Rome Travel Guide
Rome Travel Guide
The Italian capitol is a must-see on any trip to Italy. Rome is full of history spanning centuries, but also has the vibrant, lively feel of a more modern big city. Rome has so much to offer, so definitely plan to spend more than a day there if you want to see it all.
Keep reading below for my recommendations on areas to stay, best things to do, my favorite restaurants & safety for solo female travelers!
Jump To:
- *Backpacks & Bubbly – Top Picks for Drinks With A View*
- Where to Stay in Rome
- Best Things to do in Rome
- Rome Restaurant Recommendations
- Best Day Trips from Rome
- Getting Around Rome
- How Many Days to Spend in Rome
- Safety for Solo Female Travelers in Rome
- Top Blog Posts – Rome
Disclaimer: This article contains some links where I earn commission through booking. There is no extra cost to you, and I only recommend things I’ve used and love or places I’ve stayed and enjoyed!
*Backpacks & Bubbly – Top Picks for Drinks With A View*
Trevi Rooftop at Relais Fontana Di Trevi Hotel
The Trevi Rooftop is an awesome hidden spot, a rooftop bar located in a small hotel offering stunning aerial Trevi Fountain views. If you’re ever been to the Trevi Fountain you know it’s literally always so crowded, and while it’s beautiful, the crowds can totally detract from the experience. The Trevi Rooftop is an amazing place to grab a drink and see the Trevi Fountain without 100 people standing in front of you!
Runner Up: Cielo Terrace
At the top of the Spanish Steps offers stunning sunset views looking out over Rome across the Tiber to the Vatican. This was one of my favorite views in all of Rome and is a great place to grab drinks or dinner. Try to call and make a reservation if you can, it’s very popular at sunset!
Where to Stay in Rome
As I mentioned, Rome is a massive city with tons of options for where to stay. Certain main tourist sites in Rome are located close together to help you decide where to stay, while others are spread across all areas of the city. I recommend choosing the area where you envision spending the most time and finding a hotel near there.
Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, & Pantheon
All sit on the same side of the river, and these neighborhoods are where I generally prefer to stay. These are not all super close, for example, the Colosseum to the Spanish Steps is about a 30 minute walk, but you can easily navigate between all of the these areas on foot if you choose to stay in one of them.
Relais Fontana di Trevi
I love the area around the Trevi Fountain and most recently stayed at Relais Fontana di Trevi, located just steps from the fountain with a rooftop bar overlooking the Trevi Fountain. It was a great spot and I highly recommend.
Colonna Palace Hotel
I recently stayed at the Colonna Palace Hotel in Rome & highly recommend. It’s located right near the Pantheon, has a lovely rooftop bar where breakfast is also served. I loved this hotel and the views!
Piazza Navona
On my most recent trip to Rome I stayed at the Navona Queen Rooftop Hotel. This charming hotel has an amazing rooftop bar with sunset views over the Vatican. This place was worth it just for the views!
The Vatican
The Vatican is across the Tiber River almost an hour walk from the Colosseum (although there is a subway that can get you there) If you plan on spending more time at the Vatican you can opt to stay on this side of the river. I find I spend much more time in the area noted above, so I’ve never stayed near the Vatican, but there a tons of hotel options!
Trastevere
If you’re looking for a more authentic an Roman experience & to stay somewhere a bit removed from the more touristy areas of Rome. Trastevere has some great options. Just keep in mind you’ll need to travel a bit farther to get to some of the main landmarks!
Best Things to do in Rome
The Colosseum & Roman Forum
The Colosseum and Roman Forum are two of the most iconic things to see in Rome and are located next to each other. You’ll need to buy a ticket ahead of time (they do sell out) The ticket will get you into the Roman Forum & Palantine Hill as well. Tickets can be purchased here.
If you’re interested in the history and understanding what you’re looing at (particularly in the Roman Forum) I recommend taking a guided tour, which will cover all three areas. The ancient ruins of the Forum are impressive, but without a guide it’s hard to know what you’re looking at, plus they offer tons of great insight in the Colosseum as well.
Tours can be found here (and include the cost of admission) I recommend skipping some of the upgrade options, like adding additional areas of the Colosseum, speaking from personal experience, the main entry tickets get you the best views.
While you’re in the area of the Colosseum, you can check out the Arch of Constantine, which sits right next to the Colosseum, and the Altar of the Fatherland, dedicated to the fist King to unify Italy.
The Trevi Fountain
The stunnning Trevi Fountain is my favorite thing in Rome. It’s absolutely a must-see, but it’s located in a small piazza and it gets insanely crowded. I highly recommend going late at night (it’s prettier at night x1000) I’d say after midnight if you’re up late enough. You’ll have so many less crowds to deal with! If not, try to get there very early in the morning to beat the crowds!
The Vatican
I recommend exploring the Vatican on a different day than the day you spend in Ancient Rome. It’s a lot to try and see in one day and the two are not close by! The Vatican consists of several things worth seeing, like, St. Peter’s Square, St Peter’s Basilica, The Sistine Chapel (which is a part of the Vatican Museum complex)
Entrance to the Basilica is free, but you should beware that the lines will be long almost no matter which time of year you go! There are many tour options that offer guided tours + skip-the-line access to the Basilica, the Sistine Chapel & the Vatican Museums – I highly recommend this option to save you time and enhance your overall experience! Even if you don’t choose a guided tour, tickets are required for the Sistine Chapel & Vatican Museum, these can be purchased as a combo or individually.
Trastevere
After spending your morning at the Vatican, I recommend exploring the Trastevere, one of Rome’s most famous neighborhoods, that also sits on the same side of the river as the Vatican. There’s not a lot of touristy type destinations to see here, it’s just a great place to experience more authentic Roman culture. I recommend exploring and having dinner over here!
Pantheon
The Pantheon, originally built as a Roman Temple, and later adopted as a Catholic church in Rome is definitely worth a visit. It’s most famous for the hole directly in the center of the roof, originally added to provide a connection between the temple and the gods above.
Spanish Steps
One of the best experiences in Rome is to enjoy the sunset from the Spanish Steps with a bottle of wine!
Piazza Navona
One of Rome’s largest piazzas featuring several famous fountains, like the Fiumi Fountain (or the fountain of the four rivers) Neptune Fountain & Fountain of the Moor
Castelo Sant’Angelo
For some of the absolute best views in Rome buy a ticket to Castelo Sant’Angelo. Although I found the inside of the castle itself a bit underwhelming, the rooftop views across all of Rome are wildly impressive. The castle is the Mausoleum of Hadrian. You’ll want to buy tickets ahead of time, so you don’t have to wait in line when you arrive.
Best Restaurants in Rome
There are soooo many restaurants in Rome it’s hard to narrow down a list of the best, so I’ll just give my top recommendations – these are all restaurants I would 100% go back to on my next trip to Rome
Traditional Roman Dishes
These are the dishes local to Rome (and although you may find them on menus in other parts of the country) you’re going to want to try them in Rome
- Cacio e Pepe – Cacio e pepe means “cheese and pepper” the dish contains grated Pecorino Romano cheese and black pepper, together with spaghetti
- Pasta Carbonara – a pasta made with eggs, hard cheese, pancetta and black pepper.
- Pasta Amatriciana – features a sauce of guanciale (salt-cured pork jowl), tomato, pecorino romano and chiles.
My Restaurant Recommendations by Neighborhood
Trastevere
- Nannarella – One of the most popular restaurants in Rome and for good reason. Nannarella will be streaming with crowds at all time of day. I got there at opening and there were already people lined about outside and all the tables were full within twenty minutes. It was totally worth it. Their infamous for their meatballs or polpette in Italian
- Tonnarello
- Taverna Trilussa
- Alice Pizza
- Mama Eat Roma
Trevi Fountain
Agrodolce – one of the authentic restaurants near the Trevi Fountain (surrounded by a bunch of more touristy places) I highly recommend the Cacio e Pepe. Definitely make reservations this place got very crazy at night!
Piazza Navona
- Osteria da Fortunata
- Il Corallo
- Baffetto Pizzeria
- Cantina & Cucina
Spanish Steps
Caffè Ciampini di Marco Ciampini
At the top of the Spanish Steps offers stunning sunset views looking out over Rome across the Tiber to the Vatican. This was one of my favorite views in all of Rome and is a great place to grab drinks or dinner. Try to call and make a reservation if you can, it’s very popular at sunset!
Best Day Trips from Rome
Pompeii
If you’re a history fan, Pompeii is a can’t miss spot on your trip to Italy. If Rome is as far south as you’re heading, you can still take a day trip to see Pompeii. To get there, you can either take an organized day trip or you can travel to Pompeii on your own.
This day tour is a great option, it takes you from Rome to Pompeii with a visit to Mt. Vesuvius (the infamous volcano that led to Pompeii) You’ll have several hours to explore Pompeii and then Vesuvius. Please note, in the winter Vesuvius is inaccessible, so the tour will stop in Naples instead.
In lieu of Vesuvius, you can add the Amalfi Coast as your second stop. You’ll have a few hours to explore Pompeii then take the stunning drive down the windy coastal roads leading to Positano, one of the most iconic and beautiful towns on the Amalfi Coast, where you’ll have a few hours to explore.
If you’d rather organize your own day tour to Pompeii you can take the train from Rome to Naples and then grab the local train from Naples to Pompeii.
Saturnia, Tuscany
Saturnia is one of my favorite areas of Tuscany, and can be done as a day trip from Rome. You’ll need to rent a car for this day trip. Saturnia can be reached from Rome in 2 hours. Saturnia is known for it’s epic views and natural hot springs.
Some of the best things to do on a day trip:
- visit the infamous hot springs (free)
- explore charming Saturnia
- check out some of the best views in Tuscany
- grab dinner or lunch with epic views at Saturnia Tuscany Hotel
Florence
I highly recommend visiting Florence for a few days and not just as a day trip, but if you’re short on time, Florence can be done as a day trip from Rome! A high speed train between the two takes less than two hours.
If you only have one day in Florence, my top recommendations are
- Visit the Duomo and climb the Bell Tower for epic views
- Explore the charming Ponte Vecchio
- Head to Piazzale Michelangelo for the best sunset views in Florence
- Visit infamous David at Galleria del’Academia
Getting Around Rome
Rome is a massive city, and while many locations are walkable to one another you’ll likely need to take some other forms of transportation while you’re there. For example, the Vatican and the Colosseum are about a forty minute walk from one another.
Ubers are accessible in Rome and are great for getting around if you’re having trouble finding a taxi, otherwise from most major areas in Rome it is easy to grab a taxi and they’re priced similar to Ubers.
Rome also has a substantial metro system that connects various neighborhood and can be used to get around. Details on the metro map and prices can be found here
Getting to Rome from the Airport
The airport in Rome is about a 40 minute train ride from Roma Termini (the main Rome train station) Taking the Leonardo Express – a train that runs from the airport to the city center every 15-30 minutes is absolutely the easiest and most cost efficient way to get there. Follow the signs from your airport terminal and purchase your ticket at one of the kiosks. Tickets are 14euro one way
I absolutely recommend not taking a taxi over the train, taxis are much more expensive and sit in way more traffic!
How Many Days to Spend in Rome
2-3 Days
You could easily spend a week or more exploring all that Rome has to offer, and taking day trips to nearby places. But I’d recommend spending at least 2-3 days in Rome to see the highlights.
You can see my 2 days in Rome Itinerary here.
Safety for Solo Female Travel in Rome
4.5 out of 5
I’ve spent a lot of time in Rome traveling alone and have always felt very safe! Rome is a super busy city, so even wandering late at night you never feel like you’re wandering alone and there are always crowds of people around. As always, it’s better to be careful on more remote streets and always be careful taking public transportation at night, but overall, I’d highly recommend for solo travel!
