Rome walking tours
Sometimes mommy just needs a vacation! A city trip is perfect, especially if you have babies. They’ll be happy to sit in their stroller and watch the world go by until it’s time for the next break in a café or park (…well, at least mine are.) That’s why I created Rome walking tours.
Who DOESN’T want to go to Rome?! If you love history and culture – Rome’s the place to be. Want to see some amazing architecture? Rome is it. And you must try the Roman food specialties at least once in your life!
If you’re afraid of going to Rome because of its reputation as being a chaotic mix of traffic jams and hot-headed Italian temperament, let me ease your mind. Rome is separated into individual districts, each with its own quaint character – which makes for a small village feeling, rather than a metropolitan chaos.
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Get off Rome’s beaten path
Like most cities in Europe, you’ll have more fun if you get off Rome’s beaten paths. You’ll meet friendly and hospitable locals who are excited to meet you. They are almost always eager to help you experience the best their city has to offer.
I recommend spending at least 4 days there. Five days in Rome would be better. That way you can not only do the “touristy” things that everyone sees, but you’d also have enough time to get off the beaten path and get a little feel for how it would be to actually LIVE there.
Getting to Rome
As the saying goes: “All roads lead to Rome.” The road you take does, of course, depend on where you’re coming from.
If you are coming by car – beware! You need a permit to drive in the old town of Rome. This means you must park your car in one of several public parking garages outside the boundaries of the old town, and this can get expensive. If at all possible, try to fly into Rome and then rent a car at the airport if you plan to travel further. Alternatively, the train is always a great option when traveling in Europe.
The Best Time to Visit Rome
Rome is a very popular tourist destination and is busy all year round. If you want to avoid the crowds but still enjoy some sunny weather, April & May are your best bets.
There were already lots of tourists when I was there in mid-April, but not horrendously full yet. I could wear short-sleeved shirts during the day and light sweaters in the evenings. That time of year could not have been more perfect.
I don’t want to imagine how hot, humid and full the city is between June and September. The hotel rates are ridiculous at that time of year as well. Sounds like a hot, sweaty and expensive mess if you ask me.
Where to Stay
Hotels in Rome are expensive. NICE Hotels in Rome are VERY expensive. As with most of my trips, I recommend renting an apartment. It is the more financially friendly alternative to a hotel and living like a local makes you actually feel like one.
Tripadvisor.com is an excellent place to start looking for an apartment (or a hotel or hostel for that matter.) I can particularly recommend staying at one in the Jewish Ghetto (city center.)
Just drop me a line if you’re interested in learning more about that apartment. This place was so perfect, that I don’t share it with everybody…I might want to go back myself one day and it will be booked solid!
Flight home
Chances are, your flight home will be early in the morning. And if you’re like me, the last thing you want to do at the crack of dawn is to try and find your way out to the airport in a busy city like Rome. Most of the nicer hotels in the Centro Storico do have a shuttle service, but I recommend staying at the Hilton Rome Airport Hotel for your last night. It’s connected to the airport, so you can be at check-in at your gate within minutes of leaving the hotel. This was awesome and stress free at 4 am! As an added bonus – the restaurant and lounge at the hotel are excellent.
Rome’s amazing food
In my Rome walking tours, I do recommend several restaurants and trattorias at which you can have an amazing meal and not be treated like a tourist.
But if you follow the rules “When in Rome – do what the Romans do,” you simply can’t go wrong. This means: eat WHERE the locals eat, eat WHEN the locals eat and eat WHAT the locals eat.
Any travel guidebook will inform you about the differences between the Italian and American eating cultures. Wanna eat like a king without breaking the bank? Do what the Romans do – you won’t regret it.
Roman cuisine is religiously seasonal and regional!
Getting Around
If you have the money, I highly recommend getting a taxi from the airport to where you’re staying. There are public buses and trains frequently running between the airport and the city center (Centro Storico), but they aren’t that much cheaper than a taxi.
If you’re like me, your brain gets frazzled from long plane trips. The first thing you want to do is take a shower after getting off that plane and the last thing you want to do is figure out the public transportation system in a very busy city.
Taxis charge a 55€ flat rate from the airport to your destination in the old town area. I felt it was money well spent, especially after I saw how difficult it was even for our taxi driver to find our apartment in the labyrinth of the old town.
Even though I lived in Europe for 20 years and used public transport very often, I just couldn’t wrap my head around the public transportation system in Rome. My time was too precious to risk getting on the wrong bus or subway and winding up somewhere I didn’t want to go. That’s why I booked an apartment in the city center within walking distance of all of the main sights. I did take taxis on a few occasions, to get to destinations a little off center – for bike riding on the Appian Way, for example.
Guidebooks I Used and Loved:
My #1 Travel Tip For Rome
I can’t express this enough: If you are planning to see the Colosseum or ANY of the larger museums, be sure to buy your tickets online. This will save you HOURS of standing in line, especially at the Colosseum or The Vatican Museum. I’m serious!
Rome Walking Tours
Download my Rome walking tours and learn the best way to see the city. It includes the 4 walking tours I created and used during my last trip. They worked out perfectly and I’m really glad I can share them with you.
These routes are the most efficient way of seeing all the sites while still giving you enough leeway to make this experience your own.
You may choose to hop the subway, bus, or taxi if you get tired of walking or need to go a longer distance (out to the Appian Way and then later on to Palazzo Corsini, for example.)
I’ve also included the awesome restaurants I dined at with addresses and telephone numbers for making reservations.
Recommended:
What You Need to Pack for Your Trip to Europe
How to Make the Best of an Overseas Flight with Babies
