*ad – This blog post is in collaboration with Jet2holidays
It’s been ten years since Gareth and I joined the world of working on cruise ships, where Rome would soon become one of our favourite ports. We always vowed that we would go back one day and explore more of the city, the food and all the sights, but it’s taken a whole ten years for us to finally make it back to this Italian City and let me tell you something, it sure didn’t disappoint!
Our flights to Rome with Jet2 only took just under three hours from Leeds Bradford Airport and it really was such a breeze. When we landed, we had already pre-booked a taxi as this was recommended to us by friends and I honestly couldn’t recommend it enough for you. You can get public transport and there are options of taxis outside but the private transfer option will probably cost you around an extra £20.00 which I didn’t think was too bad.
If you are looking for European City Breaks this festive season, then I think a trip to Rome should be on your bucket list. When I visited Rome in the past, it was always during summer which is a great season to visit but it also has its downsides, such as hot weather and how busy it is.
There are so many options for Winter City Breaks with Rome now being one of my favourite places to visit at this time of year. Let me show you why!
1. The Hotels
There are so many beautiful hotels in Rome and we stayed at the U Visionary Roma Hotel through Jet2holidays which was only a 4-minute walk to the famous Trevi Fountain. We stayed in an Executive Double Room and with its chic and moody interiors, we couldn’t wait to explore more of this hotel. If you didn’t know already, I love a rooftop bar and as soon as the hotel mentioned they had a terrace just above the 5th floor, I knew that was going to be our next stop. The terrace is stunning and we had the most delicious Limoncello whilst taking in the beautiful views.
2. The Sights
A huge tip for you is to book everything ahead of time or be prepared to queue in extremely long lines. I had booked the Colosseum via Trip Advisor and the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel through their own website. We had booked the Vatican on our second day and took a ten-minute taxi drive which was organised by our hotel. We had a guide that took us through the museum and highlighted all the key pieces that you needed to see but then when the guided tour was over, you still had time to go around and explore on your own. We then headed to the Sistine Chapel and was instantly blown away, the history, the art and the atmosphere was second to none.
On our last day, we had also planned a guided tour to enter the Colosseum. We were a little early so we decided to grab a slice of pizza in a little café overlooking the Colosseum. I highly recommend this on your next visit to Rome. We booked the Colosseum with Arena Access and Ancient Rome Tour and our guide was so incredible. The only thing I would say is to book an early tour as we had booked in for 1:15pm which didn’t leave long inside the Colosseum, don’t get me wrong!, it was enough time but we could have done with a little longer.
Make sure you go and see the Trevi Fountain and make a wish followed with a walk to the Spanish Steps.
3. The Food
Where do I begin! The food – wow! You can’t really go wrong in Rome and everything is affordable. We were very fortunate that we had friends that had just been to Rome the weekend before and they gave us all their top tips!
For the most delicious pizza – you must try Roscioli. They also had a café on the street above where we grabbed a coffee and a Martiozzo which is a cream pastry bun- divine! If you are after Gelato, there are so many options around and they are all great, we went to Amorino which was just around the corner from our hotel.
On our last night we booked in at Frezza where all the local Italian’s eat, there wasn’t one tourist when we were in there which I loved. The homemade pasta was on another level and both Gareth and I decided to try Cacio e Pepe pasta which I highly recommend.
4. The Views
Wherever you look in this city, you will find the most impressive views. Everything is in walking distance so remember to bring comfortable shoes as you will be walking a lot! Whichever street corner you take, there is always something to see. Remember to find a roof-top bar, grab an Aperol Spritz and take in the views of Roma.
Holidays to Rome are the perfect Jet2CityBreaks to take this festive season with your loved ones.
