Hey guys!! I am so excited to tell you that I am going to Rome THIS SUNDAY for a little over a week. I really can’t wait. This trip came as a huge surprise to us! Our good friend is house swapping In Rome and they invited us to come be a part of it. AHHHH!!! I seriously cant wait. I have been trying to play catch up and research some things that we would want to see. So I need your help!!
Have you been? WHAT DO WE NEED TO SEE? Any favorite places or restaurants? I promise to take tons of photos.
July 23rd, 2010 at 10:06 am
I shot a wedding in Italy last October and we spent several days in Rome.
If you’re the type to enjoy guided tours, I would STRONGLY recommend reserving spots w/ AngelToursRome.com … they’re the best!
Also, you can search Rome or Italy at http://www.thosecrazyschuberts.com for all my posts about it.
I think our favorite part of Rome was the Vatican/St.Peter’s Basilica (we did a tour w/ AngelToursRome.com) … absolutely breath-taking. We happened to get to the Basilica right at 5p (I think) for evening Mass. So so interesting.
(Andrew’s fave was the Cappuchin Crypt).
We were only there 2.5 days, though … there’s SO MUCH MORE to see!
(email me if you have questions)
July 23rd, 2010 at 10:08 am
So fun guys! We’re planning a trip there in 2012, so you’ll have to let us know where to go and what to see. I don’t know if you’ll have a car there or the ability to go…but if you can, go see Florence for a day!
July 23rd, 2010 at 10:09 am
I’ve been all over Italy, and Rome is pretty killer. You can’t go wrong anywhere you eat, and don’t skip the gelato! Don’t miss the Spanish Steps, the Vatican (Sistine Chapel is a MUST!), the Coliseum… all the touristy stuff. It’s really worth it.
If you have reliable transportation, I also highly recommend a daytrip to the countryside near Tivoli or to the coast (neither is far at all in a car).
Have a blast!
July 23rd, 2010 at 10:16 am
Oh wow!! so cool you guys. I am seriously taking notes.
thanks a ton. keep em coming.
July 23rd, 2010 at 10:17 am
promise! you guys need to visit the castle d’angelo right across from the vatican. sometimes at night they open it up for a live music farmer’s market type thing and it is gorgeous. also right under that by the river they do a night flea market i think. we are going to rome next summer. it is magical! so excited for you guys. have a blast!
July 23rd, 2010 at 10:27 am
Hi Promise! My husband and I JUST got back from Rome last week. Whoa boy…be prepared for it to be HOT. Pack lots of tank tops. Be prepared for the need to have a power converter too (it sucks when you’re US plugs won’t fit into the EU ones!)
LOTS of great picks to eat – you can’t go wrong. I had the best pizza of my life at a place called Dar Poeta in Trastevere. Look it up! (that side of the river is awesome too) The best gelato we had came from Il Gelato di San Crispino, (Via della Panetteria 42), near the Trevi Fountain. Avoid the super-touristy food spots around there.
Also hit up Campo de Fiori, a super cool area where you can avoid the plague of tourists (you will encounter TONS of tourists at Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum, and the Vatican..all still worth it, just a forewarning).
And finally, watch out for the gypsies on the metro. They’ll try to con you into helping get tickets. Avoid ‘em and move on to the next ticket machine!
If you can get it in time, this guide book will become your best friend: http://www.frommers.com/store/9780470381724.html
It fits PERFECT in your Shootsac
PS – You MUST see the ruins at night. They are SPECTACULAR!
July 23rd, 2010 at 10:45 am
OMG this is extremely helpful.
thank you thank you thank you
July 23rd, 2010 at 11:19 am
Hey! I was in Rome a few years ago. I actually spent three months in Milan and went down to Rome for a week. I got a lot of good deals, like train passes, through STA travel. Its a travel site for students at discount prices, but guess what? you dont have to be a student! Cheack it out.
This may sound cliche, but we took the bus tour one day, just to see where everything is and get a good view of all the sites. Then we chose which ones we wanted to go back and see, like the coloseum or the vatican.
Also, there is a park in Rome, one of the largest Ive ever seen. Sorry I cant think of what its called but its very similar to central park in NYC. Try to find it and take half a day to explore it. On one side there is museum and on the other is a zoo! So very cool!
Have fun!
Whitney
July 23rd, 2010 at 11:24 am
ahhh! I love Rome! We went last summer after taking a mediterranean cruise. We were only there a day but it was just wonderful. I think pretty much anywhere you’ll find amazing food. We loved just walking around and stopping when we were hungry. Eating lunch at a cafe in the Piazza Navona is my high recommendation. We were able to walk everywhere we went, making our way from one sight to the next. I recommend purchasing tickets beforehand to go to the Colosseum if you don’t want to stand in a line for 2 hours. That was probably the smartest thing we did. You’ll love it though. It’s a magical city!
July 23rd, 2010 at 12:41 pm
Oh, how cool… I loved Roma. I’ve been there a while ago. But I remember it as if it was yesterday. All the ancient places…Forum Romanum, Colosseum, Fontana di Trevi, Pantheon, Castel Sant’Angelo, Ponte Sant’Angelo, Basilika St. Peter (it’s really worth going up there), la Cappella Sistina, Piazza Navona, Campo dei Fiori, Piazza di Spagna, … all the touristy sights are worth it.
And the food is just amazing – best pizza and gelato I’ve ever had.
Just be aware of pickpockets – it is horrible there. Keep an eye on your belongings.
Have a great time in probably very hot Roma.
Enjoy it.
July 23rd, 2010 at 3:21 pm
I love Rome! There are so many fabulous things to see and lots have been mentioned above. And in the Sistine Chapel, even though they say not to take pictures – do it anyways. I wish I would’ve!
and, always stop for gelato!
July 23rd, 2010 at 4:18 pm
the area, Trastevere .. is my absolute favorite. it’s a little hidden mini-city inside rome close to the vatican. i spent the last 9 months living in italy and i quickly grew bored of the tourist attractions. i adore rome’s little secrets and Trastevere is just one of them. also, check out warm pears dot com . my friend gina lived in rome for a year and a half and just came back to CA this month. her blog is the most inspiring for anything italy-related!
July 23rd, 2010 at 4:19 pm
Seriously!? That’s awesome! I’ve never been so I’ll be no help except to be excited for you!!!
July 23rd, 2010 at 4:22 pm
oh .. although the trevi is a must. love love love the fountains in rome! oo, and piazza di popolo.
also, venture into the central-park like miracle that is the Villa Borghese: endless people watching, (classic, electric) bike rentals, statues, fountains, endless pathways to less-known little spots, and art galleries!
July 23rd, 2010 at 6:10 pm
I studied abroad there last year. It is incredible. Throw your coin in the trevi fountain and you will be guarenteed to go back. Rome is incredible!! Talk to everyone and make sure to try the nutella gelato… it is more awesome than it sounds!! Eat at “La Pilotta”. It is a little cafe that the cutest little old man owns. I stumbled across it because we got lost in Rome… It was the best meal I had in Italy. The pizza is delightful, their desserts are wonderful, and the wine is the best. Most of all, just enjoy yourself. You won’t make any wrong decisions. Italians are so kind and generous. So make friends and ask for suggestions.
July 23rd, 2010 at 8:24 pm
The Piazza Navona is a must, and it is gorgeous at night lit up.. There is also a rad gelatoria right outside that has a huge selection and also makes crepes as well.. There is also a bus that with take around the whole city for 1 euro and you can get off and on as you please.. It saved a lot of money on tours.. Next to Spain and turkey, Italy is one of my favorite countries.. You and Brian will have an amazing time.
July 23rd, 2010 at 9:00 pm
HAve Funnnn
))
July 23rd, 2010 at 9:53 pm
The Vatican for sure! St. Pauls. Trevi fountain…spanish steps…Pantheon. There was this awesome restaurant we ate at the last night…it was pricey but worth it. Ugh I can’t remember the name. But it was on the top of a popular hotel, it had windows all around with views of Rome all around…it was amazing!
July 24th, 2010 at 12:06 am
you have to go to da baffeto pizzeria in Rome. it’s down in alleyway. best pizza ever!
July 24th, 2010 at 1:36 am
Also, kind of near the Roman Ruins and the Colosseum is a huge field where locals play soccer (we jumped in on a game) and gypsies were playing music and dancing. That was probably my favourite part, along with da Baffeto pizza. Seriously, you have to get pizza there, you won’t be the same.
July 24th, 2010 at 9:55 am
Ahh you’re so lucky! Have an amazing time! I can’t wait to see the photos and hear the stories! (Well, READ the stories! Haha.)
I’m going to bookmark this page too, for all of the tips! Because I know ONE day I’ll go… haha!
July 24th, 2010 at 11:21 am
The New York Times published an article this month about going around Florence in 36 hours: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/25/travel/25hours.html?_r=1. Check out #2. It mentions places that photographers would be interested in seeing.
Look forward to seeing your pictures and hearing about your time there.
Have fun!!!
July 25th, 2010 at 8:55 am
There is an incredible amount of Christian history in Rome and that was always the most impactful for me. The touristy stuff is very cool – Rome is full of amazing sights – great photo opps! But walking on the Appian Way that Paul was led down on his way to Rome – the 3 Inns that are mentioned in Acts are still there. We saw a shepherd with his sheep cross the Appian Way carrying a baby sheep on his shoulders – it’s a sight I’ll never forget. The ruins are cool – especially the Triumphal Arches. Think about 2 Cor 2:14-16. There is so so much more. And don’t forget to eat Gelato everywhere you go.
July 25th, 2010 at 11:02 am
I know this is kinda late… but you must see St. Peter’s Basilica at dawn… just as the sun is rising above down. It is absolutely spectacular because no one is there, you have the whole place to yourself – it’s quite magical. I know it’s early, but it’s worth it =) Have so much fun!
July 25th, 2010 at 9:18 pm
you HAVE to go see the Vatican, the catacombs, the colissium, the huge fountain (i forget the name but its the wishing fountain) go shopping they have amazing stores, eat real italian pizza, if you can, venture over to venice and ride a gondola (they serenade you and its soooo fun) st marks square, take a look at the glass museum there and watch them blow glass, its so amazing! of course the sistine chapel, st peter’s basilica, drink from the old fountains, the pope was on vacation when i went ( go figure ) but try and catch him doing a prayer in the square, etc. you will have SOOOOOO MUCH FUN!!!!!!!!!
July 26th, 2010 at 6:55 am
Hey Promise – I would say, take a day trip to Cortona in Tuscany. It’s a short train ride and worth it for the sweeping views, village-y feel and deep breath of italian countryside living that you’ll get in the midst of a packed week in a busy city like Rome. If you do go to Cortona, eat at La Cucina Grotto…amazing!!! And have the mushroom risotto…and buy one of their quaint pitchers…one of my greatest regrets was not purchasing one of these – they are quintessential Italy. Oh, you will love it all!!
July 26th, 2010 at 3:50 pm
I took my now wife on a surprise trip to Rome 6 years back and proposed on the Spanish Stairs. Beautiful spot! Fontana di Trevi and the Colosseum, Piazza di Fiori and the Pantheon are all spots I remember enjoying, but we also hit the catacombs outside of central Rome for a day off on Via Appia and that was way cool…seeing where the early Christians had to go hide underground and how they tackled persecution was inspiring in the middle of all the romantic sightseeing, eating and coffee-drinking!
July 26th, 2010 at 6:28 pm
I just want to see photos because Rome is one place I really really want to visit. Hope you have FUN!
July 27th, 2010 at 7:35 am
I went to Rome as a sophomore in High School and all I wanted to see was the Trevi Fountain, it was my biggest thing in our trip there. But after seeing everything else, it was no longer at the top of my list.
My favorite memories from Italy are from all of the Piazza’s. Such cool open areas where people just hang out together. Piazza Navona was my favorite (we went back on a free day) because they had street painters out selling at night and you could just hang out on the patios and hear live music. Such a cool atmosphere.
Also, I Wish I’d had a chance to visit the church where Peter’s Chains are. You can go visit and supposedly see the actual chains that were miraculously released from him. I’d research it, it sounded pretty amazing.
Have SO much fun!!
August 25th, 2010 at 7:04 am
Promise, get a Roma Pass! You can get them almost anywhere that sells metro and bus tickets. They not only allow you to ride to bus and metro for free, but they can get you discounts into all the touristy sits. You also get in free to the first tourist site you go to! The pass saved me oodles of money on my weekend trip to Rome in June.
I’d also recommend a night walk. The cities vibe changes so much when the sun sets and lights come one. We walked from the Spanish steps, to the Trevi Fountain, then to the Pantheon (which is under construction :[), to the Piazza Nouvova.
Have a great time! Rome is a wonderfully magic place!
September 3rd, 2010 at 10:15 pm
well. good kit for wonderful celebration