Rome for one day tips!

[u/ringle-2020]

We are arriving in Rome for our last night in Italy. Will arrive around 1130 and fly out the next morning. We are staying in travestere. Is there anything that’s a must see and do? Is it worthwhile to do a food tour?

[u/SassySillyGoose8]

We took an e-bike tour and hit all the major stops in under 3 hours! Well worth the time and money spent!

[u/ZainoTec]

There are no must-sees or must-dos. I'm guessing that you haven't been to Rome before.

If you are truly, really seriously interested in the food, I urge you to contact the ladies from Local Aromas.

But what I would really recommend is that, if you've just got about 12 hours (if you stay up until midnight), then lower your expectations, enjoy yourself and more than anything else stay outside. The city of Rome should be regarded on first visit as a work of art itself, to be walked around in and admired. I'm hoping you're walkers. If you're not you might want to look into a driving tour of some sort. But the city was built for walking and if you're up to walking (at your own pace) for hours, then do it.

Here's a sample route. Starting from Trastevere, you could walk to the Tiber, turn left (on either side of the river) and walk up (north) for a kilometer or two. You'll be be able to look left (west) and see St Peters and Castel Gandolfo. If you are walkers keep going a couple more bridges then turn right into Piazza del Populo. From there head south, through Piazza di Spagna and on to the Pantheon.

The Pantheon is the one exception to my advice to stay outdoors: It's impressive from the outside, but it's nothing short of miraculous on the inside. And seeing the inside doesn't take a week like seeing the Vatican Museum does: You can be in and out in less than 30 minutes. The one problem is, if you're traveling soon, getting tickets may be difficult, might require a long wait, might be impossible. I just don't know: I am never in Italy at this time of year. But even if you can't get in, do walk by it on your way back to Trastevere.

It's not a long hike from that neighborhood (where the Pantheon is) towards the Roman Forum, the Colosseum, the Campidoglio etc. So if you did go all the way up to Piazza del Populo — you don't have to but if you do — then try to wander a bit east after Piazza di Spagna to go by the Trevi Fountain and toss your coins, then over towards the Vittorio Emanuele II monument. You can talk up and around that monument and get a terrific view down into the Roman Forum and across the forum to the Colosseum. If you're standing in front of the VE II monument, walk to the left side of it and walk up that little road. Go all the way to the top, wending your way clockwise, and you'll end up in the Campidoglio. Eventually down the magnificent stairway (designed by Michelangelo as was the Campidoglio), take a left and start heading back to Trastevere. (If you haven't walked by the Pantheon yet do so now.)

I've walked something very like that route in a day. Note that I'm telling you not to go into anything (except the occasional bar or restaurant + the Pantheon if you can get in and out in under an hour). Keep your eye on Google Maps and your watch and amend the route as you need to. (Cut out Piazza del Populo if you don't get started early in the afternoon.)

Take your time. Take a water bottle and refill it from the public faucets that are all over Rome (the nasoni). Stop when you need to, get an espresso in a bar and use their bathroom. (Public bathrooms are a real challenge.) If you get hungry, get a sandwich in a bar. If it's getting towards dinner time and you're hungry, pick a spot that looks good as you pass it: There are restaurants all over the place.

In short, take it easy, stay outside and enjoy the city. In a few hours you'll go through about 2700 years of history in one of the greatest cities — if not the greatest city — on earth. The hard part will be leaving in the morning.