No “must sees” tickets? Try these alternatives.

Posted on May 4, 2023 in Arts and History, Planning Support

“Everybody goes to the same handful of sites. If you just go to those sites, you’re going to have a trip that is shaped by crowds. Or you can break free from that and realise that you can study the options and choose sites that are best for you. You can go to alternative places […]

Vatican tours? We quit.

Posted on May 2, 2023 in Planning Support, On your own, Time out to reflect

When I began as a tour guide – 15 years ago – I wouldn’t say the Vatican Museums were ever empty, they were definitely busy, yet bearable and occasionally even pleasant. There are unique masterpieces in the collections, and I’m not just talking about the Sistine chapel: we also have Raphael, Botticelli, Perugino, Caravaggio, all […]

Start your trip now!

Posted on Apr 21, 2020 in Planning Support, On your own

[revised November 2021] In time of Covid-19 we learnt some times you cannot travel and have just to wait and dream. But this is not necessarily a lost time.  Have you ever heard of the “Grand Tour”?  It was a “travel habit” of the bygone days, just reserved to upper classes (and mostly male travellers), […]

Eating in Rome

Posted on Dec 13, 2019 in Foodies & Shopaholics, Planning Support, On your own

[revised August 2022] There is such a wide choice of places and options to eat in Rome: street food? A gelato? A fancy restaurant with a view? A traditional trattoria? A wine-bar for fine tastings? Midnight cornetto?)… It’s impossible to list them all… We are “out there” everyday and we constantly ask for feedbacks from […]

Sleeping in Rome

Posted on Dec 12, 2019 in On your own, Planning Support

[revised December 2021] There are thousands of different options for your accommodation in Rome and it is quite impossible to have a full updated list of all the hotels, B&Bs, hostels, religious institutions, campings, apartments… we simply recommend caution in the choice of location, especially if you are visiting Rome for the first time: lodgings’ websites […]

How to visit Colosseum’s underground

Posted on Dec 11, 2019 in Planning Support, On your own

[revised August 2022] In the last years, the visit of the Colosseum has been enriched of new areas, i.e. the underground layer, the arena, the third tier called the “belvedere” (currently under restoration). Unfortunately the people interested in this kind of visit are more numerous than the available slots and the way these tickets are […]

All you need to know about Vatican tours

Posted on Dec 10, 2019 in Planning Support

[revised August 2022] A tour at the Vatican is probably the first line in your “to do list” for a trip to Rome (which is ironical, in fact, as the Vatican is not in Rome, neither in Italy… It’s a foreign country! But you already know that, right?) There is a lot to know about […]

How to reach Rome from Civitavecchia Port

Posted on Oct 29, 2018 in Planning Support, On your own

[revised December 2021] Some of our visitors are here on a cruise (or before/after a cruise) and need infos on how to reach the city from the harbour of Rome which is not “around the corner” (approx 1,5 hr away from the city centre). Instead of creating a new blogpost, we are happy to share […]

Skip-the-line tickets: what you need to know

Posted on Sep 4, 2018 in Planning Support

[revised August 2022] Everybody is well aware by now the most famous tourist attractions need pre-booking in order to avoid long lines. And we will not even consider touring the Vatican if you do not have the  “skip the line” reservations (for the Colosseum it is mandatory). What you need to know is: non only […]

Rome à la carte

Posted on Oct 12, 2017 in Planning Support

[revised December 2021] Planning a trip is not easy: you always want to make the most of your time, you feel compelled to cover some “must sees” and you do not have time to dedicate to the planning because… well, generally you have a job, a family and some errands everyday…. That’s why we are […]