Roma

The eternal city ! For sightseers this is a must but make sure you have a good pair of trainers as there is a lot of walking involved but worth every step. Rome is one of those places where you turn a corner and there is something amazing to see.

Marvel at the Trevi Fountain (we prefer to see it at night although expect crowds whatever time of day you go), the Spanish Steps and the Pantheon are well worth a visit as is Piazza Navona and of course the Colosseum and Roman Forum. There are many other places of interest to visit so plan what you want to see and if you’re feet aren’t too tired then go for it…just remember lots of refreshment breaks, well vino, Aperol and beer anyway 🙂

Defo recommend pre booking the Colosseum and the ticket will also get you entry to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. Beware there are lots of sites selling tickets and most are overpriced. The official site is https://www.coopculture.it/en/products/ticket-colosseum-roman-forum-palatine_24h/ and ticket prices here are considerably cheaper than other providers.

A walk to the Vatican is a must, crossing over the river Tiber towards Castel Sant’Angelo then down the avenue to St Peter’s Square in the heart of the Vatican. You don’t need to be religious to appreciate the splendour and impressiveness of the architecture. Take the opportunity to send a postcard home using the Vatican postal service, quite cool I think to receive a postcard from the smallest country in the world !

As with all capital cities you expect to pay a bit more for food and drink but just wander off from the centre a bit to the abundant side streets and you will find some gems. One such place is Er Faciolaro https://www.erfaciolaro.it/en/restaurant-er-faciolaro/ nearby to the Pantheon and was so good we ate there twice during our 4 day visit. Friendly staff, good food and very reasonable prices, specially for Rome.

Accommodation is plentiful and there are tastes and budgets for everyone. We found B&B Relais Forus Inn https://www.forusinn.com/en/ on Via Cavour which was literally a 10 minute walk to the Colosseum. The room was a bit on the small side but clean, functional and a nice touch was breakfast being brought to the room every morning. At the end of the day we showered and slept there, the rest of the time we were out exploring…all roads lead to Rome after all 🙂