August 2002 – 3 nights as a couple, August 2018 – 4 nights with the family, September 2020 – 3 nights with the family
The 2018 part of this trip is part of our Italy Summer Road Trip – check out the rest of the trip.
Ahhh the Eternal City … ancient and yet so vibrant. There’s something for everyone to get excited about in Rome. Beautiful fountains, Roman ruins, masterpieces by Michaelangelo, architectural wonders, and of course the food. Yes please, I’ll take some carbonara, artichokes and Roman pizza.
Like the rest of our travel guides, this is not an all-encompassing account of everything we did. We do not want to make a list of ‘Best’ or ‘Must-do’ experiences since we know it depends on your personal preferences. These are only our personal favorites and they are divided into two groups: “Avventura Favves” and “Other Things We Liked”.
Overview
We visited Rome for the third time in the summer of 2020. Previously we spent a few days there on our honeymoon in 2002, as well as went with the kids on our first summer in Italy. As we were making our last-minute plans for our summer trip, we decided that another visit would be well worth it, particularly because of the reduced crowds due to COVID. The kids were a couple of years older to get more out of seeing the art and architecture, and we truly felt that you could never see the Pantheon or Sistine Chapel too many times. We were correct. These marvels never lose their impact.
Avventura Favves – so much history, art, pizza, pasta
Activities
Bike tour – If we had more money we might have done one of the Vespa tours of the city, but as we’ve mentioned with other cities (Barcelona, Turin, London) we all love seeing cities by bike. It’s a fun, quick way to see the highlights. With Rex Tour, we saw many of the famous sites: Colosseum, Forum, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, Spanish Steps, and Altar of the Fatherland. Rather than getting bogged down in too many dates, the guide had a nice description of Roman history as lasagna and focused on broad layers (Roman Empire, Renaissance, modern times). We also highly recommend that you go at your own pace and hear more details about these sites by taking a ‘tour’ with Dave’s idol, Rick Steves. His Audio Europe app is free and has well-designed walking tours with fun anecdotes about Rome, and many of the other popular destinations in Europe.
Walking tour with Agnes Crawford (Understanding Rome) – After rave reviews from our trusted friend and her two teenage boys, we decided to do a walking tour with Agnes during the kids’ second visit. She can customize a tour and we decided to revisit our favorites from our first summer in Italy (Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel, St Peter’s Basilica, Pantheon). Agnes provided engaging stories and descriptions of these beautiful places, but also why they were and continue to be so important. She was super interactive with the kids and since it was during the pandemic the crowds were much lighter and we could linger when something caught our eye (even at the Sistine Chapel!).
Colosseum – If you are traveling with kids in Rome for the first time, we feel like visiting the Colosseum is a must. It’s not often you can go inside one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and considering it’s free for children under 18, actually going inside is a no-brainer. During the summer we bought our tickets a month in advance online through the official site. We chose the Ordinary ticket and for only 5 euros extra (no charge for children) we chose a guided tour in English that lasted 45 minutes to hear the history of this architectural marvel and some gory details about the events it hosted. Years later, the kids still talk about the arena and its gladiators.
Galleria Borghese – This museum is set inside a beautiful, old villa with incredible sculptures (an impressive collection of pieces by Bernini) and Renaissance paintings (Caravaggio was incredible). It’s also set in a green park slightly further out from the main sites, so it’s a nice place to escape the heat and the crowds. The number of visitors allowed each day is very limited and they are timed entrances, so it’s best to reserve your tickets and be on time. We booked one month in advance for an August visit.
Trastevere neighborhood – We love this residential neighborhood with charming tree-lined streets, small cafes and restaurants, and outdoor music. Spend some time (alone or with Rick Steves audio guide playing in your headphones) wandering the streets. Definitely peek inside the Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere and stroll along the river towards Isola Tiberna.
Food
- Lost Food Factory – This warm friendly and funny couple make amazing sandwiches (panini) near the Pantheon.
- Pizza Florida – This was a great example of Roman-style pizza. It is served by weight (not by the slice) and has a thick, fluffy crust with lots of different toppings.
- Gelateria Santa Maria Maggiore – Even though Florence is a famous gelato destination and we think Torino has the best choices (we’re not biased or anything), we were very impressed by the choices in Rome. With the very large tourist industry, they could easily be overpriced and of lower quality, however, there are many wonderful choices. The gelato at this tiny spot is delicious and creamy and serves as a nice reward after taking the kids to see the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
- Fiocco di Neve – Another great gelato spot near the Pantheon. Since the Pantheon is so incredible, no bribe was needed, but we gladly hit up this afterward. Why are there so many good gelato places near the Pantheon? Next time we’ll try Cremeria Monteforte and/or Giolitti.
- I Dolci di Nonna Vincenza – This is Sicilian, not Roman, but we went on the last trip right after being in Salina and we wanted one last chance for cannoli and granita. It was amazingly delicious and did not disappoint.
- Glass Hostaria – We really appreciate fine dining done in a non-pretentious manner. This modern restaurant was an interesting contrast to the surrounding narrow, old streets of the Trastevere neighborhood and has an incredibly warm staff. It was creative, but without crazy ingredients (other than the sweetbreads in soy sauce that Dave ate for Lynn) and is well-deserving of their 1 Michelin star. We also felt deserving of our night away from the kids after so much traveling together.
- Cajo & Gajo – There are many of these types of Roman pasta restaurants in the Trastevere and surrounding neighborhoods. They all serve pretty delicious pasta in a very casual setting. It’s the perfect spot for an easy dinner with the kids.
- Campagna Amica Market – This farmer’s market near the Forum is a good place to get local produce and products if you are cooking or need a food-related souvenir. We prefer that kind of gift over the cooking apron with the penis of David (Michaelangelo’s David, not this David), but whatever.
Accomodations
Airbnb in Trastevere and Campo de’ Fiori – We stayed in 2 different Airbnb’s and both were really good locations. Our apartment in Trastevere had comfortable beds, showers with lots of pressure and was in a green, leafy area away from the chaos but just a couple minutes walk from the heart of the neighborhood.
Other Things We Liked
Mimi e Coco, Cantina e Cucina, Otello, Tonnarello – This group of restaurants all had good classic Roman dishes (artichokes, pasta carbonara, pasta amatriciana, pinsa). We’re not sure if they all have the same owners, but they all felt a bit formulaic like a chain since they all were decorated with retro-looking signs and similar items on their menu, and they also all had spaghetti with meatballs and red sauce which is the classic Italian-American but not an actual Italian dish, so that also threw us off. It was also strange to us that we found them all through Google reviews because they all have very high ratings. We normally find that Google is a reliable way to find good places, but next time we will get a more personal recommendation.
Logistics and Miscellaneous Notes
It’s super easy to get to Rome. Planes, trains, and automobiles are all good options. Although we remember having harrowing experiences driving in Rome 20 years ago, we felt it was easy this time with Google Maps (and maybe we have gotten more used to driving in Italy in general). We think it’s better not to have a car in Rome because parking can be a challenge and the sites are in restricted locations. But we also need to point out that taxis will only take 4 passengers, (less than ideal for our family of 5) and can be expensive. Luckily it’s a beautiful city with much to see and taste while you stroll along.
Next Time We Go
So much history and so many things to see, even after 3 visits there’s still so much more to explore.
- Hadrian’s Villa and Villa d’Este in Tivoli – considering how impressed we are by Hadrian’s Pantheon we should make a visit to see what he was able to do with his home, and the gardens at the Villa d’Este look beautiful.
- Castel Sant’Angelo – another Hadrian stunner that was later used as a fortress by the popes. Today it’s a museum and would be great to see if the view from the inside is as impressive as it is from the outside.
- Baths of Caracalla and a bike ride out to the Via Appia Antica for more ancient history.
- Bocca della Verità (Mouth of Truth) – we’ve never felt the need to test the accuracy of this mouth’s ability to tell truths from lies like in Roman Holiday with Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn, but it would make for a fun photo op. A quick plug for the Coffee Break Italian podcast which we often use to learn and improve our language skills. In this episode, Mark and Francesca talk more about the history of La Bocca.
And eat:
- More Roman pizza – investigate what kinds of toppings Pizza e Mozzarella has in store, or maybe next time we will actually eat at the famous Bonci Pizzarium near the Vatican. Each time we try to go they are closed, check their hours before taking a cab over there. Luckily they have a location in Chicago that carries on the Roman tradition of creative toppings and paying by weight rather than by the slice.
- Antico Forno Roscioli – Dave never got his chance to go into one of the little Roscioli food stores near Campo de’ Fiori to check out what all the excitement was about, so much good food so little time.
- Enjoy pasta at a more traditional restaurant, maybe at Trattoria Vecchia Roma, Trattoria Da Enzo al 29, or Trattoria Pennestri, or ask a local we trust
- Dessert – Cremeria Monteforte is the gelateria our guide recommended after we saw the Pantheon. Unfortunately, it was closed, but fortunately, Fiocco di Neve was right nearby and delicious. And we were too full to try the homemade tiramisu at Two Sizes, but Joy loves tiramisu so that’s high on her list for next time.
This is part of our Italy Summer Road Trip – check out the previous stop on our trip – Puglia – or the next stop – Rome
Have any questions or suggestions? Post them in the comments below or contact us at LewinAvventura@gmail.com.
The Avventura 