That’s right, just five hours in Rome. What to do, what to do!
When you decide to take a day trip to Rome from Pompeii, you really do need a plan of sorts, especially when you’re introducing someone to this extraordinary city for the very first time. You want it to be epic.
Rome is probably my favourite city in the world. I’ve been here many times and loved every visit, even that Christmas when I caught a horrendous bug, was delirious for three days and still managed to rally in time to enjoy Christmas Day in the sunshine.
What do I love about Rome?
Everything.
From the architecture to the hustle and bustle of daily life, and did I mention the architecture?
Every street has something that makes you turn your head: a church, a fountain, a statue, ancient ruins, an open doorway revealing a beautiful atrium, or simply the way certain buildings command attention.
I love walking around the city. It’s surprisingly easy to get from one place to another and while some months are far busier than others, I enjoy both the quieter seasons and, every once in a while, the wonderfully chaotic buzz when the streets are packed with visitors from all over the world.
On this particular trip, though, I wanted to give a flavour of some of the most iconic parts of Rome. Yes, I’ll admit it, these were all the tourist hotspots, but they’re famous for a reason. I fully intend to return and explore more of my personal favourites: early morning coffee at Villa Borghese, strolling through the gardens at Villa Doria Pamphili, wandering around the Baths of Caracalla, or discovering unexpected gems like the Pyramid of Cestius. Then there’s walking the ancient Appian Way, outside the city walls, in the footsteps of Roman legions, past mausoleums and tombs, a wonderful way to spend a day.
But all of those are for another time.
The journey from Pompeii to Rome was straightforward: train from Pompeii to Naples, then a quick change onto a direct train to Roma Termini. The trip took around four hours in total. We opted for the more economical regional trains, £55 return for both of us, though you can take the high-speed train and can cut that journey in half, but it was almost double the price since we hadn’t booked in advance.
We emerged from the station onto Piazza dei Cinquecento and I had to pause for a moment and take it all in. The familiarity of the space, the sounds, the smells, instantly, it felt a bit like coming home.
Then we were off on our whistle-stop tour.
Naturally, the epitome of Rome will always be the magnificent Colosseum, so we walked down Via Cavour (past the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major, again, for another time!), turned onto Via degli Annibaldi and there it was, our first stop of the day. I usually try to visit early in the morning or later in the evening to avoid the crowds, but this time we arrived at midday and mingled with thousands of other sightseers, dodged the ticket touts and simply soaked it all in.
From the Colosseum, we headed straight down Via dei Fori Imperiali towards the Altare della Patria (the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument). I highly recommend climbing to the rooftop terrace for glorious panoramic views across Rome. The stairs are on the left-hand side of the monument and there’s also a café up there where you can sip an Aperol Spritz while watching the sun set, an experience I’d definitely recommend.
This is where my navigation went slightly awry. I had a clear route in my head to get to the Vatican and should have trusted my instincts, but instead I doubted myself and consulted Google Maps, which promptly took us on a rather mystical detour. It was longer than planned, but actually turned out to be a lovely new route for me.
For future reference: if you leave the Altare della Patria and walk along Via del Plebiscito, continue straight as it merges into Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and you’ll eventually reach Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II. Cross there and you’ll be at the Vatican.
We, however, ended up at Ponte Sant’Angelo and Castel Sant’Angelo first, before heading on to St Peter’s Square and I have to say, the view from Castel Sant’Angelo straight down Via della Conciliazione towards St Peter’s Basilica is quite something.
Travel tip: If you can, get to St Peter’s very early, around 7am, and head up to the terrace at the foot of the dome, where there’s a café. Order a doppio and then watch the sun rising over the city. It’s absolutely spectacular.
By the time we left the Vatican, we’d already wiled away around three hours and I still had the Trevi Fountain on my list. So it was back on the march, walking along the river, turning onto Via Giuseppe Zanardelli, a quick wander through Piazza Navona (because why not?) and then weaving through the streets to reach the Fontana di Trevi.
As you can imagine, it was completely gridlocked, not just around the fountain itself, but in all the surrounding streets filled with cafés, restaurants and people from every corner of the world enjoying the Roman experience.
Right. Sightseeing complete. Now for food.
I had to return to my favourite pizza stop on Via del Corso, Tavola Calda. I know, I know, it goes against Italian etiquette, but we were short on time, so we grabbed slices and ate on the move as we headed back towards the station.
But I had one more essential stop to make.
I can’t be in Rome and not visit Grezzo, my favourite raw chocolate shop on Via Urbana. It was conveniently on the way back, so it felt like the perfect way to end our day. I opted for the hazelnut brownie and pistachio praline — yes, I had two and devoured them. Aidan chose almond coffee ice cream and shared my brownie too.
After a mammoth 26,000 steps around glorious Rome, it was finally time to catch our train back to Pompeii for our last dinner, pizza, yes, even more pizza!!
What an incredible way to finish our Southern Italy adventure.
And just like that, our Italian Adventure came to an end, from standing on the rim of Mount Vesuvius and wandering the beautifully preserved streets of Herculaneum, to soaking up the magic of the Amalfi Coast and finally racing through the timeless streets of Rome. Every place offered something different, but each left the same lasting feeling, that Italy has a way of staying with you long after you’ve returned home. Until the next adventure…
Ciao for now!
