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You would think this goes without saying but there are so many places to stay in Italy. Rome Italy has to be the first spot. It is one of my favorite places in the world. It has everything. The first instance I went it was for a day, imagine, what can you do in Rome in one day? The next time it was for five days, a good deal better.
On one of my Italian Vacations I stayed in a hotel on the Vatican side of the river and for me the locality was wonderful. I don’t imagine anybody goes to Rome without visiting St.Peter’s and no matter what your purpose: sacred, lover of sculpture or the past, it is there. It is also worth going to the top for the view over Rome and the view from the gallery half way up. Also, the Vatican museum plus the Cistine Chapel are essential visits. It is just not possible to tell how spectacular these places are. You just have to go. It is worth the queue so go early. There are audio guides to be had and you have got to have your passport or they will not allow you have one. It is a good idea to plan in advance what your priorities are as you will not see the full thing in one visit. For example I had been to Egypt consequently I gave that room a miss.
There are the usual hop on and hop off excursions, that are always a good way to get your bearings seeing that it will make your vacations in Roma more straightforward to plan. I tended to walk everywhere, it gives you a enjoyable sense of the environment and you appreciate things you would otherwise fail to notice, but the bus is faster. There are self guided walking tours that go to all the major points of significance including the Trevi Fountain. If you need to break for a quick bite while you are walking about you should check out the brightly coloured vans that sell slices of pizza plus panini and drinks. They are good quality value and you can save your evening meal to relax.
I also loved Castell Gandolfo as this was the setting to one of my favorite operas, ‘Tosca’. Another favourite was the Villa Borghese , the paintings and the sculptures are remarkable but you have got to order well in advance and take your passport to obtain the audio guide. I would unquestionably not want to fail to see the Pantheon which was a Roman temple later becoming a Christian Place of worship. Don’t be put off by the ugly exterior the interior is spectacular with the enormous dome and the burial place of Raphael. There are no windows, the single daylight is from the gap high up in the centre of the dome.
I loved the outside places also. The Forum, The iconic Colosseum, Trajan’s Marketplace (probably the first shopping mall) and of course all the Piazzas.
After all this there is the shopping in addition to eating to fit in. One of my best half hours was sitting in the Piazza Navona by Bernini’s astonishing fountain, having coffee and eating a cannoli.
Remember to toss a coin over your shoulder into the Trevi Fountain, since you will undoubtedly want to come back.
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