Rome is often heralded as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Every year, millions of tourists flock to Rome to gaze at the preserved Roman architecture and visit fascinating sites such as the Colosseum. Since there is so much to see and do you might be looking for a guide that will help you if you’re planning a trip to the Eternal City. Well, look no further and let’s start by thinking about the best time to visit this beautiful location in Italy and figure out some of the top secrets to discover in Rome.
Roman Date Planning
Since Rome is a tourist hotspot, you need to pick your time to travel carefully. You don’t want to go when crowds sweep across the city, leaving queues for every exhibit that you can think of. This rules out August because it seems to be when Italians are keen to explore their own local beauty spots, causing crowds in Rome to surge. Arguably the best time to visit Rome is in April. At this time, you’ll find that the crowds are completely manageable and the heat hasn’t reached monstrous highs. You can also choose to visit later in the year, but this can be a tad risky. You might find that some of the exhibits close early or don’t open at all.
How long should you spend in Rome? The good news is that there’s so much to see and do that you can spend two weeks touring the city and never run out of fresh experiences. However, if your budget isn’t unlimited, you might want to consider going for at least four days. This will give you just about enough time to see everything there is once.
Traveling to Rome
There are various ways to get to Rome and explore the city once you reach your destination. If you’re travelling by air, you can fly into Fiumicino Airport. A wide number of different flights land in the airport throughout every holiday season. The airport is 19 miles away from the city, and there is a station inside that you can use to travel to the centre of town. This isn’t that expensive with tickets around twelve euros for each person travelling. Although, this won’t take you directly to your destination. Instead, you’ll need to find your own way to a hotel which can mean a long journey carrying luggage around.
The alternate option that will involve lower levels of stress is a cab or a private hire car. Both provide a fantastic option for Rome airport transfers where you’ll be able to travel directly to your hotel. A taxi or car from Rome airport to city locations will cost around fifty euros, but that might be the worth the cost to avoid the hustle and bustle of public travel. A private transfer is also a good option for special needs, like wheelchair accessible minivans, large families or groups; on order to start your visit to Rome hassle-free. Online booking is suggested and once you are there you should definitely get a Roma pass to get around.
Where Should You Stay
There are various choices when selecting a place to stay in Rome. Arguably, the best places are close to the heart of the city. That way, you’ll be able to walk out your hotel and immediately find incredible experiences. A key area to look into would be between Piazza Navona and the beautiful Piazza Barberini. These wonderful social hubs are surrounded by beautiful places to stay that will match every budget. You can even find lovely little family owned hotels that are perfect if you are traveling to Rome on a shoestring.
Places to See
There are various places to see in Rome, but most of the Tourist spots are quite close together in the centre. So picking the right place to stay will ensure that you don’t have to travel that far to find the best places to visit including the ruins of ancient Rome, like the Colosseum. Bear in mind that you can easily spend a day exploring the ancient architectural beauty alone, so you do need to spend your time wisely.
Of course, there are areas a little further afield like The Vatican. Home of the Catholic church and of course, the Pope, you’ll find that this amazing destination is packed full of tourists no matter what time of years you visit. If you are keen to visit The Vatican and you are in the centre of Rome, the subway systems are the ideal way to travel with tickets costing just under a euro.
So, where should you begin your journey exploring the city of Rome? Well, why not head to the Roman Forum? This massive archaeological site is one of the best-preserved areas of the Roman Empire. It’s incredible to see the towering stone pillars, magnificent houses, and beautiful monuments. Indeed walking through the Forum, you can almost feel what it would have been like at a time when Julius Caesar reigned. The site dates back to 500BC and is not to be missed.
Once you have spent a day exploring the Forum, make sure you travel to the Colosseum. This was a place home to great gladiator tournaments, animal fights and at one point held fifty, thousands cheering people. Although it has been through rough times, the amphitheatre still stands to this day, and four million people visit the place annually. If you’ve ever been to Disney World, you’ll be familiar with the type of lines that await you here.
If crowds don’t put you off at all, you should definitely consider climbing the Spanish Step. The Piazza di Spagna is the location of the cities legendary shopping street, filled with beautiful boutiques and it’s here you’ll find the steps that lead up to the Trinita dei Monti. Here you can admire the Piazza or travel even further for a climb to Villa Medici.
Things to do in Rome
Rome is a place known for its sights, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things to do there. You’ll find a variety of museums around Rome that will tell you more about the Roman empire and the history of this legendary city. Some of the museums really are remarkable holding secrets that have been preserved for decades.
We briefly mentioned shopping, and there are some incredible places to shop in Rome like the Galleria Alberto Sordi. The gallerina was actually built in 1922 and was designed with stunning stained-glass windows on the roof as well as gorgeous floors made of mosaics. It’s one of Europe’s most popular shopping districts where you’ll find incredible options for shopping like La Rinascente – also known as Italy’s version of Macy’s. Or, if you fancy picking up a great book to read, be sure to stop by La Feltrinelli. This beautiful bookstore is a wonder to behold with shelves of books that seem to stretch for miles. The only problem with the Galleria Alberto Sordi is that it could drain quite a large portion of your spending money.
Finally, you can finish off your trip by visiting the Trevi Fountain. The masterful design work by Nicola Salvi is a treasure to behold and actually has a statue of Neptune as the centrepiece, surrounded by tritons. The legend around this statute suggests that anyone who throws a coin into the fountain will one day return to Rome. So, if you have fallen in love with this beautiful city, make sure you have a few loose pieces of change to use for your wish. An extra tip would be to make sure that you visit as the sun sets when the crowds begin to disperse. During this time, the fountain has a wonderful mystical atmosphere that feels incredible.
We hope this guide helps you when you decide to take your own trip to explore the magnificent city of Rome.