On the second day, we will enjoy a full day of sightseeing in Rome, which we’ve been looking forward to.
It’s a good idea to buy tickets for the Colosseum well in advance
First up is the must-see Colosseum. We had been planning this trip to Europe for about a year and had booked our hotels well in advance, yet we procrastinated on purchasing tickets for museums and the Colosseum until the last minute. This was a huge miscalculation! When we checked online, the tickets were sold out, and we couldn’t buy them. GetYourGuide only had tour options available. If you really don’t want to wait in line, joining a tour might be the best option.
We were looking for tickets only, not a tour. In the end, we decided to buy the tickets on the day by waiting in line.
It seems that there are several ticket booths, but when we went, booth #2 was closed. Booth #1 had a long line.
Here is the long line at booth #1. As you can see, there is no shade, so a sun umbrella and water are essential. After waiting for over two hours, we finally managed to buy our tickets.
Actually, while we were waiting in line, our youngest suddenly needed to use the restroom. We found a nearby public toilet, but it was locked and unavailable. With no other choice, we asked a nearby restaurant if we could use their restroom, and they kindly let us in. In situations like this, don’t hesitate to ask a restaurant to use their facilities. Italy is a child-friendly country, so it’s unlikely that they will say no.
Oh, by the way, at one point, a tourist blatantly tried to cut into our line, so we called them out. (Well, not me—my husband did, haha.) After finally getting our tickets, we were able to enter the Colosseum smoothly, which was a relief.
The inside was even more magnificent than we had imagined. However, the history of the Colosseum is actually quite brutal. If you want to learn more in-depth about its history, I highly recommend getting an audio guide.
We didn’t wait in line for the Bocca della Verità—we just snapped a quick photo and moved on
We hadn’t originally planned to visit the Bocca della Verità, but we realized it wasn’t too far from the Colosseum, so we decided to check it out. For getting around Rome, we mainly used buses. We used the 48-hour unlimited pass we bought yesterday to get there.
If you’re interested, be sure to check out our Vatican City one-day tour as well!
It took about 15 minutes on the bus to get there.
There was definitely a line, but since it was just for a photo, I thought it might be worth it. At the right moment, when people were moving, I quickly extended my selfie stick from the side of the fence and snapped the picture in an instant. Sorry about that… haha. I just took a quick photo of the Bocca della Verità as a memento!
When you think of Rome, you think of carbonara!
I was getting hungry, so we headed to the restaurant Grappolo d’Oro, which we had reserved in advance.
I definitely wanted to try carbonara while in Rome, so I did some research and decided on this restaurant.
The pasta was amazing, just like the real thing! It was so chewy and delicious that I finished it all in no time! There are so many places in Rome that serve carbonara, so be sure to do some research and check out different spots!
Historic coffee cafés in Rome- Sant’Eustachio Caffe
After walking about 10 minutes from the carbonara restaurant, we arrived at the Pantheon. It’s another famous tourist spot in Italy, but we just took a photo without going inside.
After that, I wanted a short break and came to Sant’Eustachio Caffe. From what I’ve heard, it’s a long-established and very popular café in Rome. The waiter, an older gentleman, was very polite and spoke English with an Italian accent, which was great. As you can tell from the photos, it was really busy!
I always thought of cappuccino as a hot drink, but in Italy, they have iced cappuccino! It was incredibly delicious. It was so good that I bought some coffee beans as souvenirs. Every time I opened my suitcase, I was comforted by the wonderful aroma of the coffee beans.
When visiting the Trevi Fountain, just be careful of pickpockets!
One must-visit spot in Rome, Italy, is definitely the Trevi Fountain. It’s such a popular tourist destination that it’s always crowded with people. Many visitors get so focused on taking pictures that they end up falling victim to pickpockets, so be cautious!
We had only seen the miniature version in Las Vegas, so seeing the real one was truly overwhelming. My daughter and I made a wish by tossing coins into the fountain while facing backward.
The best gelato I had in Rome – Venchi
During my trip to Italy, I stopped by a few gelato shops, but honestly, none of them were that great (I’ll be blunt, haha). However, I found a gelato shop with a line not far from the Trevi Fountain, so I decided to give it a try. The shop was called Venchi, and it turns out it’s an old, well-known chocolate shop. After looking it up, I discovered they even have locations in America.
The staff and the atmosphere of the shop were really cute!
It was so delicious that I couldn’t help but exclaim, “Wow!” Personally, it was one of the best gelatos I’ve had. If you ever go to Rome, you absolutely have to try it.
Summery
You can easily enjoy all of Rome in just one day! Plus, you’ll be walking so much that no matter how much you eat, you won’t gain weight! But comfortable shoes are a must! In Italy, to avoid pickpockets, I kept my backpack in front of me in crowded areas. I also kept my wallet deep inside my bag, and my husband wore a small cardholder with valuables around his neck, hidden inside his clothes. Thanks to these precautions, we didn’t fall victim to theft, but my mother-in-law’s backpack’s outer pocket zipper was open several times, so it seems like we were targeted without realizing it. Europe feels even more dangerous than America in terms of pickpocketing, so make sure you’re fully prepared to protect yourself!
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