Travel Journal- Trip to Rome Italy

Travel Journal-Trip to Rome Italy. See some of the beautiful art and architecture, and food, and get a few tips along the way.

Our trip to Italy… first stop Rome

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Hello friends, it has been a minute since my last post. My husband and I took a long-awaited 19-day trip to Italy this past month. Preparing for the trip and getting things in order was time-consuming, but all worth it!

Italy is such an incredible place filled with history, art, architecture, and good food. We were instantly in awe of this place!

We are still trying to absorb the amazing experience we had.

Since this was our first time in Italy, we decided to book a 10-day Perillo tour which was the best decision we could’ve made. Our tour guide was so amazing and knowledgeable about all the sites and made sure we were all very well taken care of. I would definitely recommend using a tour guide on your first trip to Italy.

The remainder of the trip will be spent with our friends traveling to lake Como and Milan.

You can check out a few tips and tricks I learned on this trip at the end of this post.

One of the first things I noticed was that there are olive trees everywhere! I love olive trees, it’s the plant to have in home decor.

I did try my hand at growing an olive tree in my house but I failed miserably to keep it alive. Didn’t have the right amount of sun in my house which they require the most.

So I am contemplating the next best option, getting this faux olive tree. It’s beautiful and looks so real!

But just look at this beauty!

Our first excursion was to St. Peter’s Basilica

I was immediately in awe of this magnificent church. There was a line snaking around with thousands of people waiting to see this beautiful church. This is where our tour guide came in handy, we were able to scooch up the line.

Then the Vatican Museum…

Incredible artwork from the masters adorns the massive ceilings and walls of this museum. To see Michelangelo’s most celebrated works of art in the Sistine Chapel and the iconic painting of the Creation of Adam was breathtaking.

After we were mindblown by the sheer beauty of the church and the museum, we took a walk around to acquaint ourselves with the culture and some Gelato.

When in Rome…

My husband’s mission was to taste-test as many gelatos as he can to see which one was the best. He did manage to have 27 gelatos at the end of our 19-day trip.

He’s not very biased, I think he liked all of them 😂!

Around every corner, there’s beautiful architecture, quaint cobblestone streets, and beautiful cafes. I can get used to this living very easily.

At the end of our first day, our tour guide made dinner reservations at a sweet little restaurant tucked away in a small courtyard.

We were serenaded with beautiful Italian songs while we had our delicious dinner. Couldn’t think of a better way to end our first day in Italy!

Within the next few days, we visited the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, and breathtaking Sant’ Ignazio of Loyola Church.

We only touched the surface of all the beautiful places to see, I wish we had more time in this amazing city. We had the best time ever!

What I bought for our Italy trip

The best for us was to go through Perillo Tours, we wanted to see as much as we could within the time we had. We were picked up at the airport and taken to the hotel. We didn’t have to worry about our luggage, they took care of it all. They accommodated us in beautiful hotels, had dinner reservations set up in fabulous restaurants, discounts at certain stores. We were driven on a luxury bus to the different excursions. Don’t forget the easy access to places tour guides have.

We bought these lightweight polycarbonated expandable luggage with wheels by Delsey. They are so nice and durable, navigating through the airport and the streets were a breeze.

Don’t forget to get a European travel plug adapter, we purchased this one with the USB port which came in really handy for my hair straightener. (Side note: I have heard that some hair dryers and hair straighteners from the U.S. get overloaded and blow out, European wattage may be too strong). Luckily, my hair straightener from Costco has Auto World Voltage which means it can be used around the world!

Must have comfortable sneakers, there is a lot of walking. I bought On Cloud sneakers for myself, they really do feel like you’re walking on a cloud. My husband bought these sneakers he loved.

Neck pillows are great to have on the plane. If you buy them at the airport they are more expensive. I have seen them at Marshalls or other department stores for around $10

Few tips for traveling

• We purchased travel insurance, which is good to have to incase of an emergency. There are many to choose from, you can research to see which one best fits your needs.

• Avoid foreign exchange fees as much as you can. Look into credit cards that do not have foreign exchange fees. American Express and Capital One are the ones we used. The U.S. dollar was valued more than the Euro, which was great because our dollar went a little further. We exchanged dollars for Euros from our bank before we went to have pocket money.

• I would suggest having a copy of your ID and passport on your phone and I also had printed copies of our documents just in case anything gets lost. Always good to have backups when traveling.

• We packed all our important documents, jewelry, and my make-up (Very important! 😂) in my carry-on so that it was with me at all times.

• Bring refillable bottles for water and fill them up after you go through the security

• Have a solar-powered/portable charger ready for your phone. I took so many pictures and videos, I had to charge my phone twice a day.

• Hand sanitizers and disinfectant wipes are a must-have.

• Download your favorite shows or book on an Ipad or a tablet. this is a perfect time to catch up on your shows or a good read.

• My husband and I mixed our clothes in each other’s suitcases. In case one suitcase gets lost, which I have heard horror stories about, you will both have some of your clothes.

Hopefully, this post provided you with a few tips for your next trip! I would love to hear any traveling tips you may have.

Next stop…

We are off to Sorrento, Capri, and Anacapri… Can’t wait to show you.

Arrivederci, Rome! Till we meet again!