The Boozy Blondes are wrapping up their Season 4 Italy tour with an episode all about Rome! Are you planning a trip to the Eternal City? This episode will help you plan for some of the hot spots you don’t want to miss!
First things first – the DOE. Chrissy continues to try to warm Molly up to spritzes, but it’s not going so well. Molly reluctantly sips the Campari Spritz Chrissy made because, well, “when in Rome!”
If you’re traveling by plane to Rome, chances are you’re flying into Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport. From here you can take an Uber to train to your destination. The girls stayed in the neighborhood of Trastevere, and you can hear an episode dedicated to this beautiful community in Episode 088 (listen here!).
One must-see stop when in Rome is Vatican City. Its headquarters to the Roman Catholic Church and full of cultural, religious and historical significance. The girls toured the Vatican Museums, St. Peter’s Basilica, St. Peter’s Square and the Sistine Chapel. Understandably so, Vatican City is a popular spot and gets extremely crowded with tourists. The girls planned for the crowds and booked the earliest tour possible through The Tour Guy for about $150 per person. This 3-hour tour included:
- Skip-the-line entry to the Vatican
- Pio-Clementino Museum, Gallery of the Candelabra, Tapestries and Maps
- Raphael Rooms and School of Athens
- Entry to the Sistine Chapel
- Entry to St. Peter’s Basilica
- A Professional, English-speaking guide
- Max group size of 10
The girls highly recommend the tour, especially if it’s your first visit. There is so much to take in! One pro tip is to dress for the weather – much of the tour actually takes place outside, and the girls were not prepared for that! Other tips include:
- Go as early as you can to beat the largest crowds
- You are allowed to take pictures (no flash) everywhere except inside the Sistine Chapel
- Dress modestly – your shoulders and knees must be covered
- Bags are allowed but must be small backpacks or purses
Following your tour, there are cute restaurants close by where you can grab a cocktail (or espresso) before your next adventure! For the girls it was touring the Colosseum, but unfortunately due to the miserable weather, they skipped it. This is the tour they had booked again through The Tour Guy for you check out.
One of the best experiences the blondes had was renting e-bikes and exploring the Appian Way. Chrissy packed a picnic lunch for the group, and they took off from an e-bike rental store near Circus Maximus. Beware – there are no bike lanes, so navigating the traffic can be a little treacherous. Over the course of the ride, they stopped at:
- Catacombe Di San Callisto – the catacombs here were built in the 2nd century around 150AD! The tour is about 10 Euros per person and lasts about 45 minutes
- Appia Antica Caffe for spritzes and beer
- Borghese Park
- Church of Domine Quo Vadis – where Saint Peter was said to encounter Jesus when he initially fled Rome – you can see Jesus’ footprints here
The girls agree this was a great way to experience the Roman countryside and some history too! Having a picnic lunch alongside one of the oldest roads in the world was surreal! After biking the group enjoyed aperitivo at Da Etta and Freni e Frizioni (details in Episode 088), then had an amazing meal at Divin Ostilia Wine Bar.
Other must-sees in Rome are the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. You can listen to our Angels and Demons Pub Crawl episode (Episode 085) to get more details about those stops.
A few more tips as you plan your trip:
- Stop in random churches! They are full of history, art and faith, and breathtaking!
- Stop for aperitivo! It’s an Italian lifestyle – enjoy drinks and small snacks before dinner. Molly’s favorite was at the rooftop bar of FortySevenHotel.
- Beware of bathrooms – or lack of seats on toilets. BYOS! (Bring your own seat!)
- Make reservations in advance but leave some room for flexibility! Sometimes getting lost leads to the best adventures!
- If you can, add an extra day or two to your original plan – vacation goes by so fast. If you’re planning for 7 days, see if you can swing 10! Having downtime days is a blessing!
Is there a place in Rome you love that we didn’t mention? Share it with us in the comments below!
Boozy Blondes 