Flying visit to Rome
We found the people very friendly, but service was slow everywhere so be prepared to enjoy lunch at a leisurely pace - the Italian way! We went in July and it was very very hot so drink plenty of water!
Rome airport on arrival is chaos so be prepared. But just keep heading to the arrivals hall where eventually you will find your driver for you transfer.
The accommodation I booked was just off the Via Nationale so very central and we walked miles – wear comfy shoes! The hotel was a little boutique 4 star called the Rome Times hotel. Great little breakfast room that doubled up as a bar and restaurant in the evening. The put our free little canapes from around 5pm as well to go with your glass of wine. Breakfast had everything you needed, enough to set you up for the day.
Within 15 mins stroll of the hotel we found a little square surrounded by restaurants where the locals congregated in the evening to share a glass or two and all their news, it had such a lovely atmosphere that we ate there every night choosing a different restaurant each time.
We booked the hop on hop off bus to use and I would recommend it to get around the city – sit on the top as you get a better view. We also had a guided tour of the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, Roman Forum pre-booked that saved us lots of queuing time for tickets. The guide was very informative, maybe did go on a bit too long but you could leave the group early if you wished. We also pre-booked skip the line tickets for the Vatican and really jumped the queues!
Leave yourself plenty of time to get to the airport on your way home as the traffic can be a nightmare and took us over an hour.
If you fancy a visit to Rome? Get in touch.