I'm back! It's just been to my first ever trip to Rome, Italy for a week. That is how many days anyone is supposed to book for this amazing place, not less not more. Definitely not in summer, it has too many tourists at it is, in summer the same number triples. I've done my research. It was supposed to be super cold, but it wasn't. The morning were a bit warm, you can wear a jacket or strip it off to a sleeveless tank or a t-shirt. But when it rained, it RAINED! And it was cold! But not that cold. Shopping sucked. And thank god, it wasn't our mission to go shop and I know if you wanted to shop in Italy, it was Milan and Florence you should head to.
My trip was aimed for history and food. I have been fascinated with Ancient Rome's history ever since I was 12! The fall and the rise of its civilization, its Caesars, its architecture, what our world have benefited from it. I also loved Italy's Renaissance era, especially in art and science. So what I did was book all my trips ahead. I tried not to overdo our schedule, so we had a trip every other day. This is what anyone should do if you are planning on doing your own things or need some free time. Because with most trips you will have to wake up really really really early.
If you go to Rome, you need a map and a good location and you're all set to go. You can do everything on your own. I did a combination, booked tours with
VIATOR and did my own roaming around. Just needed a map. Don't worry, you can get one EVERYWHERE! I literaly have 5 maps from my trip. Good shoes and a small messenger bag or a jacket with inner pockets for everything. It was a bit unsafe for us. We blended in well with the crowds, people actually thought we were Italians, but when we opened our mouths and wondered or when we took out the map all hell broke loose! Every day we had people following us around, they're so obvious. So don't bring important documents or all your money with you. Keep enough cash for the whole day and a credit card.
I planned my trip way ahead while I was working on other people's "Travel Advice" on Rome. So I had to look even further in my own books and on websites. Never rely on people's reviews! People's tastes differ, A LOT! And read everyone and I mean EVERYONE'S reviews before making a decision on whether to go to a certain restaurant or hotel.
I used four books to create a schedule, shopping, hotel and restaurant choices:
Eyewitness Travel: like a wikipedia. It's very detailed and with pictures!
Lets Go Italy on a Budget: I got this by chance because I couldn't find Lonely Planet's Italy guide anywhere. But it turned out to be useful and has really good and detailed maps.
Wallpaper City Guides: my favorite!! I have reviewed them
before and I will say it again! Its the best and trendiest guide book ever. A must! I usually get it from outside the country, but lately found out they have it in
4 in Shuwaikh. I have it on iPad and it gets updated yearly with a few additional reviews. Get the other city guides.
LUXE: A new favorite of mine! It has EVERYTHING you really need to know in a pocket size pamphlet. Again, I have it on my iPad too. Get the other city guides