Rome
Eternal city, layered in centuries
Rome is a living palimpsest where you sip espresso beside 2,000-year-old ruins and turn a corner into Baroque drama. Toss a coin, climb the Spanish Steps, lose afternoons in cobbled lanes, and eat carbonara like it matters. Because here, it does.
How long to stay?
Two days covers the icons: Colosseum and Roman Forum in the morning, Pantheon and Trevi Fountain by afternoon, aperitivo on Piazza Navona, then a Vatican day for the Sistine Chapel and Saint Peter's.
Loud, warm, gloriously chaotic. Scooters buzz, church bells ring, and locals argue football over espresso. Ancient grandeur sits beside scruffy everyday life, and somehow the contradiction is the whole charm.
Centro Storico puts you steps from the Pantheon and Navona. Monti is trendy and walkable near the Forum. Trastevere brings nightlife and trattorias; Prati is quieter, polished, and near the Vatican.
Visit the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps just after sunrise. You'll get the marble nearly to yourself, soft light for photos, and a peace that vanishes by mid-morning crowds.
April to June and September to October bring warm days, lighter crowds, and outdoor dining. Avoid August, when heat is fierce and many locals leave the city.
Fiumicino Airport connects to Termini station via the 32-minute Leonardo Express train. Rome is also a major rail hub, with fast trains from Florence, Naples, Milan, and beyond arriving at Termini.
Currency is the euro and Italian is spoken. Carry coins for public fountains' free drinking water, dress modestly for churches, and never order a cappuccino after lunch unless you want a raised eyebrow.