So here I am again. Your little
pinay being all brave and confident to travel alone. Last time I went to Paris,
Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca - all 3 cities in a span of 9 days. It was
something that I wouldn't do anymore because it was exhausting. This time, I
decided to focus in just one city for 5 days, in the imperial city of Rome! I
want to share this especially to my fellow filipinas who are on a limited
budget and are travelling alone.
If you want to explore the city on a budget, I suggest you get an unlimited travel pass ticket from one of the stalls in the airport. Depending on your length of stay, you can
choose from a single journey ticket to a 24-hour, 2-day, 3-day and 1-week
unlimited travel pass. You can use this ticket to ride buses, subway trains and
trams within the city. Just take note that it could be very crowded during peak hours.
Getting around and visiting attractions is just easy
with the use of Google Maps! All you need to do is follow the directions and calibrate your compass. Calibrating the compass of your Google Maps app will help you get the right arrow directions when you need to walk a certain distance from one platform to another. Please know that I have been lost a few times because I didn't calibrate.
For my first day in Rome, I travelled from the airport to my accommodation using public transportation. Again I used Google Maps which directed me to ride a certain bus then train. I booked my
accommodation thru Airbnb which
is a bunk-bed room good for 6 people and it was very close to the metro train
station. It was an apartment owned by a live-out landlord and it has everything that you need like a cooking area, microwave, lockers, hair dryer, etc. I only paid £12 (800 pesos) per day. No one else was booked so I was lucky to have the entire apartment to myself!
The next day, I started my DIY tour
and went to the most renowned structure in Rome, the Colosseum. Looking at it from the outside gave me a feeling of nostalgia. Maybe I was one of the roman goddess in my previous life LOL. Anyway, to avoid the hassle of lining up for a ticket, I suggest you buy it online and print it yourself (link here). Buying a ticket at the actual site is quite a hassle due to myriad of tourists everyday. To be honest, I wasn't very thrilled to see the inside of the Colloseum (even if I have read all about its history beforehand) however, you can use the same ticket to enter the neighbouring attractions - Palatine
Hilland Roman Forum. My favourite is the panoramic view in the
Palatine Hill. It was a very posh neighborhood during the ancient Rome and some of its poshness is still seen until this very day. The rest of my tour is visiting the following attractions: The Pantheon - a former Roman
temple turned church; Spanish Steps - 135 beautiful steps with luxury brand shops nearby; Piazza Navona - a beautiful plaza with restaurants nearby; Campo de' Fiori - an interesting
marketplace with local produce, flowers and delicacies. A little bit near the Pantheon
is the Area Sacra de Largo Argentina. It's a historic area where Julius Caesar, the man who changed Rome forever, was assassinated. But what's more interesting here is the cat shelter and the chubby and
friendly cats. You can visit the cat shelter at the corner and pet the cats!
Inside the Colosseum
The Pantheon
The panoramic view in Palatine Hill
Spanish steps
Cat shelter at the corner of Area Sacra de Largo Argentina
For my third day, I went to the
Vatican. I bought my ticket online for the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel a
day before going there. I couldn’t find the option to buy a ticket for St.
Peter's Basilica (maybe it was too late for me), but I suggest you buy one with
access to the dome where you can have a panoramic view of the Vatican City and
the rest of Rome. Just be prepared to be on a long queue for security check before
entry. It's a huge area to be touring around so make sure to wear your best
walking shoes and be mindful of your outfit since it is the centre of
Christianity.
The modern version of the Bramante staircase located in the Vatican Museum
Sistine Chapel in Vatican Museum
Somewhere in Vatican
For my fourth day, I woke up early
and went to the Trevi fountain for a less crowded photo session. I
think the best time is around 7am. Since I'm alone, I just relied on my tripod
and bluetooth shutter. Just take note that you cannot sit at the edge of the
fountain or else you'll hear a loud whistle from one of the security guards.
One thing you should do here (so you’re not missing out) is to throw a coin
with your right hand over your left shoulder. One coin means you’ll return to
Rome; two, you’ll return and fall in love; three, you’ll return, find love and
get married. I didn’t know this until I went home so I missed my chance of
wishing to get married! Anyway, moving on to the next spot, I visited
Transtevere, a bohemian area which has its own special set of restaurants,
shops and a plaza. I just had my lunch there and went back to the city. Since I
still had free time, I bought a bus tour ticket from one of the street vendors.
The cheapest was the EnjoyBus company but they have lesser bus in operation
which means a longer wait time compared to other bus companies such as BigBus,
City-Sightseeing, etc.
The trevi and me
Just a cute cafe in Transtevere
The fifth day was my last day in
Rome. Since my flight was in the afternoon, I decided to continue with the bus
tour which was valid for 24 hours from the time I bought it. It was a sunny day,
so the bus tour was all worth it with the beautiful sceneries of Rome.
Some photos I took during my bus tour:
Basilica Papale de Santa Maria Maggiore
River Tiber
Of course I wouldn't end this blog without talking about the
food in Rome. "When in Rome, your tummy will not be doomed!" Food is
literally just everywhere so it wouldn't be a problem getting hungry. Well, it
was a bit of a problem for me because I don't speak Italian and I was just
alone so making an order was usually awkward and challenging. However, they
usually understand English so it's not a big deal really. For coffee lovers, you
can try the coffee in 'Sant' Eustachio il cafe', which has been serving good
Italian coffee since 1930. You must make an order and pay at the cashier first,
then bring the receipt to the bar. To try the best pizza, a lot would recommend
'Forno Campo de Fiori'. It’s a small bakeshop selling traditional pastry and pizza
near the market. What I suggest is if you see a lot of people ordering then
most likely it's a good one. For gelato, you can try 'G. Fassi'. They claim to
be the very first ice cream shop in Rome. I like how affordable it is there and
it was close to my accommodation. You can also try 'Frigidarium' which is
within the city centre and has good reviews. For dinner, there are so many
restaurants everywhere especially in Piazza Navona and Transtevere. If you
really want an authentic Italian restaurant, look for a restaurant that closes
after lunch and opens back at dinner time. I'm sure our Google friend can help
you with that
Soo… I hope you learned something
today my friends! Travelling alone could be one of the loneliest activities to
do but on the other side, it is empowering, fulfilling and hassle-free! So book it already and go for it. Fly and soar high just like a bird! LOL Okay I'm talking nonsense now, goodbye!
When in Rome, buy a leather bag
If you will be travelling in Rome, it's best to watch my video here. I'm embarrassed with my bedroom/lazy voice here but anyway, it's the thought that counts right? haha
