They say all roads lead to Rome. But what can you see when you only have less than two days to explore this iconic city? Our journey began with flights costing less than a liter, which Terka discovered and immediately bought. Without hesitation, we set out on a trip outside the classic tourist season. What can you do in such a short time?
On Saturday around noon, we landed at Fiumicino Airport and moved to accommodation near the Vatican. Since we had a very limited time, we did not want to spend time in public transport and stay cheaper somewhere outside the center. We enjoyed the comfort and had everything within reach.
The beginnings in Italy have a clear order. The first meal? Pizza. We found the highly rated pizzeria Giacomelli just a stone’s throw from our accommodation. It was a bullseye. If you’re near the Vatican, I definitely recommend it.
Then we headed to the center with the goal of seeing the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Vittoriano, and other monuments. We let the plan stay open – we just went according to the navigation and were rather carried away by the atmosphere of the Roman streets. On the way, we saw beautiful houses, fountains, churches, squares, and the like. For this walk, even an experienced guide would not be ashamed. If you have limited time in Rome like us, be prepared to walk a lot – we covered over 80 km in those two days. But it was worth it, there are places and alleys that you simply won’t find on Google, or it will take some time.
In a day, or rather half a day, we managed to see all the most famous monuments. But beware, Roman street vendors will chase you, regardless of the weather. In the sun, they offer power banks, in the rain, umbrellas. For about a euro, but it will be useless. We had our own, but they offered it to us about 40 times anyway.
If you’re planning to go to Rome this year, be prepared that many monuments have been undergoing renovations since the end of last year – due to Pope Francis, who declared the Holy or Jubilee Year from December 24, 2024 to January 6, 2026 (according to tradition, it is declared every 25 years). Pilgrims from all over the world are coming to Rome because of this. In certain respects, it limited us, but in the end, it didn’t bother us much, at least there weren’t as many people, even though we sometimes ended up at the end of a dead-end street that was not marked as such.
On Sunday, after breakfast, we headed to the Vatican, you just can’t miss that when you’re in Rome. We walked through it, admired it, and then continued back to the center. We wanted to find some good Italian coffee – as a coffee lover, I’ve had quite a few already.
We also wanted to find some markets. There weren’t many here, but we found the Borghetto Flaminio Market, so we tried it. If you have similar plans, quickly change them. It’s really not worth it. It was more of a flea market, the entrance fee was 1.6 EUR per person and most of the stalls were run by Russians with overpriced fakes. But our trip was not entirely in vain! Who read how we enjoyed ourselves last year in Bari, see Travel Blog Bari: When You’re in Bari, Go to Matera, will definitely recognize something about Pizzeria Da Michelle. And behold, it was right next to these markets – so we had lunch solved, and just like in Bari, it was really worth it!
After lunch, we went to recharge our phones at the hotel, relax a bit and work calmly and come up with what to do next. We’re going back to the Colosseum. We skipped a few things there due to the rain, like the Circus Maximus, the Palatine Hill, or the Baths of Caracalla. On the way, we found another market, but again just clothes and no fruit.
Then it was time for ice cream. The most famous gelateria in Rome, Gelateria Della Palma with a selection of 150 flavors was the clear goal. We both had a medium cup with three flavors – absolute luxury.
After the ice cream and a little bit of recharging, we’re thinking about what to have for dinner, sorry mom, I know it’s supposed to be the other way around. And we wanted to have pasta, because we’ve had enough pizza. We found Pastasciutta, where you really want to go. A small bistro, homemade pasta, several varieties that they make right away and all for just a few euros. What more could you ask for?
Rome in two days is possible, but be prepared to walk a lot – we did over 80 kilometers. But it was worth it. Sometimes it’s better to plan less and wander a bit, that way you’ll discover places that Google won’t show you. In Rome, there’s always something to look at and you’ll always stumble upon great pizza, pasta, ice cream, or coffee.
