They say it wasn’t a built in a day and a visit to the Italian capital will confirm the much trotted out cliché. In fact, it will leave you wallowing in amazement at how they actually managed to build such a magnificent city in the relatively short period since the brothers Romulus and Remus decided to build Rome circa 753 BC.
As the epicentre of the all-powerful Roman Empire, Rome was once the most important place on earth and its legacy has lasted to the present day thanks to the existence of some of the most stunning historical monuments located anywhere on the planet.
We can’t think of many negatives to attach to Rome apart from the fact that Italian drivers are crazy and like any big city, pickpockets can be a problem. Aside from that, the weather is generally pleasant, Italian food is glorious and the sights will take your breath away.
It’s only a hop, skip and a jump (or a three hour flight in simpler terms) away from Irish soil and we can promise that a trip to the Eternal City won’t disappoint.
Morning
There’s so much to see in Rome, so it’s best to get an early start right in the heart of the city. Grab a bread and jam-heavy traditional Italian breakfast in one of the many cafés sprinkled around the Spanish Steps on Piazza di Spagna and then it’s time to start life as a Roman tourist.
Storied and all as some of the city’s main attractions are, they still have to be seen and experienced. Sights like the Trevi Fountain and the glorious Vittorio Emanuele II monument are all easily reached on foot from the city centre, and if you’re prepared to stretch your legs that bit further, the Roman Forum and the Colosseum are also within reach. If walking ain’t your thing, most of the main attractions are easily accessible via the city’s metro, bus and tram networks.
The Colosseum by night
The Colosseum in particular is worth a little further exploration. Following years of ruin, the amphitheatre underwent extensive restorations costing €20 million that were completed at the turn of the century.
A guided tour costs under €10 and will give you the full Colloseum experience, while the guides will regale audiences with tales of the games, gladiatorial battles and public executions that took place there centuries ago.
Afternoon
Whether or not you are of religious persuasion is irrelevant, a trip to the Vatican City is an absolute must. If you’re there on a Wednesday morning or a Sunday afternoon, you will be able to listen to the pope’s address in St. Peter’s Square, but the imposing Basilica has to be seen to be believed.
The tombs of popes from through the ages and magnificent sculptures such as the Pieta are housed inside, while visitors can also take a trip to the top of the dome to take in some magnificent views of the Vatican and indeed Rome itself. If you are to make the trip though, be prepared. Getting to the top involves making your way up a narrow, winding and quite claustrophobic staircase which contains 323 steps and even has a rope on hand to help weary tourists make the final steps.
Evening
Rome is home to two of Italy’s biggest football teams so if you’re a fan of the beautiful game, try and have your trip coincide with one of the most passionate derbies in European football, the meeting between Roma and Lazio.
It’s generally regarded as the fiercest derby in Italian football and is frequently marked by violent clashes between the ‘ultras’, the diehard fans of both sides. There is often a racist element to proceedings and encounters between the pair have been stopped in the past.
If that sounds a bit hardcore for you but you’d still like to take in a game, both sides play at the 73,000 capacity Stadio Olimpico, so if you make your trip at anytime during the Serie A season, which runs from August to May, you’ll be able to catch one of the big city teams in action.
The Rome derby is one of the most passionate in Europe
Dinner
Like some other European capitals (that means you gay Paris), there are numerous restaurants in Rome anxiously waiting for gullible tourists that they can slyly overcharge and then protest innocence afterwards. The closer you are to the centre of the city, the more likely you are to encounter such a joint, so to be safe, we recommend a pizzeria in the Trastevere area of the city, across the river Tiber and about 2km from the city centre.
Piazza San Castillo, near the Basilica di Santa Maria, is renowned as having some of the finest pizzas in Rome. If you think the likes of Dominos or Goodfellas are the bees knees, well then a vintage Italian pizza will blow your mind and there’s a wide selection of them on offer here for under €10.
The bruschetta also comes highly recommended and there is a selection of affordable house wines available.
After Hours
Like the restaurants, some of the pubs and nightclubs in Rome are to be avoided because of wildly exorbitant prices. The San Lorenzo district, near La Sapienza University is home to a number of trendy bars and nightclubs, frequented by students and Italians in their twenties and generally a lot more affordable than nightspots nearer the city centre.
Centro Sociale 2 is a great venue for live music, while the Locanda Atlantide nightclub plays everything from rock to jazz to contemporary pop.
The lowdown…
Where: Rome, the Eternal City, home to 2.7 million inhabitants and one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, if not the world.
Getting there: Ryanair fly to Ciampino airport, about 15 km south of the city, with prices starting from €16.99 one way. Aer Lingus fly to Da Vinci airport, approximately 40 km west of the city with prices starting from €65 one way. Check out http://www.ryanair.com/ie and http://www.aerlingus.com/ for more details.
Where to stay:
Cheap:
Blue Hostel, Via Carlo Alberto, Rome.
Blue Hostel in the centre of the city is more of a hotel than a hostel with private rooms that contain comfy double beds, en suite bathrooms and LCD televisions. Customers staying at the hostel will be greeted by a member of the staff at the city’s central station Stazione Termini, which is where airport shuttles drop off arriving passengers.
Rates for private rooms begin at €55 per night. For more information, check it out on hostelworld.com, http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Blue-Hostel/Rome/2515.
Mid-range:
Hotel Gambrinus, Via Piave, Rome.
This affordable hotel is slightly away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre, but close enough that it is accessible by foot. With only 57 rooms, it is small and cozy and guests will be treated to a complimentary bottle of wine on arrival. Room rates start at €72 per room per night. For more information go to http://www.gambrinushotel.com/en/
Expensive:
The Inn at the Spanish Steps, Via Condotti, Rome.
Right at the heart of the city, this luxury hotel markets itself as one of Rome’s best kept secrets and will set you back a cool €260 per night. If you’re going with the missus beware, couples who want to share a room must provide proof of marriage first! http://www.atspanishsteps.com/
For herself: Milan, with its high profile shopping week and boutiques swimming with supermodel types may claim to be the fashion capital of Italy, but Rome isn’t far behind. The Via del Corso, a stone’s throw from the Spanish Steps in the centre of the city is home to a range of high street fashion outlets such as Diesel, Energie and Miss Sixty.
What to say: Perchè guidate così pazzesco? (Why do you drive so crazy?)
What not to say: Le donne irlandesi sono più graziose di voi (Irish women are prettier than you)
Conor Heneghan
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