Between studying abroad in Rome, & working for a travel company post-grad, I lived in Rome for about a year of my life and I can honestly say it is my FAVORITE place in the entire world.
One thing to keep in mind, when traveling anywhere really, is the pick pocketing. I have never had an issue, but make sure that none of your valuables are readily accessible & always be aware of your surroundings. Also - don't trust anyone. There are tricks and games that locals will play that allow them to take your focus off of your belongings (tying a "free" bracelet on your wrist, trying to get you to read a pamphlet, etc).
The best way to get into Rome's city center from Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO) would just be to take a taxi. Uber is not legal in Rome but if you do happen to catch one, you won't get in trouble but the driver could.
With that being said, taxi's do take card but I would make sure to always carry some cash for emergency situations. Rome is a pretty walkable city (sometimes walking for almost an hour, but definitely walkable!). If you don't care to walk, the tram does go through most of the city and is pretty cheap.
All places/activities that have an *astrics next to them are the ones that I highly recommend.
Neighborhoods/Piazzas:
Trastevere: Similar to a cities "downtown." Many restaurants & nightlife - great area to stay.
Piazza Trilussa: The main piazza of Trastevere.
Campo De Fiori: One of the most popular piazza's full of restaurants, a morning farmers market, & nightlife bars.
Monteverde: The area I stayed in when I studied abroad. Cute and has a lot of hidden gems.
Piazza Venezia: The piazza that has the capital building. Many shops & restaurants as Via del Corso (big shopping street) leads up to this piazza.
Vittorio Emanuele II Monument (the wedding cake building)
Piazza Del Popolo: The piazza at the opposite end of Via del Corso.
Piazza Cavour: A green area in the streets of Rome. Great to sit and take in the surroundings.
Ponte Sisto: The bridge that runs over the Tiber river and connects in Piazza Trilussa. This bridge has performers & sellers on it 24/7 but I love it.
Castel Sant'Angelo Roma: Beautiful museum near Trastevere. It's huge and gorgeous, especially when it's lit up at night. I used to love sitting at the Tiber river super late at night and just looking at this beauty in the distance.
Vatican City: Definitely a MUST. Beautiful. Stunning. Everything. I recommend seeing the pope speak/drive around on Wednesday mornings.
Breakfast/Brunch:
Ginger: A brunch spot located on Via Del Corso. I only ever got their acai bowls to-go but they seem to have a bunch of good looking breakfast options!
Homebaked: An American owned breakfast/lunch spot with two locations. I would only recommend if you are craving a home-y meal, otherwise enjoy the Italian spots.
Caffe Gli Archi: A small cafe located near my study abroad school. Nothing special.
Mammo Trastevere: A breakfast/coffee place located in the heart of Trastevere. Great iced coffee, avocado toast, & breakfast sandwiches. This is a popular place for study abroad kids.
Vero Cafe: A chain that has a good selection of healthier breakfast options. You order and then sit down. Nothing special but not bad.
*Ex Circus: A great breakfast/lunch spot to do work. I had some the best avocado toast of my entire life here.
Avocado toast: It comes with cream cheese on it as well and it is PHENOMENAL .
*Barnum Roma: An awesome sit down breakfast spot not far from Campo di Fiori.
Quick Eats:
There are multiple coffee "shops" that you go into and stand at the bar and order a cappuccino. They very rarely do "to-go" but if you really need that, you would say "take-away." My favorite thing about European mornings is getting a yummy cappuccino and a fresh croissant.
*Fratelli Santi Mauro & Zeno: My favorite sandwich shop in the entire world but unfortunately it isn't located in one of the main touristy areas - BUT, you can still walk there. This place is owned by brothers and I literally think about it daily. My go to order is below:
Pizza bread, hot soppressata, siena cheese, tomato, & mayo (sometimes fresh pesto instead of mayo)
Pizzeria da Simone: This is across the street from Fratelli Santi Mauro & Zeno. They have pretty good small take-away dishes but I definitely recommended the arancini.
*Donkey Punch: Located in Trastevere (near many bars) is a fresh sandwich place where they make it in front of you. They have many options to choose from, or you can create your own. Best part about this place is that it is open late into the night, so you can get some fresh & delicious food at 2:00 am. I've had this place way too much, yet not enough.
Pico's Taqueria: Another spot thats open late night, but this time its Mexican food. Pretty good food with a good beer deal.
Trapizzino: A pizza-type joint that sells dough "pockets" of pizza. They have a couple of locations in big cities like NYC and Japan as well. Very unique concept and yummy.
Pizza Trilussa: A small walk-up pizza shop located in the heart of Trastevere. Open late and perfect for a late night snack (probably wouldn't be my first choice during the day).
Wok to Walk: An Asian food spot that has locations all over the world. Noodles or rice cooked infront of you in a huge wok - great for a quick bite. This one is located in Campo de Fiori.
Baylon Cafe: A nice spot to do some laptop work while eating some food. I really only ever got french fries here but they have a full menu.
*La Renella Forno Antico Trastevere: Located in the heart of Trastevere, it's probably my FAVORITE pizza place ever. So many to choose from and freshly baked. Grab a (square) slice & walk around while eating it.
Aperitivo:
*Bar Meccanismo: Super fun place at all hours. Enjoy a yummy cup of coffee, breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a drink. My favorite time to be here is during aperitivo. They have the best aperitivo plate to share with a group, or enjoy with one other person. Truly the best place to start your evening.
8 Millimetri: Permanently Closed
Pimm's Good: Another popular spot for aperitivo (also perfect for Instagram, both inside & out). Sit down and enjoy a drink & yummy starters!
Lunch/Dinner:
*Spices & Wines: One of my absolute favorite dinner spots in Trastevere. This place is stunning and super authentic. I still dream about the food & the literal BOOK of wine options they provide.
Prosciutto & melon
Burrata
Four Cheese Gnocchi
*La Tavernetta 29 da Tony e Andrea: Tony is a literal angel and I highly recommend checking out his restaurant. Everything is amazing and they are just one big Italian family that will make you feel so welcomed.
Chicken Parm (comes in a skillet & is a huge hit)
Tiramisu
Dar Poeta: A sit-down pizza place that is pretty popular. Located in a great area and has many options!
*Ristorante La Scala in Trastevere: A great restaurant located near a bunch of bars. Their truffle pasta is to die for.. really anything you get here will be great.
Truffle Pasta
*Osteria La Quercia: Chris & I went here for our first date. It's a small Italian restaurant that is a bit off the beaten path. Extremely romantic, you won't want to leave. I don't remember what I got here but it was a true Italian experience and I definitely recommend.
Mama Eat Roma Trastevere: Another cute restaurant with yummy food. Not at the top of my list though.
Old Bear: A romantic restaurant located in a cute corner of Rome. This is one of those places that you think of when you think of Italy.
Truffle Lasagna (100% recommend)
Caramella: Located in the heart of Trastevere, this is a great place to grab food or just a drink. The best part about it is the fact that the Lizzie McGuire movie was filmed here.
Royal Art Cafe: I did not get to go here but it was a huge hit with my study abroad friends. This place has the perfect view of the colosseum. Day or night, you'll really enjoy it.
Osteria Da Fortunata: Don't believe I went here but it was recommended to me.
Pianostrada Laboratorio di cucina: Don't believe I went here but it was recommended to me.
Gelato:
The best thing to know about gelato shopping in Italy is that the shops that display mounds of gelato are usually the tourist traps. If you want genuine gelato, look for the ones that don't entice you with visuals.
*Frigidarium: The actual best gelato I have ever had in my life. I only ever get the Frigidarium flavor which is similar to a chocolatey hazelnut.. but I've never tasted anything like it and think about it daily. They also will dip any gelato into a chocolate shell if you ask.
Venchi: This gelato place is good but touristy. Probably the prettiest gelato shop as it has chocolate dripping down the main wall.
Flor Gelato: Another touristy gelato place but they have 50+ rotating flavors.
Fatamorgana: A popular touristy gelato shop that is known for having very unique flavors.
*Gelateria del Viale: Another one of my absolute favorites. Super flavorful. I have gotten it many times but below are the flavors I distinctly remember getting.
Stracciatella (similar to cookies & cream)
Rose violet
Egg nog wine
*La Gourmandise: Probably the most authentic gelato place I have ever had. It is definitely not in a touristy area and I found it because it's located near my study abroad apartment. Very highly recommend.
Gelateria Giuffrè: A beautiful gelato shops located on one of the main roads in the heart of rome. Delicious and Insta worthy.
Gelateria La Romana: I have not been but it was recommended to me.
Dessert:
Magnum Pleasure Store: Magnum chocolate ice cream bars. Pretty messy but definitely yummy.
Bars/Clubs:
Abbey Theatre Irish Pub: A great Irish pub in Trastevere. Super personable place.
On the Rox: The home of 1 Euro tequila shots. Awesome place to start your night but it is definitely a college crowd.
GBar: Permanently Closed
Scholars Lounge Irish Pub: An awesome spot located near the Capital building & not far from the Trevi. This bar has two rooms, one that allows you to scream your heart out to some popular American karaoke songs. The other room is just your typical bar. I always have a great time here. Scholars is a mix of all ages.
The Drunken Ship: Located in Campo di Fiori this is an American bar that has darts and things like that.
Ice Club: Almost every major European city has an ice bar. If you haven't been, then I recommend but once you go, then you really don't need to go again. You buy tickets online and they you go into the ice room for about 30 min. It's less about the bar and more about the Instagram pictures.
Shari Vari: A fun club with multiple rooms. Beware of pick pockets!
Art Cafe: I haven't been here but this is apparently also a very fun club.
*Cioccolata e Vino: A small shop located in Trastevere that sells alcoholic chocolate shots. Fun place to start or end the night as the treats are yummy & a fun experience. (FYI the names of the shots are not very appropriate)
Markets:
*Testaccio Market: A food market located in Testaccio that is so worth it. So many venders that sell fresh food like pasta & cheeses... it's probably comparable to heaven.
*Campo di Fiori Market: A farmers market that is held every morning. Great place to get fresh fruit/smoothies, sauces, or souvenirs.
Shopping:
*Acqua dell'Elba: My FAVORITE scent. This store only sells perfume, lotions, body wash, etc. I promise you will love it. Located at the end of Via Del Corso, near the Spanish Steps.
*Via Del Corso: Very well known shopping street located right in the heart of Rome, near the capital building. You'll find lots of well known shops, as well as some local gems. I recommend buying a locally made leather purses from one of the street venders.
Landmarks:
Trevi Fountain: You can hear the fountain from streets away and once you turn the corner, it's honestly even bigger than you would expect. I also recommend researching how to go under the fountain because it's pretty cool to see. The Trevi is super packed during the day but I highly recommend going late at night after the bars. Super relaxing and absolutely stunning.
The Vatican: Obviously can't miss this. I recommend seeing the pope speak/ride around on Wednesday mornings, attend a mass, or take a tour inside.
Spanish Steps: Gorgeous place to just people watch. Another absolute must-see.
The Pantheon: The Pantheon is free to get into and has a cut out in the very center of the top. When it rains, the water falls through and it's a stunning experience.
Villa Borghese Gardens: One of my favorites. So relaxing as you can just picnic in the gardens, ride around on rented golf carts, or just walk around and enjoy the view of Rome. Highly recommend for sunset especially.
Catacombs: Really cool experience seeing the underground Roman catacombs. Just rooms of skeletons and bones. Definitely buy tickets online beforehand.
Knights of Malta Keyhole: Famous area of photographs. Beautiful view of Saint Peter's Basilica.
World Wide Wall: An area near Testaccio that has a bunch of graffiti and art.
Churches:
I recommend seeing as many churches as possible. My favorite thing about Europe is just the fact that you stumble upon churches every few minutes and they are free to enter. The silence and the visual beauty are both captivating. I recommend taking it in any moment you can. Below are just a few noteworthy ones I remember.
Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore (one of my all time favorites)
Stays:
Hotel Campo de' Fiori: I have never stayed here but I often would go up to the roof (not sure if you are allowed to if you aren't a guest but..). This hotel is in an awesome location and the view from the roof is stunning. Grab a bottle of wine and enjoy!
The Yellow Hostel: I personally have never stayed here but it is one of the most popular hostels in Italy. You can get a private room, or share with others. I have had great experiences in hostels.
Hotel Ponte Sisto: I have not stayed here but I would walk passed it often. It is located in a great area.
Activities:
*ROMA Futbol Game: If you are in town during futball season, I highly recommend catching a game. The energy is unmatched, as Italian fans are extremely loyal to their team. One of my favorite things to do anywhere in Europe.
Surrounding Areas:
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