I went on a solo backpacking trip to Italy for 3 days which began in Rome
and ended in Milan. The first place I visited in Rome was
Colosseum.
Here's the thing. I had 1 day to visit Rome including the
Vatican! So that's technically just half a day in Rome! Not much at all... But I
did cramp as much as possible on this day trip to Rome! Here's all about
it.
DAY TRIP TO ROME - WHAT NOT TO DO
If you're spending just 1 day in Rome, the most important thing to decide on
your day trip to Rome is this - You can either do a tour of the Colosseum or
a tour of the Vatican Museums, but not both. Each of these takes a minimum
of 3 hours. Trying to see both Colosseum and Vatican Museums would just take
your entire day and you wouldn't have a minute to see anything else, none of
the other important Rome attractions and top places to visit in Rome. I
chose to visit Vatican Museum instead of a tour of the Colosseum.
MY BUDGET TRIP TO ITALY
I reached Rome through the Ciampino Airport which is located a bit away from
the city and caters to low-cost airlines. From there the airport transfer
bus left me at Roma Termini which is the main railway station in Rome. I
took the 1-day transport pass and my first destination was Colosseum. All I
had was one day in Rome and I already had my ticket to visit Florence that
evening itself and my overnight stay was at Florence and not Rome!
...Read on to know more about my whirlwind one day in Rome and Vatican...
THINGS TO DO IN HALF DAY IN ROME
ALSO, THE FREE THINGS TO DO IN ROME!
The Colosseo Metro is bang in front of the monument. It was one humongous
structure that filled my eyes as I got out of the station!!! I couldn't
have asked for more...
I had seen Colosseum in drawings, photos, and videos since childhood. It
was one of the important topics in my uni days in art history. Honestly,
till 2014, I had absolutely no clue I'd be able to travel to Europe. But
then, there I was, with my Schengen Visa and there I saw one of the
Medieval 7 Wonders of the World with my own eyes!!!
This was built by Vespasian in 72 AD and was inaugurated in 80AD and the
cost of construction came from the loot of the Jewish war. It was a
superstructure for the era with a height of 157ft and a circumference of
1788ft. Covering an area of 620ft x 513ft, and a central arena of 287ft x
180ft, it comfortably fits a football field.
With 4 floors, varying in height from 34ft to 47ft, and each floor having
80 arches, it could hold 50,000 spectators at any given time. The first
row of seating was 15ft from the arena floor. It was not just a 4 floored
building but also has an underground floor & tunnels that held
prisoners and animals.
This was in active use till 6th C CE after which it went to disuse and
got damaged in earthquakes and got quarried for other constructions.
However, the ruins of its outermost wall can be still seen on the other
side of the road!! I chose not to get into the Colosseum to save time to
explore other places.
Where is Colosseum (on Google Maps)? Colosseum
How to reach Colosseum? The nearest metro
stop is Colosseo which is just in front of the Colosseum
Colosseum Tickets: To begin with, it is
absolutely free to visit Colosseum from the outside. You can't miss it. It
is in the center of the city like the Tower of London or the Eiffel Tower
(and unlike Stonehenge or the Taj Mahal which cannot be neared without a
ticket).
You need to buy a ticket to go inside Colosseum. There are way too many
sites that sell tickets for entry and I had a tough time figuring out
which is real and which is fake, so let me make your life easier
- Official Colosseum Tickets by CoopCulture. At any given point there can only be 3000 people inside the monument so
it is pretty much impossible to get a ticket there. So pre-book as early
as possible.
What are the types of Colosseum tickets - Updated in Jan
2023:
Colosseum (excl. Arena &
Underground), Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill ticket - €16 - Colosseum visit is a time-slot booking, the rest have validity for 24 hours
Colosseum (incl. Arena & Underground), Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill
ticket
- €22 - Colosseum visit is a time-slot booking, the rest have validity for
48 hours
Guided tour of Colosseum (incl. Arena & Underground) Roman Forum,
and Palatine Hill ticket - €34 - Language-specific, date-specific timeslot to be booked guided
tour of Colosseum and an open tour of the rest.
Colosseum Timings: 9:00AM to 4:30PM (or
5:30-6:30 in Spring & Autumn or 7:15PM in Winter)
ARCH OF CONSTANTINE
Just a few steps from Colosseum was the Arch of Constantine. This was
built in 315 CE by Constantine I. This was built to commemorate
Constantine’s victory at the Battle of Milvian Bridge. Though it is big at
21m in height & 25m in width, it appears minuscule standing beside
Colosseum.
There is a huge inscription on the top part of the arch that mentions his
victory. There are 10 medallions of which 8 were originally from the
Hadrian Monument which belonged to the 1st & 2nd C CE and do not exist
today. There are 8 human sculptures on the topmost panel and 6 reliefs as
well. Just below the medallion are some friezes. There are also some
panels on the walls of the arches.
Though the Arch is open to view at any time, free of cost, it is not
possible to go into the arches or touch them. There's fencing all around
it.
Where is the Arch of Constantine(on Google Maps)? Arco di Costantino
How to reach the Arch of Constantine? The nearest metro stop is Colosseo which is just in front of the
Colosseum
The Arch of Constantine Tickets: Free to see from outside. Inaccessible to go in or climb it.
The Arch of Constantine Timings: 24x7
ROMAN FORUM & PALATINE HILL
From the Colosseum & Arch of Constantine, I walked over to Palatine
Hill. As I mentioned about this issue in my post on Copenhagen, almost each and every city in every European Nation, went through more
than one major fire outbreak.
Rome went through it in 64 CE and that happened here in Domus Aurea and
Palatine Hill very close to where Emperor Nero's palace was situated.
Originally, till 10 C BCE, this place was used as a burial ground and
the surrounding places as a residential area with remains of huts,
ceramics, etc. This is a trapezoidal area and was created as a business &
marketplace.
By 509 BCE, this was a temple of Saturn, Castor & Pollux. By 2nd C
CE, 4 basilicas were built here. It was on a portion of this area that
the Colosseum was built. Just after that in 135 CE, the Temples of Venus
and Rome were built. Much later during the period of Augustus Ceaser,
this was expanded vastly with several monuments & marble flooring,
etc. The last construction that took place here was the columns of
Emperor Phocas in 604 CE.
Just like Colosseum, I opted not to go inside this as well. However,
since this has low fencing, it was possible to observe a lot from the
outside itself! It reminded me much of the Roman monuments in
Trier.
Where is Roman Forum & Palatine Hill (on Google Maps)? Foro Romano;
Palatine Hill
How to reach Roman Forum & Palatine Hill? They are just around Colosseum. Hardly 2 minutes walk.
Roman Forum & Palatine Hill Tickets: As I mentioned above, Roman Forum can be 'seen' from outside as
well. If you have more than 1 day in Rome, you could go visit inside
the Roman Forum & Palatine Hill.
What are the types of Roman Forum & Palatine Hill tickets -
Updated in Jan 2023:
All the 3 types of Colosseum tickets above include entry to Roman
Forum and Palatine Hill.
It is also possible to visit only Roman Forum & Palatine Hill if
there are no Colosseum Tickets on the day you're visiting.
Roman Forum & Palatine Hill tickets
via Coopculture - €18
Roman Forum & Palatine Hill Timings: 9:00AM to 4:30PM (or 5:30-6:30 in Spring & Autumn or 7:15PM in
Winter)
TITUS ARCH AND CONVENTO St.BONAVERNTURA
From Palatine Hill, a walk on the Via Sacra took me to this arch called
Titus Arch. This was built by Emperor Domitian in memory of his brother
Titus in 81 CE. Though this too looks similar to the Arch of
Constantine, this is in a much more in worse condition. This too has
inscriptions and relief sculptures.
The view from Titus Arch of the Palatine Hill was spectacular. The
Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, followed by Santi Luca e Martina
which are all inside Palatine Hill, and then the back view of the
Altar of the Fatherland. Here I turned and continued to this was the quaint little church
called Convento S Bonaventura built in 17th C CE, back closer to the
Colosseum. By now, it was already time for me to head to the Vatican for my Musei Vaticani time-slot ticket.
Where is Titus Arch (on Google Maps)? Arco di Tito
Where is Convento S Bonaventura (on Google Maps)? Church of San Bonaventura al Palatino
OTHER PLACES TO VISIT IN ROME
Since all I had was half a day obviously I missed way too
much. One of the most important places I missed is the Trojan Column, an
impeccably sculpted huge pillar, an important topic in art history. I've had
a look at the life-size replica in V&A Museum in London, though. This is
located further ahead of the Altar of the Fatherland.
Other places I missed in this vicinity include the Pantheon, the Temple of
Ceaser, another side of Domus Aurea, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Castel
Sant'Angelo, Trajan's Market, Palazzo Valentini, Turtle Fountain, Piazza
Venezia, and the list would just go on & on. That is exactly why you
need at least 2 days in Rome or actually more!
VATICAN & ROME ITINERARY
Half-day Itinerary in Rome (rest half day in the Vatican)
Opt 1 - Colosseum, Arch of Constantine, Roman Forum, and
Palatine Hill from outside (same as I did)
Opt 2 - Colosseum, take the metro to Roma Termini and then to
Barberini. See Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, and if possible Castel
Sant'Angelo. (You're just 1km from the Vatican when you're at Castel
Sant'Angelo).
One-day Itinerary in Rome (another day for the Vatican)
Morning: Do a self-guided tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum,
and Palatine Hill,
Afternoon: Walk around Rome and see Domus Area, Basilica di
San Pietro in Vincoli, Arch of Constantine, Trevi Fountain, Spanish
Steps, Castel Sant'Angelo, Baths of Caracalla etc from outside.
Two-days Itinerary in Rome (another day for the Vatican)
Day 1 - Same as above but skip Castel Sant'Angelo.
Day 2 - Do a tour of Castel Sant'Angelo and Musei Capitolini.
TIPS TO VISIT ROME
Local transport in Rome: The best way to explore Rome is by taking
the 1-day transport pass. Though the Vatican is a separate nation and not
a part of Rome, don't worry, for all practical purposes, the Schengen Visa
and this transport pass are enough to access the Vatican.
Drinking water: Water costs soooo much! Half a liter of water
costs 2 Euros anywhere here. Wherever you're staying, try to fill up your
bottles there before you set your foot out.
Street food in Rome: As a vegetarian, the place I love, in Europe,
for food, is Italy. There's a huge variety of vegetarian street food
available in little shops & kiosks all around the Colosseum including
slices of Pizza or Foccacia.
BUY YOUR TICKETS TO ROME ATTRACTIONS HERE
DAY TRIPS & WEEKEND TRIPS FROM ROME
Italy is pretty well connected by railway lines and it is quick and
easy to travel across the country by train. Here are some easy day trips and weekend trips you could do taking the train from Rome.
Rome to Florence - Direct train - Takes about 1:30 hours
Rome to Pisa - Direct train takes about 4 hours. A high-speed train to
Florence and then another train to Pisa takes about 2:30 hours.
Rome to Milan - Direct train - Takes about 3:30 hours
Rome to Turin - Direct train - Takes about 4:30 hours
Rome to Lake Maggiore - Train to Milan and then another train to Stresa/Arona takes about 5
hours.
Thanks for sharing your tips for Rome. Especially about the tickets and water cost. I went there in 2006 and I remember it being like that. The pictures brought back som great memories for me so thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWhat an adventure! We took the kids on their very first international experience. We loved it, as you did!! Thanks for all the tips and information. Your photos are lovely!! Perfect for daydreaming of a visit to Rome!
ReplyDeleteYes, the Colosseum is a magical place to explore. I found it incredible that a place so old was still standing today. If the walls could talk, the incredible stories you'd hear.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your tips! The colosseum is such an interesting place to visit and your pictures are bringing back a lot of memories. So true about the cost of water haha, did you see any of the fountains for drinking water? They are a life saver!
ReplyDeleteI love the architecture of the Colosseum, but didn't know much about its history. I can't believe it could hold 50,000 people! And to think they had all sorts of wild animals there as well!
ReplyDeleteThis brings back great memories for me. We went to Rome several years ago and I was blown away by the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. Great tips too about buying tickets in advance. I wished I would have known that before we went and stood in line for an hour! Ha!
ReplyDeleteThanks for bringing back memories of our honeymoon in Rome. Seeing the Colosseum for the first time was also an awesome moment for me and my wife. The sense of history in Italy is simply so palpable.
ReplyDeleteI am inspired to travel solo in Europe too after reading your article. I still need to apply for a Schengen visa. I hope that the process will be okay. I like to visit Italy. There are so many tourist destinations that I want to see like the Colosseum. There is so much history. I have seen that in so many photos and movies.
ReplyDeleteI have seen Colosseum many times on the history books and TV, but I forget so much of its history. I did not know that the funds for building the Colosseum were coming from the Jewish War. Thanks for offering info and tips for getting real tickets and the monument, and $2 for a bottle of water is indeed very expensive.
ReplyDeleteAh man I'm so jealous. Rome has been on my bucket list for years. I admire you for traveling there alone. Looks like you had a lovely time. The city is so rich with history!
ReplyDeleteYou are lucky you get to see this iconic landmark for yourself! I've always wanted to go and thanks for your insights, I can take those with me on my travel there on the future. Your photos are beautiful and capture just how awe-inspiring this structure is!
ReplyDeleteMore than the photos of the majestic Colloseum, i love your tips better! they are so useful, esp the tip about water and the tickets. i hope I get to see these soon!
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to visit Rome. Thanks for sharing your tips here especially on where to buy tickets. Like you, I've also learned to fill up my own reusable water bottle when traveling. It's not just cheaper, but you'd generate less waste too. :-)
ReplyDeleteI have always wanted to visit the Colosseum! It looks so amazing! The architecture is so stunning and it's incredible it could hold 50k people at any time! It looks like there are a ton of people though
ReplyDeleteI just checked if the Colosseum was a UNESCO site and although it's not, the whole historic center of Rome is, so technically the Colosseum is? I visited the Colosseum quite a few years ago and was disappointed with inside so you didn't miss anything, actually I only went inside because a Bruce Lee and a Van Damme movie were filmed there. Water is expensive at 2 euros a bottle, I think risked the tap water there.
ReplyDeleteThis is still on my list! I was pretty surprised to read that "ONLY" 3000 people are allowed in at once - that sounds like a big number to me but I guess with how big it is, that's not a lot. Thanks for including the website for buying tickets online. I know I would've gotten confused about which site is real and which is fake.
ReplyDelete3 day trip, Sounds intense, did you manage to see a lot in Milan too? Which one did you like more? I have been only for one day in Italy and seen Verona only. Somehow don't feel attracted to this part of EU (and my wallet either hhh)
ReplyDeleteI was so underwhelmed by the Colosseum when I went, I couldn't wait to leave. The tour was so long that we left our group and just explored our self. I guess since I am not a history buff or lover of architecture I just don't have an appreciation for this. To each their own though. Great post!!
ReplyDeleteI remember when we visited the Colosseum, the place was packed because there were some sort of parade going on. Which made us return the following day early morning to get a good view of it and enjoy it with less crowd.
ReplyDeleteLiz Gen | fatmoments.com
2 Euros for half a litre of water? How will I ever travel to Europe if water is gold there?! You have given fine description of the Colosseum and the Arch Of Constantine and attached great pictures! I wish you had more than 3 days for this trip!
ReplyDeleteAm telling you, each time am seeing the Colosseum on television, blogs and my favorite movies, I always felt dreamy. It is one of the place I would like to visit someday :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a magneficient structure! Visiting the Colosseum has been a long time dream, it has so much history and beauty.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed Rome and the Colosseum - I was lucky to get in just by standing in the line and buy the ticket right there... Although I dislike overcrowded places, I must admit Rome and the Colosseum are so impressive! It's a must see!
ReplyDeleteI look forward to reading the rest of your posts on Rome. I cherished my time at the Colosseum. I felt like I was walking back into history. So seeing your photos reminded me of that feeling all over again.
ReplyDeleteThis one is on my list from a long time because of the beautiful architecture and design it has with a history.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all those tips... Rome is definitely one beautiful city. The best part is that you can do it by foot... just like a massive open air museum! ;-)
ReplyDeleteWho wouldn't want to visit the colosseum. I am hoping that one day, Ill have eurotrip of my own too.
ReplyDeleteRome is a mecca for massive medieval architecture. Hope to visit there soon! I've heard about Colosseum that crowd acts like cattle. Is it true?
ReplyDeleteWhen in Rome, do as the Roman does! I hope to have a closer look at the human sculptures! Do you have a close-up photo of it or is the one you posted the clearest?
ReplyDeleteRome is an awesome place and has so much to offer! Your post is very informative!
ReplyDeletewow this place looks really amazing.. I hope i get to visit thisplace.. made me remember a movie i watch back when i was a kid.. the setting really looks somewhat like this place :)
ReplyDeleteEven I have been watching this pic since childhood and sooo want to visit it. Water so costly?! Hmmm, good to know and keep in mind.
ReplyDeleteI really envy you for you have been traveling a lot to the different countries. I have never been to Italy yet and this post remind me of my long dream to visit that Colosseum for I have seen that one since when I was in grade school. Thank you so much for sharing this with us. Someday, I get to visit this as well. Thank you for inspiring me.
ReplyDelete