After arriving at Roma Termini by train from Naples, we hopped on Metro A line and headed to the Cipro station. From there our Airbnb is only two blocks away, conveniently located near a large Carrefour Market.
We purchased month long ATAC metro passes on Ticket Appy for €35 each a few days in advance, and were ready with valid metro tickets as soon as we arrived in Rome. We saw a few people using electronic tickets, but not many. As best we could tell, each metro station has only one turnstile that reads QR codes (usually one on the end of the row).
The much more expensive alternatives are weekly passes (€24 each) or single use metro tickets (€1.50 each per ride). The primary tourist option is a Roma Pass (either 48 hour or 72 hour), which is a good deal if you are only in Rome for a few days and want to see as much as possible during that time. You get metro transportation plus two free admissions, and other discounts, to various monuments and museums of your choice.
Stephanie was ready to put her metro pass to good use on our first full day in Rome, venturing to Mr. Jalapeno, a small Mexican restaurant and store. After loading up on tacos for lunch, Stephanie bought two bags of tortilla chips, three small bottles of salsa, and refried beans.
Weeks later we discovered that Caffè Castroni, a gourmet grocery store with several locations throughout Rome, sells a relatively decent selection of Mexican spices and salsas.
The first Sunday of each month is the free day for many area monuments in Rome. After debating which to visit, we chose Castel Sant’Angelo. Other possibilities included the Colosseum, Palatine Hill / Roman Forum, and Alter of the Fatherland, but we decided that those likely would be way too crowded.
One downside to free Sunday is that some of the monuments have certain areas closed off to visitors. So while entry is free, you might not get the full experience.
Castel Sant’Angelo is an easy twenty minute walk for us, and we arrived about 15 minutes after it opened. We headed straight in and picked up free tickets in the ticket office. Literally hundreds of tickets had been printed and were just laying on a table ready to be picked up and used.
We quickly noticed that we were at the tail end of a mass of people, well over a hundred, walking the route through the castle. It was an easy decision for us to hang back out of the crowd.
Starting on the ground floor (Level 0) we walked in a circle around the center of the castle before proceeding inside. Up on the second and third floors (Levels 1 and 2) we had some freedom to move around and go in different directions. There were about half a dozen rooms open to see, plus a café, bookshop, and wonderful views from every vantage point imaginable.
Looking at the castle map, it appeared that several rooms were closed to visitors on free Sunday. No worries. For us the primary reason to go to Castel Sant’Angelo was for the views.
Few rooms are open on the fourth floor (Level 3) as it is basically a short one way route to the fifth floor (Level 4) and its terrace, which is the highest accessible point offering sweeping views of Vatican City, the Tiber River, and Rome’s historical city center.
From this vantage point we saw very long lines forming below to enter the castle. As best we could tell, large groups of folks were let in every so often. In hindsight I think we entered at the tail end of the first group that morning.
Stephanie and I spent about an hour in Castel Sant’Angelo. The crowd was not a problem because everyone spread out on the upper levels. All things considered it was a perfect choice for a free Sunday visit.
As nice as the views are, however, I don’t think the regular price of €12 is worth it. Of all the things to do in Rome, Castel Sant’Angelo should be on the list, but towards the bottom.
Across town, Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II, a/k/a Altare della Patria (Altar of the Fatherland) is a massive white marble monument honoring King Victor Emmanual II, the first king of a unified Italy, as well as housing the tomb of unknown soldiers. It, too, has a terrace on top and supposedly some of the best views of the city.
A one-way walking route is established to guide visitors up and around the monument. Up the massive front staircase on the right side, past the tomb of the unknown soldiers, and then up another level to the statue of King Victor Emmanual II. Another set of stairs leads up to the colonnade level. Across the front of the monument and then along the side towards the rear.
Here is the café, of course, and an elevator that will take you to the terrace on top of the monument for a cool €15. No, thanks. As much as I really like views over a city, €15 is a bit steep. If the cost was under €10 or the monument another 50 feet higher, I probably would have gone for it.
On the plus side, the €15 ticket includes admission to the Museo Centrale del Risorgimento (regimental museum) which is located inside the monument. Neither of us had a strong inclination to go to the regimental museum.
After walking past the elevator, we exited by walking down several flights of stairs and then out a side door.
Colonna Traiana (Trajan’s Column), commemorating Emperor Trajan’s victory in the Dacian Wars (AD 101-106), is adjacent to the Altar of the Fatherland. You cannot miss it. It’s a pretty interesting looking column, and perhaps best viewed from afar. A staircase inside the column leads to a small observation deck on top. Too bad that is not accessible.
We have been in Rome a few days, long enough to realize that crowd avoidance is a huge challenge. Whether it is tour groups, school groups, regular tourists, or locals, the city center and popular monuments are crowded at most times of the day.
Our visit to the Pantheon, for example, was timed to be towards the end of a weekday, yet it was still crowded. Basically you’re milling about in a circle for 10 minutes with hundreds of other folks. At least it was free.
Don’t even get me started on Trevi Fountain. It is a madhouse at nearly all times of the day, and I’m not really sure why. Yes, it is beautiful, but that does not make it unique in Rome. Go very early in the morning if you want to see Trevi Fountain without hordes of people.
Rome has an abundance of drinking water fountains constantly streaming clean, cool water. The fountains in the city center are often interesting in appearance. Away from the city center the fountains tend to be more utilitarian. Either way the fountains are a great place to fill up a water bottle. If you carry a bottle with you, you’ll never be thirsty or need to buy water while exploring the city.
Rome makes a great first impression. It’s crowded, for sure, but Rome is clean. And the drivers actually stop for pedestrians in crosswalks, which is good because you will spend a lot of time walking. I know we sure did.
Garrett and Stephanie
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Absolutely loved the Victor Emmanuel Memorial – one of my favorite places in Rome!