When in ROME

I like Rome. It's vibrant and filled with all different thing like culture, art, religion, new, old, unique to McDonald's. There is something for everyone. I promise.

I like to check several resources for a lot of my information when it comes to booking hotels. I like to scroll social media but I don't find it always reputable or reliable.

Travel and Leisure: travelandleisure.com 

Conde Nast: cntraveler.com 

Hotels.com or Expedia.com (they're the same company)

Trip Advisor: tripadvisor.com 

Viator: viator.com (for excursions or tours) heard good things, never used.

I toggle back and forth between these and read ALL the details. It’s very important to read the details like square meters, breakfast included, elevators and bed size. Compared to hotels in the US, there are things you may not understand or realize when booking. There will be terms like half board meaning some meals are included. Nowadays the booking websites translate and give good details. I like to look at all the pictures and skim through some of the reviews. Elevators are SLOW and small. They may not fit you and your luggage.

Neighborhoods:

Trastevere- South of the River. More local vibe.

Monti- Alter of the Fatherland to Colosseum

Prati- Castel Sant'Angelo.

Vatican City- the Vatican,

Centro Storico- Panthenon, Campo de Fiore, Trevi

Termini- Rome Termini Train Station

Municipio II- Villa Borghese

I like to book hotels in Centro Storico. But closer to the Panthenon and Trastevere. These areas are central but less busy in my opinion. But Rome is always busy.

Panthenon Area Hotels I’ve stayed at.

Hotel Nazionale Roma, Hotel Le Clarisse Panthenon.

Attractions:

I find the Trevi Fountain area is very touristy and crowded. When I went, it was midday and every tourist in the city was there taking pictures. There was people selling things on the side walk. Don't buy or talk to them. I went back early morning and late night. It was beautiful and I could capture a good picture without the thousands of people. They do clean the fountain every night and donate the money to a local charity. There is also a museum where you can go underneath the fountain. I've heard it's pretty cool.

Vicus Caprarius- the Water City- Vicolo del Puttarello, 25. https://maps.app.goo.gl/Aa7kHegewZTEH7vj8

Throughout the city there is many old archeological sites amidst the new city structures. You see this pattern throughout a lot of the major Italian cities like Milan and Naples too .

Via del Corso, Via di Ripetta and Via del Babuino all lead to Piazza del Popolo. At Piazza del Popolo is the entrance to Villa Borghese. On these streets, you will find stores ranging from boutiques unique to Rome or Louis Vuitton or the Gap. I like to stroll along these through out my stay for unique experiences every time. I like to walk up Via del Corso and walk down Via di Ripetta which takes you back down towards the Panthenon and then take a stroll over to Campo di Fiore. This square is lined with restaurants ready to feed you spritzes and people watch.

Via del Babuino ends at the Spanish Steps. Great picture spot. But you are not allowed to sit down and hang out. The police will move you along.

Rome can be confusing when it comes to streets. They start, they stop, they turn into another street. I also advise looking on Google Maps before you leave for the day to get an idea of how to get somewhere. Luckily, there will be signs to most of the major tourist attractions. I also like to plot out how long it will take me to walk. Do I want to walk? Is it walkable?

Vatican City. You can walk, If you want, you get to walk over the river for a different view of the city. From the Panthenon, It is approximately a 25 min walk. Vatican City is HUGE! There will be lots of walking. Please keep in mind, you will need to dress appropriately for most religious places. Women need to have their shoulders covered and bottoms need to be knee length. Men need to remove hats, wear knee length shorts and no sleeveless shirts. NO FLIP FLOPS. They are very strict and very conservative.

I like to scroll Instagram and see all of the cool spots that everyone is recommending. What I do find is a lot of these places are crowded and filled with tourists. I prefer local or off the beaten path places to eat and drink. There’s tons. You will never go hungry or thirsty.

Getting around.

Taxis are not hailed like in NYC, you need to go to a Taxi Stand. They are usually lined up and marked with an orange sign that says TAXI. If there's no taxi, just wait, they will eventually pull up.

UBER. Uber can sometimes be Uber Black. These are luxury vehicles and can cost double. I would check the app first. ALSO. the local taxi drivers hate the Uber drivers.

There's also FreeNow, a taxi app. I have yet to use it. Sometimes we just walk into a Tabacchi (Tobacco Shop) and ask.

METRO. Metro is fun! quick, easy, cheap. There are automated machines that take your euros. I like to use Google Maps and plot out the closest Metro station.

You will see motorcycles or moped or Vespas. Unless you know how to ride them in Italy, better off not pressing your luck and possibly ruining your vacation.