EuroTips: Rome

The Eternal City, to which all roads lead. And to which train tracks from Florence lead. And from which the airports give me a migraine. Just kidding. Sort of.

It's no secret that I'm not crazy about Rome. I could write a love story to Florence (actually, I have - my first novel), but there is no love lost between me and dear Roma. But maybe third time's the charm - I actually had a really good time here with B. We slathered on the sunscreen, obsessively drank water, and somehow managed to survive the scorching August heat. Disclaimer: Please ignore the glistening sweat and nasty, slicked-back hair. These are not pretty pictures. Forgive us.

We may not be models, but we do know how to have a good time. So when in Rome, do as the Stevensons do.

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Where to Stay

1 // Grey & White B&B // Honestly, this one all came down to cost, and for once we're grateful we're on a budget. This was a great find. It was about 80 euros for the night and came with breakfast included. It is a tiny place - only three rooms in what is presumably a refurbished apartment - but it's absolutely adorable. We stayed in the White Room, and it more than suited our needs. The bed was comfy, the room was dark, and the AC worked like a charm, which was a huge relief after my last trip to Rome. Monica and Gianluca were welcoming and accommodating. Our flight to Athens didn't leave until 9:00 at night, and they were willing to hold our luggage all day and give us a key to the outer door so that we could come and go. My apologies for not taking any pictures of the place. Hit up the Web site for details.

The location was also phenomenal, but only if, like us, you're of a certain mindset. It's very near Roma Termini, which is not the fanciest neighborhood in Rome by a long shot. However, it's super convenient. Almost all Rome transportation centers around the train station: long-distance trains, the metro, the central bus station, the airport trains and shuttles, and the various Hop-On, Hop-Off buses. Getting around was so easy, luggage-hauling was minimal, and we didn't spend a penny on cab fare in Rome. Everything was right there. If, say, you're honeymooning in Rome I wouldn't recommend the area, but if you're just traveling and want to see the sights, stay near the train station.

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What to Do

1 // Hop On, Hop Off bus // This bus was a lifesaver in Rome. The city is huge, and the bus did a huge loop around it, preventing us from having to use the sketchy subway in this oppressive heat. That in itself made it worth it. It was also nice to be driven around in the open air to just enjoy the sights of the city and to be given fun facts about the different places. The buses come every 10-15 minutes or so, so you can easily get off at a stop, see the sights, and then hop back on the next bus (hence the name). I also really enjoyed taking pictures from the upper deck. However, even with the breeze blowing, it is super hot with the sun bearing down on you. Keep that in mind for summer - but don't be the jackass holding an umbrella blocking everyone's view. Please.

2 // Castel Sant'Angelo // If the words, "Let angels guide you on your lofty quest," mean anything to you, then you'll definitely want to hit up Castel Sant'Angelo, because what self-respecting bookworm can resist a good literary location? Even if you haven't read Angels and Demons (shame on you!), it's still a cool place to visit. We loved the neat passageways and hiding places, and you have a wonderful view of all of Rome from the top. I'm a sucker for a good long-distance landscape shot of a city, so this definitely passed my test.

3 // Palantine Hill, Forum and Colisseum // Okay, you can't come to Rome and not see the Colisseum. B loved the Colisseum. But frankly, of the three, I liked Palantine Hill far more. Lots of shade, and the ruins were incredible. We got to see what is supposedly the foundations of the house where Romulus (the founder of Rome) lived. We are talking seriously old here. I was continuously amazed at the size of everything, not to mention the fact that this stuff is in such great condition, even several thousand years later. If you're a history or architecture buff, this is a can't-miss.

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Where to Eat/Not to Eat

1 // For dinner // A couple on our Grape Escape wine tour in Florence who had just been to Rome suggested we grab dinner in Trastevere. This is possibly the cutest little neighborhood in all of Rome, and might actually manage to redeem the city. There are tons of restaurants and bars, but after consulting TripAdvisor, we ended up at Grazia and Graziella. My gnocchi was okay (then again, I have ridiculously high standards for gnocchi after Edi House), but the crispy fried artichokes were divine and the tiramisu was very, very good. Sadly, they do not offer affordable carafes of house wine like Edi House, but we got a bottle of decent white wine for about 20 euros, and it satisfied our now-picky wine palates (#EuroSpoiled). Just take the number 8 bus from Roma Termini to the Trastevere stop, and walk about five minute. Don't forget to order the artichokes. You can thank me later.

2 // For snacks // We didn't actually eat much in Rome; partially because we didn't know where to eat and it got exhausting trying to find a good restaurant, and partially because it was just so hot that we didn't want heavy food. Enter The Fruit Stand. It doesn't have an official name. It may not even be there after summer is over. But it's at the end of the plaza in front of Roma Termini, and for 2.50 euros you get a big bowl of fresh fruit. That was my lunch on our first day in Rome. It looks a little sketchy, but I've eaten there twice now and I'm not dead yet. And I'd rather have fresh fruit than sub-par pizza/pasta. So there.

3 // For overpriced and sub-par food // The train station area is a great place to stay. It is not a great place to eat. It is the exact opposite of a great place to eat. Everything is ridiculously touristy, and the quality is abysmal. On our second day in Rome we ate a late lunch at Ristorante Imperium out of sheer convenience - we'd finished touring for the day, but we needed to eat before getting our luggage and heading to the airport. Frankly, we'd have been better off going to the fruit stand. The wine was just meh and the food was very...industrial. Think cafeteria food, Italian-style. Do your homework before you eat. If you need to take a bus or metro somewhere, suck it up and do it. It's better than being hungry and stranded in Ciampino Airport for 6 hours with nothing but a mediocre caprese focaccia in your stomach.

4 // For good gelato and bad service // To try to make up for our aforementioned sucky meal and to celebrate our last hoorah in Italy, I wanted gelato. Luckily(ish), we found L'Orso Bianco, very near Grey & White B&B and the church of Santa Maria Maggiore. My pistachio gelato was on point, and B's "caramel" gelato that actually turned out to be cookie butter was divine. But the girl serving us acted like it was a severe sacrifice to have to scoop us each up a tiny cup of gelato. The horror! (What exactly is she getting paid for?). When we went to pay, she acted like we were idiots because we didn't give her exact change. Side note: we did deal with this in Greece, but this was the only time it's ever happened to us anywhere else in Europe. She was on the phone by the time we left. At least the gelato was good. And cold.

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Tips and Tricks

1// The Palantine Hill, Forum, and Colisseum are all on one ticket. Something like 12.50 euros gets you into all three places. Start at the Palantine Hill. I think there were maybe two families ahead of us in line. We bought our ticket, breezed right through, explored Palantine Hill, glimpsed the Forum, and then walked straight into the Colisseum bypassing the (HUGE) ticket line. I don't do lines (don't they know how lucky they are to have us visit?!), so I was so grateful to B for figuring this out. Do not start at the Colisseum. Even if you're not interested in the Palantine Hill or Forum, just buy your ticket and enter the sites there. You don't want to waste your trip standing in line in the hot sun.

2// The Rome airports are a bloody nightmare. I have flown out of both Ciampino and Fuimacino this summer, and both times the flight was delayed (although this time it was because the nice folks in Athens had gone on strike for five hours, delaying our plane's arrival). There are approximately 16 chairs in each airport, so both times we wound up sitting on the floor for our extended wait. And there is a severe lack of food/beverage options (we're talking one restaurant/snack stand), which sucks when you're stranded there around mealtime. I'm guessing the last time these airports were updated was the year I was born, but that might be a generous guess. The one saving grace is that they do have unlimited free Wi-Fi - I think I would have gone batshit crazy without it, especially considering the delays. If you can, take the train to and from Rome. Fly into and out of somewhere else, such as Venice, Florence or Milan. You're welcome.

Epic cluster-ness

3// Rome has plenty of public water fountains. They are usually sticking out of walls, monuments, statues, etc, but they are perfectly safe and healthy. Take advantage of them, especially if you're here in the summer. We just bought a bottle of water, drank it, and then continued to carry the empty bottle with us, refilling at the fountains as needed. Not only is it a lot cheaper than buying 1,000 bottles of water, it's a lot more convenient, too, as these fountains are often located in busy areas or near tourist attractions. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

4// If you want to see inside St. Peter's Basilica, plan ahead. I've been there twice this summer, and both times it was closed for events: the first time, the Pope Show, and the second time appeared to be some kind of Catholic youth rally. If this is something important to you, do some careful research to make sure you'll actually be able to get in on the day you want. It wasn't a big deal to us, because, well, ABC, but if this is on your don't-miss list, do your homework. Of course, when it's all roped off you get some pretty good pictures of the piazza while it's empty.

5// To get to Ciampino airport, take the TerraVision bus but do not buy your tickets at the TR stand (and don't buy them online, either). You'll have to wait in a huge line, and as I think we've already covered, I don't do lines. Buy your ticket at one of the tabacs in the train station, and then go to the TerraVision stand to get your "boarding pass." You can bypass the entire queue waiting for tickets, grab your boarding pass, and head for the next bus. And be sure to do all of this well in advance of when you actually need to leave. We showed up around 5:00ish and were told the next available bus was at 6:30. We were actually able to get on the 5:30 bus, even though we weren't in any kind of hurry. But do not count on that happening! Missed flight = very bad day.

Thoughts on Rome? Corrections, questions, experiences you'd like to share? I'm not shy. Hit me up in the comments section. I love to hear from y'all.

XOXO, ciao, and onward to Greece!
E & B