Planning for Rome Italy:
Rome is the capital city of Italy. It is also the capital of the Lazio region, the center of the Metropolitan City of Rome, along the shores of river Tiber.
I first visited Italy in July 2007 and revisited Italy in July 2023.
Flights into Rome Italy:
After visiting family in India, I flew into Rome from Mumbai. I flew by Qatar Airways flight from Mumbai (BOM), India to Rome (FCO), Italy via Doha (DOH). I reserved my flights with American Airline Points which, I had earned by signing up for AAdvantage Business Credit card. Qatar and American Airlines are in One World Alliance and are Partners. In total, I paid 20,000 American Airline Miles +77.75$ in taxes for this flight.
From Rome airport (FCO) I took a SIT Bus that goes to the city center, and it cost me 8€. It took approximately 1 hr. to reach the city center by Bus. Alternately, the train would cost 14€ to go to the City Center.
Accommodation:
I stayed at the Raeli hotel Lux close to the city center, from where all the city tour buses start. I booked this hotel on Capital one travel portal with Capital One Venture X Credit Card for 74.50$, as it gives 10X points on hotel stays. The city Taxes for this hotel reservation was 6€, which was in addition to the booking cost. From the hotel, I was taking either public transit buses or walking to the attractions in Vatican City and Rome.
- Airport and Train stations are in Purple.
- Touristic Places of Interest are in Blue.
Boots on the Ground:
To access the public Transit Bus, the price of the ticket is 1.50€. These tickets could be bought at any newspaper stands on the roadside. This is a one-time use ticket. Alternately, there are City Tour Buses (Hop on -Hop off) like the IOBUS, that charge from 15€-38€ depending on the option you would pick, and they drop you at every must-see attraction in the area.
Colosseum and Arch of Constantine:
Colosseum is the largest ancient amphitheater ever built and is still the largest standing amphitheater in the world. It is an elliptical in shape and could hold an estimated 50,000 to 80,000 spectators at various points in its history. Gladiator contests and public Spectacles including animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Roman Mythology were organized in the Colosseum. Colosseum ticket is 39 €, which also included the entry to Roamn Forum. I bought this ticket at the train station.
Also, adjacent to the Colosseum and Roman Forum is the Arch of Constantine. The Arch of Constantine is a triumphal arch in Rome dedicated to the emperor Constantine.
Trevi Fountain:
It is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world. The fountain, at the junction of three roads (tre vie), marks the terminal point of one of the aqueducts that supplied water to ancient Rome.
Pantheon:
The Pantheon is a former Roman temple and, since 609 AD, a Catholic church (Basilica of St. Mary and the Martyrs) in Rome.
Romen Forum:
Forum was the public meeting place in ancient Rome. This is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. For centuries the Forum was the center of day-to-day life in Rome: the site of triumphal processions and elections; the venue for public speeches, criminal trials and gladiatorial matches; and the nucleus of commercial affairs.
Usually, the ticket for Colosseum is combined with Roman Forum as these attractions are next to each other.
Vittorio Emanuele II Monument:
This is a large national monument built between 1885 and 1935 to honor Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of a unified Italy, in Rome, Italy
Spanish Steps:
The monumental stairway of 135 steps was built with French diplomat in 1723-1725, linking the Trinità dei Monti church under the patronage of the Bourbon kings of France, at the top of the steps, and the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See in the Palazzo Monaldeschi at the bottom of the steps. This is a busy place with a fountain at the bottom of the stairs.
Piazza Navona:
This public Space was originally the Stadium of Domitian, built by Emperor Titus Flavius Domitianus in 80 AD. At the center of this space is Fountain of the Four Rivers. This public place also has two more fountains in the north and south ends. It is a relaxing place.
Other Attractions in Rome:
Domus Aurea: Nero’s Golden House, Basilica of San Clemente, Palazzo Doria Pamphilj private museum, Basilica of St. John Lateran, Baths of Caracalla, Capitoline Museum, Trastevere, Castel Sant’Angelo National Museum, Villa Borghese Gallery and Gardens, Palatine Hill, Piazza del Popolo & Santa Maria del Popolo, Santa Maria Maggiore and Via del Corso, Rome’s Shopping Street are additional attractions and could be visited depending on the time you have. But personally, I could not make it to these attractions.
