When in Rome

By:  Jennifer Milano, written August 2015

Travelers either love Rome or hate it.  I love Rome.  I was lucky enough to spend three months living and working in the city in my early 20's, giving me plenty of time to explore this fascinating, ancient city.  Returning to Rome with my children in the height of summer tourist season a few years ago, I could understand why some travelers hate the city.  It is hot in summer, and supremely crowded.  Walking the well-traveled path from the Spanish Steps to Piazza Navona, we could barely breathe as we were swept by the crowd to toss our coins in the Trevi Fountain and gaze at the magnificent 2000-year-old Pantheon.  

If you can, try to visit Rome in the spring, fall or even in winter when temperatures can reach the fifties.  Be prepared for crowds at tourist sites.  However, sometimes you can avoid major crowds by booking tour guides and visiting at off-hours.  Spend time wandering away from the tourist areas, through Rome's charming neighborhoods.  Here are my tips on navigating one of the world's most beautiful cities:

How to get here:  Most people fly into Fiumicino and take a taxi or bus into the city center.  Rome's main train station is centrally-located, but in a sketchy neighborhood so try not to stay near the station.  I find Rome's subway system to be virtually useless, but I've heard rumblings of plans for expansion.  I use the city bus to get around Rome, if the distance between sites is too daunting to walk.

Where to stay:  If you need to stay near the airport for an early flight home, try the Seccy Hotel in Fiumicino.  This reasonably-priced hotel has impeccable service.  Alfredo at the front desk is a gem - he will even check you in for your flight and print your boarding passes.  The small hotel is clean, and within walking distance of casual seaside seafood restaurants.  Five minutes from the airport, the hotel has an arrangement with a reliable car service to shuttle you to the airport (for a fee). 

In the city, there are many high-end nice hotels.  For something more moderately-priced, you may try one of these properties recommended by Conde Nast Traveler:  Hotel Locarno, near Pizza del Popolo; Hotel Portoghesi also centrally-located and with a rooftop garden; Hotel Santa Chiara behind the Pantheon; Hotel Santa Maria in my favorite neighborhood, Trastevere (across the Tiber River).  I have not stayed at any of these properties so cannot vouch for them.  Check Tripadvisor reviews, and also check Karen Brown's website for hotel recommendations.  Or, go for an apartment rental to experience Rome like a resident.

Where to eat:  It goes without saying, but don't eat in one of the piazzas or main streets by popular tourist sites.  You will overpay and wonder what everyone is raving about when they talk about the food in Italy.  My husband and I loved a little no-name, authentic and inexpensive osteria in Rome, located at Via del Governo Vecchio 18.  There was no menu and no sign, but every morsel of food was exceptional.  We were there years ago, and now when I google the address the name "Da Tonino" comes up on Yelp.  I don't know if it is the same restaurant, but judging from the reviews, it is worth a try. 

My friends, Harriet and Bob, were amazed by the flavor combinations at Gelateria del Teatro, on Via dei Coronari, and also loved the pizza at Pizzeria da Baffetto on Via del Governo Vecchio.  I love wandering around Trastevere in the evening and finding a trattoria with outdoor sitting and yummy pasta dishes for dinner.  Also while you are in Rome, try a frullato, which is a fruit smoothie.  My favorite place for frullati has changed owners, but is still worth a visit if only because you can sit in the Piazza Navona sipping your fruit concoction.  To find this frullateria, stand in Piazza Navona facing the big fountain on your left, and with the direction of the Pantheon behind you.  Cross the piazza (heading away from the Pantheon) to the tiny street in front of you.  The second or third storefront on the right sells frullati.  Choose which fruit you want, ask for "latte scremato" (skim milk) and, depending on your preference, "un po di zucchero" (a little sugar) or "senza zucchero" (without sugar).   Ask for a "canuccia" (a straw).  Go sit in the piazza and sip while you people-watch.

What to do:  Rome may not have been built in a day, but I've seen it in a day.  When friends came to visit while I was living in Rome, they often had only one day to see the city before taking their backpacks on the train to the next European city.  I became adept at leading my friends, at a quick pace, to every major site in Rome in a day.  But of course, there is more to see in Rome than is comfortable in a day, so spend more time there if you can.  I found it fairy simple to hop on a public bus from site to site in Rome, if the walking distance is too great.  Bus tickets can be purchased at any "tabacchi" shop around the city.

• Take a walking tour. I have used the book "Rome Walks" for years, because I love the self-guided walking tours. The tour of the Jewish Ghetto & Trastevere is my favorite. If you prefer a live guide, try Conde Nast Traveler-recommended Katie Parla, who specializes in culinary, archeological and art-historical tours: http://www.katieparla.com/tours/. 

• Visit the Colosseum.  If you want to see the Colosseum without a tour, I recommend booking advance tickets on the official website (click here), because for an extra two Euros per person you can skip the line with an advance reservation.  You can also pay for an audio tour.  Note that you can also purchase combo tickets that cover the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine Hill.  You can do this online, but if you find yourself in Rome without tickets, the line at Palatine Hill is usually the shortest if you want to buy combo tickets.  If you want a tour guide, you can also book on the official website, and my friends Harriet & Bob recently took their children on both the daytime and nighttime tours.  They highly recommend the nighttime tour, when the site is closed to the general public and visitors are limited to three or four groups of twenty people each.  The tour also takes you to the underground section, which is not available with general admission.
• See the Forum.  The Forum is one of my favorite sites in Rome.  At a minimum, make sure you have a good guide book with you so you can understand what you are seeing.  If you want more information, rent an audio guide or book a tour with a live guide.  Note that a combo ticket will admit you to the Forum, Colosseum and Palatine Hill.
• Walk up Palatine Hill.  Palatine Hill has ancient ruins and beautiful views of the Forum and Colosseum below.  Entrance is included with a combo ticket purchased online or at the Colosseum or Forum.
• Go to Vatican City.  St. Peter's in Vatican City is a must-see, as is the Vatican Museum, which is located around the corner and up a hill from St. Peter's.  As crowded as it is, I loved my visits to the Vatican Museum because the Sistine Chapel is incredible.  To avoid the lengthy lines for the museum, visit the museum's official website (click here), where you buy skip the line tickets or book a tour.  Friends who recently took an official tour were unimpressed, citing the large group size as inhibiting their ability to hear or enjoy the tour.  For an outside tour company, Conde Nast Traveler recommends Context Travel (click here).  I would go to great lengths to avoid waiting in line at The Vatican Museum, but if you find yourself with no other option, get there early in the morning and bring a book, snack and patience.
• Visit the Jewish Ghetto & Trastevere.  These are two of my favorite neighborhoods to wander, and they are usually fairly uncrowded.  Trastevere is best seen in the evening.  Wander its little streets, alleys and piazzas.  Pick a trattoria and have dinner among the Romans.
• Hit the market at the Campo dei Fiori. Look for the produce stands and buy a fresh, in-season snack.
• See an outdoor opera behind Piazza Venezia.  In summertime, attend an outdoor evening opera, for which Roman ruins at the Baths of Caracalla create a natural, unforgettable backdrop.  I used to buy tickets at an outdoor vendor booth in front of Piazza Venezia, but you also may be able to buy them online (click here to try).  The outdoor opera was one of my favorite Roman experiences, because even if you are not an opera buff, the setting cannot be beat.  For more information, visit operaroma.it, or try this link.
• Walk the walk.  Start at the Spanish Steps (Piazza di Spagna), and walk by the trendy shops to the Trevi Fountain where tradition states you must turn your back to the fountain and toss a coin over your left shoulder to ensure your return to Rome.  Move on to the Pantheon, which you must enter and observe the light coming through the opening in the ancient dome.  From the Pantheon, it is a short stroll to Piazza Navona, which, if it isn't crowded with tourists and caricaturists, is one of my favorite piazzas in Italy.  Do this walk in the evening and, even if you are surrounded by American tourists, you will be partaking in a true Italian tradition throughout Italy - the evening walk through town called a passeggiata! 

Click below for more Italian destinations!