Monday, April 13, 2015

When in Rome...

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After 3 nights in Paris, we woke up the next morning to catch our 9:00 am flight to Rome. The 2-hour flight from Paris to Rome was painless. We arrived at FCO airport right before noon. Instead of spending time to figure out the train system, we decided to take a cab back into the city. A quick travel tip: If you travel with a party of more than 4 people, your best bet is to take a cab. We traveled with my parents and the oldest daughter and paid a flat fee of €55 which includes 5 of us and all bags. A train ticket would cost €8 per person. The fare turned out to be almost the same but convenience-wise, cab wins hands down.

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{Wearing: Skirt | Tee | Denim jacket | Sunglasses | Camera}

After we checked into our hotel, we turned around and headed to the Vatican immediately. We booked a group tour of the Vatican and Sistine Chapel. I thought the guide was quite good and have enjoyed it. It was roughly a two and a half hour tour (including the Sistine chapel). We had a group of 25 people. Our tour guide was excellent, spoke very good English and provided us with headphones. Although she did a great job of keeping everyone together, the overall crowds in the museum were a little too much for my daughter and my parents. If you like in-depth information, a private tour probably is the best way to go. I highly recommend you pay for a tour. This will not only save you at least 2 hours of waiting in line but will also help you understand everything you are looking at. The Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel both are breathtakingly beautiful. There is so much to see so you will need a half day to walk round.



Woke up the next day and planned to spend the entire day visiting as many attractions as we could. In my opinion, the best ways to explore the city is on a hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus. A one-day bus ticket costs €18 per person and is valid until 10:00 p.m. Our first stop of the day was the Colosseum. To say this place is beautiful is an understatement. There is so much history about the Colosseum and I was truly amazed. Definitely a must see attraction when you're in Rome!

Colosseum
{The Colosseum}

We spent almost 3 hours visiting the Colosseum, had lunch, got back on the bus and headed to the Trevi Fountain. From the bus stop, we walked through little alleys and made our way to the Spanish steps. The crowds here only made for a fun, lively atmosphere. All your designer shopping can be done right by the Spanish Steps (from high-end jewelry stores like Cartier to affordable brands like Aldo shoes and everything in between). There is also a Chanel boutique as soon as you walk down the steps. Yes, I did make a quick run in. I seriously have to thank my family for putting up with my Chanel obsession =)

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{The Trevi Fountain}


After soaking up the energy of Rome's iconic Spanish Steps, we made our way to the Trevi Fountain. Unfortunately, it is currently under renovation. They have built a bridge for people to walk on to get a closer look at the fountain but it was kind of disappointing. We did not get to see everything we wanted to see in Rome during a short visit but hope to come back one day. Rome is truly amazing and I hope you enjoy a few snippets of our vacation.

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{The Spanish steps}

4 comments:

Gina Daily said...

OMG. Just getting caught up on your vacation posts and wow....they are amazing! What an incredible trip!! I'm excited to read your upcoming shopping posts! And side note, but sorry about your lack of luck in finding the right size of leggings in store! That's so frustrating!
Gina - On the Daily Express

Straight A Style said...

Your vacation pictures are so amazing! I love your fun skirt.

Amy Ann
The Real Arnolds

Unknown said...

How cool! I've been to Italy, but never Rome. It looks like you had a great time!

Tara | The Mix said...

This trip looks so amazing! I hope to get there one day!