I've been to quite a few big cities in Europe and always thought nothing could ever match with Paris. When i finally came to Rome, this city took my breath. Mainly because of the atmosphere and the old buildings. I really love cities with characters. While New York was for me extremely modern and cold, Rome suprised me with it's ancient flair. There is so much to see, around almost any corner you will find something new and beautiful. Wether it is some ancient roman ruins or another church, this city will give you endless opportunities to explore.
How to get here:
You can get very cheap flights to Rome Fiumicino Airport, i paid 100euros both ways. From the airport there is a train that will take you within 45min to Roma Termini, the Central Station.
Where to stay:
I stayed at Alessandro Downtown Hostel, which is only a 5min walk from the Train Station. If you need to get to the airport or continue your journey, this is very practical.
I booked a bed in a 6-female dorm, which was very spacious, clean and luckily i shared it with only 1 girl the first night. The bathroom facilities are in the hallway, there are seperate shower and toilet cabins. It's less luxurious, but fairly cheap for staying in Rome. The price per night was around 31€ including city tax.
How to get around:
Walking: Although Rome is a quite big city, everything is fairly reachable, if you are young and like walking. Also you can see so much more and will maybe find some unique spots eventually, while getting lost in the maze of the city.
Public Transport: Rome has very good public transport connections, whether by Bus or Metro, everything is quite close. I have actually taken the Bus one day, since it was raining cats and dogs. I can not say anthing about the Metro though.
Hop-On Bus: If you visit Rome for the first time and like to access a lot of museums, i would recommend the Omnia City Pass, which also includes the tourist bus. Normally i always laugh about these tour busses, but on a hot day it is extremely nice to just get onto the Bus and enjoy the view from there.
What to do:
Fontana di Trevi: Well i guess you have heard of this one. The first time i visited this fountain was in the evening with a friend that i met/made in Rome. You will actually never find this spot empty, unless you come here at 6am, which i did the morning after. Even at that time, i was not alone. Traditionally you have to toss a coin into the fountain and make a wish. There are indeed specific rules, how to do it (with your right arm over your left shoulder, facing the fountain backwards).
Yearly around 1,3million Euros are taken out of the fountain by staff, donated to a welfare organisation.
Bocca della Vérita: Mostly known from the movie "Roman Holidays" with Audrey Hephburn, this huge marmor plate is yet another very touristic attraction. It is hanging on the wall of the Basilica Santa Maria. The ancient believe is, that the mouth will shut around your hand, if you speak out a lie. Indeed it is a very exciting thing to do. To access this sight, you need to donate a small amount to the church.
Spanish Steps: This set of steps between the Piazza di Spagna and Piazza Trinità dei Monti is a popular spot for many instagram bloggers and photoshoots. I went at 7am to see it empty, yet i was not the only one. There is a fountain at the Base of the Stairs and another Church at the Top. This spot is as all the other tourist sights kept very clean and nice compared to the rest of the city. You can easily reach the steps from Fontana die Trevi, which will take you 10min walk.
Vatican City: The state of Vatican is one of the busiest spots in the City and highly protected by military and police. If you like to visit, i would recommend you to buy a skip-the-line ticket with any operator. I booked a slot with Omnia before my visit, which saved me a lot of time. Otherwise you need to queue about 2h in the burning sun, to access the Basilica of St. Peter. The museums might not be as popular, and since they are huge, people flow in much faster.
In the vatican museum there are so many statues, paintings, carpets and much more, you could probably spent at least half a day here. Nevertheless the biggest reason i went, was the Sistene Chapel. The painted ceiling and the last judgment fresco by Michelangelo, which covers the altar wall are breathtaking. It is not permitted to take any kind of picture or video material in this room, therefore you have to go yourself to see it.
One more thing to do is climb the steps of the Basilica St. Peter. This is actually hard work and taking the elevator does not really make sense, since the hardest part to climb is the dome rooftop. In total it is 551steps you need to climb, you can skip 320 with the elevator. Being quite fit I still struggled, since it is really small alleys and you can get easily claustrophobic in the bad aired narrow towers. But after this torture, you will be rewarded with a fantastic view over the St. Peter Square and most of Rome.
Colosseum: Also known as Flavian Amphitheatre, this oval historical site lies in the center of Rome. It's built of concrete and sand and the largest Amphitheatre ever built. It could hold around 80.000 spectators for gladiatorial contests, animal fights and other public events. Nowadaways there is not much left and for me it was hard to imagine the ancient glory of this space.
Forum Romanum: Directly next to the Colosseum you will see the Forum Romanum and Palantine Hill. According to roman mythology the cave, where Romulus and Remus, the founders of the City where kept alive by the she-wolf Lupa was located here. The total area is incredibly big, i did not go inside, but from around you can see most parts of the ancient ruins.
Other famous spots to see are the Panteon, the Trajan's Market, The Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, Trastevere (mainly for food) and so many more.
Where to eat:
Flower Burger (vegan): I have been waiting 2 days and 2 nights to finally go to this Place. Located very close to Vatican, this place makes Burger dreams come true. The variation of Burger Buns and patties is comparable to a rainbow. Sometimes they do special editions in pink and blue. While i was there, they offered an orange one. Even if you are not vegan, these burgers will more than satisfy you. My friend who is not a vegan is also still dreaming of her black charcoal burger.
Écru (vegan): This place is also a raw/vegan café that offers a huge variation of breakfast and lunch. Furthermore they have many veganized italian desserts, like tiramisu. In the café they sell a lot of organic products as well, far cheaper than in sweden. I went twice, since i fell in love with the sandwiches they do. I really would love to know how they make this round bread, it's far beyond delicious.
Dinner by the river: While my stay in rome, there were loads of tents built up on the river between Vatican and Trastevere, many offering like food trucks more individual treats and drinks. Me and my friend went to a place directly under Ponte Sant'Angelo, which was an incredible experience, since at night all the bridges are bathed in several spotlights.
Gelateria Della Palma (Via della Maddalena 19/23): This place has 150 (!!!) different flavours of icecream. Usually if there is such a big offer, a lot of sorts are quite similiar, just have another name. Not in this case. You can get any possible flavour in this icecream bar, weather fruit or candy, they got all of them. Furthermore they offer a broad range of Soy Icecream and most of the Fruit Sorts are without Milk.
Gelateria Della Palma (Via della Maddalena 19/23): This place has 150 (!!!) different flavours of icecream. Usually if there is such a big offer, a lot of sorts are quite similiar, just have another name. Not in this case. You can get any possible flavour in this icecream bar, weather fruit or candy, they got all of them. Furthermore they offer a broad range of Soy Icecream and most of the Fruit Sorts are without Milk.
