#rome #coliseum #forum #sistinechapel #vatican #pompeii #vesuvius #naples #pizza #gelato #florence #firenze
Whenever you search "Can I visit (insert destination here) in X amount of days?", you'll read many comments about people complaining that you can't possibly visit for such a short amount of time. They say it's a "disgrace" or it's "unthinkable" to travel somewhere for just a few days. I'm here to tell you - YOU CAN. Don't let anybody tell you that you can't visit somewhere for a short period of time. This is YOUR vacation. You do whatever your heart desires, and see whatever you want to see!
That being said, I'll tell you how I traveled in Italy for one week. ONE WEEK. Here is a day-by-day general itinerary of my one week in Italy with my boyfriend:
Overall Advice in Italy:
Walk around and enjoy the culture.
Don't always have a plan. Some of the best locations are surprises.
Eat. Everything. From pizza to gelato, try it all.
Show you know some Italian to be respectful.
Be mindful of pickpocketers.
Day 1 (January 9)
tl;dr: Fly to Rome, Italy
The flight from California to Italy takes about 13 hours, and often has a layover. We left CA on January 9th, and did not arrive until January 10th in Italy-time. We enjoyed a nice drink, played games, and read a book during our wait to get on the plane. During the flight, we had a couple complimentary meals and complimentary beverages (*wine*).
Day 2 (January 10)
tl;dr: Arrive in Rome, unpack, eat pizza
We landed in Rome at 6pm. We stayed at Hotel Solis for 4 days and spent a little under $190. Not bad for free breakfast, and it's just a block away from the Forum and the Coliseum! A bit jet lagged but eager to adventure, we put our stuff in the hotel room (that included a bidet!) and adventured to find delicious Italian food. We ate at La Base, a small but exciting pizzeria. My boyfriend and I ordered a pizza and a whole bottle of wine (you have to get a whole bottle, there are no other options!). While we were eating, the waiter dropped something below the table. I scooted out so he could fish it out; instead, it was a trick and the waiter grabbed me for a dance! A little tipsy on wine, this was a bit of a surprise, but the best introduction to Italy!
Day 3 (January 11)
tl;dr: The Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, Coliseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain
Just a 3 minute walk from the hotel, we arrived at the Roman Forum. It costs 12 euro, and includes access to the Coliseum and Palatine Hill. At the Forum, there are old remnants of the previous civilization - old pillars, ruins, building remnants. Placards along the road help inform you about what you're looking at, and what would have been happening in these buildings. One of the higher locations is Palatine Hill, which presents great views of Rome. The Forum is quite large, and takes a couple hours to walk around and enjoy everything. Plus, it is a great opportunity to take pictures with the Coliseum behind you.
Next, we walked down the street to the Coliseum. Tour guides out front are ready to scam you, saying you can pay them and they'll take you into the building immediately. While that may be true, we simply walked into the Coliseum because there was little to no wait (again, not true in the summer months). I admit, the Coliseum was not quite what I expected. Outside, it looks amazing and ancient, just like the pictures! Inside, it's a two to three story maze with inlets to see into the bowl of the Coliseum.
Later in the afternoon, we walked to the Pantheon, which was a former temple and now an active church. The outside looks unassuming - which makes walking in 1000x better. It is a large, open room with a high ceiling, religious painting and sculptures, and artistic floors. For a free visit, there is not reason not to go!
To end the day, we lastly visited the Trevi Fountain (or as I call it, the Lizzie McGuire fountain). The fountain is just located on the side of a building and right next to a street - so again, it's free! It is beautiful both day and night. The statues shine bright, and the water is a clear, lovely blue. There is so much detail in this piece. It's best to bring a romantic partner along to enjoy the moment (but you are enjoying the moment with tens to hundreds of other people). Trying to get a picture without anyone else in the shot is the ultimate challenge.
Day 4 (January 12)
tl;dr: Vatican, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica
We started the morning with delicious coffee and breakfast at our hotel, preparing for a long day of walking. Then, we followed my saved locations on Google Maps (a necessity for easy travel). Our first stop was the Vatican Museum in Vatican City (technically not a part of Italy. They used to have their own separate currency, but stick with Euros now). We waited in line for about 30 minutes before being able to enter; in busy summer months, people can expect about a 2 hour wait. Once we got through security and paid the 5 euro fee, we were allowed to peruse through the Vatican Museum on our own. Within the museum, we headed to the Sistine Chapel (price included when you visit the Vatican). This art piece is nothing like the pictures online or in textbooks - it is painted on the ceiling and sides of a grand room, and everybody stands and look up in silence and awe. It is so grand and beautiful; DEFINITELY a must see in Italy!
Next, we made our way to St. Peter's Basilica. Like the Vatican, you have to wait in a line outside in order to get in (but we waited about 15 minutes because of the off-season). Like every location in Italy, St. Peter's Basilica is grand and beautiful. The outside decor is ancient and grand, and the inside is full of sculptures, paintings, and mosaics. Plus, it's free!
After a long day of walking, we went home and prepared to leave Rome.
Day 5 (January 13)
tl;dr: Pompeii
Months before our trip, I booked a train from Rome to Pompeii. I booked the Trenitalia train from Roma termini to Napoli Centrale, and transferred to the Circumvesuviana train from the Napoli Gariboldo station (downstairs from the Napoli Centrale station) to Pompei Scavi-Villa dei Misteri. This train ticket cost about 40 euros (~$45). Upon arrival, we walked about 15 minutes to our AirBNB/Bed and Breakfast called B&B Sweet Home. Once settled in, we started on our adventure.
We walked to the Pompeii archaeological site for 5.50 euros (age 18-25; or 11 euro for 25+). When most people think of Pompeii, they think of the people covered in ash. The archaeological site is much more than that. Over time, people excavated more and more, and now about 95% of the site is old ruins of the town before the eruption. We spent the entire day walking around the site to see everything, from remnants of homes to community locations. Seeing the people covered in ash was so interesting; you could capture the fear in their expressions. However, what people don't tell you is that there are often castes of the original, and not the actual people themselves. We took a break from all of the walking and stopped at the little cafe inside for some water, wine, and dessert before continuing to adventure around.
For dinner - stay around town. We were particularly picky for some reason, and kept walking south until we found something to eat. We ended up having to turn back because we couldn't find any more restaurants. So my piece of advice is to stay within town and find something delicious to eat.
Day 6 (January 14)
tl;dr: Naples
We had a spread of breakfast at our B&B in the morning. (There is something about cream in Italy that is to die for.) We took the Circumvesuviana train from Pompeii to Naples, and spent the day there. Once off the train, we walked to Palazzo Salgar, our lovely hotel for the night. (However, the walk from the train station to the hotel seemed a little sketchy). We spent the day walking around downtown Naples, taking it a little slow today as we have tired ourselves out from all the previous walking. We did not have any particular plans for the day, and just saw what the city had to offer us.
Downtown, there are lots of little shops and street vendors selling adorable items. Alleys have street art; however, unlike the graffiti I'm used to, most street art had deep meanings. There are little churches to visit and see the paintings and murals.
The highlight of Naples was eating at the "first" pizzeria, L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele. I knew it was good as soon as we walked in because everyone there was a local, and it was crowded! We ordered a four cheese pizza with sparkling water (a must in Italy), and it was some of the best pizza we ever had.
In the evening, I booked an Underground Naples tour for $20/person. We were led underground and saw the ancient inner workings of Naples. There was an underground aqueduct, hideouts during the war, and an underground planting system. You'd never know all of this existed underneath a bustling city!
All in all, I recommend visiting Naples for food and to visit downtown, but the outskirts of Naples are not as glamorous. A California equivalent would be walking around Sacramento - the capitol and downtown are well known, but it's not as glamorous to walk around the city. One day was definitely enough for me to visit Naples.
Day 7 (January 15)
tl;dr Florence, the most beautiful city I've ever seen
In the morning, we took a train from Naples to Florence (also known as Firenze). Upon arrival, we walked to our hotel at De Rose Palace Hotel close to the River Arno. From there, we walking eastwards along the riverway towards the main city. Again, we did not have much planned in Florence, but that was not a problem here. We fell in love with the city immediately. Every building was a beautiful color - from yellow, red, white, blue. The waterway made it easy to travel around, as it was centrally located. We walked into the most beautiful churches with copies of well-known paintings and sculptures. We ate gelato four times since it was our last full day in Italy.
The highlight of the day was walking up Piazzale Michelangelo. Well, walking up wasn't the highlight as it's very steep uphill, but the view at the top was 100% worth it. We grabbed a bottle of Peroni and took in all of the breathtaking city views. If you could pick only one thing to do in Italy, this is 100% my choice.
Day 8 (January 16)
tl;dr: Leaving Italy
We took a train in the morning from Florence to Rome, and took the Leonardo Express to the Rome airport. Our flight left at 11:40am, and arrived back in California to start January 16th over again (and get over jet-lag).
All in all, one week in Italy was great. Of course, we would love to spend more time in different locations and visit northern Italy, but we have to make do with our time and money. It probably takes months to see the entirety of Italy, but we are just as happy to spend one week traveling! I hope this gives you an idea for your future Italy trip. For specific or general questions about your trip, please feel free to email me (thrifttraveler@gmail.com) or message me on Instagram (@thrifttraveler).
*I am not paid or asked to advertise. I just want to tell you about my experience.
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