Rome

Travelling to Rome

Firstly we flew to Rome from Naples with Ryanair which cost around £85 including small suitcase. Also we had booked a private transfer with Suntransfer which cost around £75 return. At the airport our driver was waiting with a sign with our name on it. The journey to our apartment was around 35 minuites. Fortunately the car was of an high standard with good air conditioning as it was already starting to get hot at 11am.

Accommodation

Finally we reached our Air bnb with in walking distance from the Trastevere area. The apartment had everything we needed with separate bedroom and fully equipped kitchen. Although it was outside of the main areas of Rome it was still in a good location. The Air BnB was a lot cheaper than most of the hotels and also gave us space to relax when we wanted to. It had an outside patio area which was nice to sit and have a drink and a bite to eat in the sunshine.

Local supermarket

As we were on a bit of a budget as we had been to other areas of Italy which were quite expensive so we bought some drinks and food from the local supermarket. Food in the supermarket which was just around the corner from the Air bnb was of a similar price to shopping at home but obviously a lot cheaper than eating out everyday.

Temperature June/July

As our visit to Rome was in June/July the weather was very hot we ensured that we drank a lot of water to keep hydrated. In Rome there are many water fountains in which you can fill up your water bottle. Ensure that you take a reusable water bottle especially in the Summer months. Not only is this cheaper than buying the water but kinder to the environment.

Hop on hop off bus

On one of the days whilst in Rome we decided to see the sights of Rome via the hop on and off tour bus which was great. Although a lot of people did prefer to walk to each sight. Firstly we went to the Vatican Museums which was not too busy as this was early in the morning. Although it was early the sun was already getting hot. Throughout the day we used the hop on hop off bus to visit most of the sights. There is also a full audio on the bus providing information regarding the different sites which was extremely informative. The cost of the bus was around £22 for 1 day. If you book more than 1 day the price is a lot cheaper per day with 3 days costing around £30.

Destinations of hop on hop off bus

• Vatican Museums
• Basiica di San Pietro in Vincoli
• Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin
• Pantheon
• Roman Forum
• St Marys of Angels and the Martyrs.
• Galleria Borghese
• Quirinal Place
• Piazza Venizia & Altare della Patria
• Trajan’s Market
• Trevi Fountain
• Piazza del Campidoglio
• Sistine Chapel

Hop on hop off bus map

Colosseum

On another day we visited the Colosseum and allowed plenty of time to do this. We paid for a tour guide at the Colosseum which was included in the entry tickets £25. This was great as she provided us with a lot of information regarding the history of the Colosseum. Some of the information was quite gruesome but interesting nether the less. After the guided tour we were given time to walk round on our own. The Colosseum is more spectacular and more interesting than we have seen or heard on TV etc. Having allowed a lot of time to see the Colosseum we feel that we got the most out of our visit.

Summertime visiting the Colosseum.

There is some shade in the Colosseum but you see more if not wanting to stay in the shade all the time therefore ensure you have plenty of suncream and wear a hat if possible, There are water fountains with in the Colosseum so be sure to drink plenty of water.

Restaurants and bars

We were in Rome for 4 days which gave us another time to see everything that we wanted to do and more. Rome has so much to offer architecture, history, nightlife, shopping and culture. What ever your age and travel needs we are sure that Rome will have something to offer. On an evening we would walk to the Trastevere area which had lots of bars and restaurants. The bars and the restaurants were always lively what ever day we went. There are also some nice bars/restaurants along the Tiber River.

Street entertainers

There was always a lot of street entertainers there also. Most of the entertainers were so good you would actually pay to see them from Magic Acts to Acrobats. It was great to sit and have a drink and watch them. They did draw in a lot of crowds to. We were told to be careful of pickpockets when being distracted. We ensured we did not take anything of value out with us and always kept a close eye on our belongings.

Summary

We probably would not go back to Rome as we had managed to see and do everything we wanted to. The world is such a big place. We have so many other destinations on our list which we would like to visit. If you have never been to Rome then it is a great place to go and a must if you are ever in Europe/Italy.

Images

Things to do

• Visit the Colosseum
• Visit Trevi Fountain
• Visit the Spanish Steps
• Visit St Peters Square
• Visit the Alter of the Fatherland
• Visit Piazza Novona
• Visit the Vatican Museum
• Watch the Street entertainers.
• Sample the local cuisine.
• Enjoy the nightlife/Restaurants of Trastevere.

Top tips

• If on a budget check out Air bnb it was cheaper for us at £200 for 4 nights.
• Skyscanner is a good way to check out when the cheapest flights are.
• If only have limited time plan your itinerary before visiting Rome.
• Although the risk is low be aware of pickpockets.
• If going to Rome in the summer months take a reusable water bottle to fill up regularly.
• As with anywhere hot take plenty of suncream, hat etc as when you are site seeing you don’t realise how intense the sun is.
• Check out weather below for best time to visit Rome. Please be aware that these are averages there for it could be hotter or colder.
• Check out other places in Italy we have visited. Please click on the following links Venice, Pisa, Florence, Ravello.
• Check out government safety advise when visiting Italy https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy/safety-and-security

Weather

Temp – Celsius Rain – mm	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High Temp	13	14	17	20	24	29	32	30	27	23	18	15
Low Temp	3	3	6	8	13	17	19	18	16	12	8	4
Rainfall	25	20	19	18	33	6	7	0	42	38	49	96
Number of days	7	6	7	9	7	4	3	0	6	8	8	9