A week in Rome

A week in Rome

They call it the eternal city because Romans believed the Roman Empire would never collapse. For sure I never saw such grandness before.

With its Coliseum, the Trevi fountain and Castel Santangelo, to name a few, Rome is one of the most majestic cities I have ever visited. It took me 29 years to get there, but I can finally say I have spent a week in Rome and visited the capital of my own country.

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When to go?

All the people I spoke to, who have visited Rome in summer, seem to not like it and it seems that the heat and the crowds are the major reasons for that.

I would definitely avoid Rome from June to September. Rome is not by the sea and it gets incredibly hot and busy. We went on the first week of October and it was perfect. It was 22 degrees and there were enough people to make it lively without being overwhelmingg.

What to eat in a week in Rome?

Everything?!?! Yes, please.

But THE Roman dish for excellence is ‘Tonnarelli cacio e pepe‘. This is a very simple dish that consists of homemade thick ‘spaghetti’ with pecorino cheese and ground pepper. It’s delicious!

I would also recommend the ‘pasta alla gricia’ which has chilli flakes on top of ‘cacio e pepe’!

La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali was a very good value restaurant and extremely well located, just between the Coliseum and the ‘Foro Romano’. So good, we went back.

Where to go for a week in Rome?

Whether you are an outdoor person or a museum fanatic, Rome has something to offer.

My boyfriend and I are more the kind of outdoor people and walked about 25 k per day every day with a nap in between! Renting a bike is also a great idea!

We hired two for 10 € each and spent a lovely day cycling by the river.

Musei Vaticani

Super tip: Buy tickets on their website for an extra reasonable fee and skip the queue! 😉

Even if you don’t like to spend time inside places, I would highly recommend making the effort for the Vatican Museums.

My favorite bit was the Gallery with the Geography Maps. Absolutely stunning, especially if you love maps as I do 🙂

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Il Vittoriano

This monument is dedicated to the first king of an unified Italy, Re Vittorio Emanuele. It is very grand as you can see and it is free to climb it up. The white marble gives it that luxurious look and it is definitely a great and free thing to do while in Rome.

Ponte Fabricino – Isola Tiburtina

Castel Santangelo

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Trastevere

The most picturesque neighbourhood in Rome. Unfortunately, as you can see it was raining when we visited, but I can assure you it is lovely anyway.

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Pantheon

Fantastic piece of architecture with an open hole in the roof where for some reason water doesn’t come in (actually it does in small proportions).

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Foro Romano

The hub in Roman times.

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Fountains

There’s nothing as magic as fountains. Water is such a calming element and combined with white marble is luxury! Rome has hundreds of fountains scattered across the city. Just enjoy! 🙂

roman ruins

There is so much to do that a week in Rome is not as long as you think. I feel like we have seen so much but processed too little and I would love to go back and soak in the full atmosphere having more time on my hands.

If you are in Rome for a week, I would advise to take a day trip to Naples and Sorrento! We manage to fit in both in a day, leaving super early and coming back late, but it was definitely worth it 😉

Have a look at my post here for pictures and tips about Naples and Sorrento 🙂

Thanks for reading as always.

xxx

Sara