After a quick improvised “tour” of the city by our very kind and knowledgeable taxi driver, we arrived in our adorable little apartment in Rome. This cute little spot we found using Bookings.com, was wall-to-wall with an old church and had windows that faced directly into a small piazza. The friendly owner at the local gelati shop below our flat made us feel right at home in what would be our neighborhood for the next few days. This is not the Rome I heard about from friends…

Yes, Rome is filled with stampedes of tourists (just like any other big city with important monuments), but yes, you CAN avoid the crowds… for the most part. We stayed in that little apartment in a side street close to Campo di Fiori which feels is a bit less touristic that staying right by the Coliseum like I’m sure many tourists do. By day, Campo de Fiori is an open air market, and by night it fills with young local Italians. It’s also just a short walk from Trastevere which is a “hip” area filled with cute restaurants and bars.

Of course, there are certain things you just have to see if you like history and you’re in Rome. Those few main historical sites, unfortunately, will be filled with tourists regardless of the time of year and time of day you choose to go. “Off-peak” season will of course be more manageable, but another little trick that can help you out is to purchase tickets to main attractions ahead of time and show up as bright and early as possible.

During our few days in Rome, we tried a few “aperitivos” which are an Italian version of a happy hour where you get seemingly ENDLESS amounts of hors d'oeuvres or tapas for the price of one drink. My life will never be the same. Highly, HIGHLY recommended as well as some good ol' cacio e pepe. Mmm...