My Trip to Rome
Italy is one of my favorite countries to travel to. I have visited Italy three times so far, and every trip was different. I have traveled around Tuscany, visited the area of Verona and Lake Garda, and most recently I went on a city trip to Rome with a friend.
In this article I will focus on my trip to Rome. I will talk about where we stayed, what we visited, how we tried to save money, and which places I would definitely recommend if you visit the city.
Rome is a city with a lot of history, famous landmarks, and amazing food. Even if you only stay for a few days, there is always something to see.
I visited Rome together with a friend at the beginning of September 2025. We chose this period because the weather is still warm, but prices are usually lower than during the peak summer months. We stayed for a few days (8 days) and tried to see as much as possible. Most of the time we explored the city by walking, which helped us save money on transport and also allowed us to see more of the city.During our stay we visited famous landmarks, museums, restaurants, and even took a train to the sea for one day.
Flight Delay or Cancellation
Even though our trip to Rome went smoothly, flight delays are quite common when traveling in Europe.
If your flight gets delayed or cancelled, you may be entitled to compensation (of up to €600). It only takes 2 minutes to check.
You can check this easily here:
👉 Check your flight compensation
Where We Stayed
We arrived in Rome and went straight to our hotel, Hotel Seventy Seven, which is located very close to the city center. The location was honestly perfect, since we could reach most of the main attractions just by walking. It was also only about a 10-minute walk from the train station, which made everything very easy when we arrived.
The room was spacious and comfortable, and the hotel had a modern interior. We booked the Junior Suite, which gave us a bit more space compared to a normal hotel room. Because we visited in early September, the price was more affordable than during the peak summer season. Overall, I would recommend this hotel if you want something comfortable that is still reasonably priced for a city like Rome.The hotel itself was very clean, modern, and well maintained. The staff was also very friendly and helpful during our stay.
One of my favorite parts of the hotel was the breakfast. It was served on the rooftop, which gave us a really nice view over Rome in the morning. It was a very relaxed way to start the day before going out to explore the city.
Day 1 – First Walk Through the City
On our first day, we didn’t plan too much. We just walked around the city to get a first impression of Rome.
We visited the Trevi Fountain, which was very crowded. There was a long line of people waiting, so we didn’t throw a coin into the fountain. Still, it was really nice to see it in real life and we managed to take some good pictures.
After that, we walked to the Sant'Ignazio Church. This was one of the most beautiful churches I’ve seen. The ceiling was full of detailed paintings and the architecture was very impressive.
We continued walking to the Pantheon, but it was extremely busy, so we decided not to go inside.
Later, we ended up at Piazza Navona. This was a really nice and lively square. We decided to have dinner there in one of the small restaurants, which was a nice way to end the first day.
Places We Visited
Rome has many famous places, and we tried to visit as many as possible during our trip.
Sant'Ignazio Church
Pantheon
Piazza Navona
Day 2 - Vatican City
On the second day, we took the metro to Vatican City.
We had already bought tickets in advance with a fast pass, which saved us a lot of time. We visited the Vatican Museums, where we walked through many different rooms filled with art and historical objects.
We also visited the Sistine Chapel, which was very impressive to see in real life.
After that, we went to St. Peter's Basilica. The inside of the basilica was huge and very detailed. Everything felt very grand and impressive.
Tickets for the Vatican Museums
The Vatican Museums are one of the busiest attractions in Rome, and waiting lines can get very long.We booked our tickets in advance with a fast pass, which saved us a lot of time and made the visit much easier.If you want to avoid long queues, I recommend booking your tickets beforehand.
Day 3 - Colosseum and Ancient Rome
On day three, we visited the Colosseum.
Since we are students, we were able to get a discount on the tickets. We also bought them in advance, which is definitely recommended because it gets very busy.
The Colosseum was even bigger than I expected and very crowded. It is one of those places that you really have to see at least once.
Our ticket also included access to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. These are only about a 5-minute walk from the Colosseum.
There you can walk around old ruins and ancient buildings. It was really interesting to see how much history is still visible in Rome.
After that, we walked around the area a bit more before heading back towards our hotel. In the evening, we had dinner close to the hotel.
Tickets for the Colosseum
If you are planning to visit the Colosseum, I really recommend booking your tickets in advance. It gets very busy, and buying tickets on the spot can take a lot of time. We bought our tickets online before the trip, which made everything much easier.
You can check available tickets here:
Day 4 – A Day at the Sea
On the fourth day, we decided to take a break from the busy city and go to the sea.
We took a train to Civitavecchia, which was not expensive and easy to reach. It is a calm and beautiful place near the sea.
It was really nice to spend a more relaxed day there after a few busy days in Rome.
On our way back, we stopped at a small restaurant. The walls were covered with post-its, notes, and even foreign currency left by visitors. It gave the place a very unique and cozy atmosphere.
Gnocchi
Museums in Rome
On day five, we took the metro a bit outside the city center to visit the MAXXI – National Museum of 21st Century Arts.
This museum focuses on modern art and architecture, and I really enjoyed it. It felt very different from the historical places we visited earlier.
After that, we also went to the Leonardo da Vinci Museum. Personally, this was my least favourite visit. The artworks and models were not the original ones, so it didn’t feel as special. For me, it was not really worth the money. But it was interesting to see how many different inventions he designed.
Day 6 – Botanical Garden
On day six, we visited the Botanical Garden of Rome.
This was one of the most calm and relaxing places we visited during the trip. There were many different types of plants, and it felt completely different from the busy streets of Rome.
It was a nice change of pace and a good place to slow down a bit.
Day 7 – Shopping Day
On our last day, we decided to go shopping.
We first visited some vintage stores, but many of them were very crowded. Some shops were so full that it almost felt a bit claustrophobic.
After that, we explored smaller boutiques, and that is where we ended up buying most of our things.
We also visited bigger stores like Zara and Uniqlo. Even though these stores were very large and had multiple floors, they were still extremely busy.
In the end, we mostly looked around and took pictures of items we liked, so we could search for them online later.
I’m currently building this section. New recommendations and guides will be added soon.