would give about three- four hours to do all of this, thats around how much time it took us with a guide. But once you entered a site, you cannot reenter so just plan your trip well to these sites if you are doing them alone. Make sure to have plenty of water available and a hat! One last thing, we were told by our guide that the Basilica di San Clemente near the Colosseum is well worth the visit and that not many tourists are aware of that church, so make sure you visit it before leaving the area! We were just too exhausted by the heat and a long tour, that we are keeping this place for our next visit to Rome.
Right outside all the attractions, the ruins
Lunch
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This was a time for our well deserved lunch. At the end of the tour, we were literally drenched in sweat, and in need of water every two minutes. The water bottles helped a lot as we kept buying fresh iced water from the guys selling them on the streets to keep ourselves going. But believe it or not, even after a deadly hot day like this one we still decided to go ahead with a special area for our late lunch called the Jewish Ghetto. We were recommended by our guide to visit this place for a good lunch. We started walking west towards the Jewish ghetto, and kept buying gelatos on our way there. Another treat is this one, Gelatos, which you cannot have enough of in Rome or Italy in general!
After, about a half hour walk, we made it to the Jewish ghetto which is right next to Piazza venezia. We figured we had reached the area since we saw a sign that said senagogue on it. And here we were, such a cute little tiny area with plenty of restaurants and bars.
We went to Nonna betta as it caught our attention the minute we walked in this neighborhood. I went with spaghetti (of course I wanted something truly italian authentic) and my husband went with lamb shank (the not truly italian version). Nonna Betta has two menus, one for dairy and one for meat. The food was great and we saw tripadvisors posters everywhere to confirm that this place is liked by our friends at tripadvisor as well. After lunch we took a long stroll in the direction of our hotel. (I was in desperate need to burn the 100 % carbs I had just ingested and husband was pretty full too hehe). Of course along the way we kept seeing fountains and monuments that are located in every which corner you turn. Even the walks in Rome are an excursion of their own!
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Tip: You can take a five-minute bus ride, number 87 that will take you there, but we just didnt want to wait twenty minutes in the sun for the bus. There might be other buses that stop at Piazza Venezia though.
The show that was the highlight of our trip
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After getting some rest at the hotel and reenergizing ourselves with a cup of coffee, we looked up online this website our tour guide spoke to us about after seeing we were so enthusiastic about Roman history. She told us about these two shows that take place at the Forum of Augustus and Forum of Ceaser at night. The way she spoke about it sounded very interesting, she was speaking about the show projecting light effects that will reconstruct the Forum and through audio systems with headphones we will listen to music, special effects and stories told by the narrator. We wanted to do go to a rooftop restaurant (Ristorante Aroma at Palazzo Manfredi) and admire the Colosseum while dining, but we sacrificed our night for this show.
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So as we didnt purchase the ticket online we had to present ourselves at the Forums an hour before the show took place.
We went ahead and got tickets for both shows. But before we headed to the forums, we had quiet a bit of time to wander the streets near the Forums. So we walked around the Colosseum to see how it is at night, beautiful is still a small word again. Then we bought our tickets and made our way to a nice little cafe right in front of the Piazza Venezia. It was fun, behind us was the soccer game going on (Euro 2016 on tv) and in front of us was the beautiful Piazza lit at night. We even got to see a marathon happening right in front of the Piazza on the very busy street and roundabout of the city! It looked like an impossible thing to do, but it happened, like in Rome, which is a city that people cant imagine shutting its streets for a marathon! It was nice, as we got to enjoy our cappuccinos and cannolis and watch the world go by!
Beautiful Colosseum at night
Marathon in the city!!
After we had enough of watching the passing show, and as we were approaching the time of the show, we slowly made our way to the Forum of Augustus and line up with the people that have already bought their tickets. I cannot tell you or descibe what we went through when the show started. You just HAVE to go and check it out, and you will be also saying the same thing as us. This show had completely changed our trip and it was really THE highlight of our trip to Rome!!!! Of course there is the Colosseum and all, but if you want to LIVE the history see what happened where the inhabitants walked, what they did, you have to see this show. It made us feel like we were living in that time of history. I mean all these special effects they used, this light show they put up for us, all syncronised with the music and narration, JUST UNBELIEVABLE and totally worth the price!!! And of course we got to learn more about the Forum of Augutus and about himself as well.
Second show was on the street behind us at the Forum of Ceasar. That was another amazing show, portraying the life and power of Ceaser. Again, here as well, the lights and special effects made it very clear what exactly happened in reality thousands of years ago. In this show, you need to walk in the Forum and activate the speaker when the guide tells you to, to be able to listen to the narrator. Both shows were a cultural, emotional, educational, and spectacular experience just like the author says it on their website! So JUST WOW, no words can describe these shows.
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The architecture and ruins of the forum area is incredibly confusing as you are looking at more than two thousand years of civilization superimposed and often cut through on itself. This excellent presentation absolutely helps you make sense of what you are looking at, is a great break from all the walking and is a fantastic way to enjoy a beautiful summer evening in the forum. We found this a great way to enjoy these amazing ruins without the crowds. So I highly recommend you check out the shows! And YES we absolutely did not regret choosing to come to the show over a rooftop restaurant!
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Tip: The cost of these two shows together is 25 euros. If you only have time to go to one or just feel like going to one of them, I would highly recommend the Forum of Augustus, as they did a better job on that show, and there is absolutely no walking, you just sit and literally enjoy the show!! The show on Augustus is 40 minutes and the one on Caesar is 55 minutes).The wesite is http://www.viaggioneifori.it/en/ and you can buy online beforehand.
Pizza and walking back to the hotel
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As the show finished passed 11 pm, and we were pretty hungry, we went looking for a restaurant where we can grab a small bite. Unfortunately, we found no restaurnts really opened, surprising, even MCdonalds was closed but maybe it was midnight or 1 am by then. So we went on the smaller streets just near Trevi Fountain and found a pizza place opened! It looked only locals go there to eat so we went for it, and the pizzas were quiet good! We brought the pizzas with us to Trevi Fountain and just sat there and enjoyed our pizza. Finally we bought gelato for dessert, also near Trevi Fountain and enjoyed in front of the fountain. And then we slowly made our way back to the hotel.
Day 2
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Spanish Steps
After having a nice breakfast at a cafe near our hotel, we made our way to chill out near the Spanish steps. We bought coffee and sat down like so many other tourists in Piazza di Spagna. Unfortunately, the whole staircase area was closed off, so we just sat near the Fontana della Barcaccia in front of the steps as known as the ‘sinking boat’ fountain. That is why we couldnt even check out the Piazza Trinità dei Monti, which is located at the top of the stairs as well as the Trinità dei Monti church. We enjoyed taking pictures around the area and people watch. It is a great place to hang out if you had a long day or just starting your day.
At the time of our visit, Spanish steps area was closed off
Piazza Navona
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We slowly made our way to the beautiful Piazza Navona where we had lunch. The restaurant we chose was right in front of the Bernini fountain and hence, the restaurant's name is Bernini ristorante as well. We had pizza again there since that is our favouraite meal and where better will you find a place to have pizza than Italy! We also had coffee and got to enjoy the piazza pretty well. Just sat there, admiring everything around us, was pretty relaxing. Just what you are suppose to feel on vacation!
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Time to go back home and important note
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As our flight was at 4 pm in the afternoon, we had taken all our belongings from the hotel and already checked out. We are therefore leaving the Vatican museum, St. Peterberg's basilica and the Pantheon (from inside), for our next trip to Rome, hopefully very soon! I will be posting my next trip to Rome on this same page so look out for it!
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To get out of Rome shouldnt be a problem. You have to head back to Termini Railway station and catch the train from there, that will take you to the Fiumicino airport in 30-40 minutes. The Railway station is quiet big, there is McDonald's there for those that left the city is a rush and didnt get time to eat or grab a coffee (we had coffee and food from there before hopping on the train). What I like about this station is, there is even a whole mall there, it is not just a Railway Station so if you forgot to buy a few things from Rome, you can head earlier to Termini and do your last minute shopping there!
Where we stayed
We stayed at Berg Luxury hotel, and I don't think there could have been a better hotel or location than this one for us. Just like the name says it, being a luxury hotel, it REALLY is a Luxurious and modern hotel! It is located near the Barberini metro station and close to all major attractions by foot! I would definitely recommend you to stay here as the hotel is a REAL 4 star and pretty good breakfast is included in the price. It is located right nect to Borghese villa.
Why I say it is a real 4 star, is because my husband has travelled to Rome in the past, and what looked to him as 1 or 2 stars, will actually be a 4 or 5 stars in Rome, since the city is SO old. And when we were looking for our hotel online, I understood completely what my husband was trying to say. That is why it is hard to find good hotels that actually look like they claim to be in terms of stars. That is for the city center, but if you want to stay oustide the city, then you will probably have a better chance of finding real 4 or 5 stars hotels unlike the old buildings in the city. But, Unless you can get a hotel near a Metro station or a train station, the transfer into the city can be time consuming and or expensive, local buses can take an awful long time to get you into the centre. Definitely worth the price to stay at Berg Luxury Hotel, since you will save a hell lot of time by just walking to what ever you are visiting, and even coming back to relax at the hotel like we did.
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Look at the size of this bedroom!!
Other accomodations options
Rome’s hostels and B&Bs tend to be located near Termini railway station and the Vatican, while nicer hotels are obviously concentrated near tourist attractions like the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps. From the front of Termini Station past the bus station towards Piazza Republica, you will find lots of 4 star hotels here. Another great area to stay in outside of the city center. There are many hotels on the way back to the airport and the cost of train is fairly normal.
Budget tips for shoestring traveller
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Visiting museums
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If you don't want to get a guide for visiting Colosseum or roman forman for example, get the Ricksteves audio guide.
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Stand up at the bar to drink your coffee
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Ordering your coffee at the table will definitely cost you more than just standing at the bar like all the italians do. Unless you really are tired after a long day of sightseeing, consider ordering at the bar.
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Aperitivo with a free buffet
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A lots of bars offer food with a purchase of a drink. It is the perfect place to fill up. All you have to do is buy a drink at the regular price, and you will have access to the buffet. The buffet consists of pasta, sandwiches, chips, snacks, etc., and some restaurants don't even limit the amount of times you go to the buffet.
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Water
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Drink the water provided by the city. There are fountains everywhere in the city.
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Cook in your appartment
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Consider an apartment for your accomodation. This way you can save money for your accomodation as well as on food. Check out Airbnb for good appartment deals.
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Stay outside the city
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Staying outside the city will always be cheaper than staying in the city. The metro system in Rome is great, just make sure you stay near a metro station, bus stop or tram.
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Walk and explore
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There couldnt be a better way to visit Rome than on foot. Every street is so scenic you would want to be on your feet and taking your time to wander the streets of Rome. Save on transportation and avoid taking the buses when you can.
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Avoid overpriced restaurants
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Avoid the tourist spots for restaurants. The best way to figure if a restaurant will cost you a lot, would be just to see where the restaurant is located, anytime near attractions, or important historical places, the restaurants will be overpriced.
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Take uber instead of taxi
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If you really need to take a cab, take uber and it will be a lot cheaper.
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Spend a day in the park or Piazza Navona
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There are places like Borghese villa and other parks where you can go for a picnic instead of eating at a restaurant. Another option here would be to take your food to Piazza Navona and watch the world go by.
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Download free apps related to Rome
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Get all the necessary free apps like the transportation apps, restaurants etc., to optimise your trip to Rome.
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Use public transportation
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Avoid taxis and take the buses where ever you go. And make sure it is a local bus and not tourist one. Tourist buses will pick you and drop you where ever you will want to, and that option is more expensive than just taking a normal local bus with all the other romans.
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