Rome- 40th Birthday Treat

We took a flight from London Gatwick to Rome, everything went very smoothly and on arriving in Rome we jumped in our waiting private transfer to the hotel. We chose a four star hotel three miles out of the city centre; I found you get more for your money staying just a bit outside the centre. On arriving at the hotel we were greeted by very friendly staff. Check in was effortless and we were upgraded to a Junior Suite which was spacious and beautiful. The hotel Palazzo Carpegna was a good four star hotel set in its own grounds with lovely gardens.

The hotel was only a five minute walk to the metro station so it was ideal. Once we had dropped things off in the room, we headed to the metro. We bought a three day metro pass for 15 euros each and jumped on the next train. The station nearest to the hotel is "Cornelia" and it was only seven stops to "Piazza Barberini" taking around 20 minutes. The trains are very bright and clean and really easy to use.

Piazza Barberini is the nearest station to Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. When we got off the train we tried to find Trevi Fountain which was very amusing, we eventually found this amazing looking fountain down a side street about five minutes’ walk from the station. The fountain was beautiful and the surrounding area was really bustling, it’s definitely worth seeing. During our time in Rome the weather was red hot, so we decided to have a drink near the fountain and just sit and people watch for a while.

After a little rest we headed to the Spanish Steps. It took about ten minutes to walk there; the whole area was alive and buzzing with people sitting on the steps having their lunch and just generally chit chatting. The atmosphere was wonderful with people having fun. We climbed the steps and headed for the open top bus stop where we purchased a 48 hour pass for £20 and hopped on. The sites you see on from the bus are brilliant and it’s definitely the best way to see the city.

The Colosseum was the first place we hopped off and visited, it’s a very dominating and interesting structure. The queues were really long so we opted for a private tour with a guide, with queue jumping included. The whole tour was great and the wacky guide was fantastic, it’s always good to hear amusing stories.

Back on the bus and continuing with the tour, the building and monuments we passed were beautiful and completely over the top. I found myself imagining what Rome used to be like back in the days when Gladiators and Roman Emperors ruled.

Next hop off was of course "Vatican City". There is really only one word to describe it - WOW. It was breath-taking and once inside, very calming. Note to all, please cover up legs and arms when visiting the Vatican as if you don’t they won’t let you in.

The rest of our trip we just hopped on and off the bus at our leisure and took in everything roman, it truly is a fabulous city full of romance, great food, wine and amazing history. The locals are friendly and the atmosphere is very special. Once again I could go on and on, but I won’t! It should be on everyone's bucket list. If you are thinking of visiting the Italian capital and would like more detail please get in touch!