YOU SHOULDN’T SEE ROME IN A DAY
WAYS TO TRAVEL SUSTAINABLY AND SOAK UP THE CITY
Ah Rome. At once frenzied, chaotic and colorful. But turn down this alley, linger on this plaza, languish on that square and it quickly becomes deliciously slow and simple and satisfying. As easy and pleasing as a scoop of Italian gelato. As magnificent and perfect as a polished marble sculpture. There are angels in the architecture here and even when you are lost down some labyrinth of little lanes, Rome turns up singing alleluia.
Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
Postcards from Rome
SEE ROME OFF-SEASON
We spent four days in Rome for our Winter Break in February. It was part of a week-long Italian tour that took us through Umbria, Tuscany and out of Milan. It was the perfect amount of time and a nice time of year. To explore and savor and soak up the capital of Italy. The weather wasn’t perfect, but it was better than Copenhagen!
Our base was a funky flat a few streets from the bustling flower market called Campo de’ Fiori. Every day we played witness to the daily purveyors set up and take down their stands of fruits, vegetables, nuts and pastas. Choices aplenty for cheap t-shirts, pottery and kitschy souvenirs for the tourists and of course flowers.
Lots of little restaurants circle the square with seats in the sun, but seem to cater more to a visiting crowd. Calling out to us in English, we’re an obvious mark. But we skip the hawkers, smiling back to their flirting and fawning, mortifying our teens in tow. Instead, we wait with the locals and try our Italian at the Forno at the end of the piazza. The pizza and panini from here became our favorite.
Forno Campo De’ Fiori
Campo De’ Fiori, 22 – Vicolo del Gallo, 14 | Roma – 00186
OPEN: 07.30-14.30 and 16.45-20.00
Owned by cousins Dino and Fabrizio, the Forno (bakery) here has been serving handcrafted quality baked goods since 1970. With two sides to serve you, the door to the right has beautiful breads, sweets and slices of pizza by weight. Pointing and gesturing how large a piece you want usually does the trick. Next door across the alley they serve delicious panini and other takeaway options.
TIP: Peak Tourist Season in Rome happens during summer and Christmas. For fewer crowds, book your tickets outside of June 15 -September 1 or from December 15 – January 6.
CAMPO DE’ FIORI
When in Rome, live as the Romans do; when elsewhere, live as they live elsewhere.”
– Saint Ambrose²
TIPS FOR OVERTOURISTED SITES
Some things in Rome just need to be seen. Unfortunately so thinks everyone else as well. Even though it was February and not perfect weather, we met up with half of Europe and beyond here on holiday when visiting Vatican City. While we are duly impressed with St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums, the crowds were more than annoying and definitely dampened the experience. We waited in line to see the Rafael rooms and my favorite “School of Athens.” The room was packed to the gills. My inner Art History geek was disheartened not to be able to discuss this masterpiece with my children. All they wanted to do was get out of the crowd.
NOTE: Photographs and speaking are not permitted in the Sistine Chapel.
But the throngs were on the same path. We were shuffled and shushed and pushed to finally see inside the stunning Sistine Chapel. “SILENZIA!” shouted security personnel through megaphones. There was no accommodation for taking your time and truly experiencing the masterpiece. We were definitely being herded. It was so unsettling that my teen son completely missed Michelangelo’s iconic “Creation of Adam,” in his attempts not to step on any toes. Literally and figuratively.
TIPS TO SEE THE SISTINE CHAPEL SANS MASSES
- Check European school holiday schedules and travel off-peak for best efforts at avoiding the throngs and masses.
- Book your tickets to the Vatican Museums at the official website online, wait times can be up to 3 hours long without them.
- Booking a tour with a Tour Guides can get you in special access, but with over 200 groups providing tours, it doesn’t eliminate the possibility of still having to wait in lines.
- If you’re an early riser (which tells me you aren’t traveling with teens) and can afford to pay extra – there are a few exclusive options to see the chapel – check out this Fodor’s article for more information.
What we did enjoy was wandering the neighborhood near the Vatican. Check out charming Borgo Pio where even the water fountains are beautiful. Worth a stroll through and lots of options for refreshments after being bustled.
VATICAN CITY
ANCIENT ROME ROCKS AT THE COLOSSEO
While Renaissance masters and Holy Roman Sees may not have imparted the same infatuation in my children that I was hoping to influence, all was not lost. Ancient Rome rocked. Take the tour of the Colosseum, it was a family favorite for every one of us – parents to teens to tweens.
We booked the English speaking tour through the official website that included access to the underground and up to the top tier. Seeing where the animals and gladiators would have been lifted to the floor and the views from the top over the Forum were fabulous and without the crush of the crowds. So worth the extra fee.
TICKETS:
Adults | € 12.00
Children under 18 | Free
Students 18-25 | € 7.50
COLOSSEUM UNDERGROUND AND THIRD RING TOURS
Adults | € 11.00 ( € 9.00 Tour + € 2.00 Reservation Fee)
Children under 12 | Free
Students 18-25 | € 9.00 ( € 7.00 Tour + € 2.00 Reservation Fee)
TIPS TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR COLOSSEUM VISIT
- Tour ticket prices are in addition to the base entrance fee to get in the monument itself. You must purchase both separately.
- Ticket price includes entrance to Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine and all current exhibitions. It is valid for 2 days.
- Tour dates will become available online every third Monday of the month for the following month. Make note of your travel dates to get the best slots for your travelers.
- If you can convince your troop to rise earlier, the better. Good luck those traveling with teens.
NOTE: It is strictly forbidden to enter the Colosseum with backpacks, handbags or any other luggage because of safety precautions. Even people with reservations are requested to arrive at the ticket office 30 minutes prior to tour times.
COLOSSEUM THIRD RING TOUR
WANDER AROUND ROME
There are so many wonderful corners and alleyways and lanes to explore in Rome. Let your feet find the way. We would head towards an attraction, but not set the path. Downloading maps to your smartphone before you leave the comfort of your wifi helps. Let the teens lead. They will be hard pressed to put down their tech anyway. Get us to Piazza Navona. But first, let’s go down this beautiful street and look for gelato. Gelato always motivates.
Rome is the city of echoes, the city of illusions, and the city of yearning.”
– Giotto di Bondone, Italian Renaissance Painter¹
PANTHEON AND CAFFÉ
One of my favorite buildings in the whole world, the Pantheon was a surprisingly quieter affair. Free to enter and not smacked with gobs of people. Set on a square much too small for its size, the Pantheon surprises you once you find it. Step inside and look up at the oculus, a 7 meter round hole in the center of the ceiling. Once a temple to all the Roman Gods, the oculus served as the link between the humans below and the deities above. Sometimes rain falls through, but don’t worry the floors are sloped to a drain in the middle.
The building as you see it has been here since 120 AD when rebuilt by the Emperor Hadrian. Maybe you saw some more of his work in the Forum or do you live in the UK and maybe have seen his wall there? Thank you to Hadrian, we still have the largest unsupported dome in the world. Fantastico! That’s Italian for fantastic.
And if all this oooh-ing and aaaaah-ing over ancient feats of architecture has made your thirsty, you’re in luck. Right around the corner of the plaza is some of the best coffee in the world.
La Casa Del Caffé Tazza d’Oro al Pantheon
Via degli Orfani 84, 00186 Roma
Not sure how to order coffee in Roma? Be confident! Need a little more help? Check out this great guide from Shelley and Agri at Travel-Stained | How to Order Coffee in Italy (Without Sticking out Like a Sore Thumb)
Rome was a poem pressed into service as a city.”
– Anatole Broyard³
MEET THE LOCALS
In Rome, you are sure to encounter characters on every street corner. Compared to Scandinavia, where the locals are friendly, but not necessarily outgoing – Italians are notoriously gregarious and passionate, but really quite traditional. I love how they speak with their hands and without understanding much, you can clearly glean their tone.
Want to really rub elbows with locals when visiting Rome? Take in a football match by the team AS Roma at Stadio Olimpico. Set outside the city, we took a street tram to the stadium. Make sure you make plans for your return or leave a little early from the match. There were long queues and insufficient transport once everyone was out. But it was worth it to feel the energy, hear the chants and listen to the songs while watching the game.
TICKETS FOR AS ROMA MATCHES
We bought our tickets while in town at the official team shop for AS Roma, where my daughter procured her maroon and orange team scarf, something she has collected from matches around the world. You can also purchase online if you want to make sure to get seats while here on your Roman Holiday.
Not a football (soccer) fan? You can still meet the locals. Check out some street art. I love perusing what street painters are selling. Often they offer unique and beautiful perspectives and can be a wonderful souvenir from your travels. I try to pick up a piece each place we visit. My little colorful Italian coffee pot brightens my dark Danish winter mornings and reminds me of Roma.
If nothing else? Smile. Say buon giorno! Over tourism is real in iconic cities like Rome. You are a guest here. Enjoy it. But be respectful that people live here. Then maybe you won’t get looks like this. Although I think this may be her resting face. Or just a bad day?
TIP: Check out this list of useful phrases and how to pronounce them in Italian. While knowing English is common, there are many who do not.
SLOW DOWN AND SOAK UP THE SCENES
NEON LIGHTS AND FOUNTAINS AT NIGHT
If you have older kids or are visiting sans children and when the days are shorter come winter, save some energy to stroll the streets at night. I adored the neon signs that illuminated corridors and called like a siren song. Famous fountains are easier to make wishes in when the day’s visitors have finished touring. Save room for a coffee or ice cream at iconic Giolitti, a perfect end to a full day in Rome.
Giolitti
Via Uffici del Vicario, 40 – Roma
Open the gorgeous and fancy doors to this legendary ice creamery near the Parthenon. Serving up coffee, cakes and ice cream since 1900.
Cicero smiled at us. ‘The art of life is to deal with problems as they arise, rather than destory one’s spirit by worrying about them too far in advance. Especially tonight.”
― Robert Harris, Imperium: A Novel of Ancient Rome
So come to Rome. Stay awhile. Savor the tastes. See some of the sites. Feel the charisma. She’ll woo you, she will. If you let her. Buona notte!
Planning a trip to Rome with a baby in tow? Check out this post via Our Globetrotters, Practical Guide to Visiting Rome With a Baby for great tips and tricks for your tiniest travelers.
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