Breathtaking. Romantic. Timeless. Historic.
The four words I would use to describe one of the most beautiful cities in the world. With a population of over 2 million people, Rome is notorious for its narrow cobble stone streets, side walk cafes and overly loud Italians. As the birth place of Gelato and Cacio é Pepe ( which basically translates into cheese and pepper pasta dish) the eternal city is nothing but magnificent.
So whether you are considering a trip to Rome or currently planning a trip to Rome keep reading for some of my favourite places to eat and most exciting things to do while of course on a student budget! (plus a few little tips to make your trip a little more enjoyable and cheaper)
So where did we stay and how much did it cost?
When I travel I tend to try and grab an all inclusive deal. Flights, hotel and breakfast (If I'm lucky). This way there tends to be less hassle in check ins and the booking is complete all in one go. Yes, it can be a little more expensive but I got super lucky in my searches when it came to prices with the hotel and flights.
We left for Rome on the 24th of January 2018 for two nights and three whole days. I would have enjoyed one more cheeky night only because we were having so much fun. However, we managed to fit in everything we wanted and needed to do while we were over there. When I say "We", meet Megan my favourite travel buddy and fellow food lover:
One of my main features that I wanted in the package was that everything had to be within walking distances. It is little wasteful when you find yourself in such a beautiful city but spend most of the time stuck underground sweating in public transport. So why not just pay that little extra and sweat on the beautiful pavements of Rome instead. It is worth it!
After searching for a couple of hours on Lastminute.com I finally found a stunning hotel situated in the Via Quattro Novembre aka a 13 minute walk to the Colosseum. The Hotel was called Hotel Traianio. Overall, return flights from Dublin to Rome, two nights in the stunning 4* hotel AND breakfast both mornings cost a total of €250.00 . FOR TWO PEOPLE. Yes, you read the correct. Super deal!
Arriving into Ciampino Airport that morning led us to an hour bus journey into the city centre of Rome. Tickets were quiet cheap paying 15 euro for a return ticket. If you are really organised you can pre-book them online for only 5 euro!
Tip 1: When searching for flights on Ryanair and other airlines delete all your history and cookies. The airline companies track your history and when they notice you keep returning to certain flights and dates they bump up the price!
Day 1:
Hotel Traiano: White marble floors, high ceilings and of course the most kindest butler awaiting our arrival. I couldn't believe how beautiful and of course how lucky we were to check into such a gorgeous hotel for such a good price. We even had window shutters in our room. Exactly like the ones you would see in the movies but better!
After a few hours of exploring and vlogging of course, me being me and Megan being Megan the first thing on our minds was ITALIAN FOOD. By the time the three days were up we were rolling each other to the airport. Taking a stroll towards the colosseum we stumbled across a small restaurant along one of the many cobble streets. In Rome you are spoilt for choice when it comes to food! Every corner there is some form of cafe or gelato shop but choose wisely and make sure you wear a pair of trousers that leaves that extra bit of room!
The first restaurant was called La Pace del Cervello and omg did we once again hit the jackpot. The first thing that caught our eye was the outdoor candle lit seating area. The second thing that caught our eye was how big the glasses of wine ( for €3.50) were because one thing we can agree on is that life is far to short to drink small glasses of wine. At that point our decision was made and the menu was in our hands. As you eat you also have a view of the colosseum. The sun was setting, the Italian wine was flowing and the colosseum was in sight. The perfect way to spend the perfect first evening in Rome.
After a copious amount of wine and laughter and leaving a lasting impression on the Italian waiters we decided to take a slightly drunken stroll along the Via dei Fori Imperiali and at one point we had to stop and actually let it sink in where we were. It was one of those moments that I will remember forever. Drunkenly laughing with my best friend, full of Italian food outside the colosseum. Its not often one of those moments happen so I made sure to appreciate it.
Day 2:
After is beautiful continental breakfast we packed our stuff and headed off on our day 2 adventure. Our first stop was the colosseum of course! If you can prove that you are a student or European between the ages of 18 and 25 the ticket price is only €7.50! so we were pretty happy with that.
Tip 2: Read up on all the history monuments and museums before you leave on your trip! It will save you lots of money on tour guides and manuals!
After 2 hours spent wandering through Roman history we decided the easiest way to see the rest of the city was through a "Hop on Hop Off" bus. If you've never used one I would consider checking to see if the city your visiting has one because they are the most efficient way of ticking off the best tourist spots. With the choice of a 24 hour or 48 hour ticket we decided to get the 24 hour ticket costing €28.00. The company we used was "Big Bus Rome Tour" and the ticket allowed us to hop on or hop off at any stop as many times as we liked within those 24 hours! It also includes an automatic tour guide on board! The company even had an app and online map with the different location and bus times!
Tip 3: Check to see if your tour bus has any online maps with the different location spots. Decide before you leave on the places you want to see most to save time over there!
The main locations we wanted to cover were St.Peters Basilica in the Vatican, Castle Sant' Angelo, The Trevi fountain, The Spanish Steps and The Pantheon. The best part was most of these tourist spots were FREE (except the Castle which was 7 euro)
1. The Vatican City is a MUST SEE when in Rome. Encircled by a 2-mile border with Italy, Vatican City is an independent city-state that covers just over 100 acres, making it one-eighth the size of New York’s Central Park. This makes the Vatican city the smallest country in the world. Also, the pope lives there so that is pretty cool.If you're lucky enough you might even be able to attend mass.
Tip 4: A dress code is required to visit the Vatican. Entry can be refused due to the dress code so just make sure you are wearing long sleeved t-shirts and jeans!
2. The Trevi Fountain. One of the most famous fountains in the world and it took 30 years to complete! Legend says that if you throw a coin into the Trevi – with your back to the fountain, throwing the coin with your right hand over your left shoulder – that will ensure a return to Rome, a second coin leads to a new romance, and a third coin leads to marriage. So make sure you have plenty of coins handy! Over 3,000 euro is emptied from the Trevi Fountain every night so you can imagine how busy it can get!
Tip 5: If you want the perfect photo op at the Trevi Fountain make sure you get there super early in the morning before all the tourists arrive!
3. Castle Sant' Angelo. A castle on the river and translated to "Castle of the Holy Angel" this is a stunning castle just a 5 minute walk from the Vatican.
After a long day of exploring we headed back to a restaurant close to the Pantheon called Taverna del Seminario. The menu was beautiful and it was four courses for only 15 euro!
After dinner we found ourselves on the search for some Gelato and Cannoli a MUST TRY desert in Rome.
Day 3: On our last day we wanted to get up as early as possible to get the most out of our last day. We packed our bags, cleaned our room and checked out. The hotel were lovely enough to hold our bags for us while we headed off for a few hours. We made the unanimous decision to revisit the restaurant from day one because it was so good the first time and Megan was also craving a chicken ceaser salad and we knew it was on the menu lol. Upon arrival the waiters welcomed us back with open arms and a big smile. I jokingly asked them how much did I drink on the first night here and they responded with " Ah lovely ladies you don't want to know". The sign of a great first night. The last day was one of my favourite because of the final meal. With only one small table left outside we were sat in between two sets of people. In Rome the seating is ridiculously close to be prepared to get comfy beside some strangers.
The thing about that is that it's not always bad. In fact I was grateful we sat in between those two groups because we were introduced to some of the most fascinating people. On our left we had a Scottish guy and an English guy and on our right we have a Spanish guy and an American guy. Yes, reading back it sounds like the start to a really bad joke but in fact it was the start of a lovely friendship amongst us all. We shared stories and jokes while bonding over the mutual love for travel, Italian food and videography. Don't believe me ? meet our friends !
After an amazing meal the two business guys had duties to attend to while Myself, Megan Jared and Caleb grabbed Gelato, a bottle of champagne and our cameras to go have fun in a park close to the restaurant.
Final tip : Step outside of your comfort zone. Reach out to new people, take your head out of your phone and turn to say hello to someone new. Chances are they are amazing and super interesting people that can teach you new things. Thats what travel is all about.
As my time in Rome came to an end I left Italy with a full heart and a happy belly. This wasn't just a typical trip to another city. This trip meant so much more to me. Travel means freedom, it means finding yourself lost in the most amazing ways. I arrived in Rome a little lost but left having found myself. Travel means building relationships with people you would have thought to never have met, its getting lost in little bookstores and trying to taste as many gelato flavours as your little tummy lets you. It's learning to laugh at the fact you left your passport in the safe instead of sitting there crying. Travel means being happy with a little bit of everything while trying to wrap your head around a sea of emotions and memories. It teaches you to appreciate every little memory.
I hope you have learnt a little from reading this blog post and if you are considering a trip here DO IT. Do it right now. Because at the end of the day we should live with no excuses and travel with no regrets.
As always,
keep being you and let the magic happen
love R x