A football trip to Rome; the perfect city trip

The Colosseum

When you hear Rome, you here the Colosseum. The Colosseum is one of the most special and obvious remnants of the Roman Empire. This beautiful amphitheatre dates back to 80 years AD. The Colosseum, which can also be seen in the famous film ‘The Gladiator’, was built for the games that were organised and financed by the emperor. Gladiators fought for their lives in this historical arena. Underneath the Colosseum, you’ll find a system of corridors where gladiators and savage animals walked through before they entered the arena. You can see the corridors inside the arena because the floor is open in many places. Very impressive!

You can visit the Colosseum daily from 8.30 A.M. until an hour before sunset. It can be very busy, especially during summer, so you’ll save time when pre-ordering tickets online. You’ll find more information about the different kinds of tickets at the official website.

Would you like to save as much time as possible during your visit to the Colosseum? Then you can consider buying a ticket including a tour and extra benefits. With special entrances and entrance requirements, you’ll decrease your waiting time; of course, you need to pay extra for this. Choose tours without skip-the-line privileges or buy a combi-deal in which you’ll combine a visit to the Colosseum with the Forum Romanum and the Palatine hill.

The Forum Romanum and the Palatine Hill

The Palatine Hill and the Forum Romanum are both located next to the Colosseum. The Palatine is one of the seven hills of Rome. Emperors used to build their palaces on these hills to look down at the ordinary folk. There are still remnants of these palaces and temples. The best-preserved ruin is the house of Augustus. When wandering amongst the ruins, you’ll get a good idea of what the city used to look like.

From the Palatine Hill you can walk down a staircase to the Forum Romanum. You can find remnants of temples and triumphal arches from what used to be the centre of Rome. The exhumations of this city started at the end of the 19th century. The Forum Romanum is still centrally located, and it’s also still viewed as the old city centre.

Tip: there are no cafes or restaurants in the vicinity of the Forum Romanum. Therefore, it’s highly recommended to bring your own food and water.

A visit to the Palatine Hill and the Forum Romanum usually gets combined with visiting the Colosseum. There are multiple combi tickets that give you access to these three sights in two days. Pay attention to the different kind of tickets you’re able to choose from: some tickets offer tours of all three sights, whereas other tickets offer a tour of just the Colosseum. It would be helpful to check several websites before buying your tickets.

Vatican Museums and the Sixtine Chapel

The Vatican Museums is one of the biggest amalgamation of museums in the world. The collection varies between treasures from the Roman and Egyptian ancient types to beautiful painted rooms and modern art. The Vatican Museums consist out of 26 different museums put together. They are located in the Apostolic palaces, the residence of the pope. The Sixtine Chapel is the most famous one in Vatican. The chapel is still being used for elections of the new pope. You can visit a part of this chapel during your tour through the Vatican Museums. The Sixtine Chapel is particularly famous for its impressive ceiling which was painted by Michelangelo in the sixteenth century. The ceiling portrays the Creation the Deluge, amongst other things. Michelangelo laid on his back for four years to paint this piece of art.

The Vatican museums are very attractive to tourists, just like the Colosseum. It’s highly recommended to buy tickets beforehand, so you don’t have to wait to enter the building.

Would you also like to visit the St. Peter’s Basilica? You can buy tickets that allow you to do a combination tour of the Vatican Museums, the Sixtine Chapel and the St. Peter’s Basilica. You can find more information about the several tours on websites like Get your Guide. Think about what you want to see, and save time and money!

Be aware: liquids, large bags and sharp objects are not allowed in. It’s also mandatory to wear appropriate clothing; knees and shoulders must be covered. You’re also not allowed to wear flip-flops.

St. Peter’s Basilica

The St. Peter’s Basilica is a catholic church adjacent to the St. Peter’s Square in Vatican. The building is also seen as one of the most important, most holy places on earth. It’s still an important pilgrimage site for Catholics. The St. Peter’s Basilica is one of the biggest and most beautiful basilisks in the world. Every corner is decorated, not only the walls, but also the floor and ceiling. With the expanded, already mentioned, Vatican Museums and Sixtine chapel tour you’ll be allowed to use an exclusive entrance that leads straight to the St. Peter’s Basilica. You’ll get to admire the amazing altar and Michelangelo’s impressive sculpture ‘La Pietà’. The complete tour ends at the St. Peter’s Square. Take a look at the multiple tours and tickets at Get your Guide, for example, and plan your trips beforehand: you’ll save money and time!

Be aware: liquids, large bags and sharp objects are not allowed in. It’s also mandatory to wear appropriate clothing; knees and shoulders must be covered. You’re also not allowed to wear flip-flops.

St. Peter’s Square – Colonnade of Bernini

The St. Peter’s Square is located in Vatican. You’ll find the most beautiful basilisk in the world here: The St. Peter’s Basilica and the beautiful Colonnade of Bernini, which surrounds the St. Peter’s Square. The Colonnade of Bernini was built in 1656. Bernini was ordered to shape the St. Peter’s Square this way in order for pilgrims to have enough space to see the pope when they were in Rome. The 284 pillars have a diameter of 1,6 metres and they’re exactly 20 metres high. The Colonnade got fully reconstructed in 2009. The project lasted five years and it cost no less than 14 million euros.

Pantheon

The Pantheon is an ancient temple in Rome that dates back to 200 years AD. Pantheon means ‘all Gods’. The temple still serves as a Roman-Catholic church. It’s one of the best-preserved buildings of Rome. The building has been used and maintained for centuries and that’s why the building is still in good condition. The entrance to the Pantheon is free. You’ll enter a dark space with a gigantic dome above from which light shines through a round hole; like a beam of light from heaven. The Pantheon is located just 1.8 kilometres from the Colosseum. You can easily combine a visit to the Colosseum with a visit to this beautiful temple.

Arch of Constantine

You’ll find the Arch of Constantine at a walking-distance of two minutes from the Colosseum. This might be the best-known monument emperor Constantine left behind. The construction of the Arc of Constantine was finished in 315 years AD. It has beautiful images and etches. In one of the reliefs of the arc, you can see how Constantine gives money to his subjects: a historical example of good imperialism.

The Spanish Steps

The Spanish Steps in Rome are seen as one of the well-known spots where Rome comes together. It’s a beautiful spot adjacent to a convivial square (Piazza di Spagna) with a beautiful view from above. Many tourists gather here to relax from visiting the many sights. It’s one of the most beautiful and convivial spots in Rome. However, you do need to climb 138 stairs before you reach the top and can enjoy the beautiful view. The Spanish Steps start at the Piazza di Spagna and lead to the French church Trinità dei Monti. This church is absolutely worth a visit.

Trevi Fountain

The Fontana di Trevi was built on the place where water from the aqueduct entered the city. Fifteen other fountains were provided by water from the Trevi Fountain. The fountain is still a symbol of Rome. Millions of tourists come to the fountain to throw a coin in it – with their right hand over their left shoulder; one who doesn’t do this, will never return to Rome. Fun fact: 1,4 million euros got fished out of the fountain in 2016. The municipality of Rome spent this money on charities.

Piazza Navona

Piazza Navona is one of the oldest districts of Rome. The elongated square was built in the fifteenth century and is still extremely popular. The grounds were possessed by a stadium for running races in ancient times. The stadium collapsed over time which left behind elongated rooms including ruins. Houses were built on those ruins. The square is most attractive to artworkers nowadays. Besides the many stunning fountains, palaces and churches you’ll find here, there are also many restaurants and cafes. Piazza Navona is one of the liveliest squares of Rome and it’s certainly worth a visit.

The Basilica of Saint Mary Major

The Basilica of Saint Mary Major is an important Roman-Catholic church in Rome, located on the Esquiline Hill. It’s the largest Catholic Marian Church of Rome and one of the four papal basilicas in Rome. The interior of the church is beautiful, decorated with hundreds of mosaics and frescos. The bell tower is the tallest bell tower of Rome and is 75-metres-high. The Basilica is located in the centre of Rome, only a 15-minute walk from the Colosseum.

You can visit the Basilica every day from 7 A.M. until 6.45 P.M. The museum can be visited from 9.30 A.M. until 7.30 P.M. You can enter both for free.

Be aware: liquids, largs bags and sharp objects are not allowed in. It’s also mandatory to wear appropriate clothing; knees and shoulders must be covered. You’re also not allowed to wear flip-flops.

Galleria & Villa Borghese

Galleria Borghese is a museum with one of the largest art collections in the world. You can find the museum in the public park Villa Borghese, which you can enter for free. Villa Borghese is the third largest public park in Rome, also referred to as Rome's green lung. Galleria Borghese is the most famous museum of the many museums you can find in the park. If you want to visit the museum, you have to buy tickets beforehand. Tickets are usually sold-out days in advance because of the strict visitor limit. That’s why you should buy tickets beforehand at the official website of the museum.

Vittorio Emanuele Monument

A building you cannot miss while in Rome is the Vittorio Emanuele Monument. This large white building is also referred to as "The Typewriter" or "The Wedding Cake". The Vittorio Emanuele Monument is located on the Piazza Venezia, a famous central place in Rome at which several monuments can be found. The building is around 70 metres high and 135 metres wide. Another referent of the beautiful building is Altare delle Patria, which means: "Altar of the Fatherland". A colossal statue of Victor Emanuel II stands on the building. Victor Emanuel II was Italy’s first king. He wanted Italy to take the form of a united kingdom, which happened in 1861. The king passed away in 1878 and he was buried at the Pantheon. The Vittorio Emanuele Monument was built to commemorate the king, by Giuseppe Sacconi, an Italian architect who won a competition for the best design. The monument is a museum in which you can see united Italy through flags, statues, paintings and weapons. Besides visiting the inside of the museum, you can also stand on top of the museum. From here, you have a beautiful view over Rome.

You can visit the museum daily from 9.30 A.M. to 5.30 P.M. The museum closes one hour earlier during wintertime. The entrance for the monument and museum is free and you can visit the rooftop for seven euros.

Day trip to Pompeii and Vesuvius

Pompeii is a Roman city in the Italian county Naples. If you’re staying in Rome for a couple of days and if you have some spare time, you should go on a day trip to Pompeii and Vesuvius. The trip takes about three hours and it’s one of the most famous and fascinating ancient cities in the world. The city was covered in ashes after the eruption of the Vesuvius in 79 years AD, which meant the end of the city. A great part of the city was exhumed; a large part still remains undiscovered. Much of the city has stayed intact, because of the abrupt ending of the city, a very special experience. You can walk on the Vesuvius and admire the ruins of Pompeii. If you are standing on the edge of the volcano, you can even see the inside of the crater. Have a look at the possibilities and experience an unforgettable daytrip to Pompeii.

Hop-on Hop-off + tickets Rome

Like in all large cities, you can find Hop-on Hop-off buses driving through Rome. These buses are amazing, as you can hop on and hop off wherever and whenever you like. This way, you can explore Rome at your own pace while enjoying the beautiful weather on top of the bus. The buses offer different kinds of tickets, for example one-day-tickets or a ticket that you can use several days. Think about what you want to do in Rome before you travel to the city and buy your tickets in advance online.

Rome City Pass

Tip: is Rome on top of your bucket list and are you excited do visit many of the sights mentioned above but you have no idea what kinds of tickets to order? Then you might consider buying the Rome City Pass. Besides visiting interesting highlights, the pass also includes airport transfers with Retravision, and it includes access to Hop-on Hop-off buses. More information can be found on onlinecitypass.com

Roma Pass

A cheaper alternative is the Roma Pass. You can use this ticket for two sights in Rome. The pass allows you to travel with public transportation for three days in a row. There are even cheaper alternatives besides this one. If you decide upfront what you want to do during your stay, you can save a lot of money. Check the different options via www.romapass.it and www.atac.roma.it and be prepared for your trip Rome!