The Ultimate Trip to Rome, Italy

Rome, the ‘eternal city.’ I believe Rome is a must for any traveler’s bucket list. Its history, culture, and food scene are iconic. As a traveler who dislikes crowds, I have strong opinions about Rome, but more on that later 😉

Weather: Summer months can be deadly hot and carry intense crowds. Winter is the rainy season. The best months to visit Rome are April, May, September, October, and November.
Transportation: I recommend staying in a central location, as Rome is extremely walkable. I would avoid public transportation or renting a car due to high traffic and limited transportation and parking.
Currency: The Euro. Italy is also very credit card friendly.
Water: Drink the tap water! No need to buy expensive bottles of water while traveling. There are “fill up” water pumps all throughout Rome.
Safety: Because of the extreme number of tourists annually, Rome is generally a safe destination. However, due to the high number of tourists, be aware of pickpocketing.

Getting There:

For this particular trip, we flew from Nice directly to Rome (FCO). JFK also offers direct flights to FCO. As a budget-friendly option, I recommend pre-booking tickets on “Get Your Guide” for the SIT Shuttle Bus. This bus takes you from the airport directly to the city. It has multiple stops at different locations, including Rome Termini and near the Vatican. The bus was extremely easy to find, and the directions on Get Your Guide were very easy to follow. It cost only $7 per person and seemed to be the cheapest option to get to Rome. The bus ride took about 50 minutes, and our hotel was only a 5-minute walk away. We bought return tickets separately the same way.

Pro tip: We were super worried about the departure time when booking. We were afraid that our flight might be delayed and we might miss our ticket window. But don’t worry about this! There is a line you wait in to get on the bus regardless of booking time. If you miss the bus, the next one will come within 30-40 minutes.

Where to Stay:

If you’re opting for budget-friendly transportation, I’d recommend staying near the Rome Termini or close to the SIT bus stop near the Vatican. We chose to stay near the Vatican at Florida Rooms-Comfort Hotel. Finding it initially proved somewhat challenging, but it was also the most affordable option we could find. It was a bit small but very clean. It’s the ideal place if you’re on a budget and don’t plan to spend much time there.

Pro tip: Staying near the Vatican is fine if you enjoy walking! However, for those who prefer not to walk around 20,000 steps a day, I’d recommend staying closer to Rome Termini ;)”

What to Do:

The Vatican (Sistine chapel, St. Peter’s basilica, Vatican museums)- We did a tour and are not sure if it was worth it. We think we could have researched most of the information beforehand. However, we booked it so last minute that this was the only ticket option available, and we were happy we ended up doing it. Also, it was so crowded inside. It would have been nice to go at our own pace, especially for taking photos. We loved all the history and information though!
Pantheon- This is especially enjoyable when it’s raining! The water falls right through the hole at the top into the building. The Pantheon is free to visit, but if you plan to go on the weekend or a holiday, you’ll need to make reservations.
Navona plaza
St Ignazio of Loyola Church- This beautiful church has the coolest mirror that reflects the amazing ceiling.
San Luigi dei francesi church- Sooo pretty
Walk all the streets!! Be sure to walk in the cute neighborhood of Trastavere. Find a fun picnic spot here during lunchtime!
Rome temple for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints- This temple is stunning. Although it’s not open to the public without a membership recommendation, it’s still worth visiting. The visitor’s center is wonderful and features beautiful stained glass images of Jesus Christ, which are absolutely breathtaking. We opted for an Uber to get there, and it was quite affordable.

Trevi fountain-In my opinion, the hype for this fountain is overrated. It’s crowded, and while it’s not the most beautiful fountain in the world, it’s still one of those things you’ve got to see.
Spanish steps- These steps are especially beautiful in the spring with the flowers blooming.
Borghese gardens- Walk around and explore the beautiful gardens if you have time!!
Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill- The guided tour on Get Your Guide was amazing and absolutely worth it. It was informative, lasted quite long, and provided fantastic photo opportunities.

What to Eat:

Note: Avoid eating at the main attractions or plazas as they tend to be expensive and not very good. Instead, try the smaller, ‘hole-in-the-wall’ places you stumble upon while exploring. If the food looks good as you walk by, give it a try. In our experience, this rule of thumb always worked for us!

Breakfast- Stop at a bakery in the morning. They are all so good and you can’t go wrong.
Pietro Al Pantheon- Cute place by the Pantheon. Super good ravioli!
Gelato. I repeat… gelato. Everywhere. Our favorite place was Gioletti.
Appetito in Trastavere
Pizzeria la Fontana- We ate this on our way home from the Colosseum. The arugula pizza was TO DIE FOR. This was my favorite hole in the wall place we tried.
E Passata la Moretta- Yummiest pasta and charming local place.
Il fornaio- Our favorite bakery we found.

My True Feelings:

I want to share my experience in Rome with honesty, not to deter you from going but to help you manage your expectations. I was ecstatic to go to Rome and arrived feeling disappointed. It was extremely crowded (like we couldn’t walk on the sidewalks kind of crowded) and we didn’t even go during busy season. There was graffiti everywhere and every single attraction had lines we had to wait in, regardless if we booked tickets in advance. The food was somewhat underwhelming and overhyped in our opinion, until our last day when we tried local, ‘hole-in-the-wall’ places and were extremely impressed. It was SOO HOT and we didn’t even go in summer and the organization of employees at the attractions was awful. Maybe I just had higher expectations. Rome remains an incredible bucket list destination, and we had a lot of fun, but it’s good to be prepared for these aspects. 😉