Bella Roma. I hadn’t been back for 10 years and I missed it, studying Classics at uni means I have a certain attachment to cities of antiquity and Rome has to be the pinnacle. My husband had never been before so I knew exactly what to book as a post birthday getaway…
Disappointingly, the weather wasn’t great for our short stay, and actually rained for 2 of our 3 days – so most of these pictures are from our final day (luckily I packed enough options, including an umbrella – see my previous packing post here). But regardless of the weather, we had a fantastic time and loved the sights, the streets, the culture and probably most of all, the food.
So we jotted down a few of our favourite things to do, see and eat. Enjoy The Frugality City Guide: Rome.
WHERE TO STAY
In terms of hotels, to be honest, Rome is a bit ‘fancy’. Most hotels we looked at had columns, tons of marble with a side of gold. The best bet is to look for Pensiones or apartments, ours was roughly €90 a night through Air BnB (but our host was also on Sweet Inn). We stayed near The Vatican but in hindsight we should’ve stayed East of the river Tiber as it was a long walk to the major sights. The metro is fine but only a small network compared to other major cities – expect to walk A LOT, so the closer you can get to the places you want to visit is essential. If we could do it again, we’d probably stay near the Camp de’ Fiori area – close to major sights and tons of good restaurants.
WHAT TO DO
I suppose Rome is totally subjective. There is too much to do and too little time to do it in one weekend. I’d definitely say don’t try and do everything, make a shortlist of the top 3 sights and work your way around that – and remember not all sights are near each other. Be prepared to walk.
We were far more interested in the ancient sites (but I have been to The Vatican before and it’s worth doing if you haven’t, and don’t mind queues) so prioritised these…this was our hit list:
FORUM and COLOSSEUM
We queued for about 45 minutes to get tickets for both the Colosseum and the Forum (they’re sold together but last for 48 hours). The hoards at the Colosseum were a bit overbearing, even early, but it was still incredible to see. We decided to go back to the Forum first thing the following morning and it was incredible seeing it with hardly any crowds. It was so humbling walking around amongst thousands of years of history…and even more so that we had it to ourselves.
PANTHEON
This is free and my favourite building in Rome. The dome is almost incomprehensible for the era and if you go on a sunny day, the stream of light shining through is incredible.
TRASTEVERE
The cool, hip part of Rome – I’d recommending spending an afternoon roaming the beautiful streets and eating al fresco in one of the many leafy terraces with twinkling fairy lights.
BASILICA SAN CLEMENTE
I studied the ancient Roman cult of Mithraism for my dissertation so, for me, this church holds amazing interest. Not only is this church beautiful in its own right, you can also go underneath to see its excavations, the ancient frescoes and the 3rd century church underneath this one. And then go down another layer to see the remains of a Roman Mithraeum – where the mystery religion founded by the Romans was practised, and was an early rival of Christianity.
SAVELLO PARK
Again, this is free and a wonderful way to spend a few hours. Set amongst the hills in an orange grove, you get some of the most beautiful views of Rome and if the weather is good, it’s the perfect place to take a book and a picnic.
TREVI FOUNTAIN
One of Rome’s most iconic monuments – but it’s also on everyone else’s to-do list. During the day, the tour groups and the cruise ships all stop by for their iPad photos, selfie sticks and gelato shots. Try and go at dusk or first thing in the morning to really take in its beauty. Because it really is worth the hype.
CAMPO DE’ FIORI
This is an easy one to add to your list, as you can spend as little or as long as you like here. And chances are, you’ll probably pass through at some point as it is near so many sights and great restaurants. I especially loved browsing all the crockery and food stalls as live performers payed music and everyone sat outside basking in the sunshine – a real feast for the senses.
WHERE TO EAT
I would never order a pasta dish in a restaurant, as always feel it’s something you can just knock up at home. But in Rome, we had some of the best pasta we’ve ever eaten. And so simple – Cacio e pepe is the traditional Roman dish: spaghetti, pepper and pecorini – and it’s always reasonably priced. We only visited recommended restaurants (via instagram and friends) and all of them exceeded our expectations:
Rosciolo
This was one of those perfect meals for us. We couldn’t get a reservation, so turned up early instead at 7pm and got the last two seats at the bar. The staff were friendly, recommended us complimentary dishes and all the ingredients so fresh (you can see it being carved and served in front of you). The starters are big enough to share and the burrata was incredible, and the La Gricia is a dish my husband and I still talk about….
Osteria Da Fortunata
Recommended to us by an Italian reader (thanks Francesca!), and one of those hidden gems that was larger than life. We went for lunch on a Sunday and it was full of long tables of locals having big family meals, and there were two amazing women hand rolling the pasta at the front. Great prices, fantastic food and even better atmosphere.
Armando Al Pantheon tucked away on a side street by the Pantheon, try and reserve a table as it gets busy. Intimate, friendly and super food – this was my first taste of Cacio e Pepe and it didn’t let me down.
Dar Poeta one of the many great, relaxed establishments in Trastevere – pizzas here are delicious and €8.50. There are probably too many tables crammed into this already cramped space but that’s part of the charm.
This post was in collaboration with Next, which made this city guide possible.
Oooh this has got me itching to go back to Rome! Armando is great, I love how wonderfully retro it feels inside. The Osteria sounds incredible too! My favourites are the Pantheon and the Forum, you can really feel the history in the walls of the buildings xxx
Lucy @ La Lingua
Oh yes – loved it! The osteria is definitely one to add to your list – someone in Rome went the day after seeing it on my Instagram stories and loved it too! xx
You’ve made Next clothes look better than I’ve seen for years. I often think they’re unnecessarily embellished but I want all of these clothes! The blazer reminds me of the jcrew one but much more affordable – need to check it out ….
Aah thank you! I always love to find gems in High Street places you may not think of…! xx
oh what a beautiful post!
i have only been to rome once, and it was just so wonderful. i was lucky and found a room at a (not too expensive) hotel just around the corner from campo dei fiori. and you are right, that’s the best location because a lot of sights are in walking distance.
also i’d like to mention that i found rome extremely pleasant as a destination when you travel alone as a woman. i felt very safe, everyone was extremely sweet and nice, especially at restaurants where i never felt uncomfortable eating on my own (with such a lot of delicious food around, there is no time for letting this feeling come up anyway ;)).
you inspired me. i have been thinking about what destination to choose for a little trip for my 50th birthday. i think i know now… brigitte xx
Oh what a lovely comment! And yes, sometimes it’s hard travelling alone (I travelled Europe on my own in 2006) and so good to know it was a pleasant experience! Definitely a celebratory destination xxx
My husband and I had our first trip to Rome last June for our 20th wedding anniversary and had a perfect hotel. It was just around the corner from Campo di Fiori, called Relais Torre Argentina. The main sights were within a 10/15 walk and the Vatican was 25 minute walk.
We’re hoping to return in February for a quick break and will book the same place! Loved Rome and had the best pizza at a place in Trastevere!
Oh this is so good to know -will bookmark it for our next visit (as we will be back!) – yes we loved the Campo di Fiori area xx
Love this post, I did Classics at A-level and more recently got engaged at the Trevi Fountain (after a late dinner when it was quiet), this is a lovely reminder of that trip!
Aah how beautiful!!! My friend (who’s a Latin teacher) went to Rome on her honeymoon – so romantic! xxx
😉 I am so happy you enjoyed it! From Marari beach to Rome… What’s the next one? xx
Ibiza???!!!
Love Rome! And I loved this post! The Pantheon is my favourite too. Given that you had bad weather your photos are beautiful. I want to go back!
Thank you – we had to do a mad rush on the last few days!! xx
what a beautiful post. You look fab and fantastic photos. I love your city guides… only done Brighton. x
Thank you xxx
Ooh, this post gives me itchy feet to hop on a plane to Italy again (I’ve never been to Rome!). We’re off to Spain for a wedding next week, but I definitely want to try to get to Italy before the end autumn, so thank you for the inspiration!
Briony xx
Oh my goodness you need to do Rome -it’s just so beautiful! But I love Spain too – one of my fave countries – and the tapas! xx
I haven’t been to Rome in YEARS but after reading this post I really think it’s time to go again and do it your way! I love your guide and all your outfits are so super fab! So sorry to hear about the weather though!
x
Shloka
http://thesilksneaker.com
After a 10 year hiatus I’m not sure why it took me so long to go back – it’s so beautiful and so much to do! xx
Fantastic post, what gorgeous photos!! I last went to Rome on a school trip when I was 16 (I’m no classicist like you but I did do Latin GCSE!) but never been back since, it’s going on 20 years so I feel I’m well overdue -will definitely be using your list as inspiration!!
Latin GCSE sounds pretty amazing to me! Yes, well overdue -we loved it this time! x
The little guide is interesting but the constant references to Next and its products’ prices made it all feel as I was reading a catalog. Very disappointing
I have to do sponsored content occasionally to keep doing what I’m doing – I happened to wear Next for the shots but it was all product I loved!
I completely understand. But maybe there is an alternative way to deliver a paid content ?
I think the comments show that people enjoyed this post -you can’t please everyone. I also work as a stylist but this blog keeps me working until midnight most nights and my city guides cost me a lot to produce, so this is how i fund it. I’m sure you get paid for work you do as well x
Such a gorgeous outlook! Love your red dress! It looks elegant! xx
http://www.oneirojewelry.com
I love your blog. Really beautiful.
Thank you !
“Rome, thou art a whole world, it is true, and yet without love this
World would not be the world, Rome would cease to be Rome…”