If it is your first time in Rome and you have planned a whole trip to discover Italy, having allocated only 24 hours to spend in this magical city, can still give you a great opportunity to explore some of its famous monuments. All you have to do is use your time wisely! I have been to Rome in the past where I have spent a total of 5 days exploring all the tourist attractions, visiting the museums and of course the Vatican City. This was not my first time in Italy as I have been to Milan, Lake Como and Venice in the past. The difference with this trip was to fulfill the dream of visiting Tuscany and this time by train. I have to note that Italy has an excellent train system which allows you to go anywhere, so you can explore different cities in a matter of days. You can also pre-book your tickets online with Trenitalia which makes it easier for you to organize your trip and save time waiting in queues. Prices of tickets vary depending on different times of the day; there are also the fast and the slow trains.
If your time is limited in Rome, make sure that you stay in the center of the city within a walking distance from most of the important tourist attractions. Getting around is pretty easy as there are street sign pointing to all the monuments. On the day of our arrival we checked in at the hotel Regina Giovanna which was located on the Via Nazionale and is in a walking distance from the Termini Train Station, this is where we would be taking the train to Florence on the following day. We arrived to Rome with easyJet and I had booked my transfer from the airport to the Termini Train Station online using Terravision. There are different coach companies available but I think this was the most popular as I had found it online. So if you buy your tickets online in advance you only pay 4 Euros per person, this is even cheaper than getting the easyJet bus.
Once we checked in the hotel we made our way towards Fontana di Trevi, and on the way there we discovered the Frida Kahlo exhibition taking place at the Scuderie del Quirinale. The exhibition is on from the 20 March until 31 August 2014 so if you are a fan of her work and planning to visit Rome this summer, I definitely recommend that you pay her a visit.
The Fontana di Trevi is located just in a few steps, so after we finished admiring the exhibition we went to soak in the beauty of this renowned fountain. Make sure to throw in a coin in the fountain. There is a famous legend that if you throw a coin into the Fontana di Trevi you will ensure a return trip to the Eternal City. This was my third time visiting Rome, so this legend must be true.
There are many souvenir shops and restaurants around the area, so you may purchase a few souvenirs to take back home with you. Do not forget to try the famous Italian gelato which you can literally find on every corner. You should not leave Rome without trying their prosciutto, and the place I recommend that you visit for excellent wine and authentic Tuscan experience is the La Prosciutteria (read my review of the place here).
In the morning we walked to the Colosseum and then we then headed to Piazza di Spagna which is one of the most famous squares in Rome. Here lies the Fontana della Barcaccia (Fountain of the Old Boat) which is now unfortunately under renovation. Here you will also find all the famous boutiques.
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