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Hi friends,
Hope ya’ll are doing well! Today I’m finally sharing one of our travel guides from our recent trip to Italy. I’m starting off with the first leg of our trip and sharing our adventures in Rome by Vespa. If you are going on a couples trip I highly recommend touring the city in a Vespa. It was the best experience ever, we covered so much ground, saved our feet from a lot of walking, and saved so much money from not having to take a Taxi. Plus it really does feel like it is straight from a romantic movie when you are riding a vespa around Rome with your significant other. Check out more of what we did, where we stayed in our travel guide below.
Where To Stay:
We stayed in this suite which was close to the U.S. embassy and walking distance to the Spanish steps. We loved it because of its cozy local vibes, and not to mention the jacuzzi tub inside is perfect for couples. I wouldn’t recommend this if you have kids, because it doesn’t have all the amenities like a hotel. Even though they did have a front desk and house keeping. We were located right next to a cafe and several restaurants on our block so it was very convenient. They also arranged a private luxury car to pick us up from the airport which was very nice. Also the staff were friendly in helping us get around Rome and answer any questions we had.
How to Get Around:
There’s four ways to really get around in Rome: by bus, by taxi, walking, or in our case a vespa. We decided to go the Vespa route because we wanted a little bit more freedom, feel more like the locals, and also enjoy a little adventure of the the unbeaten path. We rented our vespa from this amazing company, which I would highly recommend. They were very flexible and accommodating with our time and were really affordable too. We rented it for two days for 80 euros and we were able to see so much of Rome. You only need your regular drivers license to drive one of these vespas, and not a motorcycle license. Plus the roads are clean I could wear a dress and slip ons and not worry about my clothes getting dirty. Also cars make way for vespas so we always zipped past traffic, and we could always find parking wherever we were. It was nice getting the best views of the Colosseum, or any other famous monument with our easily accessible vespa.
If you do decide to walk the majority of the time there, be prepared for crowds of people, and tons of steps. I’m pretty sure my knees started giving me issues because of the amount of stairs I walked. You don’t realize how out of shape you are living in the flattest city of Texas where the only walking you do is when you go shopping. It definitely isn’t a stroller friendly area in some places.
Where to Go:
With a Vespa you can just about go anywhere. It’s so easy to zip into an area, take photos, and zip out. A lot of the monuments are free, unless you want to pay to take a tour. We made the mistake of buying the colosseum tour ahead of time and we ended up not making our designated tour time and they wouldn’t let us in. Honestly not sure if the tour was worth it, as it is very crowded and tons of lines. We enjoyed exploring the outside of it and took tons of photos.
Another place we decided to pay to tour was the Vatican. It’s great to do once, because there is so much history inside. But I definitely wouldn’t go back again. There were just too many people, plus the St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Peter’s square is free if you want to do that route instead. However be prepared to wait in a very long line for the St. Peter’s Basilica if you don’t get there early.
Rome is full of history in every corner. If you wake up early enough you can explore Rome free of crowds. It’s so beautiful to see Rome early in the morning on our Vespa. We visited the Pantheon, the Spanish steps, and Trevi fountain, and even got lost down some old cobbled alleyways to find some amazing old Roman architecture.
What to Eat:
Gelato, GELATO, gelato. There’s something about Rome and their gelato. It’s so good, and unlike any ice cream you’ve ever eaten. I don’t know what it is, but it doesn’t make you feel guilty, or bloated, or with bubble guts. We ate gelato after every meal and it was amazing! There are so many restaurants at every corner, it’s so hard to recommend just one. But you must get the pizza and try their pasta. It will put any Italian food you’ve eaten in the U.S. to shame. It just so fresh and so authentic in Italy.
Pros & Cons:
Let’s start with the cons, as there were only three that I could think of. One, if you are not use to walking be prepared to get your steps in. The walking wasn’t exhausting, it was the steps that got me. Now Josh had no problem at all because he is constantly physically active everyday with his job, where I on the other hand should probably hit the gym sometime lol. Two, there are a lot of people, but can easily be avoided if you go during non peak times or have a Vespa to zip past the crowds. Rome is actually a smaller city as far as the size compared to Paris, so naturally it would feel more cramped, but nothing I wouldn’t expect from a very popular tourist city. And the last but worse con, is the smoking. I feel like in Italy smoking is part of the culture, so literally everyone smoked. It’s hard if you are like me and can’t stand the smell of smoke, or if you have kids. But you can easily escape it, by moving on, or sitting inside, but just be prepared if you are not naturally around it.
The Pros:
There’s so much to say about this city. It surpassed our expectations. We loved all the history, the food, the people, and the culture. Even with the cons, it’s definitely a place you have to visit. Check out our travel video below!
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So if you are ever in Rome, definitely take a Vespa for an adventure of a lifetime, and to see Rome through the eyes of the locals. It was an experience we will never forget and 100% recommend if you are doing a couples trip. I hope you enjoyed this post and it was helpful for planning your next trip to Rome. Thanks for stopping by!
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