The Eternal City. Famous throughout the world, Rome really needs no introduction, but soaking up as much of it as possible whilst on a football trip really is a must. Continuously inhabited for 2,760 years, the capital of Italy provides some of the world’s most ancient treasures along with a plethora of excellent places to relax, eat and drink.
And it really isn’t as expensive as you might think to get there. Two airports (Fiumicino and Ciampino) serve the city, and you can catch a cheap flight from Manchester to the latter with Ryanair. A return flight in February to see Roma-Torino cost just £208 per person return, for example.
As both airports are understandably some way outside the city, you can book a coach transfer into the centre for a very reasonable fee. Terravision are a company that provide this service in advance – a return transfer from Ciampino Airport to Roma Termini station costing just €8 – the pre-booked ticket avoiding any scrambles to find a space on buses parked up on the day.
From the station you can access the subway which serves the entire central area of the city. The easily accessible transport network means that you can stay pretty much anywhere within the grid if you want to explore what Rome has to offer. If you are looking for cheap accomodation, hostels in Italy are an extremely good option, usually providing clean and centrally-located rooms for a reasonable fee. Hostelworld is a good place to start for finding these type of properties, which are of a much better standard than you might think.
With stunning views of St. Peter’s Basilica, staying near Vatican City was an ideal place for a base, with the option of walking into the city centre or taking the Metro from Ottaviano San Pietro. Starting on the straight road with the incredible 17th century church behind you, it’s possible to walk straight into the city, crossing the river Tiber with the Mausoleum of Hadrian (Castel Sant’Angelo, built in the 2nd century AD) just across to the left.
But now to the important bit – match tickets. If you want to watch AS Roma during your stay, you will see plenty of small vans adorned with the team badge and their famous yellow and red colours. These are pop-up ticket points, with the American owners keen to fill the 70,000 seater Stadio Olimpico as much as possible for home games. There is also an English ticket section on their official website if you want to buy in advance of the match.
You are unlikely to see the same presence in the city for Lazio matches, but they too have a ticket section in English on their official website. The most important thing to remember when going to a Serie A game is that you will not be admitted through the turnstiles without your passport, so be sure to take it on matchday along with your ticket.
The stadium itself is off the subway map, but it is easy to get a bus from near the aforementioned Ottaviano Metro stop, or indeed from the main train station. The downside to this is after the match you are unlikely to be able to get on a bus unless you leave before full time, as they all tend to drive past the stops already full of people. As it is too far to walk back into the centre, many people come unstuck after the match. Taxi ranks are few and far between and would cost around €30 to take you where you need to go.
The solution is walk to the tram stop. If it is busy, you may have to wait but it represents a good solution to what is a problem for most people after the game. Crossing the river at Ponte Duca D’Osta, it takes around 15 minutes on foot to the Mancini tram stop, which will then take you to Flaminio Metro station, and then you are back on the main grid and able to access all destinations.
Public transport in Italy requires you to buy tickets before your journey. For buses, these tickets are available at all tobacconists shops where you see the yellow ‘T’ logo above them. Subway and tram tickets can usually be purchased at the stop, but all tickets must be scanned into machines on board and validated at the beginning of the journey. It is better to be prepared in all cases as fines are large for those without valid tickets.
Aside from the football, you can never really go wrong with restaurants selling pizza and pasta in Italy, but there is one restaurant in Rome in particular that is highly recommended. Osteria da Fortunata on Via del Pellegrino serves a different class of pasta dish in its rustic bowls, and you can even watch the ladies in the window rolling it out fresh for the day’s customers.
Below is a list of “must see” locations on your visit, but for the Colosseum, in particular, it is essential to book tickets online in advance in order to avoid several hours of queueing.
Rome essential places to see
- Vatican City
- Trevi Fountain
- Spanish Steps
- Pantheon
- Piazza del Popolo
- Castel Sant’Angelo
- Piazza Navona
- Colosseum, Roman Forum & Circus Maximus
