Rome, Italy

March 2017

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Tips: 

• There are ruins EVERYWHERE. I’m not joking. Every corner you turn you’ll see something old af. So don’t feel like you need to do the touristy thing because you will end up doing it accidentally.

• If you want to do the touristy thing, then do the hop on hop off bus FIRST THING. It’s a great way to get a quick view of all of the top spots and get the lay of the land. Now you’ll know what direction to walk later.

• If you don’t like cats then you probably shouldn’t explore some of the old tourist attractions like the Colosseum. They even turned an old ruin in the middle of the city into a cat sanctuary. There are cats everywhere.

• Adjust your eating times if you aren’t used to lunch after 12:30 and dinner after 7:30. Pack a snack with you just in case.

• Many restaurants are not open on Sunday for dinner. Prepare yourself to walk around looking for a spot. It may not be too hard depending on where you are staying but I’d rather you prepare your feet and mind for long walks before dinner just in case.

• If you need to print your tickets! The New Generation Hostel Santa Maggiore has a printer and wifi and will print for very little money. Actually, i think we just tipped him money for being helpful. This is good to know if you are staying at an Airbnb or your hotel sucks.

 

Common Phrases:

Thank you- Grazie

Thank you very much- Grazie tante

You're welcome- Prego

Please- Per favore

Yes- Sì

No- No

Excuse me- Mi scusi.

I'm sorry- Mi dispiace

I don't understand- Non capisco.

Do you speak English?- Parla inglese?

 

Unique:

 -Well I already mentioned the ruins. Im not sure you’ll find another photo perfect city at every turn.

-This is a city of food and fashion to all of the other unique things I found on my journey are actually listed below in Food & Drink and Shopping.

 

Food & Drink:

-Bar Cottini is the legit locals place. It looks like a convenience store almost but that pasta was so good we ate there 2 nights in a row and we had gelato there every day (even though we tried many others) and the employees kept saying “welcome back” every time we walked in. Weirdly, there are tons of bad review on Google but what I’ve noticed is that they are mostly complaining about the expensive coffee or breakfast (i didn't have either) and rude staff. I’d say they were typical wait staff in a European country where you don’t tip. Honestly it was no different than any other restaurant service. Also, the fact that they remembered us and welcomed us every day feels a bit better than “rude.”

-Temakinho is a very cool spot and very popular. They call themselves a Japanese restaurant but they have ceviche and the decor is leaning toward Brazilian. Regardless, its worth checking out. The flavors are amazing, the food is unique and the atmosphere will put you in a tropical place filled with happiness.

-The train station has a really cool indoor food hall. You can get typical Italian dishes like pasta and pizza or you can get vegan foods, fried chicken, and other crazy foods. This is a great option if you have people with different diets in the group.

-If you need a break from Italian food (but who the hell would) then you can get a lobster roll at the Fisherman Burger. It’s your typical “lobstah" roll with chips and at the typical price (not cheap) but a great way to satisfy the seafood craving.

-Pam is a great tiny supermarket all over the city which has really high quality foods at great prices. They are perfect for snacks or tapas style lunches. They have tons of pre-made meals and super cheap wine. We bought a delicious red for $4.

 

 

Budget:

- There is a shuttle bus from either airport direct to the train station (which is walking distance to many hotels and Airbnbs) from $5. My recommendation is to buy a round trip ticket IF your return flight does not require that you take the first bus back to the airport (4:50 to Ciampino and 5:10 to Fiumicino). People get to the bus stop very early risking your spot on the bus and the buses do not necessarily leave on time. These two factors can risk you missing your flight or taking an expensive taxi on top of wasting your return bus ticket. If you do not need to take the first bus then the round trip is the way to go. Just head to the bus stop early to guarantee you get to the airport in time.

-If you can plan your trip Jan-April you will score better hotel and Airbnb rates. We got an apartment to ourselves on Airbnb for $270 for 3 nights. Id recommend it too because it was a super location. Not to mention that just up the street across from the front of the Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore is a damn good Gelateria/bakery/restaurant. It looks like a convenience store almost but that past was so good we ate there 2 nights in a row and we had gelato there every day (even though we tried many others) and the employees kept saying “welcome back” every time we walked in.

 

Shopping:

-Pinko is a really odd high fashion retailer. It’s for the woman who wants to stand out just a bit. I like odd things like this so I easily found a skirt with vintage pastel cars on top of a camouflage pattern.

-Mercato Monti is a great urban thrift/flea market. Sunglasses, jewelry, vintage and handmade clothing as in usual markets. However, they also had some cool gadgets, lamps and furniture that i’ve never seen before. 

-Honestly, Italy is known for it’s leather and its fashion. There is a shopping district in which you can shop to your hearts desire.

 

Downfalls:

-We didn’t prepare properly. We walked SO much every day that by the time we got back to our apartment we didn't really want to go out for dinner. If we were smart, we should have taken a break right after lunch and relaxed a bit at the apartment to recharge for the evening.

 

Travel Details:

4 day weekend. March 2017