A day in Rome

BY ONEIKA RAYMOND

What we did on the first day of our Roman holiday.

While I adore Italy, Rome has never been one of my favourite cities.  While I have had a great time there and love the food and vibe, I’m not a fan of the way it’s laid out, and beyond renowned structures like the Colosseum, the architecture and the general look of the city don’t really grab me.  It’s a large European city, but for me, at least, it doesn’t have the romance of Paris or the classic grandeur of Madrid.  It’s gritty — and the brownish colour that seems to tinge most of the buildings always makes me feel like the whole city is under a thin layer of dust (sidenote: I’ve been to Rome three times now and at the end of a day of touring my feet are always filthy). Still, my mom’s visit necessitated a visit to Italy’s capital; in my eyes, you can’t come Italy and not do Rome. 

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We grabbed a map from our appallingly overpriced and not-very-nice hotel in the back streets of the Rome Termini train station ($165 USD a night for a pokey 3-star affair — May is high season in Italy which means a scarcity of rooms and a severe price increase of those still available) and hit the streets on foot.  Thankfully, Rome is very walkable and the weather was excellent, a treat since the weather all over Europe has been wholly dismal this year. Our first day we covered a lot of ground. Here’s what we saw:

 The Colosseum

The Colosseum should probably be the first stop on your Rome itinerary, if only for the photo op.  We’ve already been inside and didn’t feel like shelling  out the 16 euro entry fee, so just hung around outside and took pictures in the weakening sunlight.  Cost: Approx $20 USD to enter, FREE to gawk at from the outside.

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The Spanish Steps

A stone’s throw away from the Fontana della Barcaccia, this is a great place to sit down and catch your breath (preferably with a gelato in hand!)– though with all the tourists you’ll probably have to fight for a seat.  Cost: FREE.

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Lunch in the Piazza Navona

It’s probably one of the most touristy corners in Rome, but I could care less: there’s a high concentration of restaurants and usually free live entertainment in the form of jugglers, accordian players, and the like.  The restaurants aren’t of the best quality here but they are cheap and cheerful.  If you’re low on funds, look for a restaurant that has a fixed price menu: we found a place that offered a starter, main, and a drink for $16 USD. Just be sure to always get a good look at what other diners are eating before committing to a restaurant, and always make sure to top off your meal with a gelato *wink*. Cost: varies.

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Roman Forum

The Foro Romano was once a thumping business district, marketplace, and hub for social and political activity in ancient Rome. It used to be free to enter, but now you can only visit if you’ve purchased a ticket to go into the Colosseum (the Colosseum ticket also allows access to Palatine Hill).  As such, we only observed it from above on this trip to Rome.  I’ve been before and it’s well worth the price of admission, though.

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Trevi Fountain and the Fountain of the Ugly Boat

They’re a few of the most famous fountains in the world, as evidenced by the 4, 504, 791 people you see in this photo trying to absorb the essence of the place.  The Fontana della Barcaccia is the one pictured below — would you believe that I don’t have a single picture of the Trevi Fountain amongst my 300 photos of Rome?! Bah! I do, however, have a hazy picture from when I went in 2006. At any rate, whichever one you visit, throw a coin in and make a wish! Cost: FREE.

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The Pantheon

This temple built in dedication to the gods has the coolest roof I’ve ever seen and I always make sure to stop by when I’m in Rome.  Cost: FREE.

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Il Vittoriano Monument

This grandiose monument is dedicated to the life of Vittorio Emanuele II, who according to Wikipedia is the first king of a unified Italy. The inside is lovely and a long terrace snakes the outer perimeter, giving stellar aerial-ish views of Rome.  Cost: FREE.

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Have you ever been to Rome?

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77 Comments

  • I lived in Rome for four years and I agree with you on the filthy feet. I loved that most of these places were/are free and I could visit multiple times without spending a dime 🙂 I also knew where to get the best gelato.

    • Good eye! You’re right! This is the fountain directly in front of the Spanish steps, the Fountain of the Ugly Boat!! Can’t find my pic of the Trevi Fountain, bah!

  • I would love to visit Rome someday and beautiful pictures you have got here.

  • I’ve visited Italy, but not rome. I recently saw an Anthony Bourdain show where he went to Rome – I may have drooled a bit.

  • I love reading your blog.. you got me hooked with the skydiving adventure you had. I am an avid skydiver,
    I will be traveling in Europe for 35 days in July and Aug. Beginning in Amsterdam touring to Budapest by river cruise then making my way to Paris by train, hopefully to stop in Croatia for a Dive, and then up through Venice. spending a few days in Paris and Nice then doing seven ports in Italy ending in Rome.
    Thank you for all of your insights

  • I did all of these things last month in Rome, too! I didn’t pay to go inside the Colosseum, though, so I’ll have to do that and the Roman Forum next time. Can’t wait to read more about your trip to Italy!

  • I have a really hard time enjoying a city when it’s so packed with tourists. I get why they’re all there (the same reason I am, I suppose) but I just hate fighting my way to a site through crowds and crowds of people!

    I went to Rome in high school – it was the last stop on our European trip and I don’t remember much except the Colosseum. We had a really great guided tour and while I don’t remember a lot of the content, I do remember being fascinated by it.

  • Lovely pictures. I hope to go to Rome someday. And thanks for highlighting costs, it’s nice to know there are free/cheap places to explore. :).

  • I’ve never been to Rome, have always wanted to go, and your post reminds me that if I do, it should be during the off-season. Ugh, I don’t want to have to battle with that many tourists (though I know Rome always has people there). I love your free tips you shared with me… one of the reason I haven’t gone to Rome yet is that I don’t necessarily want to do it as a backpacker/budget traveler… I want to be able to eat, eat, eat and see whatever I want without feeling like everything I want to do is just outside of my reach (like my trip to Barcelona).

    Thanks for sharing this; look forward to reading about the rest of your trip!

  • I did Rome in one day as well and loved it! I saw most of the places you mentioned, plus a few others. I was exhausted at the end of the day but really happy 🙂

  • Rome is still on my bucket list! Sure it might be a bit touristy, but I think it still warrants a visit!

  • As much as the sightseeing in Rome can be a hassle, I still love it. The Pantheon was one of my favorite things to do when I visited last summer – way more incredible in person than I was imagining.

  • I love Rome. It was my first backpacker destination as an 18-year old a very long time ago. I suspect it changed a bit over the years, but I would love to go back one day actually.

  • Your photos reminded me our stay in Rome! I love that city! Thanks 🙂

  • I have been to Rome several times, I have friends there and they want me to move there soon and I do as well. I am seriously on the job hunt. I last traveled to Rome during the last two weeks of August; apparently that’s when all the Romans head to the shores for vacation. Thus, the streets were empty and it was great! I highly recommend Italy during Labor Day week for all my fellow Americans out there. Oneika, Rome is not one of my fav Italian cities either. I absolutely love Venice, Bologna (GREAT FOOD), Assisi, Siena and several other small towns. Aside from America, Italy and Switzerland are where I want to be.

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