Looking back on these photos – the first few days of our trip, they seem like an eternity ago! We were gone for 15 days total and had the most epic amazing time, traveling two new countries that both Danny and I had never been to. It’s always fun and scary at the same time going to a new place – figuring out the city, the language, etc. We always seem to fall in love with whatever city we visit and that was no different with Rome.

Gong into our trip I didn’t really know what to expect with Rome – I didn’t really have high expectations and sort of just thought of it as a jumping off point to get to more interesting places like Positano and Capri. I was definitely wrong. Rome felt to us a bit like Mexico city – gorgeous old buildings, lots of history, central, and warm. I loved Rome for a lot of reasons but mainly because it felt most like authentic Italy compared to Positano or Capri. We were able to really get a good sense of the culture and history and I think if we were to do Italy again we would fly again into Rome and head north instead of south (not to say we didn’t absolutely love the south but just for something different).

In just three short days we covered a lot of ground and found some amazing spots so I wanted to share what we learned in case any of you are headed here soon!

HERE is where we stayed – it was the perfect location, super central and we could walk absolutely everywhere. It was the perfect size for us and super budget friendly.

SITES

1. Pantheon – a gorgeous gigantic church dating back to 126AD, both the outside and inside are breathtaking. It’s free to go in but sometimes there is a bit of a line depending on tour groups but it goes quickly.

2. Trevi Fountain – obviously this is a must in Rome, even more unbelievably stunning and breath taking in person and gorgeous both during the day and at night – I would try to visit during both if time allows. I’m not sure if there is a way to find out when the cleaning is done but two of the days we were there it was being cleaned (luckly we caught it on the first day). It’s still beautiful but different without the cascading water. (PS did you know they clear out and take all the coins?! LOL had no idea) Also expect to be fighting off swarms of tourists..

3. Colosseum – another obvious must. The stadium is massive and with an insane amount of history. It’s free to visit and walk around the outside, if you want to go in you have to pay. You will have swarms of ‘skip the line’ employees all vying for your money. We ended up doing it (30€ each) because we didn’t want to wait in line and because they do give you a guided tour with information but to be honest I would not recommend it. If you know what day you want to visit, go on their website and book either your 14€ entrance ticket or 20€ ticket with audio guide – this also allows you to reserve a time so you don’t have to wait in line when you get there.

4. Roman Forum – this place was bizarre! It’s essentially the first city in Rome and was the centre for day to day life as far back as 8th century BC. You can enter here with your colosseum ticket and they’re walking distance from each other.

5. Vatican City –  home of St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums which feature some of the world’s most famous paintings and sculptures. Another must see but be sure to plan ahead in terms of clothing! I luckily had ONE single dress that worked because both men and women have to be dressed modestly with their shoulders and knees covered if you want to enter the church. I first thought this was a loose guideline until I saw a guard almost not let a woman in until she covered her shoulders with a shall.

NEIGHBOURHOODS

1. There’s a little square just off from the Pantheon, if you head to the Santa Maria Maddalena Catholic Church you’ll see it, they play live music and have decently priced drinks, fun to come and just hang out here.
2. Trastevere is a neighbourhood on the other side of the river where you’ll find fun nightlife and cheap eats. It’s also cheaper to stay here if you’re looking for a more budget friendly option.
3. Monti is a sort of up and coming hipster area where La Carbonara + Sacripante (below) are located and it has lots of fun eating/drinking options.

EATS + DRINKS

As much as we love wining and dining with views of the Pantheon (we did and it ran us €50 for a couple drinks) we have so much more fun, find better food/drinks for much cheaper when we wander off the beaten path. We usually find going 2-3 streets up from the main tourist spots gets you a much better, cheaper and more authentic dining experience. All of our recos are based on this factor.

1. Bar Del Fico – this area in general is super fun and where a lot of the locals come for drinks. They seat you at a little table and chairs outside and drinks are the cheapest we found in Rome – €3 for a beer and €5 for an aperol spritz, they also give you a little plate of fennel, meat and cheese with your drinks. We popped in here before heading to dinner one night and it was so much fun.
2. La Carbonara – this restaurant was SO good. I would suggest making a reso to ensure you get a table, we didn’t but we were able to have some drinks at the bar while we waited which we loved. The bartender was amazing and made hand crafted cocktails that were out of this world. We had wine and pasta for dinner and everything was so good and super reasonable pricing.
3. Sacripante – we didn’t actually get to go here because it was closed the night we were in the area but it looks amazing!! This is a mixology bar/art gallery with hand crafted drinks and gorgeous art throughout.
4. The Jerry Thomas Project – yet another place we unfortunately could’t make it to but next time will 100%. This is a traditional 1920s speakeasy, you have to call a number on certain days between certain hours to get the password to come in and if you miss the day/time too bad, as you must have the password to enter!
5. Trattoria Pizzeria – this is an amazing option for the day you head to the colosseum as it’s just a couple streets up. Off the beaten path but worth the trek – we had multiple drinks and shared a lasagna and I think our bill was less than €20. Tons of locals when we went because the food is super fresh and delicious but super cheap.
6. Sorpasso – this is near Vatican city so a great option when you head there. It’s an adorable little wine bar with €4 prosecco and bites of crackers, meat and cheese with your drinks.
7. Osteria de Fortunata – okay this is an absolute MUST. This was probably our favourite meal of the whole entire trip. They make the pasta fresh in the window for you to watch while you dine and I would highly suggest ordering whatever it is they’ve made fresh for that day. We shared a bottle of Tuscan wine (not the cheapest but worth every penny) I had the sciavatelli and Danny had the gnocchi, I’m not lying when I say I still dream about this pasta. We also shared a cheesecake which was out of this world. I would recommend getting a reso in high season to avoid disappointment.

Now that I’m hungry/thirsty and missing Italy, I think I’ll go make myself an Aperol Spritz.. If you are planning to travel to Rome I’m super jealous and I hope you have so much fun, definitely one of my new favourite cities! Also feel free to DM or email me with any other questions!

xx

Tessa