POST LOCKDOWN TRAVEL: MY FIRST TRIP TO ROME, ITALY

Thu October 8, 2020

I have travelled a lot in 2019, so I was really missing to travel again after a few months of COVID-19 lockdown. Being back to the airport after almost 5 months felt a bit strange.

The idea to visit Rome came spontaneously, when my friend Maria shared a short video of Rome.

„Wow, what a beautiful view! I haven’t been in Rome yet. Can you imagine?“ – I said. „Me neither! Let’s go!“ Maria replied.

We started to organize our trip together with our common friend Sonja. It was about time for a reunion and creating new memories, after we had been together on our first blogger trip in St. Moritz in December of 2014.

Thanks to Sonja, we decided to stay in a unique and spacious apartment close to Piazza Navona, which was the perfect decision and the best option for four nights accommodation during this time.

Ponte Sant’Angelo

The Trip

Our direct flight was from Vienna, which was full of passengers. There was no social distancing, but of course, masks were mandatory. All passengers have received a contact form to fill-in before entering Italy. The government uses the information you give to contact you if you or someone you’ve travelled with develops coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms. These forms have become a normal process for every flight during the pandemic.

Why did I choose to visit Rome?

I had visited almost every important region in Italy, but had never been to Rome. For this reason, Rome was already on my bucket list. When the Austrian Government cancelled the travel restriction from visiting Italy, I felt safe to visit Rome in August. The best part of this trip was that it was less crowded and easy to visit the key locations without the usual crowds.

Rocco Forte Hotel De Russie

What you should consider before visiting Rome during the pandemic?

Rome was not impacted by the COVID-19 as much as the northern part of Italy. Usually the city is a chaotic capital, where there is so much to see and experience. I must say, however, this period is the best time to visit Rome.
Be aware that most of the hotels are closed during this period, so staying in an apartment or a boutique hotel is the best option.
Rent a bike or a vespa, instead of using public transportation.
Stay at Rome’s historical center: it can be easily reached on foot to the most monuments and major attractions.
Rome is not a dangerous city, but you should be wary of pickpockets and bags at city centre, tourist spots and transport hubs.
Since October 1, the face masks have been mandatory outdoors in the Rome region. Anyone who does not adhere to the new rule could be fined more than $400. (The COVID-19 rules might change, but this is the current situation)

Sunset view over Saint Peter’s Basilica

What I love about Rome

First of all, I didn’t expect to fall in love with Rome immediately. Secondly, I am already thinking of visiting it again soon. That’s what Rome did to me— love at first sight.

Via del Babuino

Not only this trip was so fun traveling with my friends Sonja and Maria, but this magnificent city is filled with amazing history, architecture, and great food. I enjoyed every second of this trip— walking around with my girls, having great food and just feeding my soul with new inspirations. We didn’t want to visit museums, nor visit the Vatican this time. As the pandemic rules are quite strict, we tried to avoid the crowds and closed places.

Piazza Navona

But we have visited many main monuments from the outside, which impressed me a lot, like the world’s seven great wonders, the Colosseum. Next time on my list to visit inside are: the Colosseum, Vatican Museum, Pantheon, Leonardo da Vinci Museum, Roman Forum, Sistine Chapel and Mamertinum Prison.

Sunset view over Saint Peter’s Basilica

Rome was noticeably empty. I only saw a handful of tourists during the last August weekend. Restaurants were also quite empty, with the exception of the weekend when more locals go out. So definitely, it wasn’t necessary to book a table at restaurants.

Where to eat & drink

Ristorante Ottavio – Seafood Restaurant
Pierluigi – Seafood Restaurant
Trattoria Scavolino Roma – Down home cooking restaurant
Osteria degli Amici – Authentic Roman Restaurant
Ristorante La Scala
Retrobottega – fine dining
Roma Spartia
Trattoria Perilli
Le Jardin de Russie – for an aperitivo
Palazzo Dama – for drinks

RÉSUMÉ

This trip was 100% worth it. It made me happy, and overall I felt safe. We are definitely living in uncertain times, where the COVID-19 rules change all the time. Sometimes it’s not really appropriate to plan a lot in advance. But if you are a healthy and spontaneous traveller, you should take the advantage of traveling within Europe. There are wonderful hotel deals, you’ll enjoy visiting key spots and monuments while keeping distance from the crowd.

Do I have more travel plans during this period? Well, yes. I would love the opportunity to visit without the crowds the cities like: Lisbon, Seville, Malaga and Prague. But it all depends on the current COVID-19 situation and if I will be able to visit these cities soon.