I recently got back from visiting Rome and I have to say that it’s an amazing city. It’s never really appealed to me in the past – I’m not one of those people who’s interested in Roman history – but some of the sites are very interesting to go and visit. There’s the obvious ones like the Colosseum and Pantheon, but some of the smaller things that you just see walking around are also fun to learn about.
It’s not a perfect city though, and the main problem is the price of everything. I’m sure that the price you get in cafes and restaurants varies depending on whether you’re seen as a resident or a tourist, but the prices are huge. I think I paid about 5 Euros for a coke in one cafe, and most prices are similar. This means that even if you find a great deal on a flight and hotel booking you still need to take into account the cost of food etc while you’re there.
Luckily a lot of the sites are free, although you’ll need to pay for the big ones like the Colosseum. One other tip – if you see a sign for a “3D” recreation of the major sites of Rome then don’t pay for it! It’s expensive and also makes most people feel sick – even though it’s very short and doesn’t actually tell you anything that anyone with a passing knowledge of Rome wouldn’t know already.