hey lis! i'm going to rome in the winter break and i'm soo excited bc i love rome and all the history around it even though i've never been there :") but i was wondering, do you have any recommendations or anything? if you don't mind, of course
oooh i’m so happy for you, love! rome is like.. every time i arrive there i feel a strange feeling of “being home”. idk how to explain it better, tbh. it’s really an emotional place to me.
anyway, the only things i can suggest you for a trip there are basically:
GET LOST IN THAT CITY AS MUCH AS YOU CAN // people believe rome to be all the vatican and the colosseum, but ew NOPE. rome is all about the things (the amazing art) you stumble into where you don’t mean to. you can find amazing things at any corner, little churches, ancient pieces of streets, frescos upon private palazzi, beautiful and kinda mysterious tombs/statues in every garden.. absolutely let yourself getting lost in the city at least once, before visiting the mainstream places. believe me, the beauty of rome is.. everything is art and ancient there.
maybe find a hotel in the city center? // i always stay in a little cute hotel basically in piazza di spagna, it’s called hotel doge i think, it’s in 102, via dei due macelli and as well as being reeeeally nice, it’s really in a strategic place? you are near everything and you basically can just go outside and walk anywhere you want. it’s near even the fontana di trevi. i always easily reach the vatican city walking too?
if you need to ask for indications or need help, maybe look for a famous bar or shop, or even ask the police if you can // average italian people don’t get english so well? so if you need something or you get lost, you are better off asking prepared people for help.
the metro is the way // always remember that rome metro is your best friend; not everything that is worth seeing in rome is downtown. remember that rome is built upon seven hills and the most important archaeological sites are outside the city.
if you are a student many museums are free // if you have with you your student card, you don’t have to pay to visit many famous places - one is the vatican, for example. i don’t know if this is universal, or if it’s just for european students, but i’ll leave this there. be aware there’s the possibility not to pay for tickets. when i went to paris this was canon there too.
don’t forget shopping // rome is famous for the art, but dear it’s the place of fashion too. if you want to go for a good shopping, to places are the way: via frattina and via condotti.
my favorite restaurant // i always go to a restaurant called alla rampa, tbh. it’s in piazza di spagna and i think it could be easily the best of all rome? many movies were filmed in that restaurant too lol i recall one with robert downey jr.
this is all i can think about right now? when you are there tell me, i’d love to know your impressions! visiting rome is always so magical.