Rome in 3 days is it possible? Oh Yes

Early flight with Monarch (my preferred low cost airline) from Birmingham got us into Rome around midday, We thought we would try the express train into the main railway station 'Termini', as opposed to the expensive transfers just to see how they compare and to be honest it is an easy thing to do at a fraction of the cost (€28pp as opposed to £40pp on a shuttle transfer if booked in the UK).

Our hotel was only 1.3 km away from the train station so we decided to print off directions and walk to The Hotel Oxford. Our room, although small with no view at all, was functional with a good shower.

Having never been to Rome before I had made up a little must see list, as we were only here for 2 nights. To get our bearings I had pre booked a hop on hop off open top bus tour of the major sites and at £20pp for a 48 hour pass it was great value for money. We stayed on the bus for the full tour which not only was a great photo opportunity but gave us a great idea of distances between all the top sites. You can simply get off at any of the designated stops and get back on to suit yourself as they come along every 15-20 minutes.

Rome like any other major city can be expensive to eat out (as we found on our first lunch), but there are some great places to get great value for money if you look around. We found by accident a top place to eat on the Via Veneto called Caffé Strega. The restaurants and bars on the opposite side of the street were very over priced but we thought that this place was just about right. The food and service were excellent and if you go try the club sandwich - it was delicious.

We walked a lot as well but then you can in Rome although not advisable in 30 degree heat. We walked to the Spanish Steps but unfortunately it was crammed with a political rally so did not really get to see this properly. We used the hop on hop off bus again to take us to near the Trevi fountain - again very busy but worthy of a visit and again at night time once all lit up.

The Colosseum is an absolute must and we went both on foot and around on the bus. Queues to get in are long and unruly so pre paying for your tickets is advisable. But for me the highlight of the trip was the Vatican City and in particular the Vatican Museum which houses the Sistine Chapel. At €15pp it was money well spent although you can get free entry on the last Sunday of each month.

I won this trip in a prize draw but would not recommend a 2 night stay as there is so much more to see and do, definitely a minimum 4 night stay.

Ah well I will just have to return and as I threw a coin into the Trevi Fountain it is certainly on the cards. Next time I will get to explore Villa Borghese (Romes ‘Hyde Park’) and dine out in the Trestevere Area.

Arrivederci.

Thanks for reading.