Hello Rome...you beauty!

So Rome...

Oh my goodness I actually don't know where to start! This was a personal trip to celebrate my darling B's birthday (I've kept him out of photos bar a few of the back of his head but I promise he was with me...) but I said I'd share any hints and tips should any of you like a trip! So we went in October (I know that was a longgg time ago but I got into my Christmas rush upon my return so the post had to take a back seat! Sorry!) 

So don't be fooled October in Rome was HOT! I was planning my comfortable boots, best jumpers and debating a coat or a jacket!...wrong! thankfully my wise instagrammers caught me in time and told me it would still be warm and man it was!! When we got off the plane it was 28 degrees!!!

So for those of you who may be thinking about going...do! it is THE most beautiful city I've ever seen (albeit I've not travelled a lot but it took my breath away!) I booked everything through lastminute.com as a package as I like to do things the easiest way (I have a track record for missing out details when travelling so to save any drama llamas this was the best way for me!) it may not be the best value as my friend booked to go and saved a lot of money booking things individually so research is key unless you're a lazy (energy efficient) holiday booker like me!

We stayed in the suite at the Hotel Mascagni which is fairly central and it was stunning, really clean, tidy and the staff were very helpful and friendly (they also spoke brilliant english). Before we left we paid for a RomaPass which gives you entry to certain places and it's also a travel card! (we didn't use it for that purpose until the last evening and that's only because it rained so we hopped on a bus) We collected it from the airport upon arrival...to me this is a MUST! It saved us a lot of time as you can use it to skip certain queues and money!

So we saw a lot but here are the main/favourite places we visited!

The Trevvi Fountain- absolutely stunning and we went back to visit it again in the evening so if you can then do! It's breathtaking and there's lots of crepe and gelato places all around so it's a win win!

The Spanish Steps- I won't lie I didn't see the fuss but then I didn't climb them...darlings I barely exercise here I'm not going to over exert myself in another country but they were beautiful and A LOT of them.

Venchi Chocolate Shop- HAD A WALL OF MELTED CHOCOLATE. Enough said.

The Colonna- Had an amazing light/art display when we visited...I'm not sure if this is a regular thing but it was magical to watch.

The Colosseum- This is where our RomaPass came in handy! We skipped the long long queues and could jump in with the coach parties so we weren't queuing for too long. Inside is incredible...we both did the audio tours which I thought would be a bit drab but I learnt a lot (perhaps don't remember it now) but it helped explain certain areas...it's HUGE and stunning.



Palatine Hill- It's literally next to the Colosseum I would advise doing it straight after the views are breathtaking...As the Colosseum took up a lot of the morning we literally did these two places in one day. Again we used our Roma Pass to enter here.

Capitoline Museum- I hold my hands up I'm not a huge museum person but it was full of so many beautiful statues and paintings...the ceilings were incredible.

Vatican City- We visited here on Sunday which meant we missed seeing the Sistine Chapel as it was closed (we were a bit gutted but that'll teach us for not researching enough!) but we did hear the Pope...the crowds and the queues here are pretty immense so stay together as pushing and shoving didn't seem to be ill mannered here...also the beggars were heartbreaking and they didn't leave you alone so without sounding cruel be careful.

St Peter's Basilica- hand on heart this place will stay with me forever it was absolutely beautiful. The sheer size and beauty of it can't come across in any photograph...we took the lift to the top which you do pay a small sum for but it was worth it and there was no way I was climbing 551 steps! Just a small note there are still a couple of hundred steps after the lift and it's quite 'tight' in some places!

I'm not preaching things to do or see because literally everywhere you look is stunning...we tried to see all the 'main tourist' places as we're the kind of couple who like trying new places it's unlikely we'll revisit again until we're old, retired and on a coach trip!

So tips...WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES! You will walk an awful lot even if you make use of the transport...I wore my gym trainers...not the fittest looking shoes but I needed something comfortable as I'm the wingey type...as is Chris hahaha! Like I mentioned above it was really warm in October literally arms and legs out during the day and just a light jacket for an evening.

A lot of you asked about food and places I'd recommend but I'm a really faddy eater I'm talking I ate Spaghetti Bolognese and margarita pizza for pretty much every meal...I was happy with anywhere that had prosecco! We never sought after places we just went into anywhere that we were close to and it looked nice! I was advised that sitting on balconies and sitting outside would cost you more in the main areas but we just did as we pleased and I didn't notice a huge difference if I'm honest! Months later I'm still missing the crepes...why they don't have stalls on every corner in Suffolk I don't know...

So in short Rome was amazing...I would visit again in a heartbeat...it holds very special memories for B and I as it was his birthday treat and having time away just the two of us is a rarity so I will treasure it forever!

TIPS; comfortable shoes and sturdy ones...there's a lot of cobbles! hand sanitiser, watch your belongings, be wary of beggars and street sellers (there's a lot in busy places), use the audio guides, plan your trip before you go, try and walk as much as you can so you can see all the beautiful side streets...this is where we found some real gems to stop at for a drink/food.

Good lord that took me longer than expected...

I hope that helps a little...I'm no travel blogger just a happy wife spending some well deserved time with my husband!

Thanks for popping by!

Charlotte X