Travel plan idea blog

Rome walking tour: Campo de Fiori, Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Piazza di Spagna

My friend Matt recently gave me this suggestion:

I highly recommend checking out Campo de Fiori. It is a small square where all the young Romans go at night, after work. There are several bars with the crowds basically spilling from one to the other and music playing in the square. The bars are cheap (we got 2 glasses of Proseco in one for 3 Euros...total). We went on the recommendation of the GM of our hotel; she took us there personally. It is not touristy. In fact, we were the only non-Italians the two nights we went. It is especially packed on Sundays.

Campo de Fiori is not only a place to hang out at night; it has a very good fruit and vegetable market in the mornings (since 1869). You'll also want to see the statue of Giordano Bruno (a Dominican philosopher who was executed in Campo de Fiori).

If you're looking for something to do after the vegetable and flower market but before the young Romans come out to play after work, try this walking tour:

Cross Via Vittorio Emanuele II to find Piazza Navona. This is touristy as everyone comes to see the famous Fountain of the four Rivers in the middle of Piazza Navona and the tall Egyptian obelisk. Piazza Navona also has 2 more fountains sculpted by Giacomo della Porta: Fontana di Nettuno and the Fontana del Moro.

Walk towards Piazza della Rotonda and visit the Pantheon. Church services are held here even today, which is amazing considering the age of this building and its concrete dome roof.

From the Pantheon, walk to Trevi Fountain. It will still be daylight if you left Campo de Fiori after the market, and you need to see Trevi Fountain at night. That means you can wait before you throw a coin in to guarantee a return trip to Rome. For extra insurance, you might as well throw one in during the day and another when you return for the night view.

Take Via del Corso (you can do a bit - or a lot - of shopping on the way) to Piazza di Spagna and its 138 steps climbing to the church of Trinità dei Monti. This is very popular with tourists, particularly at night. Expats gather to relax and listen to other expats sing and play acoustic guitars. During the day, you can visit the house where John Keats died. The house is now a small museum, but I wouldn't bother going unless you really love Keats (as I do). Even though I love Keats, I barely remember the museum.

Comments saved from the old server

A close friend and I went(without our husbands)on a European vacation. Since this was our first time there, we decided to take tours.
We flew into London for two days, then off on a cruise along the Mediterranian. Every day we had tours planned.
I want to go back, only this time, on my own. There was so much we missed because of having to keep up with our tour guide.
I am currently making a scrapbook of this trip. It was the most memorable trip in my life.
Posted by: Lynn at September 1, 2006 01:33 AM

Piazza Navona and the Parthenon were my absolute favorites after a week in Rome. There is SO much! You MUST walk Rome. and the Romans are wonderful.
Posted by: lynn at September 1, 2006 08:38 AM

My best girlfriend and I made a long time dream a reality when we toured Italy in 2000.

It was a wonderful trip and spending 3 days in Rome was unforgettable! There is so much to see and do, I need to go back for about 6 months. The Vatican is awesome, the Piazza Navona offers world class shopping and interesting attractions. I am just now remembering a great meal on the Piazza, not that any meal in Italy was less than excellent,that made our day so perfect.We caught a Mercedes Benz taxi from the piazza back to the hotel.

The Coliseum, et al are guaranteed to make you a history buff as well as spark a deeper appreciation for the ancient wonders on this planet. Personally, I have read many books about Italian history and significent historical figures.This new found literary interest was an extra bonus from our trip.

Finally, I recall a memorable evening and meal at Michael's.It is a restaurant near the American Embassy in Rome. There is no menu, the daily meal is the chef's choice and it will make you want to slap your Mama! The courses which are too many to count, are served family style and each dish is better than the one before. It was the best meal I ever had or will have. I hope Michael is well and still cooking when I return.

Wherever you go in Italy, you will not find anything to dislike. VIVA ITALIA!!!
Posted by: Beverly M. at September 1, 2006 11:15 AM

Thank you for the trip down memory lane. Took two trips to Venice, Florence and Rome. First with my daughter and the next year she and I took my Mom, and I am so fortunate to have shared these wonderful places with the 2 most important women in my life.

Beverly, if you ever get to Florence, make a point of going to IL LATINI. A wonderful restaruant where you sit at long tables and make new friends and are served dish after dish of delicious food. Sounds much like your beloved Michaels in Rome, which I will try when I hopefully return in the future.

Travel safe and bring your walking shoes that's the only way to enjoy the beauty of Italy.
Posted by: Patty at September 2, 2006 12:22 AM

I am a little surprised that no one has mentioned Lake Como. I loved it and the boat trip to the Islands. Lago de Como separates Italy from Switzerland. Belligio has wonderful little shops with beautiful designer silk accessories. The shop next to the Palace hotel where I stayed had what I considered to be the best Gelatos in Italy. I plan to return next year. With a more comfortable pair of shoes. Florence was very special to me, but I loved everywhere I went. Two weeks wasn't long enough.
Posted by: Grace at September 2, 2006 12:50 PM

After a life time of wishes & dreams, I am finally counting down the days til my arrival in Rome.
(Sept 12th) 6 am Roman time. It doesn't take much imagination to know what I will be seeking out first. That would be a dopo of espresso. No matter what road I take from my home in New Jersey, my morning goal for each new location is the same. The search for espresso. There is no doubt, that it won't be hard to find, when I arrive. After all, it has to be the original home for my poison of choice.

Thanks to the computer, we don't have to wonder what our next vaca has in store for us. So, while surfing the web, I came accross this site. My thanks to every one who entered their advise, from experience. I will now have an idea on which direction to run, after the espresso kicks in.....

I've written down high lights. And plan on presenting them to my friend/guide, who happens to live part time in Sicily and will be picking me and some other friends up at the airport.

Thanks again! Hope to enter my own high lights on the same site, when I return on the 28th.

Til then............. ciao!
Susan

Posted by: SUSAN at September 3, 2006 12:25 AM

Posted by James Trotta at September 1, 2006 3:26 AM