Ciao, Roma!

It's been a long, long layover since my last post (over three years!), so I figured my trip to Rome was a good place to jump back into travel writing and hopefully post more frequently about some beautiful destinations around the world...

There's always a nervousness that comes over me as the plane begins its decent, and I see the land of a new country coming more into focus. I worry about the language barrier, how we are going to get to the hotel or wherever it is we're trying to go or a hundred other minute details while still sitting on the plane looking out onto the land of a foreign nation. But that nervousness quickly turns into excitement at the endless possibilities of what this trip will be and all the wonderful things we'll see, eat and do.

Colosseum

Recently, a couple of buddies and I made our way to Rome, Italy to explore the sights and to see ancient history intertwined with modern day living. I tried to learn some basic Italian words leading up to the trip but felt like I forgot it all upon arrival. Learning a few basic words or phrases in the native language makes traveling abroad a lot easier and helps you to not stick out as just a dumb tourist. I find that it also enhances the experience to try to converse in the native tongue. What's amazing about Europeans, and a lot of the world for that matter, is that most of them are bilingual or even trilingual!

Sights

The Roman Empire lasted about 500 years and in that time they built some amazing structures that still stand today. Walking through the streets of Rome and seeing these ancient icons is surreal. The Colosseum is by far the coolest in my mind, though. Thinking about the history of the arena while walking around and inside of it was mind boggling. Today, the stadium floor is gone and you can see down into the tunnels/chambers to where the gladiators and animals were once held. You can book a night tour of the tunnels but the price is a lot steeper than regular entry. Check out Dark Rome's website for more info on the night tours, but it will run you about $80+. The regular tours, like the VIP entrance one offered by Get Your Guide will set you back about $28 and is what we booked. You enter from the rear and can skip the lines which is good if you're in the city during the high season.
These same tickets will get you into the Roman Forum as well. This is a widespread area of ancient temples, basilicas and old public space. You are literally walking through the remnants of an empire. All of these structures were built anywhere from 1500-2000 years ago. Excavation is even still being done today on the site to uncover more of the past. It's cool to see what's left of what once was and try to imagine it in its heyday 20 centuries ago.

Pantheon

Another ancient structure, which also shows the genius of Roman architects, is the Pantheon. It was destroyed by fire twice but the third structure finished around 125AD still stands today. It is one of the best surviving structures from ancient Rome and still an architectural marvel. The dome is still the largest unsupported concrete dome in the world! Vatican City is also cool to see and with it being its own country, you can knock out two by coming to Rome! These are just a few of the things to see while here and many more await when you visit.

Food

Hands down, Italians know how to cook! I had some of the best pastas I've ever had while in Rome. And there is by no means a shortage of restaurants. Almost around every corner, down every alleyway, there seems to be one. There is also no short supply of gelato shops. Hands down better than ice cream, you'll want to pop in to one at least once a day for your fix. Check out this site for some of the top gelato in Rome. You won't be disappointed!

Pasta from Ristorante Naumachia

Accommodations

My friends and I stayed a little further outside the city about 1.5 miles from Vatican City at the Crowne Plaza - St. Peter's. While it was a very nice hotel with an amazing pool and grounds, it was a little too far from the main attractions. However, if you're cool with staying a little further out and having more space, I highly recommend this IHG property. There are a ton of Airbnb's around Rome and depending on when you book/plan to visit you can get some great deals around the city center. There are also some great hotels throughout the city. If you have hotel points or a favorite brand (Hilton/SPG/Marriott/IHG/Radisson) look for those when searching for accommodations. Or just search hotwire/hotels.com for the best deals if you don't care about anything but the money.

Crowne Plaza - St. Peter's pool and grounds

Getting Around

There are many different ways to make your way around. Depending on your positioning within the city, the easiest means of transportation will most likely be the metro. It'll take you close to all the major sights. You can buy a pass that lasts for 100 minutes for under 2 Euro. There's also a 24, 48 or 72 hour pass and even a seven day pass. These could be good options if your accommodations are close to a metro station.
Although a bit more expensive than the metro, UberBLACK also operates in Rome. We used this service a few times and every ride was in a very nice Mercedes Benz. The drivers all wore suits and it was a very professional service and much quicker than taking the metro.
You can also take a number of trains to other cities in Italy or even other countries in Europe. Most of these are fairly nice and don't cost too much. We took a train less than 1.5 hours north to the beautiful city of Orvieto for approximately 25 Euros round trip. Depending on which times you select, the price will vary. Trains are a very common way to travel around.

Roman Forum

My favorite mode of transportation however, were my legs. Walking around a city is the best way to see it, in my opinion, as well as get a great workout. A lot of the time you'll see things you never would've seen if it weren't for walking around and "getting lost" in a city.
There are also open top bus tours you can book to see the city while sitting down. This is a good way to see a lot of stuff in a short amount of time. Trust me, you'll be hassled to buy a ticket for this around the major sights. If you want to have your own car to drive around, there is a car share program, Car2Go, that you can utilize. Parking is tough in most any city however, so keep that in mind before pursuing this option.

Now, you didn't have to read all of this post to know that Rome is a great city to visit. I'm sure it was already on everyone's short list. But if it isn't, take it from me, it is well worth the trip! It's a great starting point to explore and then venture out to the rest of this magnificent country.

Ciao!

***Check out my photography from this trip and others on my website. All photos are available for purchase there as well.***