🇬🇧 3 days in Rome 🇬🇧

🇫🇷 Retrouve cet article en Français ici ! 🇫🇷

During our 15 days road trip across Italy, we stopped in Rome.

In this article I will talk about our stay, what we did, visited and where we slept.

Rome is the capital of Italy. It is situated in the midwest of the Italian peninsula. It counts around 2 844 395 inhabitant established over 1 285 km2, which makes it the Italian largest city and the third largest city of Europe after Moscow and London.

For how long ?

Rome was the 5th stop of our road trip. We arrived on Tuesday 26th and left on Friday July 29th. So we stayed 3 days and 3 nights.

Honestly, it was almost not long enough to visit the entire city. We were able to visit the most famous monuments and places, but we didn’t have time to walk and relax in the streets and discover every corner of the city.

3 days is a really good start if you want to visit Rome. But I believe 4 or 5 days is even better ! Rome is really huge, so you need time to travel from one place to the other.

Where to sleep ?

We stayed in this Airbnb and it what perfect ! We payed 161€ for 3 nights, it was pretty cheap. However, we were very far from the center of Rome. But If you want to sleep closer to the center, the price will get more expensive.

Indeed, the biggest negative point of this Airbnb is its location. We were situated 2 hours from the center on foot and 1 hour on bus. So you need to plan a big time slot to travel during your day. Because of this, we returned late every evening and we were not able to enjoy beautiful evenings inside Rome.

But the apartment was amazing. The owner welcomed us and he was very nice. He explained a lot of things and he even offer us drinks and snacks for free (fruit juice, water, rusks, jam, butter, biscuits…), we were very happy.

The Airbnb was very clean and cute. We had the air conditioning which allow us to sleep perfectly. I really recommend it !

How to move ?

We came to Rome with our car, we parked it at our Airbnb and we didn’t touch it during the entire journey. Indeed, in Rome there is a huge bus and metro network. And it is truly HUGE. There are more than 350 bus line.

To not get lost, I suggest you to use an app, or simply Google maps. We used google maps and it saved our life. Every lines and stops are listed on it. There were sometimes a few mistakes with the time, but we were able to go anywhere without difficulties.

We bought our bus tickets at the tobacco store next to our Airbnb. We paid 19€ per person for 3 days of unlimited travel.

In Rome it is also possible to rent a scooter. It’s the best means of transport in the city. We didn’t do it because you have to be very comfortable to drive in the middle of thousand of cars. And the rent price is also much more expensive than the bus, but you will win some time on your trips.

I strongly advise you to not take you car to go in the center of Rome. It is impossible to park and the parking is very expensive.

Now its up to you to chose your best means of transport !

Day 1 :

The first day, we arrived at our Airbnb around 2pm, after driving for 3 hours from Florence.

After settling in, we left for the city center. We bought our bus tickets in this tobacco store and we then followed the instruction of Google maps for the bus. After a long time, we finally found our bus stop and waited for the bus (Google maps isn’t always the best on the time), and we finally arrived near the Pantheon.

Sant’ Andrea della Valle Church

It is a minor basilica and one of the big baroque churches of Rome. Its dome is the second biggest after the one of the Saint Peter’s basilica.

Pantheon

If there is one place you can not miss in Rome it is the Pantheon. It is an ancient religious building built in the 2nd century B.C. Originally, it was a temple dedicated to all the deities of ancient religion. It got converted into a church in the VII century, and today it is the Holy Virgin and all of the martyrs' basilica. It is the biggest monument of ancient Rome still in a practically intact condition.

The Pantheon supports the largest dome of the Ancient World with a diameter of 43,30m inside. This dome is pierced at its top by a huge oculus (round opening), only source of light of the building. Several alcoves, framed with columns, are placed all around the Pantheon. They once housed statues of ancient gods. Today they are transformed into chapels and a few of them shelter tombs (of kings Victor Emmanuel II and Umberto I…)

It is a very impressive and magnificent building. I loved visiting it. You can go inside for free and whenever you want, but it is necessary to book tickets on week-ends and holidays.

Personally, we bought the Rome Tourist Card on the Tiqets app. For 94€ per person, this card allowed us to visit a lot of monuments in Rome. In the Pantheon, it allowed us to have access to an audio guide, which explained the entire history of the building to us. I really recommend you to buy it !

Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola

It is a Jesuit religious building in a baroque style built in the XVII century.

The most striking element of this church is its ceiling richly decorated with a trompe-l’oeil fresco. It represents the apotheosis of Saint Ignatius. The church doesn’t have a dome, so a very impressive trompe-l’oeil replaces it. On the ground, you can find a circle indicating the perfect position to best appreciate the perspective effect of the frescoes, as well as a mirror reflecting this beautiful spectacle.

Trevi Fountain

One of the most famous place in Rome is the Trevi Fountain. It is an essential step on your journey in Rome. Expect to find yourself in the middle of thousand of peoples, because it is one of the most touristic place of Rome.

The Fountain was built between 1732 and 1762 in the baroque style, on the Pope Clement XII orders by Nicola Salvi, then Giovanni Paolo. It is 26 meters high and it is built against the rear facade of the Palazzo Poli building. In its center stands the statue of the sea god Neptune.

The tradition is to throw a coin into the fountain (eyes closed and thrown with your right hand above your left shoulder) to realise the legend :

- If you throw 1 coin : You will come back to Rome.

- If you throw 2 coins : You will find love in Rome.

- If you throw 3 coins : You will marry the person you knew.

- If you throw 4 coins : It will foreshadowed a divorce (To avoid, unless you really want it…)

The mairie of Rome clean the fountain every weeks and donate a large part of the harvest (1,4 billion of euro per year) to charity helping poor families.

For the fun fact, the name Trevi derives from Tre Vie (three streets) because the fountain used to be meeting point of three streets.

You can admire this fountain day and night for free.

It is also possible to visit the underground of the fountain. You can find the tickets here.

Spanish Square

The Spanish Square, Piazza di Spagna in Italian, is one of the main tourist pedestrian squares in Rome, situated in the luxury shopping district.

It got its name from the Spanish embassy located near.

Here you can find a stair, made up of 138 steps, that leads to the French monastery Trinita des Monti, built at the request of King Louis XII. Still today, this church is property of the French state.

On this square you can also find a fountain named Fontana della Barcaccia, in a rowing boat shape. It is a reminder of the 1598 flood in Rome.

Like I told you earlier it is a mainly tourist square, so there are a lot of people and a lot of gadgets sellers. But I suggest you to ignore them and enjoy the craziness of this square.

Villa Borghese Gardens

The Villa Borghese is a huge municipal park of 80 hectares situated in the heart of Rome. It include a museum (the Galleria Borghese), monuments, fountains, works of art but also a zoo.

It was created by the Cardinal Scipione Borghese, to brighten up his villa he built on a vineyard.

The park was given to the city of Rome in 1903 to be open to the public.

We walked there for a few hours. It’s a really grandiose and huge park, we didn’t have time to go all around it. I suggest you to go there if you are looking for a moment of relaxation and greenery in the middle of this big city. A lot of monuments and works of art makes its visit very pleasant. You can also admire a really nice view of the city, on the south west side, but also on the Vatican City and the St Peter’s Basilica.

It is possible to rent roller skates, bikes or other transports.

Angolo Dell’ Aurora Restaurant

Then it was time to eat a delicious Italian dish ! We stopped in Angola Dell’ Aurora restaurant. We didn’t know what to expect at all. But the food was really good. The pastas were delicious.

But be careful, drinks and side dish are very expensive… We got scammed and we payed a coca-cola with ice 6€ !

Day 2 :

After a good night of sleep, we left around 9:30am to arrive at the Colosseum on time because we booked tickets for 10:30am.

Colosseum

A place not to be missed in Rome is the Colosseum.

It’s a huge amphitheatre, the biggest ever build during the Roman Empire, able to accommodate around 50 000 people. It was built during the reign of Emperor Titus between 72 and 80. The opening ceremony lasted a 100 days during which, around 5000 wild animals were killed.

The Colosseum main goal was to amuse people with gladiator fights, sometimes with wild animals like elephants and tigers. There were also prisoners killing, and wild animals fights.

The stands were divided into 4 galleries. The 1st gallery and the seats close to the arena were reserved for senators, magistrates and important people. The emperor had his own box. The 2nd and 3rd gallery were reserved for male spectators, the highest social classes taking place closest to the arena. The 4th gallery and the highest was reserved for the senator’s wives and knights.

It is estimated that between 300 000 and 5000 000 people died in the Colosseum’s arena !

It is really impressive and so much bigger than what I expected. I loved visiting it. Its history is fascinating. The Colosseum is considered like one of the 7 wonders of the world, another reason to not miss the visit. Even if it is in bad shape and partially destroy (the rocks were used during the middle-age to built churches and the Rome’s palace) the Colosseum is still one of the only monument of Ancient Rome to still be standing.

I could talk for a long time about this monument, but I leave to you the pleasure to discover its full story.

I highly encourage you to buy tickets beforehand, because even at 10:30am, there was a huge queue of almost 2 hours to buy tickets at the entry.

We booked our tickets in advance thanks to our Rome Tourist Card on the Tiqets app. For 94€ per person, this card allowed us to have access to a lot of monument in Rome. It gave us access to the entire Colosseum, passing through a priority queue, with a really interesting audio guide about every details of the Colosseum and its story. It also gave us access to the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill, which I talk to you about it just after this. We loved it, this was our best visit in Rome, I recommend it 100% !

Arch of Constantine

Right next to the Colosseum, there is the Arch of Constantine. It is a triumphal arch erected in the year 315 to commemorate the victory of Constantine the Great during the battle of the Milvian Bridge. It is 21 meters high, 25 meters wide and is composed of three arcs.

Arch of Titus

And a little further, heading towards the Roman Forum, there is the Arch of Titus. It is a triumphal arch built by the emperor Domitian in the year 81 to celebrate the victories of his brother Titus during the Judean War. It is 15,40 meters high.

Palatine Hill

Then going to the left side of the Arch of Titus and by walking a little bit, you will arrive at the Palatine Hill. It Is one of the oldest hill of the city, it is estimated that it has been inhabited since 1000 BC. It once featured imposing mansions built for emperors and the Roman upper class. Today, their impressive ruins still occupy a large part of the hill.

Roman mythology says that the cave where Luperca lived (the she-wolf who breastfed Romulus and Remus) was on the Palatine Hill.

I really enjoy walking there, it is a very pleasant place, impressive and full of story.

It is possible to contemplate a beautiful view over the Roman Forum from the heights of the hill.

To visit the Palatine Hill I suggest you to book your tickets in advance. Like I said before, we used the Rome Tourist Card on the Tiqets app, for 94€ per person.

Roman Forum

The Roman Forum is a huge archaeological site located next to the Colosseum. It was the main square of ancient Rome at the time. People gathered there to discuss public, cultural and economic life (weddings, games, ceremonies and religious festivals, military parades, political proclamations…).

It is today, with the Colosseum, the biggest proof of the greatness of the Roman Empire that can still be observed.

At the end of the Empire, the Roman Forum fell into oblivion and was gradually buried. It was only in the 20th century that excavations were launched.

On this archaeological site, you can find many temples built for the gods (Saturn, Venus, Romulus, Vesta…), but also a lot of other monuments.

It is a visit you can’t miss if you go to Rome. The place is extremely impressive and it is hard to imagine the life that was here before. You can easily walk around for hours without getting bored, because every corner is different and full of story. I loved this visit !

To visit it I suggest you to book your tickets in advance. Like I said before, we used the Rome Tourist Card on the Tiqets app, for 94€ per person.

Piazza del Campidoglio

In English : the Capitoline Square, is a monumental square located at the top of Capitol Hill. Imagined by Michelangelo, so that it faces St. Peter’s Basilica, it represented at the time, the political center of the city. You can see an imposing bronze equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius (this one is only a replica, the real one is inside the Palace of the Conservators).

Today, it is one of the most touristy place of the city. Right next to it, you can find the legendary sculpture of the she-wolf breastfeeding Romulus and Remus (this one is also a replica, the real one is inside the Capitoline museum).

It is possible to visit the Capitoline’s museums for around 16€ per person.

Victor Emmanuel II Monument

Located on the impressive Piazza Venezia, this monument was inaugurated in 1911 to pay tribute to Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of Italy unified in 1861. It is a huge building, very impressive in its size and architecture. It measures 135 meters wide and 70 meters high. It is entirely covered in white marble, and has many gigantic columns, endless staircases, fountains and an equestrian statue of Victor Emmanuel II. It also houses the tomb of the unknown soldier.

It is possible to enter the building for free. Inside, you can also find the Institute for the History of the Italian Risorgimento and the Central Museum of the Risorgimento, to which there is an entrance fee.

It is also possible to go up to its panoramic terrace and enjoy a magnificent view of Rome and the Colosseum.

I was really impressed by this immaculate white building that came out of nowhere. It’s truly a place to see and visit !

Day 3 :

On this day, we woke up at 8am because we had booked tickets to enter the Vatican at 9:30am. So we didn’t hang around and quickly took the bus.

Vatican Gardens

For around 15€ per person in addition to our Rome Tourist Card, we enjoyed a guided bus tour of the Vatican Gardens. So we started our tour of the famous place from here.

The Vatican Gardens are a group of urban gardens that cover more than half of the surface area of the Vatican. They cover approximately 23 hectares. There are many fountains, sculptures and artificial caves, generally dedicated to the Virgin Mary and other Saints. There are also medieval fortifications, Renaissance and Baroque buildings and monuments.

Personally, I didn’t really enjoy this visit. We were stuck on an open-top bus, and we couldn’t get off to fully enjoy the place. I know there are walking tours that must be much more interesting but also a little more expensive, it’s up to you to see what you prefer. But I think that it is not a place to see if you come to the Vatican.

Vatican Museums

And finally we arrived in the Vatican Museums. A place you have to see if you come to Rome. « Museums » because there are 12 museums, 5 galleries, 1400 rooms, and 7km of rooms and corridors. You should therefore plan a full half day inside to be able to see as much as possible.

Because yes, I have never seen an art collection as enormous as the Vatican’s. They house one of the greatest art collections in the world, including paintings and sculptures, collected over the centuries by popes. There are also different rooms entirely decorated with murals on walls and ceilings, each more impressive than the last. There are also collections from different countries and continents, such as Egypt.

In short, you seriously get lost there for hours and it’s extremely pleasant. Everything is magnificent, grandiose and full of history.

To be able to visit it, I suggest you to reserve tickets beforehand. As I told you above, we used the Rome Tourist Card on the Tiqets app, for 94€ per person, which offered us a skip-the-line ticket and an optional audio-guide.

Sistine Chapel

Then, after walking for hours through all the Vatican museums, we finally arrived at the much anticipated Sistine Chapel. To get there, you have no other choice than to circulate through hundreds of exhibition rooms before arriving, because this one is located in the center of the Vatican palaces.

Its name comes from Pope Sixtus IV who had it built, but the creation of the frescoes lasted for more than 50 years by several artists (including Michelangelo). Official papal ceremonies take place there.

The room is really not big, I was expecting something grandiose and huge, but it is in fact a 40 meters long and 20 meters high room. There were a lot of people inside, making it even smaller than it already is.

On the ceiling we obviously find Michelangelo's famous masterpiece, very impressive and beautiful. We sat for many minutes contemplating the ceiling and discovering the smallest details of this painting.

Unfortunately, photos and videos are prohibited in the Chapel. However, I managed to take one or two for souvenirs, we didn't come all the way here for nothing...

St. Peter's Square

St. Peter's Square is one of the most famous squares in the world. It is a mandatory passage if you go to the Vatican and Saint Peter's Basilica. Its dimensions are spectacular : 320 meters long and 240 meters wide. It is located in front of Saint Peter's Basilica, and it is here that the crowds gather during major religious festivals celebrated by the Pope. It can accommodate up to 300,000 people.

On this square you can find 284 columns, 88 pilasters, 140 statues of saints, an obelisk and 2 fountains.

Where it is most impressive is when you walk away along Via della Conciliazione, towards the Castel Sant'Angelo. You can see gigantic columns leading straight into the square and in the background the immense dome of Saint Peter's Basilica.

St. Peter's Basilica

And if you come to the Vatican, it is impossible to miss the Saint Peter's Basilica. It was probably, with the Colosseum, one of my favorite visits and one of the most grandiose we could do. Saint Peter's Basilica is the most important religious building in Catholicism. It is registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and is considered the greatest architectural design of its time.

Its construction lasted 110 years (1506-1626) and different artists participated (Bramante, Michelangelo, Bernini…)

Its name comes from the first Pope in history, Saint Peter, whose body is buried in the basilica. You can go see his grave.

The basilica can accommodate up to 20,000 people. This is the biggest church I have seen in my life. It measures 190 meters long, the central nave is 46 meters high and the dome reaches a height of 136 meters. For the anecdote, the writings that can be seen around the dome are made up of 2 meters high letters! You don't realize it when you're on the ground, but it really proves its greatness.

Inside you can admire different works made by different artists, such as “La Pietà” by Michelangelo and the statue of Saint Peter on his throne (this one has a foot in poor condition due to the kisses given by the faithful).

Thanks to our Rome Tourist Card purchased with the Tiqets app, we were able to enjoy a guided tour, led by an Italian who spoke French. It was super interesting and I recommend it 100%! He told us lots of stories about the Basilica and explain to us most of the works of art. I loved this visit. The Basilica is extremely impressive. Its gold-covered ceiling and its greatness are breathtaking. Truly a visit not to be missed!

Careful ! If you go there in summer, shorts and skirts are out. But it is obligatory to cover your shoulders and legs inside the Basilica. So remember to take a small jacket or scarf with you. If not, don’t worry, paper “dresses” are sold in front for just a few euros.

Castel Sant’Angelo

As I told you above, leaving the Vatican via Via della Conciliazione, you arrive in front of the Castel Sant’Angelo.

It was built in 135 as a mausoleum. Then it had an important military role before becoming the fortress who protect the Vatican in addition to its role as a prison.

Today it is a palace/museum that you can visit for around 12€. There you can visit the former apartments of the popes.

It owes its name to the archangel Saint Michael who appeared to Pope Gregory I during a procession. The archangel would have sheathed his sword, thus signifying the end of the plague then raging in the city. Since then, the statue located at its summit has commemorated the event.

The Tiber

The Tiber is an Italian river which flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea. It crosses Rome, so it is impossible to miss it. It crosses 4 regions and covers 405km.

Walking along the Tiber is very pleasant and will offer you a relaxing stroll.

Trastevere district

The Trastevere district is located on the right bank of the Tiber. Its name in English means “Beyond the Tiber”. It is a very friendly and picturesque neighbourhood. Filled with small streets and lots of flowers, it’s very pleasant to walk there.

At nightfall the area becomes very lively. If you're looking for the Italian ambiance, this is probably where you'll find it!

Enoteca Trastevere Restaurant

During our walk in the Trastevere District, we took the opportunity to eat in a typical restaurant in the neighbourhood. So we stopped at the Enoteca Trastevere restaurant where we ate delicious pastas. Probably the best of our trip!

Day 4

The big departure. After packing our bags we quickly left towards the 6th stop of our road trip: Cinque Terre. I invite you to come and check out our stay in Cinque Terre in this article.

I fell in love with Rome. Probably my favorite city in Italy. It is truly grandiose. No matter where you are, there will be something to see. Its history is so rich and so well preserved that it still feels like ancient Rome. The monuments are so immense and incredible that it is hard to believe that they were built thousands of years ago. I wish I could have spent more time there and discovered even more secrets. I 100% advise you to visit Rome, even more so if you like Roman history, art and architecture.

You can also find our stay in Rome in my Youtube video below:

I hope you enjoyed reading this article and that it was useful to you. Do not hesitate to send me a message via the "contact" tab at the top right of the screen or to subscribe to my Newsletter.

I'll see you soon in a new article!

Laura :)