Guide to Rome
There are so many things to do and see and EAT in Rome!! Below are my suggestions of everything from sites and tours to restaurants and cafes while visiting the Eternal City!
Let's start with Rome's most recognizable landmark, The Colosseum. While walking towards the arena we were stopped by a tour guide that gave us several different options for guided tours of The Colosseum. General Admission into the basic grounds is about 12 euro, but we wanted more detail from a guide. It also allowed us to skip the lines, gave us entrance into the restricted parts of The Colosseum and access to the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill.
We started by walking around the stadium before entering on the ground floor through the arches the gladiators entered through 2,000 years ago. We were able to see directly into the Dungeons, where they kept the slaves and animals before bringing them up to the floor of arena to fight to their death. All across the floor were over 80 elevator-type shafts acting as trap doors. Fabio, our tour guide, was super knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor! Book a tour by clicking here!
Scooteroma came highly recommended to me, and after reading about the options they have for tours I was SO excited! I wanted to experience the city as the Roman's do..."When in Rome, right"?!? Being able to zip around the streets allowed us to see so much of the city {about 30 miles} while also having a private tour guide. Both Michelle and Ricardo were incredible guides. Their wit and history of the city had us laughing the whole day!
We were able to tailor our trip to things we wanted to see and learned so much! Halfway through the tour we stopped for a quick glass of prosecco and Margherita pizza before taking off to our next destination. This adventure was one of my favorite memories from the trip and gave us some of the best views of the city!
**Quick Fact - The Colosseum is basically used now as a giant roundabout**
Another one of my favorite memories from the trip was our Food & Wine Tour. We booked the tour through Viator a few weeks in advance and I am so glad we did! The one piece of advice I would give when doing a food tour is go HUNGRY! Since there were 9 stops along the tour, I won't picture them all, but I'll show you my favorites. Alma, our beautiful guide, was awesome and we've kept in touch!
We started off with a wine and cheese pairing before heading to our next stop, fried & cured cod with a delicious local white wine. The best part about this tour was getting a taste of Rome from the authentic spots where the locals eat and the tourist would never find!
After that we walked a few blocks to an awesome butcher where we tasted about 10 different kinds of charcuterie. Check them out here - they even ship to the states!
Next, we walked across the bridge towards Trastevere to test the best pizza and suppli, a rice/risotto, meat, cheese and tomato sauce in a fried ball (similar to aranci). At this point, we were getting full and hadn't event made it to the main course yet! On to the next one!
The main restaurant where we sat down for dinner was amazing! My only complaint was that we didn't do this tour sooner so we could have gone another time before leaving! It was called Ai Spaghettari and we had two pasta dishes. One was Cacio e Pepe {served in a cheese shell and to die for} and the other was Rigatoni alla Amatriciana. Seriously, the best pasta I've ever had!
After dinner a liquor was served as a "digestive" so we could make room for the last stop on our tour: Gelato! I passed on the liquor because it reminded me of a mix of Jäger and Sambuca and I'm not a big fan of either, but you know there is always room for gelato!
The Trevi Fountain
The Trevi Fountain is one of those breath taking landmarks you can look at for hours. The architecture and sculpture is so detailed and so massive (almost 90 ft tall and over 150 ft wide) that you see something different from every angle. The only problem with it's beauty, like most other famous attractions, is the crowd it brings. Some locals told us that the best time to view the fountain is between 4-5 am when it's being cleaned. I would highly suggest seeing it both during the day and at night to fully experience its beauty!
Another thing you can't forget to do is make a wish! Rumor has it that if you turn around and throw a coin in your right hand over your left shoulder, you will return to Rome one day!
Spanish Steps
The Spanish Steps are another one of Rome's famous landmarks used primarily as a meeting point. Even though the gathering place is a great location to sit and relax, eating on the steps is actually prohibited. Europe does a great job at preserving their history and this is one way to protect the steps.
The street leading up to the Spanish Steps, via Condotti, has all the high-end shopping you could ever need! It reminds me a lot of the Champs Elysée in Paris and has everything from Prada and Hermès to Gucci and Louis. Even if you aren't in the market to buy anything, it's still fun to window shop!
While on the topic of shopping....let's talk LV! I'm not usually one for a) shopping / large purchases or b) souvenirs from trips, as I'd much rather have an experience over something material -- but this is an exception! I wanted a memoir that will always remind me of this trip. Since I had been wanting a timeless piece for a while, there was no better time!
I did a good bit of research before buying and found that it was actually more cost effective to buy it in Italy than in the US, so that made my decision a little easier. I ended up getting the LV Neverfull MM and since I am not a resident of Italy, I don't have to pay the Italian taxes. All you have to do is fill out a form and take it to the VAT Tax window at the airport before you depart. I was curious if it was really as easy as the woman in LV was making it seem... and let me tell you, it was a breeze. The form was already filled out and it took about 2 minutes to wait in line and get $140 cash back that I paid in taxes! It doesn't get better or easier than that! In addition to the money saved on taxes, you also save on the actual price of the merchandise. Since LV is imported, it is more expensive in the US than when purchased abroad.
The Pantheon
The Pantheon is Rome's best preserved monument and is still used as an active church today. Surrounding the Pantheon are plenty of cafes to stop and take on the scenery. There was an awesome violinist playing in the courtyard while we were there which made sipping on house wine and enjoying the view even better!
What to Eat/Drink:
Here are just a few of the yummies that are a must while in Italy!
Cappuccinos > Mussels & Clams > Pomodoro Pasta > Veil Saltimbocca > Aperol Spritz > Carbonara > House Wine > Charcuterie > Gelato {GROM was my favorite!!}
Where to Stay:
Trastevere! We stayed at the cutest AirBnB in an incredible location! Roberto's apartment was clean, spacious and located within walking distance to everything we wanted to see and do. Book your stay with him here and you won't regret it! {Some of our favorite restaurants were in Trastevere}
