When I was on my way back from a lovely horse riding holiday in Tuscany, and remote work stay in Southern Italy, I stayed in Rome for one night. I arrived at 3pm, and left the next morning at 6am. Rome is an incredible city, and it’s certainly worth a visit, even if you’re very short on time. In this blog I will tell you all about my very short stay in Rome, and what I did in the afternoon and evening in this historic city.
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Also read: what to do at night in Rome, Italy: 8 free sites
During my 15 hours in Rome, I stayed at a lovely place called Pannonia Smart House. It was just a short walk away from the colosseum, about 20 minutes, and there is also a metro stop close-by. The area was perfect for me. I always have a hard time sleeping when I’m staying in a city, but this area was super quiet despite being so close to the stunning city center of Rome. It had a lovely garden, and the room was super comfortable. There was also a shared kitchen, and the bathroom was shared with one other room. The area is safe to walk around at night by yourself, and when I was coming back from the center, I walked through the nearby dog park and ended up staying to watch the dozens of dogs play in front of the Aurelian Walls. There are several other apartments to stay in in this street: AmoRhome apartment, and St. John apartment.
Rome is surprisingly small, the city center at least. I walked around and didn’t take any public transport. When I arrived, I parked my car on the street close to my accommodation, and walked over to check in. After I got all settled, I walked to the Colosseum which took about 20 minutes. I got to see lots of the city by foot, and loved my nighttime walk through Rome’s beautifully lit streets. For those who do want to take public transport to explore Rome, there are lots of metros, taxis and buses everywhere. There are also hop-on, hop-off buses, which are honestly perfect for seeing the city if you’re short on time. One of the waiters at the restaurant I was having lunch at did let me know to not buy a ticket for the regular bus if it’s after 6pm as no one checks your ticket in the evening. Great for the broke traveler, but maybe don’t risk it if you don’t want to pay the fine…
Like I said before, I arrived in Rome at 3pm. After parking my car, checking in and dropping off my bags, I walked to the Colosseum, where I arrived around 4pm. The street in front of the colosseum is extremely touristy, and there are lots of restaurants here. Normally I’d keep walking to find a quieter location, but I was absolutely starving and really liked the view of the colosseum, so I sat down for a pizza and some beers at Hostaria Al Gladiatore. I was actually pleasantly surprised by the quality of the pizza and the price. The pizza was great, the beers big, the staff very friendly, and I paid less than twenty euros in total.
After the sun had set behind the colosseum, I walked into the city center, past beautifully lit buildings. I walked to the Trevi fountain, where it was crowded, but not nearly as crowded as it normally is during the day. All the lights surrounding the Trevi fountain made it a wonderful sight, and after throwing a coin in, I continued my walk. Next, I walked to the Spanish steps, where there was a great band playing in the square below as I walked up. There wasn’t much of a view as it was pitch dark at this time, but it was lovely to see all the people dancing in the square below the stairs. There were musicians all over the city, and barely any tourists which created a great atmosphere. I took a different way back to the Trevi fountain, and went to the Pantheon, before heading back to the colosseum and my apartment.
It took me about three hours to see all these stunning sights, and the routes and atmosphere were simply amazing. I was so glad to have come to Rome, even if it was only for such a short time.
Also have a look on GetYourGuide to find lots of activities to do in Rome!