Rome And Florence Trip Log Day 2: Exploring Rome Via Big Bus Tours And Visiting The Colosseum
For our first full day in Italy, we planned to take the Hop-On Hop-Off Big Bus tour. Many recommend doing a tour like this on your first full day of visiting a new city because it is a great way to get your bearings and a more relaxing way of traveling through the city versus public transportation.
But first, breakfast!
We chose the hotel rate that included breakfast every day, and the breakfast buffet was fresh and delicious I still think about the eggs and bacon. I need this breakfast again.
Tip #1: While on this trip, I was on a medication that required me to avoid grapefruit, and I did not know that at the time; I found out months later. While in Italy, I had a glass of orange juice every morning for breakfast, and one morning, the orange juice looked darker, and I disregarded it. I felt VERY weird that day, and my memory was spotty. Apparently, they interuse grapefruit and oranges in Italy, so if you take any medication, ask your doctor or research to see if you should avoid grapefruit. In my case, it made the side effects of my medication worse, and that is very scary to experience while in a foreign country.
Big Bus Tours Is… Fine
Roma Termini
Personally, I prefer public transportation over the Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus tours. I believe using public transit is a more authentic experience, and you can learn a lot about the people who live in these cities by observing how they use public transportation and how their buses and trains operate. As a person who frequents NYC, I find it fascinating to see how different the metro system was in Rome compared to NYC. It was cheaper at about one euro (approx. $1) per trip and was a bit cleaner, but the NYC subway is more reliable. And the pickpocketing is terrible on the Metro in Rome.
When we arrived at Roma Termini, we found the Big Bus stop (approximately a minute's walk away) and had to wait about 20 minutes for the next bus. We arrived around 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., and in hindsight, this was a very late start to our day as our first full day was on a Saturday, and the bus was crowded.
All the seats on top of the bus were taken, and the seats on the bottom had a very limited view because you were looking through the graphic wrap on the bus, which essentially killed any sightline. So we changed our plans, rode the bus to the Colosseum, and stayed there most of the day.
Big Bus Tours Roma Termini Stop
Once at the Colosseum, we walked around the site and took in one of the Wonders of the World. It was surreal to see such an iconic feat of architecture.
There were long lines to get into the Colosseum for people with and without tickets. Our timeslot was one of the last for the day, so after wandering around and taking photos, we talked down Via dei Fori Imperaiali to see the Roman Forum, Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II, and to get some lunch before we headed into the Colosseum.
We Got Scammed
We encountered the infamous bracelet scam while walking down Via dei Fori Imperaiali. The scammer asked my friend and me questions and threw a bracelet at us. One of us caught it, and the other threw it back. Unfortunately, when you catch it, the scammer tells you a sob story and demands money. My friend was out 20 euros because of this. DO NOT interact with anyone you suspect to be a scammer. If they talk to you, IGNORE them. This is one of the only times I encourage rude behavior. Also, my friend did some research and saw that it could be tracking you, so if you do get scammed, find a random trash can out of the way of your next destination and throw it out.
People that make you feel unsafe annoy the hell out of me.
For lunch, we went to La Nuova Piazzetta near the Colosseum. The food was fantastic, and the staff was very friendly. I got Bolognese with a Caesar salad (how fitting) on the side. It looks like a lot of food in the photos, but I ate all of it and was not bloated or sluggish afterward. The food quality in Italy seemed to be much better than what I am used to in the US.
Tip #2: Do not make the mistake I did and travel to Italy with only an AMEX credit card. Yes, there are no foreign transaction fees, but NO ONE accepts it. Only gift shops at places where tourists frequent, like the Colosseum, and hotels seemed to take AMEX in person. I am begging you to travel with a Visa or Mastercard.
Tip #3: Most Caesar salads I had in Italy had chicken by default.
After lunch, we went to pick up our tickets to the Colosseum. These tickets had to be picked up at a separate location, which was very hard to locate and was up a steep hill. Once we located it, we could not utilize the Roam Formum and Palatine Hlll portion of our ticket because we had one of the last entry times to the Colosseum for the day and had to hurry there.
If you want to read about my in-depth experience visiting The Colosseum on a Saturday at the end of the day, check out this post: The Best Time To Visit The Colosseum Is At The End Of The Day - Here Is My Experience Visiting A Wonder Of The World
After that, we got back on the hop-on, hop-off bus for a bit to ride around Rome. We managed to get a seat on top, and it was a better experience than that morning.
We then returned to the hotel but stopped at the Carrefour Market supermarket near our accommodation to get some snacks and water. One thing I love to do when in a new country is go to the grocery store. It is fascinating to see how people in other countries shop for food.
I got two bags of cookies and four big water bottles for under 10 dollars USD, and while it was very affordable and tasty, I was SHOCKED by something in the market.
Italians keep their eggs out on the shelves and not in the refrigerator. My sheltered American brain could not comprehend how people could store their eggs outside the fridge.
We then made our way back to the hotel to have dinner and get some rest before we had to get up early and catch a high-speed train to Florence!
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Trip Log Index
Day 1: Traveling Abroad For The First Time
Day 2: Exploring Rome via Big Bus Tour and Visiting The Colosseum
Day 3: Florence Day Trip Part One - Visiting the Uffizi Gallery
Day 4: Visiting The Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
Day 5: Exploring Rome via Gray Bus Tour - Visiting the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps
Day 6: Florence Day Trip Part Two - Visiting the Accademia Gallery
Day 7: Last Day In Rome - Almost Visiting St. Peter’s Basilica
Hi! I’m Andrea, the creator of Cinematic Excursions.
I am a video editor, photographer, travel and events vlogger, and blogger who likes to write movie analyses and yap about fandom. I also have a useless film degree.
I have been creating videos since 2018. In 2023, I started Cinematic Excursions to share my unfiltered experiences traveling, cruising, going on excursions, and using city cards that are supposed to save money.
I also use my platform to document my experience attending events like New York Comic-Con, MCM Comic-Con London, and the Food Network New York City Wine and Food Festival, advising others and covering news from these events.