Europe · Italy

Rome

Four days in Rome, flying from Vienna. The Colosseum, the Vatican and dinners in Trastevere away from the tourist traps.

Rome is a city where four days go a long way, as long as you do not bounce between districts at random. We stay in Prati, a ten-minute walk from the Vatican with a direct metro line into the centre. The hotel is a clean three-star with no pool and no lobby bar; the money goes into entry tickets and the guide instead.

Our ancient Rome day starts at 8:30 at the Colosseum, while it is still quiet and the sun comes into the arena from the east. The same ticket covers the Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum, which most visitors skip for lack of time. That is a shame, because the Forum is where the city finally makes sense. In the afternoon we cross the Capitoline to Piazza Venezia and finish at the Pantheon.

The Vatican Museums are their own project. We go on a Tuesday at eight, with tickets bought three months ahead. The Sistine Chapel is busy even then, but two hours later it is a crowd you cannot stop moving in. St Peter's Basilica is free; the dome costs 10 euros and 551 steps. The last day is left open. Anyone who wants joins us for lunch in Trastevere and a walk to the Trevi Fountain. You throw the coin with your right hand over your left shoulder, and the city collects over a million euros a year from the basin for charity. Expect thirteen kilometres of walking a day in Rome, most of it over the uneven cobbles called sampietrini, which are impossible in heeled shoes.

Gallery