By Anastasia Burton
Ah, Rome! A beautiful place filled with breathtaking ruins and rich with history. From the Roman Empire to the Renaissance, the city is still filled with the air of change and culture. If you are planning a trip to this amazing place, here are a few tourist spots you should visit!
1.The Vatican Museum: If you love Renaissance paintings and sculptures where the breasts are free, and the male genitalia is always missing – this place is for you! The artwork is phenomenal and there are plenty of floors and exhibitions to explore to last you an entire day. If you get hungry, there are a few cafes and a restaurant in the courtyard, where you are surrounded by surreal works of sculpture and architecture. You can buy an audio tour where you are handed a little Walkman and given a personal tour of the grand building. Adult tickets are up to eighteen euro, however, if you show your NUI Galway student ID you will only be asked to pay eight euro. Children below the age of six can get in for free and children up to thirteen are admitted for only four euro (you’re welcome).
2.The Vatican: The Vatican and the Vatican Museum are quite close to one another. While the museum requires you pay entry, this one is free. Here you will also find breath taking art and the Pieta sculpture. This church is where the Pope leads mass every Sunday. The lines to get inside the Vatican are quite long, so I would recommend going in the evening time at around three to five p.m. to avoid crowds. If you buy the city–bus tour, you will be granted entry by skipping the queue.
3. The City Tour Bus: This is a MUST in any popular tourist destination you visit. Always purchase a 24hr tour bus ticket and take the entire tour from start to finish first (which would take around two hours or an hour and a half) and then exit on the stops you wish to explore. The bus takes you to (or close to) the most famous destinations and gives you the option to hop-on and hop-off. These buses usually run every twenty minutes, so you won’t be stranded if you decide to wander a little. These buses usually cost up to twenty-five euro (sometimes more) however, if you are a student, you can get the tour for only twelve euro.
4. The Colosseum:Well, duh! Right? How can you visit Rome without dropping by theColosseum? This fantastic historic attraction is an unforgettable experience. Although there is not much to see except ruins, it is still fascinating to see what was once a place for people to fight to the death. The Colosseum is a bit far out so I would recommend taking the tour bus there.
5. Trevi Fountain: The most beautiful 18th century sculpted fountain, it features in films, TV shows and ads all over the world. It is said that an estimate of 3,000 euro is thrown in the fountain each day, due to the belief that it can make wishes come true. The fountain is in a very beautiful part of the city, which is still giving off that “historic” vibe. The fountain can be very crowded due to its popularity, so I wish you luck in getting a good spot beside it!
6. The Roman forum:This is another historic ruin site, named as the excavated heart of the Roman empire. If you are a fan of ruins and a nice walk, this spot is definitely for you!
7. Spanish Steps:To be very honest,this is just an awesome location for Instagram photos!
I hope that now you can plan your trip to Rome with a bit more knowledge as to what to do and how to save money doing it! Enjoy, Ciao.
