Rome wasn’t built in a Day But You Can Certainly See A Lot of It in One
If you are hard pressed for time, you can see many of the tourist attractions in Rome just by walking around the city. It is more interesting if you go into some of the museums to discover the Roman history of Rome, but if you are time is not on your side, this may not be something that you can do.
Stay near Cavour or Termini
One of the best places to stay in Rome is near metro Cavour. You are in walking distance to the Colosseum, the Roman Forums, the Circo Massimo, the Constantino Arch and the Piazza Venetia. If you are staying near Termini you are at the junction of two metro stops and are in a great location to head north to the Spanish steps and Villa Borghese and south west to the Colosseum.
Hop on Hop off
One of the best buses to take to see to see the city is the Trambus Open 110. It costs 18 euros and is valid for two days. The first bus starts at 8:30am and the last one finishes at 8:30pm. It begins at the Termini station and finishes at Metro Barverini. If you did not disembark, the whole tour takes between 1 and 2 hours, you would see all the sights this way but you would not get a chance to properly explore them.
Spanish Steps and The Villa Borghese
A walk to the Spanish steps from around the metro Cavour area should not take more than 30 minutes. Alternatively, hop on the metro at Cavour or if you do not want to change trains, go straight to Termini and take the metro A to Spagna. The Spanish steps are literally round the corner from the metro station. If you want to take fantastic photos and do not want many people in the way, make sure you visit in the early morning when everyone is tucked up in bed.
The Villa Borghese is a fantastic park right in the centre of Rome, behind the Spanish steps. It is a perfect place to cool off during the hot summer days when it can reach up to 40 degrees plus humidity making it feel unbearably hot and sticky.
Shopping and The Fountain of Trevi
You cannot come to Rome without hitting at least one shop even if you are short on time. After you have visited the Colosseum, walk up Via dei Fori Imperiali which leads to the Via del Corso. The Via del Corso has many of the high street shops such as Zara, Mango, Diesel, Yamamay and Benetton, much more affordable than those shops on Via Condotti. Once you have popped into a few stores, turn right along the Via delle Muratte and you will come to the Fountain of Trevi. If you have enjoyed your time in Rome and want to come back, throw a coin in the fountain, over your shoulder. Turn your back to the fountain while you throw the coin, legend has it that you will return to Rome if you do this.
Unlike Florence where many of the Florentines live outside the city centre, you will be meeting Romans in some of the shops/restaurants you visit. If you are renting one of the short term apartments in Rome, you will be able to meet a few more, plus live like a Roman for the duration of your stay.
Before you head off to Italy, make sure you book your accommodation in advance. Check out the wide range of Rome apartments for rent for all those holiday makers who want their own “home away from home” to relax in while on vacation.
