Rome is one of my favorite cities in the world, so when we saw cheap flights from Munich to Rome we booked them! Patrick had never been to Florence, so we added a day in Florence on this trip. We went to Rome last summer too, which you can read about here, but I can never get enough of Rome! We flew in and out of Rome and took a train from Rome to Florence.
We enjoy revisiting favorite cities because we don’t feel like we have to cram in as much sightseeing. This trip was very relaxed and we mostly revisited old favorites but we did mix in a few new activities and restaurants.
Activities in Rome:
Borghese Gardens: This was so much fun! We rented a boat for 20 minutes for 3 euros each on the Villa Borghese lake. We also rented a pedal car for 12 Euro per hour and rode that all around the gardens. The weather was perfect but we still worked up a sweat going up some of the hills!
Vatican Tour: We purchased tickets online in advance here. Instead of paying for a guide, we downloaded the free Rick Steves podcast Vatican tour.
Walks through Rome: We spent the majority of our time walking through Rome and taking in our favorite sights such as the Pantheon, Spanish Steps, and the Trevi Fountain. We also spent a wonderful night walking around Trastevere before and after dinner.
Where we ate & drank in Rome:
Stravinskij Bar – Hotel De Russie: Perfect place for aperitivo! Gorgeous courtyard and delicious drinks.
Pascucci’s: Perfect for cappuccino, panini, and smoothies. Right around the corner from the Pantheon with really reasonable prices for such a popular location.
Roscioli: One of our favorites! Great for drinks and appetizers or a full meal. I love their cacio e Pepe.
Osteria da Zi Umberto: My all time favorite! It’s in the Trastevere neighborhood. We always get the cacio e pepe and the bucatini all’Amatriciana.
Il Chianti: Great little wine bar. We met up with one of my friends from Saint Mary’s who was also in town!
Gelateria del Teatro: Our favorite gelato in Rome.
Florence activities:
Uffizi gallery: The best collection of Italian paintings on earth! The museum is located in the center of the city and is right next to Piazza della Signoria. Lines can be long to enter the Uffizi. You can skip the line by reserving your ticket in advance or using the Firenze Card to skip the ticket line.
Piazzale Michelangelo: Piazzele has one of the best views of Florence and is the best spot to watch the sunset in Florence. We walked there from the city center and enjoyed it but there is a steep climb to get to the piazza.
Duomo: The Duomo, also called Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, is the centerpiece of Florence. It’s stunning from every angle. You can climb up the Cupola or Giotto’s Campanile, the free standing bell tower next to the Duomo. There is also a Duomo museum where you can learn more about the history and artwork of the cathedral. Reservations are now mandatory to climb the dome. You can purchase your Duomo-combi ticket online in advance and schedule your dome climb before you arrive in Florence.
Ponte Vecchio – This bridge connects over the Arno River and is lined with jewelry shops. It’s a main tourist sight in Florence so it’s usually packed with people.
Where we ate in Florence:
La Giostra: Amazing food and super romantic ambiance. Everything we had was fantastic. I ordered the pear stuffed pasta and it was one of my favorite things I’ve eaten in Italy. However, the entire place was full of American tourists (like us!) so if you’re not into that then maybe skip it. It kind of felt like a Disneyland for Americans in Florence. That said, we had a great time and I would definitely go back.
All’Antico Vinaio: Amazing sandwiches! We got here right before the lunch rush and when we left there was a longgggggg line out the door and down the street.
La Strega Nocciola: Great gelato!
