Quick trip to Rome, anyone?

My big 10-day trip to Italy is over, and I’m still dreaming of Cacio e Pepe in Rome, family fun in Grottaminarda, and stunning Sorrento views.

The trip was ten days and strictly planned—tours, stays, rides, and most meals set up in advance. It’s not the way I normally travel, but it was nice to experience something different. I talk about this adjusting to a new travel style in my last post “Get in Loser, We’re Going to ITALY!”, where I also note our entire itinerary and my apprehension about sharing a room.

Ten (very planned) days is a long time. There was just WAY too much to fit our whole trip into one post, so instead I’m breaking it up. Today I’m highlighting the first portion of our trip—The three days spent in Rome. I missed some major landmarks, as you’ll read later. This is just part of the deal when you’re making a quick stop to a big city. Things will be missed. But not to worry, it gives a great excuse to go back someday.

This post goes over our Rome itinerary, as well as some last minute add-on activities I opted to do by myself. If you’ll be taking a quick trip to Rome, this is a great place to start.

Day 1

Arrive in Rome, from a redeye, far too early to check into the hotel. Drop your bags and go exploring.

Touristing

Spanish Steps

Our early morning arrival in Rome was perfect timing to see some of the sights that don’t require a tour or ticket. When we arrived at 7am to the Spanish Steps there were only a few people there, and the temperatures were still bearable.

Breakfast

We stopped for a much-needed breakfast after this, at a cute café called Numbs Pizzeria, where half of us got eggs and half got pizza. (When in Rome!) I opted for a crepe with mushrooms and spinach. Mmmm. This stop was important because we were all starving, and because it was the first time outside the airport that we could all sit around and get to know one another, a little pow-wow on our first morning in Italy. The downside to our tasty stop was that in the time it took all 12 of us to order, eat, and pay the tab, the sun had risen to mid-morning heights and offered a scorcher of a greeting as we stepped outside the shade of our café’s terrace.

Trevi Fountain & Pantheon

The walk to the Trevi fountain, just 10 more minutes away, was our first taste of what Rome would be—searing and sweaty. We arrived at the Trevi Fountain just after what seemed to be a million other people, and inched our way, through the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds to get our own absurd pictures at the landmark. Some of the people in my group went back later that night, to catch a glimpse of its white marble all lit up and glowing in the darkness. There were still crowds of people around, they told me.

I wanted to check out the Pantheon, so another 20 sweaty minutes we walked. By this time, most of our group had gone back to the hotel in hopes of a room becoming available, and if not, to wait in the air conditioned inside. Just Jerry and I, related apparently, but strangers until the night before, were the so-called “troopers” to brave the sun and walk on.

The Pantheon was impressive from the outside, but I had no idea about what it all meant. I’ll be using “Dumb American” as my excuse, but I get it if you’re rolling your eyes. I would have happily gone inside (I would have gone inside anywhere to escape the sun’s heat), but the line stretched back throughout the baking square for so long I thought the last people in line would surely be shriveled chards by the time they reached the entrance. I vowed to look up information about the Pantheon later that night in my room, so my visit would seem significant. (It is good to know things, even if you are a Dumb American.) I never did look it up. Not that night, when I got surprising and terrible news. Not the next day, when I got kicked out of the Colosseum. Not the several days of hours-long drives in a private van for 12 with seating for 20. Never. But I did read about it after I started this post.

The Pantheon is an ancient temple, since converted to a Catholic church. Very on-brand for Rome. It is the site of some important burials: The painters Raphael and Annibale Carracci, composer Arcangelo Corelli, and two former kings of Italy; Vittorio Emmanuele II and Umberto I. Because it is still in use to this day, it is one of Rome’s best kept ancient buildings.

Getting Settled

Hotel Savoy

Note: I don’t normally talk about where I stay in blog posts because many of the great hotels I stay in are for my job. I don’t want to put myself or any of my coworkers at risk by publishing our locations. When I’m not working, I only write about hotels or Airbnbs if they are particularly great. But since this was not a work trip, and I don’t plan on being back any time soon, I’ll spill the deets about our accommodation on this Italy trip.

The Hotel Savoy was perfect for a quick trip to Rome. It is a ten-minute walk from the Spanish Steps, an 11-minute drive to the Colosseum and ancient ruins, and just two blocks from the Borghese Gardens, a large and leafy city park. The rooms were comfortable and the rooftop terrace is picturesque. The breakfast, which was included in our stay is fantastic.

Find more info at Savoy.It/en.

Nap time

Three hours, in the middle of the day. YES. PLEASE.

Dinner & Drinks

Drinks on the terrace of our hotel, overlooking the cityscape of Rome at sunset, was a nice gathering spot for our herd of newly refreshed travelers. If you are in the area, the terrace at Hotel Savoy is worth visiting for a cocktail and sweet views.

Dinner was at a cute restaurant near the hotel, who’s insides struggled to hold us all. I was impressed that we were able to get in anywhere with 12 people and no reservation, but these servers really made it work. I dined on Cacio e Pepe and an enormous salad and sipped on glass after glass of sparkling water, parched from the day.

Day 2

Ancient Ruins & Colosseum Tour

Day two of our trip was a morning tour of the ruins of ancient Rome and the Colosseum, where the gladiators fought.

Seeing the ancient ruins, learning about the systems of society—parliament and convents and fire keepers and grand processions, even learning about the sewer system—was really freaking cool. There are ancient ruins to be seen all over this area of Rome, and much of it is free to walk by. However, I strongly recommend going inside to the paid area with a tour guide. You get so much more out of the visit by having someone knowledgeable show you around.

Due to a communication error on the part of our group’s travel agent, I unfortunately did not make it into the Colosseum.

Word to the wise: the ticket takers at the gates of the Colosseum do NOT mess around. Because my ticket was purchased last minute, separately from the group, they made me split off from the pack to go to the single ticket entry line. Our guide argued, but to no avail.  When I went to the individual ticketholder line, I was turned away because my timed entry had expired over the course of the conversation and brief walk. The guide, again, argued on my behalf, but they were in no mood to make exceptions. It was bullshit, to be frank.

In the high noon sun and heat, the embarrassment of getting kicked out of the colosseum and the annoyance at what was an entirely preventable problem, bubbled inside me and threatened to explode in what would surely look like a very American response. I huffed away to recover myself in what little shade was available. And then I made a new plan.

This section of Rome is filled with ancient ruins. I walked along the streets, taking in more of the city that once was—the face of an empire. I stopped by a gelato shop and got a pistachio cone entirely too big for the heat outside. I stood in an alleyway and ate it, holding it as far as possible from my body to avoid drips of earth-colored cream on my clothes. Then I had another idea.

Musei Capitolini

Capitoline Museums

Where to be in the middle of a scorching day in Rome? In an air-conditioned building, of course. So, while my group toured the Colosseum packed with people, I sauntered around galleries in a cool museum. The Capitoline Museums are a series of museums housing art, artifacts, and archeological items. Located in Piazza del Campidoglio, on top of Capitoline Hill, a short walk from the ancient ruins that line the streets of Rome. Admission is 16 Euro and well worth the price just to be inside!

As for the contents, this museum did not disappoint. I know I should care more about the ancient pieces of buildings and facades, about the everyday items from another time, recovered and sealed in glass. But if I’m honest, I was therefor the beautiful things. Sculptures of epic proportions—in marble and bronze—the She Wolf, The Head of Medusa. Murals that covered the walls of great halls, not an inch of space untouched. Paintings that swallow you like little Jonah in the belly of the whale. Carravaggio’s The Magician, perhaps my new favorite painting; the light and golden hues so real I longed to touch the subject’s shirt. Whether you’re in search of history or just beautiful things, the Capitoline Museums are a good choice.

To learn more about the Capitoline Museums, or to plan your visit, click here.

Dinner for 12

Ristorante Angolo Dell Aurora

Later that evening we went to a four-course dinner at Ristorante Aurora, steps from our hotel. This was pre-planned in our itinerary and would have been a great option for a couple or smaller group. Having a set menu for 12 people, including a vegetarian, two kiddos, and several picky eaters just wasn’t the move. The restaurant was super accommodating of our needs and preferences, but it probably would have been best for all parties involved to do an a-la cart style. We kept this in mind for the rest of the trip. Still, dinner was good and it was time well spent getting to know each other and to sit and relax in our otherwise very busy days.