Rome in One Day

This is an itinerary to see the city of Rome in 1 day. We went in October, the weather was beautiful! Of course this is just what worked for my friends and I, but if you just want to use this as a rough guide, feel free to modify however you want! PS. This is nonrev & reserve friendly for all my fellow coworkers!

Travel Tips

If you have connections be sure to give yourself time, 1hr-1.5hr for domestic connection and at least 2 hrs for an international connection (more if you’ve never been to the airport or are not familiar with it) ((also I don’t mean 2 hrs between landing and your next departure time. Look at boarding times & account for deplaning))

Remember, if you check a bag, allow yourself some time to pick it up before your taxi.

If you are going to be paying with a card while there, be sure to let your bank know that you will be using your card in a different country. Trust me, being in the middle of a foreign country with no money is NO FUN. And while we are on the topic of no fun, don’t be like me and forget to check your phone plan’s rules whenever traveling abroad and make a ton of phone calls. Yes Ysabela, everyone knows you’re in Rome based on all your posts, now everyone at Verizon does as well because your phone bill is almost double. Congrats. There are most likely fees, so be aware of that! Luckily, Verizon offers travel pass for $10/day and I am sure there are other phone companies that offer different (and probably better) plans… sorry Verizon. I have no sense of direction, whatsoever, so I knew I would need Apple maps up and ready so we could hit the ground running, literallyyy.. Jk. There was absolutely no running involved in this itinerary. Anyways, let’s carry on before this post is longer than the actual Rome trip.

Taxi

Let’s talk about transportation. The airport we flew into, FCO, to the city of Rome is about 30 minutes or 17 miles.

Because of the amount of people we had, our luggage, and being new to the city, we just booked a round trip private car from the airport that took us straight to our Airbnb and back to the airport the next day. It came out to $186.54 for 4 people and our luggage. This was nice, but now being a little more familiar with the area, we would probably just take an official taxi to save money. Now, whenever I tell you the total for an official taxi you’re gonna be like “WHAT!! I thought this was a budget blog!” But hold your horses. Okay, there are two things that stress me out more than anything in this world while traveling. 1 is being late for my flight of course but 2 is wasting precious time. Since we only had approximately 9 hrs to see the beautiful city (we would’ve had 11 hrs but our flight was delayed… STRESS) I was afraid that we (mostly me) would freak and never find a way out of the airport. I know this is not realistic, but welcome to my brain. She’s a bit dramatic… anyways, the normal rate to get from FCO to the city of Rome, is about €48,00. Yes much cheaper, but I had to weigh my costs okayy. 

If you are a sane travel buddy and are fine with just taking a taxi, try not to just take the first person’s offer you see offering a “taxi.” Usually these are not official taxis and you’ll likely be overcharged. Look for the white taxis that have a Roma Capitale logo with the taxi number clearly shown on the front door. These are official Rome taxis and will charge a base rate to get to the city. 

Stay

We stayed at a cute Airbnb owned by a kind man named Malko. The place was located in what is known as “The Ghetto” lol. It is very well known for the Jewish history and cuisine. It is inside the Historic Building “Casa all’Arco Cenci Tavani.” It is an entire rental unit for 4 guests and we paid $160 for 1 night. It is near the City Centre, so there are many attractions, including the Pantheon, and dining options within walking distance. Malko is very nice and accommodating, as he allowed us to check in early and leave our luggage to explore the city. He was always available if we neded anything. He sent us a whole PDF about the apartment with recommendations for sightseeing, rooftops, dining, and more. He even offers a cooking experience with him and his wife to cook the “best Italian Roman Pasta ‘Amaticiana’ or ‘Carbonara.’” Cost is €35,00/person. Although we didn’t do it since we only stayed 1 night, I think it would be a great experience! I will attach the link to his Airbnb below. In the meantime, his Facebook & Instagram handle for the room is: @brunodomusroma

The following is how we spent our precious 12 hours in the City of Rome

Itinerary

1. Start at Colosseum & Roman Forum
2. Take 20 minute walk towards Pantheon (See Via Dei Fori Imperiali & Altare della Patria)-we took a little lunch break here at a hole in the wall. Lost my sunglasses here too. Btw, egg on pizza is very common in Rome apparently.
3. Pantheon-visit largest unreinforced concrete dome
4. Take 8 minute walk to the Trevi Fountain (throw a coin in and drink from the side fountain!)
5. Take 8 minute walk to Piazza di Spagna-take the Spanish Steps that leads to Trinità die Monti church
6. Take 10 minute walk to Terrazzo del Pincio (Pincian Terrace) to see Roman skyline
7. Stroll around the park of the gardens of the Villa Borghese
8. Go to Piazza del Popolo-Eat, coffee, people watch, relax lol **We took a taxi straight to the Vatican from here because we needed a little break from walking! If you would like to continue walking or take the scooters, continue to number 9. If you’re like us, skip to 10.
9. Take 20 minute walk to Castel Sant’Angelo-walk along Tiber River and cross over Ponte Sant’Angelo (angelic statues). Tickets are $13/person if you want to go in
10. Take 15 minute walk (or short taxi) to the Vatican-wonder around St. Peter’s Square, see Basilica and Sistine Chapel. **We also took a taxi to our next stop which is Trastevere because it’s about 3 miles away, which is equivalent to a 50 min walk for me, on a good day lol. Also, we called for a taxi through the Uber app, but there are other ways to do this. 
11. End in Trastevere (cobbled streets, eateries, and bars) *Piazza Trilussa is a meeting place for locals with big crowds and live music. Cooking classes are available, as well as street food tours! We ate at this restaurant known as Trattoria Da Enzo al 29. This place was so yummy! The pasta is more al dente than what I am used to in America, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it, maybe a little more than at home. Some must tries there are the burrata, olive oil tasting, and of course their famed carbonara! Prices are reasonable, especially for the quality ranging from €0,50 to €18,00. I will include the link at the bottom. **We also took a taxi back home, just because the walk back to our Airbnb would’ve been about a 25 min walk, which is doable, but it was getting dark. 

I hope that this blog can help you in some way! This is my first post so please bear with me. I am going to try and add a comment section at the bottom so you can ask questions or even give me recommendations on the blog or the travel itself. Thanks for reading & welcome to My Life in a Suitcase.

Stay: Ancient Lux Roman Apt 4pax / Bruno Domus Antiqua

Restaurant for Dinner: Trattoria Da Enzo al 29

Extra Tips

Bring a water bottle to fill up at fountains instead of having to pay for water!

It’s important to note that this itinerary does not include any tours and if you want to do tours, be sure to book before you get to Rome as they fill up quickly!