CITY BREAKS - ROME RECOMMENDATIONS, TIPS & TRICKS

I visited Rome in May this year and thought I would share a few of my best recommendations and tips. I posted some of my favourite photos that I took here. Italy has to be one of my favourite countries to explore and I continue to go back again and again.
001. Firstly, wear comfortable shoes - you will be walking everywhere. The one regret I had was only taking flat sandals/ballerinas. The cobbled streets don't make it any better on your tired tootsies, I was thankful that our hotel had a rooftop Jacuzzi to rest our feet before going out again for dinner. Also make sure you cover up. You can be turned away if you’re wearing clothes exposing legs and shoulders in holy places like St Peter’s Basilica, The Sistine Chapel and The Pantheon.

002. Research what you want to see before you go - We planned out the major things we wanted to see before. I’m so pleased we booked tickets for the Vatican to avoid the hellish queues in the sun. We also booked a tour of the Colosseum which meant we got to see underneath and the top floor which is out of bounds with a general ticket. This ticket also included entrance to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. I used an app called Tripomatic which I found really helpful to create an itinerary and locate the main places we wanted to go.

003. Use public transport - We used the coach service Terravision which costs 4 euros one way to the main train station. This saved us the hefted 30 euros if we wanted to get a taxi. We also used the metro every day for 6 euros, which was very easy to use. We also used a bus service to go further afield, we hopped on for free to escape the city. This can be daunting in an unfamiliar city, but download a Rome map/metro map on your phone and you'll be well away. Our Hotel, Hotel Pultizer was 10 minutes metro ride from the Colosseum, so it was really handy to nip back and fourth.

004. Do things you wouldn’t normally do - We went to see the Opera La Traviata at the Salone Margherita Bagaglino which is right near the Spanish Steps. I really enjoyed this and can now say I’ve been to the Opera in Rome. It was an experience; it was split into three parts and they served complementary pasta during the intermission. We also went to see the Catacombs of St.Callixtus which is the first Christian cemetery of Rome and houses the remains of 9 popes and saints. We then went to the Museum and Crypt of Capuchins, it contains bones of hundreds of years of monks decoratively arranged into specific themes, designs and geometric patterns. I was overwhelmed when I walked in, I would really recommend it if you are into your history or looking to do something different. 

005. Avoid eating at tourist restaurants/cafes - Sometimes this is unavoidable. My favourite meal of the holiday was along the side streets near the Trevi Fountain called Baccano. Use Trip Advisor reviews to find the best places to eat.

I hope you find this somewhat helpful if you are visiting Rome in the near future, or any city breaks that might relate. I didn’t get to see everything as there is so much to do, but I did throw my coin into the Trevi Fountain so hopefully this will mean I will return.

What are your City Break recommendations?