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Rome is one of the most spectacular cities in Italy. Rich in ancient history and jam-packed full of sights, a weekend getaway to the Eternal City is a fantastic choice for a city break.
Read on to find out how to spend a weekend in Rome.
How to get to Rome
Flights to Rome are available from most UK airports. Rome has two airports.
Leonardo da Vinci Airport (at Fiumicino) is used by the major airlines, while Ciampino Airport is used by budget airlines like Easyjet and Ryanair.
We flew from Manchester to Rome Ciampino with Ryanair. When I’m flying budget or short haul, I almost always fly with Ryanair.
They are usually the cheapest (I always use Skyscanner to find the best value flights to my destination). Yes Ryanair are no frills but they’re also no fuss, a flight with them is quick and easy.
The best time to visit Rome
We went to Rome in early January to celebrate my boyfriend’s birthday. In my opinion, January is a fantastic month to visit.
The city is quiet – we didn’t need to queue to get into the Colosseum and we had the sights like the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain all to ourselves. Avoid the city in the height of summer when it is crowded with tourists and hot, and try to visit during autumn, winter or spring instead.
The weather in January can be quite different. When we visited, it was very cold, so be sure to bring plenty of layers as well as a hat and gloves.
However, my brother also visited in January a couple of years later and it was t shirt weather. Be sure to check the forecast to pack appropriately, especially if you’re only bringing hand luggage.
How to get around in Rome
We arrived in Rome about 10.30am and took a taxi to our hotel. I’d heard a lot about taxi scams in Rome before we left and so I was super wary of this – it’s a flat rate of 30 euros from the airport to the city centre so make sure this is agreed with the driver before you leave and always get in a white taxi – these are the official ones.
We also shared a taxi with another couple to keep the cost down. If you like to have your travel to the hotel planned in advance, you can book Rome transfers here.
Rome is very walkable, with some of the sights close together and something to see around every corner. However, be sure to wear comfortable shoes as you will do a lot of steps.
Definitely wear trainers!
We also hopped on the Rome Metro to get to the Vatican. Get Metro Line 3 and get off at a stop called Ottaviano-S, just outside the city walls.
From here it’s just a five minute walk to the Vatican. Public transport is very easy to navigate and I recommend downloading the Citymapper app to help you plan your journeys.
The Metro costs 1 euro 50 for all journeys inside 100 minutes or 7 euros for the entire day so it’s also pretty cheap.
Where to stay in Rome
We stayed at the Hotel Miami which was quite basic but spacious enough with a double bed, dressing table and large en-suite bathroom. The staff were lovely and gave us a map at reception with routes to all the major tourist attractions marked out on it.
The very best thing about the hotel was the location – it was only a 20 minute max walk to the Colosseum and to the Trevi Fountain in the other direction, even the taxi driver said it was a great location! My brother helped me to pick the hotel on booking.com as he had visited the year before.
Location is everything in Rome as you’ll not be spending too much time in your room – you’ll only be falling asleep there after a really busy day – so I would definitely recommend the Hotel Miami, especially if you’re on a bit of a budget. When we stayed there it was only around £100 each night.
Things to do in Rome
As I mentioned, there are so many things to see in Rome. It’s a good idea to plan what you’d like to see before your trip, so that you don’t miss anything that’s on your list.
In Rome there is something to look at around every corner – amazing buildings and architecture and things you will never have heard of so you’ll have to check in the guidebook later.
Free walking tour
I like to start my first day in any new city with a free walking tour. I didn’t do one in Rome, but I would definitely recommend one as a budget-friendly way to orientate yourself in a new city.
This free walking tour of Rome visits the Trevi Fountain, Agrippa’s Pantheon and Piazza di Spagna. It’s a great way of learning more about the history of some of these monuments.
The Colosseum
I can’t describe my feelings when we rounded the corner and glimpsed the Colosseum for the first time. It’s so huge and impressive that it almost doesn’t look real.
I felt kind of emotional and overwhelmed – it was just amazing.
With it being January it was pretty quiet so we only queued for a short time before being able to go in. There are guided tours available but we chose to purchase the audio guide instead (although we didn’t exactly follow the proper plan!) and look around ourselves.
I loved the audio guide as it told us all about the games that used to happen in the Colosseum, where all the different classes of people sat, and how it had been restored over the years. It cost 12 euros each to get into the Colosseum and this gives you access to the Roman Forum and Palatine too.
It’s also cheaper if you’re under 25 (sadly I’m not!) and have your passport to prove it. At busier times, you should book in advance so that you can skip the queues.
The Roman Forum and Palatine
The tickets that we bought on Day 1 for the Colosseum can also be used to enter the Roman Forum and Palatine. The tickets are valid for two days, but for one entrance to each site only which is great as we didn’t have time to see everything in one day.
You can choose a guided tour here, if you’d prefer.
Again, the ruins here are breathtaking and vary between pieces of marble that have been discovered to full on buildings that are still standing, almost in tact. We saw part of Julius Caeser’s palace, the shells of shops, plus the gladiator’s quarters where they lived and trained.
We spent over two hours looking round everything and could have probably stayed there even longer but our tummies were rumbling so we headed off in search of pizza and pasta.
The Trevi Fountain
The Trevi Fountain was probably the busiest place we visited in Rome. To see it quieter, it’s best to visit very early in the morning, as soon as it gets light.
It was really impressive and amazing to see it, after seeing it in so many films and photographs.
We threw a coin into the fountain which is supposed to mean you’ll come back to Rome and I hope we will visit again one day…although apparently you’re meant to turn your back to the fountain and throw it over your shoulder whereas I just went for the “lob it straight in” approach – ooops!
The Pantheon
The Pantheon was super impressive and (just like the Colosseum) it seemed to come out of nowhere when you rounded a corner into the square around it. Inside the basilica roof is open and there is plenty to see.
I couldn’t stop looking up, it was just incredible.
The Spanish Steps
Built in the 1700s, the Spanish Steps lead from the Piazza di Spagna square to the French monastery church Trinita dei Monti. There are 135 steps in total and a fantastic view from the top.
We had a look in the church then sat in a rooftop bar, over looking the steps where I had a glass of prosecco. You can see over the rooftops of Rome from here and there are patio heaters to keep you warm, even in winter.
Circus Maximus
This is where the chariot races were held in Roman times but now it’s a little like an open park – we saw someone walking their German Shepherd on there. There is a bit you can look around with some ruins but this bit was closed when we visited – we think maybe because it was out of season.
Baths of Caracella
The Baths of Caracella are some really impressive Roman bath ruins. Again, this was super cheap to get into – only 6 euros per person and there was plenty to see and lots of information to read on the way round.
We spent over an hour looking at the original mosaic flooring and the ruins of the bath houses – I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of looking at Roman ruins.
The Vatican
The Vatican Museums was the only attraction that we found quite expensive to get into in Rome, I think it was about 16 euros each but I’m not joking when I say there is SO MUCH to see. We saw only a tiny bit of what was on offer as it wasn’t long before closing time when we got there.
Every room is ornately decorated with paintings all over the ceilings, it’s quite the sight.
The Sistine Chapel is also in there and you can buy an early bird ticket to the Sistine Chapel which means you’ll avoid the crowds first thing in the morning and then be able to browse the other Vatican Museums at your leisure.
We then headed outside where we saw St Peter’s Basilica all lit up in the darkness and we stood looking for a while as it really was breathtaking.
Where to eat in Rome
Italy is well known for its delicious cuisine. While I actually didn’t enjoy the food that much in Rome (especially when compared to Naples!), we still found some nice spots to eat.
La Bottaga del Caffe
We stopped for lunch at a beautiful little restaurant, La Bottega del Caffe, which has a terrace outside which I can only imagine would be beautiful (and crazy busy) in the spring/summer. The pizzas looked amazing but we opted for a mozzarella and Parma ham sandwich (so that we could really make the most of dinner later!) and a couple of glasses of prosecco (when in Rome!).
Wanted
Wanted is a large restaurant which wasn’t far from our hotel. We had a fresh tomato and olive paste bruschetta to start with followed by a Parma ham, mozzarella and mushroom calzone for me and pasta for the boy, which we ended up pretty much splitting.
Again, we had a bottle of prosecco. The food was lovely but didn’t blow me away which is what I found all over Rome.
La Base
La Base is a bit like an Italian version of the Hard Rock Cafe with memorabilia adorning the walls. It was dark and cool inside and we ordered pizza and the Sorrento stuffed pasta which again we shared (love having a not-fussy boyfriend!).
Dolci e Delizie
You can’t visit Italy without grabbing a gelato – even in January! The shop was pretty much the most beautiful little shop I’d ever seen inside – all white with white tiles and Italian signs everywhere – and they had lots of flavours to choose from.
I went for a scoop of Nutella and a scoop of mint chocolate chip in a tub and my boy chose a lemon sorbet. It was amazing!
La Carbonara
We booked La Carbonara for dinner one night, which was one of the top rated restaurants on Trip Advisor and which we had tried to get into the night before but it was full (usually a good sign!). I loved it inside as the menu was completely in Italian and it was really small and rustic.
There were bottles of wine adorning every wall plus graffiti from guests which we spent a little time reading while we were waiting for our table.
The staff were great and we asked our waiter to recommend a starter to go with our prosecco. He recommended deep fried vegetables which is a traditional food in Rome. It came with a large artichoke on top which we weren’t all that sure about but the rest of the veg – peppers, courgettes and aubergines – were delicious.
My boyfriend also ordered a local beer which looked like a miniature bottle of prosecco when it arrived and had a cork!
For mains we had both ordered steak which came a little overdone (I had ordered mine rare) but which was beautifully seasoned. This came with mini fried potatoes.
Urban Kitchen
We had a lovely lunch at Urban Kitchen where yet again we feasted on pizza and pasta. The pizza was full of flavour with the freshest tomato sauce and delicate mozzarella and the restaurant itself was a great setting – all industrial and exposed brick.
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Loved reading this! I’ve been to Rome once and it was such an experience. The Colloseum was spectacular!! Glad you loved it too?