If you’re short on time, 4 days in Rome can be enough to see some of the major sites and also give you some time to relax and people watch.
When planning my stay in Rome while I was mindful that it was the last stop on a busy 3-week European trip, I wasn’t sure when I’d be back so I needed to pack in as much as I could. I only had 4 days in Rome, I know, I know, not nearly enough time! With that in mind I basically hit the ground running after checking in at my Airbnb.
Coming from Florence (Click on the link to find out about my 6 days in Florence experience) via fast train, it was an easy (and safe) 10-minute stroll from Roma Termini to my apartment which was located in the Monti area. I chose this area simply because it was within walking distance to the Colosseum, the Forum & Palatine Hill, the main reason for my stop in Rome.
Also, I’d heard it was filled with great bars, awesome food, cobblestoned streets, vintage stores and a mix of younger and older people. That is what I am always looking for. Immersion into local life is how I like to travel. Monti, is a bit off the tourist path as far as accommodation goes and that is something that really does appeal to me.
My Advice
With planning accommodation in Rome, is that it is really important to get a place that is close enough to the sights you want to see and what you want to do. There are much more touristy places where hotels and apartments tend to be more on the high-price side of accommodation. If you can afford it do it. You’ll save yourself some money from not having to catch taxi’s everywhere.
But if you are like me and conscious of what you’re spending then an area slightly off the tourist path could save you a lot of money AND get you fit at the same time. In saying though, the train system in Rome is really good so base yourself close to a station and you’ll be right.
As a whole, my advice to anyone going to Rome for the first time and if you have a limited amount of time, is:
Plan ahead! Plan your days, plan what you’ll be seeing and how you are getting to and from places.
Book your tours before you go to skip the lines (because they can get quite massive).
Research places to eat and drink too.
Normally I like to not plan as much except for a few tours, I am more of a go with the flow kind of person. But I knew that I would miss out on too much if I didn’t make some serious plans. And there were times where I stuffed up big time and wasted a whole afternoon getting lost. But at least I saw some amazing sites along the way.
For my 4 days in Rome experience, I planned:
Day one
A get myself acquainted with the Monti area kind of day.
Day two
Straight on tour to the magnificent Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. The tour took approximately 4 hours so afterwards I took myself out for a drink and meal.
This tour was absolutely brilliant and you can read my review here ***.
Day three
An early start to tour Vatican City (you can read my review here) and a walk back to Monti seeing the following on my way home:
Piazza Navona
Campo de’Fiori
Pantheon
Basilica di Santa Maria Sopra Minerva
Trevi Fountain
Spanish Steps
It was a LONG day! I think I was up at 5.30am to be at the Vatican at 7am. I am calling it my ‘cram in as much of Rome as possible’ day! I was on my feet all day stopping only in Piazza Navona for lunch for a delicious pizza and for Gelati in a piazza not far from Monti on my way home. I think I clocked up over 20,000 steps on my Fitbit that day and slept like a baby once I finally got back to my apartment.
Day four
I just had a day of relaxing, washing clothes, packing & tidying up my Airbnb, strolling around the back streets of Monti, and eating out.
Ideally, I would have liked to have had a week in Rome, and really that wouldn’t be enough to see everything. But honestly, how much time is enough time in a city like Rome?
Unless you live in a city or can afford to spend a lot of time in one, can you ever really see everything? I know there was a lot that I missed, but with only 4 days in Rome, I think what I did was enough and afforded me time to spend strolling around and taking some time out to people watch.
There is a lot to be said about cramming as much in as possible in a holiday, but I am simply not that kind of traveller. Sitting in a bar talking to locals made me happier than some of what I did on day 4 of this trip. I mean, you can’t get that kind of experience ticking historical sights of a list. Yes, I could have done more, but knowing I’d be back some day, I did the basics and made a list of things to see and do next time. Some of which, the colosseum mainly, I will do again.
Hope my itinerary helps, if you have any questions feel free to ask in the comments section below.
The tour was run by Elisabeth whom I discovered through AirBnB experiences. Elisabeth is actually from the Netherlands but I specifically chose her to take the tour so I could gain an outsider’s perspective on living in Bologna. Elisabeth is a student and attends university in Bologna. Specifically choosing Bologna for the chance to learn more about Italian food, art and culture.
The tour took us on foot through to Bologna’s oldest chocolate shop Majani Cioccolato Boutique which was established in 1796. In Majani, I was treated to sampling 4 chocolates of which I purchased one of each to ‘take home’. None of the chocolate I purchased even left Italy as I ate it all. Too good not to. My favourite was the FIAT Cremino, a 4-layer velvety alternation of hazelnut and almond paste, with sublime creaminess.
After Majani we walked through one of Bologna’s many food markets. We sampled some Piadina’s together which was a great chance to ask a lot of questions and take in the morning ritual of market shopping by the locals. It was especially nice to have Elisabeth sit down and eat with me.
The next stop was another food market area which was quite close to the Piazza Maggiore area. The streets are lined with butchers, fruit and vegetable shops, seafood places, bakeries and traditional Italian food shops. We were also able to sample some cheese and balsamic vinegar from around the area. I really enjoyed this part of the tour and made the decision to head back later to buy some lasagne alla bolognaise which I had been eyeing off.
Wondering around for a while we purchased some Crescentins (also known as Tigelle) which are a type of small flat bread that were filled with some meats and cheeses from the local area. We grabbed our food and ended up at Osteria del Sole that from memory was the oldest of its kind in Bologna. What an amazing little place. Families gather there with their own little picnics gathered from the surrounding markets and feast together with wine purchased at the bar. We sat on a lively table of a family that was celebrating just being together. Amazing to watch and be a part of. Elisabeth purchased our wine and after talking and eating and drinking and having such a great time, I ended up buying us more wine. Of course.
Lastly, we headed off along Bolognas famous porticos to Elizabeth’s favourite gelati place. My first (of many) gelati in Italy and let me tell you it was every bit as wonderful as I had imagined it to be. The shop has an abundance of flavours to try, I settled on two after a long wait trying to decide which ones to have.
For a 3-hour tour we certainly packed in a hell of a lot and I did not need to eat breakfast (which I was advised not to upon booking) or lunch. For just under $100 AUD this tour was certainly worth every dollar spent. Not only was the food amazing but being able to head into some places I would never have thought to if I was on my own was a really great experience. For someone whom is a new local to Bologna she certainly knows its history and stories really well. Elisabeth is also lovely, vibrant and a truly charming person to be around.
I’d highly recommend booking Elisabeth for your walking food tour of Bologna.
I stayed two nights in Le Casine Di Vladimar whilst in Bologna. The apartment is about a ten minute walk from the main train station and less than ten minutes from the Centro Storico (main centre). There are some great café’s, bars, restaurants and grocery stores close by. Easily accessible on the second floor of the apartment building. The apartment is secure and you don’t hear much from neighbours or from the crowds in the Piazza close by.
It’s a quaint apartment fitted out with all the necessities needed for your stay. Importantly there is a washing machine which comes in real handy when you are travelling around Europe using only carry on size luggage.
The one bedroom is huge! You could fit a cot or another single bed in there if needed. The bed is super comfortable and dressed in modern bed linens. In the bedroom there is a wardrobe to hang clothes, hair dryer, clothes horse (to dry clothes), an iron, ironing board, desk and anything else you could need.
The lounge and kitchen area leads out to a small balcony. The couch in the lounge can fold out into a bed for more than two guests. There is no TV but seriously, who needs a TV when you are on holidays. The kitchen is fully equip with everything need for your stay and to cook meals. The owner supplies coffee and tea and other such things you may need for your morning wake up drink.
The owner is really lovely. She says she doesn’t speak English that well but I thought she really did very well. She gave me many recommendations on where to eat, drink and what to visit.
If you’re headed to Bologna and looking for an apartment to base yourself I would highly recommend LeCasine Di Vladimar. I’ll definitely stay again when in Bologna next.
As a frequent traveller I am often asked why I choose solo travel over travelling with others. It is not that I don’t enjoy the company of others when travelling, it is just that my preferred form of travel happens to be by myself. In the last few years I have had family, friends, and even strangers try to understand my reasoning so it has compelled me to put this piece together.
If you are seriously considering solo travel, I hope that this post gives you the motivation you need to commit to it. If you’re wary, curious, sceptical or don’t think solo travel is for you then I hope that this gives you some insight into the wonders of solo travel and how it can impact your life in such a positive way.
Personally, I have found that there is nothing in life more challenging, yet so fulfilling and life changing than solo travel. By being pushed so far outside of my comfort zone, solo travel has given me the ability to trust my own instincts and has elevated my confidence in ways that I would never have imagined.
Simply put, solo travel is liberating.
It is freedom.
And it is sooooooooooo rewarding!
My solo travels have been periods of extreme growth as an individual. It is where I have learnt more about myself and the world around me than I ever would have done sitting at home waiting for someone to travel with me.
On that topic let me just get this off my chest straight away. DO NOT wait for other people to accompany you on a trip. Just go. Do it. Don’t fall into that trap of letting other people hold you back from your dreams. Once you are out there, you WILL meet people and oftentimes you will forge lasting friendships with people from all over the world. What a win!! For me, if there is somewhere I want to go and I can afford it, nothing holds me back from booking that holiday.
Don’t get me wrong, I have enjoyed travelling with family, friends and partners and for most parts have had some truly memorable experiences. Some of my happiest travel moments have been experiencing or witnessing something spectacular and sharing those moments with someone else. It is just that my most favourite form of travel is done solo. I do happen to quite appreciate my own company and the bonus is having the freedom to do what I want, when I want and how I want.
For me there is nothing more satisfying than booking a trip, researching locations, choosing accommodation, booking tours and embarking on a solo trip when it is all for my own enjoyment. All without having to take into consideration the needs and wants of others.
Selfish? I don’t think so, life is short. Why not embrace and do what makes me happy! My mother’s early departure from life taught me to grab life with both hands and just do everything I possibly can. For me complacency and not fulfilling my dreams is akin to a slow and painful death, so travel on my terms, when I want and how I want is definitely for me.
I get that solo travel is not for everyone and not being one to sugar coat things, I will say that travelling by yourself can be hard and it will test you. Solo travel really does push you well outside of your comfort zone, and I understand that may not be very appealing for some people.
There have been many times where I have doubted myself. I have worried about my personal safety and general well being. I have wondered about the intentions of strangers, hoping I have got their motives right. I have gotten myself so lost in cities and wondered around for hours. Accommodation and tour bookings have fallen through last minute and I have missed a flight AND a train or two. But never once in all my solo travels have I run into any major issues that couldn’t be fixed.
Solo travel can be a lonely affair at times so the one thing you need to be able to do is enjoy your own company. Eating and drinking alone in a foreign place has been an unexpected obstacle for me to overcome. In the past I have been so worried about being judged for sitting there on my own but now, I am so comfortable with solo dining that I even do it back home.
Another consideration is the loneliness of not having someone to share amazing experiences with. For example, I would have LOVED to have shared with someone the excitement of seeing the Northern Lights in Norway or that time I stumbled across Paul Kelly busking out the front of Shakespeare and Co in Paris. But having those moments on my own far outweigh not ever having had the experience at all.
The greatest night of my life!!!
Paul Kelly at Shakespeare & Co Paris
Have I enticed you to give solo a travel a go yet?
If you are hesitant to go it alone rather than jumping in the deep end and doing a massive adventure that you could potentially hate (unless of course that floats your boat) my advice is to give yourself a solo travel taster to begin with. Start small and somewhere that is familiar enough to you. It could be that you holiday in your own city, state or country. Or like me, to a country that you had been to before. If that seems too much, start by taking yourself out for dinner on your own. The important thing is to learn how to travel by yourself. See if you will be ok on your own.
I started my solo adventures in Bali because to me, it was familiar. I had been there numerous times with others and for me it was important to put myself out there but gently, dipping my toes in the solo travel waters one inch at a time. Bali was easy. If shit hit the fan, I was only 6 hours from home. I knew where I was, I knew the Balinese culture, food, and people. I even had a group of locals that I call my ‘Bali family’ that I could rely upon IF needed (I never did by the way).
Jungle view from my Bali hut. Solo travel rocks
Eating alone has never looked better
That one week in Bali changed my life for the better. I don’t think I had ever been so relaxed and happy, and I felt like I had really nailed travelling on my own. After Bali I was hooked so as soon as I got home I booked another solo trip to France. I followed that up with trips to Norway, Denmark and Uluru. This year I am off to Italy, Germany, Austria as well as the US and Canada (some solo, some with friends). I am so thankful for the experiences I have had and incredibly excited about what is ahead!
Some other valuable discoveries about solo travel that I think are incredibly important:
I am more capable than I ever gave myself credit for. Stepping outside my comfort zone has been a life changer!
To be totally transparent, when I embarked on my first solo trip, I was shit scared and so worried that I wasn’t capable of doing it. I thought that I needed someone with me to have fun with or to rely upon to navigate the holiday. In fact, I still have some of those doubts before every trip (mostly when I am on the plane and it is fortunately too late to back out).
Self-doubt and low confidence have been somewhat of an issue for me my entire life. Jumping into solo travel has really tested me, but with having no choice than to face my fears I have gained a new and profound sense of independence and understanding that I am more than capable of travelling on my own. All I have needed was to trust myself and listen to my gut instinct.
From my solo adventures I have had to talk to people I would normally shy away from. I have had to ask strangers for help, I have had to face eating and drinking on my own, going solo on tours and the list goes on but, by facing those fears I have not lost a thing. Only gained new friends and some fabulous new experiences.
People are inherently good
One of the greatest realisations that I have had while travelling solo is that most people are good and are not out to screw you over. In fact, in my experience, locals are often willing to help someone asking for directions or are full of useful information and recommendations. Generally, they are proud of their home and want to show it off to you by being helpful.
Fellow travellers are often in the same boat as you and can turn out to be the source of endless fun and unexpected adventures. I have been very fortunate in all of my solo travel experiences and have met some wonderful new friends all from asking for directions or getting over my own scardy cat bullshit and striking up conversation.
I have had dinners with a couple from Germany who have invited me to stay with them in their home, a night out in Tromso with a total misfit 70 year old woman from Brisbane, bonded over beers with a new friend from Hong Kong while sitting next to each other on a flight, an awesome new friend in Svolaer who happens to own a bar there (handy friend to have) AND I’ve even had a waiter attempt to pick me up in Strasbourg (ah huh, that happened much to my delight).
Yes, there are some jerks out there, but do as you would do in your own home. If someone looks dodgy, common sense would mean that you probably wouldn’t approach them to ask for directions. Same goes for when you are travelling.
Things can and will go wrong and that is ok.
Sometimes shit just happens and while it can be quite frustrating, when you are holidaying you can’t afford to waste precious time holding onto the what ifs and what nots. Just roll with it.
I mean, what is the point of stressing over things beyond your control while travelling? The only outcome is that the stress will lead to you having a miserable trip and who wants that? So yeah, you missed that flight? Go find an airport bar and drink a bottle of wine (like my friend Loz did in Oslo). Your accommodation is not what it looked like in the pictures? Move places or better still stay, you’re not on holidays to spend the bulk of your time in a hotel room.
It really does pay to lower your expectations of what your holiday should or could be as it inevitably will lead to less disappointment and a more enjoyable trip.
A new sense of freedom.
The first moment I realised how liberating and freeing solo travel was occurred after a 24-hour flight from Melbourne to Paris. After I landed, I navigated through the airport and train into central Paris, found my hotel and now my holiday was to begin. I had done it. I had made this trip happen, I saved the money, researched, created an itinerary, booked tours, hotels, Airbnb’s, train trips and now here I was, totally relaxed, very excited and utterly content on my own in a wine bar sipping on some of France’s finest.
This was what freedom was and is to me. Being able to decide for myself on doing something that makes me incredibly happy. And just simply doing it. This is how I continue to feel every time I travel solo.
Free!
Solo travel means being vulnerable, and it really is a beautiful thing.
Travelling solo is ALL about being vulnerable. Not all of us are ok with feeling vulnerable and to be transparent once again it took me a long time to embrace the idea that accepting my own vulnerability was going to be one of the best things for me. So good that it has been a part of transforming me into being the best version of myself.
The moment you start thinking about solo travel is the moment you step outside of your comfort zone. The moment you step outside of your comfort zone onto another city, state or country with hundreds, thousands, maybe millions of people you do not know who speak a language you do not understand you are ultimately vulnerable.
Being vulnerable is by no means comfortable. But neither is masking our vulnerability and failing to put ourselves out there and take a chance. Everything I have done, things that I am proud of, every brilliant memory I have, my accomplishments, successes, and fabulous life experiences have come about because I allowed myself to be vulnerable and take a chance. I took a chance on solo travel, allowed myself to be vulnerable and I am so glad I did for my life is so rich because of it.
Cheers to Paris, cheers to travelling solo
This is what happiness looks like
So next time you are wishing that you had the courage to get on a plane, train or in a car on your own to have an adventure I hope my words of encouragement help push you in the direction of saying a big YES to solo travel. Don’t wait for someone else to be ‘available’ to holiday with you, trust me you CAN do this. Those first few days may be a little rough, but I promise you that it will be the best thing that you ever did for yourself.
What are you waiting for? Treat yourself and book that solo trip! Go on, I dare you!
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