Our final destination was Rome, Italy. I was most excited to see Rome as it promised to be the most well preserved. For as much as Rome may have change, much of it has also remained. We scheduled tours of the Colosseo and the Vatican Museum beforehand.

Taking the Metro and Pickpockets

The Metro is a cheap and efficient way of getting around Rome. The payment method is to tap you credit card (if your card allows it) or you can purchase tickets at a kiosk. We usually walked or took the Metro to all of our destinations around the city.

* Only on our first trip did we encounter pickpockets. While waiting on the platform, a group of young women slowly shuffled around us. Although the platform wasn’t overly busy, when the train arrived, they started pushing into our backs as we boarded the train. The pushing was to distract us from them unzipping purses and pockets and reaching in to take what they could. Fortunately, I moved enough to feel a tug on my pocket and looked down as fingers slipped out empty. Being sure to be loud about the whole ordeal, the pickpockets vanished off the train before the doors closed. They likely watched us enter the station as they knew which of my pockets to look in.

Trevi Fountain, Rome

The Trevi Fountain is one of the world’s most famous fountains. No trip to Rome is complete without a visit to the fountain. There are numerous people taking pictures, but if you are patient, spots open up and allow for less crowded pictures. There is a smaller fountain off to the side that has its own mythology.

The Pantheon, Rome

Once a Temple to the gods of Roman Mythology, the temple was converted to meet the needs of Christianity. The Pantheon was filled with statues to pay tribute to the gods of old, but history has altered its original purpose. The Pantheon is one of many buildings I would have liked to see maintain its original design.

The Spanish Stairs, Rome

Consisting of 135 steps, the Spanish Stairs lead steeply up to the church of Trinità dei Monti at the top. Once at the top, the views of Rome are impressive. You can overlook the city and if you time it right, sunset is even more impressive.

Near the Spanish Step is one of our favorite Gelato places. Romero is a little pricey, but the taste difference is noticeable. To me, the extra cost is worth it.

Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel, Vatican City

Our first planned ticketed item was the Vatican Museum. The Vatican Museum was not what as I was expecting. The Museum focused a lot on pieces of art from Vatican history, but it also has a whole section dedicated to other world cultures. The highlight of the tour is the Sistine Chapel. At the center of the Sistine Chapel ceiling is the famous Michealangelo painting of God and Adam touching fingers. This painting, while impressive, was small and hidden amongst many others. While in the Sistine Chapel, cameras are not allowed.

St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City

After visiting the Sistine Chapel, there is supposedly a way to exit the Sistine Chapel that leads straight into St Peter’s Basilica. We were unable to navigate to this special exit, but my recommendation would be to try your best to find it as it could save you hours of waiting in a line to get into St Peter’s Basilica.

If you are unable to make your way to the “secret” entrance, you will need to wait in line outside of the Basilica. At the time we were there, the line was a 2 to 3 hour wait. We did not want to wait in line in the rain and tried to come back at a later date but were not able to make it inside with our limited time. Be sure to check the schedule as the Pope usually speaks weekly from the Basilica and that affects entrance times.

Colosseo, Rome

For me, the most exciting part of Rome was the Colosseo (The Colosseum). The arena of Rome, the place of gladiators. The Colosseo is impressive as I had imagined, maybe even more so. Being able to stand on the arena floor and look up into the stands is an experience in its own. The size of the Colosseum was impressive and a tribute to the ingenuity of the ancient Roman.