We’re lucky to have such easy access to continental Europe here in London. We’re pretty much swimming in airports, and, if you’re savvy, you can bag cheap flights to pretty much any city. Rome is no exception.
Whether you want to visit the famous spots, or somewhere a little more lowkey like the hip area of Trastevere, you will love your trip. After all, nothing is nicer than sitting on Rome’s cobbled streets with an Aperol Spritz, or perhaps an ice cream.
On July 7 there’s a £20 flight [at the time of writing] there departing from London Stansted at 11.05am, and by 2.30pm the Ryanair flight will have landed in Ciampino Airport. But price aside, there is tonnes to do there, including basking in 31C heat in July.
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In fact, travelling to Rome is so cheap that it wouldn’t even get you to Cardiff, where flights in July can rocket to as high as £167. If alcohol is up your street, then you’re absolutely spoiled for choice with what to drink. La Boutique del Limoncello Roma is for you however, serving all things limoncello from samples, to sweets, to decorations, and of course bigger bottles. It’s open from 11am until 8pm everyday and is found at Via del Governo Vecchio.
A trip to the hip-zone of Trastevere is also on the cards during a trip. It’s main square is Piazza Santa Maria, a magnet for street performers and is overlooked by a 12th-century church. You might also notice the “Little Madonnas” scattered round the streets there, which were put up during the 1500s to dissuade Rome’s devout, Catholic following from committing crime.
Trastevere is also home to the famous Pimms bar, a vintage place to drink which comes alive with music in the evenings.
When you head there, visit the Pantheon so you don’t miss out. The building with the famous hole in the ceiling is a former Roman temple, which became a Catholic church in AD 609. It is renowned for its amazing external columns and will leave you in awe.
The Colosseum is another absolute must-visit. It’s made from stone and concrete and was constructed through the blood, sweat, and tears of ancient slaves over the course of eight years between 72 AD and 80 AD during the reign of Emperor Vespasian.
It is 189 metres long, 156 metres wide and 50 metres high, making it the biggest amphitheatre (“theatre in the round”) in the world. Once upon a time it had a whopping 80 entrances and could seat 50,000 avid spectators who’d watch everything from gladiator fights to animal fights.
Don’t even think about heading to Rome without going to The Vatican – found within the walls of Vatican City, the smallest country in the world. There you find St Peter’s Square, which overlooks Saint Peter’s Basilica.
But funnily enough, despite being the pope’s home, The Vatican used to have a reputation for awful wine. First-century poet Martial wrote that the area around the Vatican produced some of the worst wines of the era. He wrote : “Drink Vatican wine and you’re drinking venom.”
The Villa Borghese is another must-visit place. It’s a 197.7 acres and has stunning views of St Peter’s dome, a nice bar inside it, as well as the opportunity to rent bikes and go for a nice cycle.
And whilst you’re there you will inevitably get a bit peckish, in which case pizzeria San Marco is absolutely for you. Found on Via Tacito, it serves delicious, thin, freshly made pizzas which could explain the existence of God.
With its very good prices, it should be no wonder people have left such terrific reviews about it. One happy diner took to Google to write: “Excellent place to eat. We are visiting Rome for 3 days and we have eaten here twice for dinner and once for lunch. My 10 year old says Best pizzas in Rome! All food we have eaten here has been Delicious!!”
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Where to stay
You are absolutely spoiled for choice in terms of where to stay when there, but Bottega delle Arti stands out purely because it’s so cost-effective. Better yet, the beautiful Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica is just 500 metres away.
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