Rome

Rome is a year-round destination and perfect for a mini-break. I spent three nights there with my husband for our wedding anniversary. It has been a long time since I’ve had a culture shock! Rome was stunning, interesting and totally unexpected! Beautiful buildings, cobbled streets, lovely restaurant choices and easy to get around.

We travelled with British Airways from London Gatwick to Rome Fiumicino. It is also possible to fly to Ciampino airport. From Fiumicino we took a small shuttle bus transfer, which took around 50 minutes’ due to traffic and drop offs. It’s worth noting that these types of transfers do not drop you to your hotel door due to many small side streets and pedestrian areas. For our return transfer we had a private car that collected us from our hotel. The whole experience was worth it, paying a little extra for comfort and convenience. It is also possible to take a train from the airport to Rome Termini station.

We stayed at the ‘Luxury Trevi Fountain apartments’, which is in fact a small hotel, but many rooms have a sitting area. The location was perfect: two minutes’ walk to the Trevi Fountain, and within 10 minutes’ walk to the Colosseum and Spanish steps. This was the perfect location for the sites, restaurants and shopping.

Top Attractions

The Colosseum Gladiators and wild animals fought to the death within the ‘Amphitheatrum Flavium’ every other day at the height of the Roman Empire. Even if you simply stare at it from the tree lined street, the colosseum inspires awe for bygone ancient glory like no other monument I have ever seen.

For the Colosseum we asked the hotel reception to book ‘skip the line’ vouchers for us. This saved queuing and cost around €16 each. It is also possible to hire audio in different languages, enabling you to complete a self-guided tour. This cost €5 each and enhanced our experience.

The Spanish Steps Flanked by pink palazzos and palm trees, 138 steps of polished, curvaceous travertine cascade towards the luxury retail zone of Piazza di Spagna and Via Condotti. There is no charge to walk up and down the steps. It is nice to sit in a café here and watch the world go by!

Trevi Fountain – Fontana di Trevi This was the highlight for me. It’s simply stunning as the sun shone on the marble columns and pristine white statutes, with the water cascading down into the fountain. It is an entire three-storey building façade filled with fanciful, exaggerated tableau of Neptune driving his two-seahorse chariot towards a wide pool of pale blue water. The fountain is located right in the middle of a busy pedestrian cobbled street, full of cafes, shops and small hotels. It is extremely popular and busy. I recommend arriving early morning or as the sun goes down. As our hotel was two minutes from the fountain, I got up early one morning and arrived at 7am to avoid the crowds, and it was worth it! There is no charge to visit the fountain.

The Vatican We took a pre-booked excursion for this. It is an absolute must or you could be queuing in the sun for hours. I recommend visiting early morning or late afternoon because as you can imagine, it is extremely busy here.

St Peter’s Basilica – with Bernini’s piazza and Michelangelo’s dome crowing the skyline, the interior of St Peter’s is the most impressive. The Vatican basilica was completed in 1626, and it a huge treasure chest of artist pieces, including Michelangelo’s pieta. I particularly liked the huge ancient maps which adorned the walls.

Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel – during the 1500s, the Popes began hoarding the Greek and Roman sculpture that is the core of the collection in these three-mile-long galleries.

Restaurants The food is good in Rome! I don’t usually eat ice-cream but here it’s a must! I recommend Cherry and Amaretto. For a couple of coffees, you can expect to pay round €8, and eating out like any city is a matter of choice. Eating a meal down a side street is always going to cost you less! Our best meal was at the Chianti restaurant located three minutes from the Trevi Fountain. It’s a typical authentic Italian restaurant recommended to me by one of my customers. You can eat inside or outside, and eat anything from spaghetti bolognaise to Apollo chicken or beef steak. There are vegetarian options, and very good wine.

Language Gelato – Ice-cream Grazie – Thank you Per Favore – Please Parla Inglese? - Do you speak English? Non capisco – I don’t understand Quanto costa? – How much is it? Buona sera – Good evening Arrivederci – Goodbye una tavola per due – a table for two vino bianco – White Wine

To do in Rome

• Food Walking Tour • Helicopter over Rome • Shopping • Sit outside a café and watch the world go y • The Spanish Steps • Colosseum • The Vatican • Open-air cinema on Tiber Island (July and August) • Jazz Festival (July and August) • Antiques and craft fair • Hire a scooter • Take a hop on/hop off bus tour • Trevi Fountain • Walk the tree lined streets • Wine tasting

Top Tips

• Pre book excursions and skip the line tickets before you travel • Plan a rough itinerary to maximise your time • Stay in a centrally located hotel • Take a private car transfer from the airport • Have breakfast included in your hotel stay • Reserve a table at a restaurant for your evening meal in high season • Go to see Michelangelo’s painted ceilings at the Vatican

Climate Rome enjoys a Mediterranean climate, with mild winters and hot, dry summers. January is the coldest month in Rome, and July and August the warmest. The weather in Rome during summer (June to August) can be uncomfortably hot, with temperatures often exceeding 95°F (35°C) at midday, and locals tend to close their businesses during August. Winter (December to February) is mild, with the average temperature in December hovering around 55°F (13°C). Heavy snowfall is rare but almost every winter there are light snow flurries in the city. Rain showers are possible any time of year, but the drizzle is seldom very disruptive to visitors. The best time to travel to Rome is in the springtime, between March and May, when skies are blue and the weather warm. Autumn is also considered peak tourist season, as the months of September and October are very pleasant.