Not only is Rome Italy’s capital and largest city, but it’s also a great destination for a holiday. In fact, it regularly welcomes more than 7 million tourists every year, so you’ll be in good company should you choose to visit the Eternal City on your next break.
Getting there
Taxis from Rome’s airport to the city center are upwards of 50€ so if you’re looking for something a bit cheaper, there’s a direct shuttle train. From the airport, take the express service to Termini Station and you’ll be in the heart of Rome in just over half an hour.
Sightseeing in Rome
Rome more than holds its own when it comes to world-class attractions, so you won’t run out of wonderful things to see any time soon. The city is perhaps most famous for being at the heart of the Roman Empire and you can still explore many ancient attractions.
The Colosseum
The Colosseum is probably the most visibly famous. More than 2,000 years old, the Colosseum attracts visitors in droves. I visited over the summer and had to wait in line for nearly an hour (in the scorching hot sun) before I could purchase my ticket. The tip I heard repeatedly (but didn’t follow myself) was to visit the Roman Forum first. Both Rome attractions can be visited with the same ticket and the Forum usually has shorter queues. Check out Headout Colosseum tickets for access.
Trevi Fountain
According to the oft-quoted local legend, travelers who throw a coin (or two) into Trevi Fountain are destined to one day return to Rome. Finding Trevi Fountain can be a bit of a challenge because it’s not as big or ominous as most other Rome attractions. Instead, it’s between several alleyways and hidden from most main streets. There’s plenty of gelato and pizza shops nearby selling overpriced goods to the throbs of tourists, but the steps in front of Trevi Fountain are a great place to cool off in the summer.
Pantheon
Personally my favorite tourist attraction in Rome, the Pantheon is an architectural masterpiece. As one of the best preserved ancient buildings in Rome, it has been in continuous use throughout its history since the 1st century. The coffered concrete dome (coffering is the square cutaways which removes some of the dome’s weight while maintaining its structural integrity) is one of the more significant contributions to art history left by the Romans. Getting your Pantheon Skip the line tickets in advance make it easy to avoid crowded lines.
Are you thinking of taking a holiday to Rome? What would you like to see and do there?
You can skip the MASSIVE (with an SOB capital M) queues at the Colosseum by getting your pass from the neighboring Palatine Hill – tip of the day!
Haha yes – I wish I’d done that. I’d heard it from everyone but as soon as I saw the Colosseum from up front, I just couldn’t resist trying to get in immediately.
Adam. Another good way from the airport to downtown is terravision 4eoros http://www.terravision.eu/
Oh cool – thanks for the tip Bob!
I love Rome. A great, lively and noisy city. I like to mix up visiting the sites with eating great local food. The wonderful thing about Rome is the seasonal cuisine/veg, so if you visit during different seasons you’ll have another unique experience. There’s nothing like getting out of the noise to relax, enjoy a nice quiet meal with a good glass of wine!
As I had chosen our ‘big’ vacation of the year (Portugal!), Boyfriend could pick out city trip getaway. he was doubting between Rome and Barcelona and although I’ve never been to Rome and would love to go one day, I was still glad when he picked Barcelona, because I think it’s more for him.
I’m picturing Rome as a pretty busy city. Really a ‘city city’, when Barcelona also has the beach, the harbor, park Guëll…
Boyfriend isn’t a real city person :-)
I went to Italy last summer. I went to Venice, Rome, and Florence. Surprisingly, Rome was my least favorite. I mean the sightseeing was breathtaking but it just seemed like too much of a touristic city that there wasn’t too much to culture to immerse myself into. Florence was definitely by far my favorite and I hope to go back and get to explore Italy some more.
I’m hoping to go to Rome in the summer so this has made me extremely excited! I’d really like to see Palatine Hill and St Peter’s Basilica, and of course the Trevi Fountain although I’ve been told to visit after midnight to avoid the crowds!
Hey Owen, that’s a great tip to visit Trevi Fountain late at night. It’s definitely quieter there that time of night.