Rome, or "Caput Mundi", is a city that is definitely worth seeing at least once in a lifetime. Its charm, its historical sites that date back to more than 2000 years ago, the traditional Roman cuisine, the most stunning Basilicas and the incredible views that you enjoy on top of the Roman hills, these are only a few reasons.
It is not only the Rome itself that is worth visiting, but also the opportunity to step into the smallest state of the world: the State of Vatican City. The Vatican exists as an independent state and is situated in the middle of Rome where you can visit, for example, St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums. Of course, you also have the opportunity to see the Pope in one of his Papal Audiences (don’t forget to pre-book the tickets that you can get for free!). The perfect ending of the day would probably be a dinner in the cosy streets of Trastevere, where you can find the best of Roman pizza and pasta.
I have just spent four months in the eternal city and I would like to give you a few insider tips that will make your trip even more enjoyable, saving you time and money. If you haven’t planned a trip yet, maybe this can serve you as some inspiration.
#1 Get your tickets for the Colosseum at the Palatine hill
There is nothing more annoying than waiting for hours in an enormous line while the sun is burning on your skin. Luckily, you can easily avoid this if you already know in advance where to go to get your tickets. If you want to visit the Colosseum, the Palatine hill and the Forum Romanum, it is best to start with the Palatine hill, where you can get the ticket, including all three sites, while saving about one or two hours of waiting. From there, you can easily continue your sightseeing and you will be able to enter the Colosseum with your ticket already in your hands. This ticket is also valid for two days, so there is no need to rush through all three sites.
#2 Drink from the small water fountains ("nasone")
Don’t underestimate how hot it can get in Rome, especially in the summer. It is super important to always stay hydrated when walking in the Mediterranean sun. A lot of people will offer you water on the streets, but instead of buying expensive water or carrying it with you in your heavy backpack, you can simply drink from the small water fountains that you can find almost everywhere. It’s perfectly drinkable and you can either re-fill your bottle or you can drink through the small hole on the top by covering the bigger hole below with your hand. This tip will save you a lot of thirsty and sweaty moments while discovering the city.
#3 Get a guide for the Vatican museums
Visiting the Vatican museums is one of the most stunning experiences in Rome. You could spend days in there looking at the classical sculptures, masterpieces of art and the Sistine Chapel – and you still would not be satisfied with seeing everything. That is why it’s really convenient to have a guide who will take you to the most important works and hear about the history behind them. You could have the most amazing painting in front of you, but knowing about how it came into existence and hearing about its importance is what makes visiting the Vatican museums so fascinating.
#4 Go to Lago di Bracciano instead of the beach
Rome and its chaotic traffic can be very exhausting from time to time. Sometimes it’s great to escape the city and head towards the sea, where you can relax and cool down from the heat. The problem being that many people in Rome have the same idea, so that the beaches outside Rome usually get very busy. Even though it’s really cheap to go to the closest beach (Ostia: 1,50€) you could just as well go to Lake Bracciano (which is of volcanic origin) for 3€. The distance is more or less the same and you can easily reach the lake by train and bus. When you arrive, you can expect to swim in warmer water, have less trash laying around and less people next to you. You won’t regret it!
#5 Visit Castel Sant’Angelo for a great view over the city
There are many places where you can have a great view over the entire city center of Rome: the cupola of St.Peter’s Basilica, the Monumento Nazionale at Piazza Venezia, the Palatine hill, or the roof of Castel Sant’Angelo. If you don’t have the time to see everything, I would recommend you to visit the castle where you’ll be able to walk through the various levels until you reach the top and get rewarded with an incredible view. You’ll also be able to see the Passetto, which is a passageway of almost 1km connecting the castle and St.Peter’s. In the case of an emergency, the Pope could escape the castle safely this way.
#6 Enter the museums for free the first Sunday of each month
If you travel flexibly, low-budget or you plan to stay in Rome only for a weekend, I would advise you to book your trip the first weekend of a month. On Sundays you can benefit from free entrance to almost all museums in Rome. The only thing you need to beware of is the huge crowds moving inside the buildings. That is why it's best to start the day very early before it gets too busy.
I hope this article could be of some inspiration to you or assist you in planning your trip. Please note that the information I presented is based on my own experiences in Rome. If you have any suggestions, questions, critique or other comments, I would be happy to read them.
Safe travels,
Steem3000
pictures can be found on pixabay