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City trip Rome: Here are the best insider tips 2025.

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Rome is like Paris to me. I can go there a hundred times and I will never get bored. I even lived there – just four months, but still – and I long to go back again and again. I often get asked by people for insider tips for Rome, what one should definitely do in the most beautiful city in the world. So, here they are: all personally experienced and tested, my personal city trip tips for Rome.

1. Staying in Rome: here you should sleep

Of course, I haven't tested all the hotels in Rome – there are just too many and since we lived there, we often stayed with friends – but I found a hotel that meets all our expectations. So if you're there, you don't need to look any further. The hotel is called **Hotel Forum**. It's not hip, not at all. So if you're looking for something trendy, this hotel is not for you. But it is classic, you can drive there (a rarity in Rome, as you can't drive into the centro storico without a permit) and as soon as you leave the hotel, you are right in front of the Forum Romanum and the Colosseum. It is also relatively affordable, has a rooftop bar, and you have breakfast in a beautiful open space overlooking the ancient ruins.
hotelforum.com

2. The best restaurants in Rome according to a local (me)

In Rome, you naturally eat excellently, but beware: Roman cuisine is originally a „poor man's cuisine,“ using a lot of offal and other „rejected“ meat cuts. The Romans were not rich and therefore often used meat that was considered inferior. The funny thing is that they prepared it so well that even the Pope eventually asked for this „poor man's food“ because he had heard so many praising stories about it.
Personally, I am not a fan of veal intestines, kidneys, or tripe, so keep your culinary dictionary ready when you read the menu.

That said: In Rome, you can eat exceptionally well. If you want to eat traditionally, I recommend Checco er Carettiere in Trastevere – the „Jordaan“ of Rome.
checcoercarettiere.it – I love it the most on their terrace. I have already made a reservation and I already know what I will eat.

Another favorite is Gusto (gusto.it), which is located right behind the shopping streets. If the weather permits, I would reserve outside, fuori. Then you sit wonderfully on the terrace. Inside there is a pizzeria and a slightly more formal area. Choose what fits your moment. Perfect if you're in the mood for something less traditional and something more modern. Tip: They also have nice gifts. We still use the apron that friends from Rome gave us years ago.

Then a personal favorite: Trattoria Monti, in the Monti district (yes, I actually named our dog after it). I will go back there this summer, but I haven't been there for a while, so I don't know if everything is still the same, but back then it was run by two brothers and their mother. She cooked what she found at the market, and the brothers served all the delicacies. We took friends there, who have since gone back every time they are in Rome.
Trattoria Monti, Via di San Vito 13.

For a drink, sit at the Campo dei Fiori – you can sit there for hours and watch the colorful hustle and bustle of the city.

3. Culture in Rome: sights you shouldn't miss

Colosseum + Palatine

Of course, you want to see the Colosseum. The line at the entrance is long. My tip: Buy a ticket for the Palatine – one of the seven hills of Rome, right next to the Colosseum – and with that, you also get entry to the Colosseum and skip the long queue. Thank me later. If a gladiator approaches you and offers you a photo, say no. He will pose with you very kindly and later demand 50 euros. Thank me later II.

Galleria Borghese

The Galleria Borghese is perhaps the most beautiful museum I have ever been to. You can see works by Bernini, Caravaggio, Lippi, and more, and then stroll through the beautiful park.

The Vatican and the papal palace

A little confession: I have never been to the Sistine Chapel. The queue was too long for me and unfortunately, I don't know any shortcuts. But just going to the Vatican and entering the basilica is an experience you won't forget quickly. The size, the beauty, the nuns and priests – it's impressive. Maybe you go there very early and tell me how beautiful the Sistine Chapel really is.

Santa Maria Maggiore

A beautiful, large church near Termini station (and close to Trattoria Monti – perfect for combining), where you can find breathtaking mosaics, a staircase by Bernini, and the graves of several popes: Clement VIII, Clement IX, Nicholas IV, Paul V, Pius V, and Sixtus V. The famous artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Saint Jerome are also buried here. If you're already there, you should definitely go into one of the AS Roma stores and buy the jersey of your favorite player.

Castel Sant’Angelo

Perfect after a walk through Trastevere: Cross the bridge and go to **Castel Sant’Angelo**. This castle plays a big role in *Illuminati* and in the last act of the opera *Tosca*. It was built after a procession in which people asked God to end the plague, when the Archangel Michael is said to have appeared and sheathed his sword – a sign that the epidemic would end. In gratitude, Pope Pius II had this chapel built. As far as I remember, entry is free and you have a fantastic view over the city.

Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain & Pantheon

Go to Piazza Navona, throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain, and enjoy the beautiful light in the Pantheon.

4. Extra tips for your Rome city trip

  • Rent a Vespa and ride to Gianicolo – my absolute favorite place in the world.
  • Explore Testaccio, once a slaughterhouse district, now a super cool neighborhood.
  • Shop around Piazza di Spagna and Via Condotti.
  • Let your jaw drop when you enter Piazza del Popolo.

Summary: your city trip tips for Rome

  • Stay at **Hotel Forum** – central and classic, maybe we'll see each other there.
  • Eat at local favorites: **Checco er Carettiere, Gusto and Trattoria Monti**, take the ravioli with truffle.
  • Skip-the-line tip for the Colosseum via the Palatine, you will be so grateful to me.
  • Visit the Galleria Borghese, Santa Maria Maggiore, and Castel Sant’Angelo and take lots of photos!
  • Vespa tour, Testaccio, shopping, and a magical moment at Piazza del Popolo (by the way, there is a great restaurant there that you shouldn't miss).