Rome

When we landed in Rome, we debated whether to take a shuttle or a cab to the hotel. The shuttle was going to be 70 Euros, and the cab driver wanted 53 Euros. I had in my hand, though, my Rick Steves' info sheet that said a cab ride should be about 40 Euros. I kept pointing to that and was pretty proud of myself when the cab driver agreed to honor the price. I think he got the best of us, though, because he dropped us off on the main drag, pointed in the general direction of our hotel and drove off, leaving us to find it on our own! Hey, it's Italy! Expect the unexpected.

We loved, loved, loved our neighborhood in Rome. It’s called Trastevere, and we felt really comfortable here within hours of arriving. As soon as we checked into our room, we couldn’t wait to explore. Within a short time we found great pizza and gelato just steps away from our hotel, and look at this view of the Tiber River with the Vatican in the background!

Not only will you have a great guide on a Rick Steves’ tour, you will have great local guides too. Francesca Caruso was fantastic. We had her last time we were in Rome, and we were thrilled to see her again. She has a real passion for her city, and she speaks impeccable English.

Inside Scoop:

Double click above to see Francesca explain why there are so many layers of Rome. Building a good subway system is almost impossible in Rome. Every time they try to dig, they unearth more history and have to stop.

The theater at left is a perfect example of this layering in Rome. You can see the ancient at the bottom and the medieval layer at the top. On the right, you can see a modern-day addition which shows us how the original would have looked. Romans deliberately use new material when rebuilding so that you can always tell what is old and what is new.

That evening, we met our Rick Steves' tour guide, Rainer, and the rest of the people on the tour. Robin and I could hardly wait for morning; we were so anxious to see more of this amazing city.

Wow! Look at this! We're standing on a balcony of a building that was built in 1 BC, and we’re looking at the Roman Forum! Are we really here?

Travel Tip:

In the big cities, you’re going to have to jaywalk if you want to get across some streets. You’ll learn to take a deep breath and start walking. Traffic will stop for you. Your tour guide will “guide you,” but when we were on our own, we’d look for an Italian who was ready to cross and became his new best friend.

Here's Bob, leading his precious Ann in front of a bus as we made our way to the Forum. The city grew right around the ancient structures. Many in our group were amazed that the Colosseum and Pantheon were right there on the street!

The water in Italy tastes wonderful! It was such fun to fill up our water bottles at ancient water fountains found throughout the city.

Believe it. It’s true. You will do a lot of walking on this tour, much of it on cobblestoned streets. And you will climb lots of stairs! It was very do-able, though, for everyone on the tour, both young and...not so young.

Francesca explained that cobblestones are called “Little St. Peters” because Peter is called the rock of the Catholic church. With all the walking on rough terrain, we were glad we packed comfortable shoes!

Speaking of shoes, we noticed the American tourists are all about comfort when it comes to shoes. Europeans--not so much. Style is the key word there.

After our tour, we were on our own. We got a bird’s eye view of Rome from the top of the Vittorio Emanuele building.

Our tour guide, Rainer, had given us a quota of two gelatos per day. Who were we to argue with rules? After a quick stop to get our first of the day, Robin and I headed to my very favorite ancient structure, the Pantheon. Because it has been continuously used as a church, the beautiful colored marble has remained intact. All of ancient Rome’s buildings were once covered with colorful marble, but most of it was removed during the Renaissance to decorate the churches being built then.

Before heading back to the hotel, I knew we had to make one more stop. I had to throw a coin into Trevi Fountain to insure that I’d come back to Rome some day. I love this city!