A weekend in Rome including Castel Sant’Angelo, the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, dinner recommendations and other travel tips.
I could visit Rome 100 times and it would never lose its charm. Something about this city is so special to me, and this visit was especially significant because it was my first visit with Ben.
Transportation & accommodations
We flew to Rome from Frankfurt-Hahn via RyanAir. Once we arrived, we hopped on the Terravision shuttle (€4 per person) to Roma Termini where we caught the metro toward our hotel.
We chose to stay at the Trevi BB Beau Boutique Hotel — the same place I stayed and loved in January 2014. The location simply can’t be beat! The hotel is right next to the Trevi Fountain, my favorite location in Rome and one of my favorite locations in the world.
After settling into our accommodations, we set out to explore. I quickly showed Ben around the area, to include the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, and the many restaurants and bars that surround these locations.
We enjoyed a lovely dinner at That’s Amore, then went for a night-time walk toward the river. We took in the beautiful views of Castel Sant’Angelo at night and wandered over to a fun bar called Scholar’s Lounge.
Day 1
Castel Sant’Angelo
Our first full day in Rome began with a visit to Castel Sant’Angelo. If you want to see the coolest parts of this fortress, book a guided tour!
I paid for a guided night tour during my last weekend in Rome and it was incredible. The tour provided the opportunity to walk the Passetto di Borgo (a secret passageway that leads all the way to the Vatican, once used as the Pope’s escape route in case of emergency), a visit to the underground dungeon of the castle and other rooms that are closed off to regular admission. It was especially cool walking through the castle around midnight — it wasn’t crowded at all and even felt a little spooky at times!
Note: The Passetto di Borgo is only open for visitors for a limited amount of time each summer. Do some research before your trip to see if your dates line up.
After Castel Sant’Angelo, we wandered over to the Vatican, then to the Colosseum. It was 4 p.m. by the time we reached the Colosseum, so we couldn’t go in (they close early during the winter season). Instead, we purchased tickets for the following day and walked around the outside.
We strolled past the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill as the sun was setting and the views were breathtaking.
Mimi E CoCo
We had a lovely dinner that evening at Mimi E Coco Wine Bar. The Pizza Quatro Formaggio was to die for! Ben enjoyed his salmon dish as well.
Trevi Fountain
We returned to the Scholar’s Lounge that night for karaoke. On our way back to the hotel we stopped to enjoy the Trevi Fountain — it’s most beautiful at night when everyone has gone to sleep and there’s nothing but the sound of the rushing water. It’s quite a sight to take in.
Day 2
Colosseum
The following day we visited the Colosseum again, this time to explore inside. We walked around the lower level and upper level, spending about an hour inside.
It was too late in the day for us to use our tickets for the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill as well, so we decided to go hang out at the Spanish Steps.
We enjoyed our final dinner followed by a bottle of wine at the Trevi Fountain — I’ll never get tired of sitting on these steps and listening to the fountain!
This weekend in Rome was short, but fun. Until next time, Rome.
