When I was planning our trip to Italy, I knew one thing was mandatory: we needed a nonstop flight. We travel plenty of places where connecting flights are required (Hello, Norway), but nonstop travel, when possible, is the way to go.
My research determined the only non-stop flights out of DFW were to Rome, so that’s where I knew we would begin and end our trip! Check out my post below to read about our stays in Rome both when we first arrived in Italy and the last few days of our stay.
The Front-End Portion of our Stay In Rome
Our flight left around 2:00 in the afternoon. We arrived at the airport with plenty of time and decided to head over to another terminal to visit the airport lounge club. We had a glass of wine and a snack and Espen had some lemonade and popcorn, and we relaxed for a bit. We wrapped up our things and headed back via the sky link. As we leisurely exited the escalator down from the sky link, we heard our names overhead and I began PANICKING and took off running like a lunatic! It turns out just twelve minutes after beginning boarding, they were finished boarding this ginormous plane! We were the last ones to board. I’ve never been that person and I always wondered what they’re story was!! Well, ours was a close one. People were still getting situated, but there was no room left in the overhead compartments. I was grateful we had very small carry ons that ended up not being much of a nuisance and instead, a fine footrest.
Both Sigurd and I slept about an hour and a half during the 10.5 hour flight, and Espen slept around 3. He goes to bed at 8 o’clock Dallas time, so at that time on the plane I started helping him unwind to go to sleep. It didn’t work, so we let him watch a few more shows and play a few more games. By 9:00 our time, it was time to try again. He wiggled A LOT, but he finally made it to sleep. He incidentally fell asleep with his head on my lap, so naturally I was paralyzed with the fear of interrupting the tiny bit of sleep he would have before we woke him at midnight Texas time to exit the plane. Fortunately he stayed asleep and my bladder survived until we landed. He’s never been a champion sleeper, but he’s always been as sweet as can be when you wake him. This time was fortunately no different.
Day 1 in Rome:
We arrived in Rome FCO at around 7:30 am. Our Airbnb host had arranged a driver to pick us up. It was perfect. We picked up our luggage, but in our sleep deprived minds, we didn’t realize the booster seat was in the over-sized area because it wasn’t oversized! Nonetheless, they put it in the Bambino section. No problem, it just delayed us a bit. I signed onto the airport wifi to let our driver know we were running a bit behind.
I booked several Airbnbs during out trip to Italy, and I was anxious we would regret it. But that first morning, I was extremely grateful for the choice. First of all, we were able to check in directly from the airport around 9:00 am. A hotel would have required booking an additional night in order to check in so early, otherwise we wouldn’t have seen a pillow until 2 or 3 that afternoon. Saving ourselves from 5-6 torturous hours wandering aimlessly with overtired brains was priceless. The second thing that made me fall in love with the concept was the washing machine and dryer. When we all got up from our cramped seats on the plane, we realized each one of us had bright red squished gummy fruit snacks strategically placed right on the seat of each of our pants, courtesy of Espen’s mid-flight snack. It was prominent. And sticky. And gross. Throwing those items directly in the washing machine was just as convenient as throwing our leftover snacks from the plane (incidentally bonus number three of Airbnb) into the fridge in our kitchen. But by far the best “throw,” however, was me throwing myself into the shower and then into the bed for an incredibly restful three hour nap. It. Was. Glorious.
Our Airbnb was conveniently located right next to the Trevi Fountain, but tucked away on a quiet side street. The location could NOT be beat! It was such a perfect first spot because we could easily explore without knowing the lay of the land very well yet.
By the time we woke up and got dressed, we realized that Italians don’t eat out all day long like Americans do. Most restaurants close down around 1:30 or 2:00 to prepare for the dinner menu. The closer you are to tourist attractions, however, you can find restaurants that cater to foreigners who like us, are not yet adjusted to the Italian meal schedule. We decided on Ristorante Marajuca, a restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating located very near to the Colosseum. We had a gorgeous antipasti platter, house wine that knocked our socks off, and incredible pasta.
We then walked around a bit and found a COOP where we bought some wine, some breakfast items for the morning, and some snacks. We took our time to stroll leisurely and enjoy whatever sights we saw along the way back to our apartment.
My Clothes : My Dress : Free People // My Earrings : Kenneth Jay Lane // Sunglasses : Livho
Espen’s Clothes : Shirt : H&M // Shorts : H&M // Shoes : Amazon // (Similar) Hat : Target
That evening, we took it easy and relaxed in the apartment. We settled in for a good night’s sleep before our epic tour the next morning.
Day Two in Rome:
The next morning, we set our alarms for 7:00 am which would have been midnight in Texas time. It wasn’t quite as hard as we expected it to be, and it was so nice to have our right there in our little kitchen.
Based on recommendations from a friend, I booked a tour with a highly esteemed company called Tours of Italy. We specifically paid extra to have a tour led by the owner, Max Parini, but that morning he informed me he was sick and we would be with his colleague, Katarina. To be honest, I was irritated at first that he had switched us and asked if I would be getting a refund for the different in price (which was about $150 difference), but I’m so grateful we ended up with her. She was spectacular! She was a Roman native who majored in Art History. She brought so much intrigue and knowledge to so many things we wouldn’t have fully appreciated without her insight and had such patience and kindness with Espen. I have to be honest, this tour was expensive. But it was SO worth it and I highly, highly recommend you do it or something similar. Not only did we have our own private tour guide, we got to skip the INSANE lines at every exhibit and site and go directly in with our pre-purchased tickets, and we had the plush Mercedes minivan with AC and driver at our beckon call.
Before I forget, make sure you bring along a scarf. Not only can you use it on to warm your shoulders on the plane and as a swim cover up, but many churches and other more “sacred” places don’t allow you to bare your shoulders. I used this adorable scarf for it all.
Check out our adorable guide, Katarina below!
Espen’s Outfit : Shirt. : H&M // Shorts : H&M // Shoes. : Zappos
My Outfit : Bodysuit : New York & Company // Skirt : Lulus // Earrings : Baublebar // Sandals : Sofft // Purse : Amazon
Sigurd’s Clothes. : Sunglasses : Ray Ban // Shoes : Cole Haan
By the early afternoon, I was fading. We had seen A LOT. But I was so glad we did! As far as the major cities, it’s just SO worth it to have a driver and tour guide to have the most expeditious and efficient experience possible. It’s ideal for traveling with children, but frankly I wouldn’t have wanted to do it even if just on my own with Sigurd. It would have been nearly impossible to comprehend the intricate details of so many thousands of years of rich history to the fullest if we were running around, exhausted, disorganized, and without such ease of transportation. Every aspect of the tour was deliberately and thoughtfully planned and exhilarating to experience. Specifically, the area that Espen properly referred to as “Ancient Rome” was fascinating, including a door that was built in AD 307! As we stood there in the middle of it all, I couldn’t help but feel the presence of the families who had walked these same streets so many years ago. I could hear the laughter of children that had galloped just like Espen through the same cobblestone passageways. In a flash, I saw an ancient Roman 6 year old drinking from a fountain. It was an incredible experience.
After we said goodbye to our magnificent driver and tour guide, we arrived back at the footsteps of our apartment. We relaxed a bit, and we got ready to head out to dinner. We stumbled across a restaurant I had noticed earlier looked really nice, clean, and particularly modern. Ironically, they don’t have a website, but they are on social media. Check them out here. They invited us in and asked if were interested in their outside patio. The patio was through the restaurant right out back, situated on a slightly slanted, closed off street. It was exquisitely private as you can see in the pic below, and we were able to let Espen roll around on his scooter and burn off some steam while we waited on the food. He also enjoyed playing “Gladiator” after learning about Rome’s rich history during our tour. The waitress was a good sport despite her near decapitation!
A British family next to us with perfectly mannered kids was probably judging us, but the older couple next to us was in love with Espen. They were an adorable husband and wife from New Zealand with the sweetest accents and zest for life. They had been traveling across Italy for a month! We ended up visiting with them and learning all about their lives, and they even gave us their email address and phone number and invited us to come and stay on their ranch in New Zealand! And they were serious. When she gave me a hug afterward, she sweetly thanked me again for letting her visit with Espen as she was deeply missing her grandchildren. She said this over-dinner interaction was just what she needed. Later we corresponded through email, and she again expressed her hopes that we would take them up in the near future on their sweet offer of hospitality. It’s so fun how you can make friends wherever you go!
The Tail-end of our Stay in Rome
By the end of out trip, it was hard to believe we had spent two glorious weeks in Italia. And I was so glad we had given ourselves some padding on the end of the trip to revisit Rome. This time we stayed in an Airbnb that was near the Metro on the seventh floor of an older building. Fortunately there was a tiny elevator that could house the luggage and one person. Each time we went up and down, Espen joyfully “raced” me by hopping in the elevator while I huffed up or down the seven flights. I might have looked like mom of the year, but really I was just not feeling the prospect of being stuck in that tiny elevator. The apartment itself was gorgeously remolded with modern finish-out BUT one of the two airconditioners, incidentally the one that cooled the living room and kitchen–was not working. And it. Was. Hot. So hot that one evening while winding down, Sigurd and Espen escaped to the one master bedroom where the AC worked fabulously and shut the door. I just don’t really like sitting on beds for some reason unless I’m sleeping, so I stayed on the living room couch, somewhat melting into the cushions.
The surrounding area itself was MUCH less beautiful than the Trevi Fountain area of our first Airbnb. It had a very “downtown” feel and an air of “not nice neighborhood” to it. The people were perfectly nice around us, and we had absolutely no issues, but this area is just not the lap of luxury. Still, staying in the “Metro” section did enable us to see an entirely different side of Rome, which was pretty cool. We arrived back in Rome about halfway through the third to our last day in Italy. So we had that half day, the next full day, and the last day was nothing but travel.
The day we arrived, we put our bags down, set up wifi, and started out to explore. We had absolutely no itinerary, which was actually really fun and not intimidating at all. It was as if we knew this town already! We did run into the same issue we often had where we were seeking food at the wrong time in Italy, but we finally stumbled across a cute typical Roman corner restaurant with a not-so-typical immigrant Brazilian waiter. He was super informative and gave us a lot of ideas of where to walk and how to access the major points from our location.
We decided to enjoy some down time and stopped by a little grocery store on our way back where I bought our typical Roman purchases of eggs, butter, bread, wine, fruit, and water. Fun fact? Italy doesn’t store their eggs in the fridge! Took me a while to figure that one out. So if you’re looking for eggs in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, you’ll be out of luck! The primary reason for the difference is each country’s differing approach to preventing Salmonella. If you want to read up more, check out this article I found here.
Espen: Ninja Turtle Helmet : Amazon // Scooter : Maxi Micro Scooter Shirt : H&M // Shorts : H&M // Shoes : New Balance
My Outfit: My Dress : Free People // My Shoes : Sofft // Sunglasses : Amazon
It was really cool to see the Colosseum two weeks later and have this strange feeling of familiarity of the city, the sites, and culture. It was funny to recognize those people who had JUST arrived as they pored over their maps and shaded their eyes from the sun. And it was REALLY crowded that day for some reason. I’m not sure if it’s because it was a typical summer weekend in Rome or because we weren’t sheltered in our little Mercedes mini van, but I was keenly aware of the excitement of a gathering of people from all over the world coming together to this magnificent city.
As Espen rode his chariot back to the Colosseum, I took in a deep breath and hoped I wouldn’t forget the feeling of being in this unbelievable country with my family. We had planned so much and enjoyed so much. And suddenly it was almost over. But I was reminded that even if nobody else ever reads it, my blog will enable our family to relive the memories for years to come.
That evening, for fun, we ate our last meal in Italy at the same restaurant we had our FIRST meal in Italy. It was so fun to bring it all home! They even recognized us and greeted us like we were old friend! Oh, Italians.
The next morning, we took the SEVEN FLIGHTS down by way of tiny elevator–well, I took the stairs– and hopped into the car reserved for us the first day of our arrival by our Airnbn host. I contacted him the night before to confirm he would be there, and was actually fifteen minutes early. Gotta love a prompt driver! But didn’t love having to make him wait.
At last we arrived back at FCO, where it all began. This trip was truly one dreams are made of, and I couldn’t be more grateful to have been able to experience it!
We said “Ciao” to Bella Italia just for now, but we can’t wait to go back! This country has my heart!
Rome is on my bucket list of places to visit. I always enjoy reading anything about the area. Love looking at your photos of the different places to visit and the great food to enjoy.
This looks like an amazing adventure! How fun to eat there!
This trip looks amazing! I want to go to Italy one day. BTW you are the most adorably dressed tourist ever!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! And yes, you would love Rome! It was my husband’s favorite big city in Italy!
Oh my gosh. The FOOD! I could have gone to Italy simply to eat! Well, maybe I did… 😜
❤️💕awww thank you SO MUCH! You’re so sweet! I had fun planning outfits! 😉I hope you so get a chance to visit Italy! It’s a life-changing experience! 😘
You were so lucky to have a washing machine! It makes the trip that much easier in my opinion. Looks like a fun time!
Oh my gosh YES!! That washing machine was a lifesaver! We were in Italy for two weeks, it was truly impossible to pack enough without washing. I had no idea how much I would love having that thing! ha! It was a blast! Thank you!
I am so jealous! I would love to visit Rome! It looks like you had an amazing time!
This looks like an amazing trip! I’ve been dreaming of going to Italy ever since I read Eat, Pray, Love earlier this year. So good!
This trip looks amazing! Great photos by the way, looks like you had a lot of fun.
Kasey Ma
thestylewright.com
This looks like it was such a fantastic trip. The food looks delicious, the sites are gorgeous, you got to spend it with your family – and your yellow wrap skirt is so cute!
It was so amazing!! You have to go some time!
Oh my gosh yes!! It was the best! I can’t imagine not having it during that time especially with a kiddo! Thank you! It really was a wonderful trip.
Yes! I loved that movie! There are so many good ones that make me want a nonstop, non-returning flight to Italy! 😉
Thank you so much! We really had a magnificent time! I love looking back at the photos. It makes me feel like I’m there again!
Thank you so much! It was truly a trip of a lifetime! And that yellow skirt was on repeat that whole trip! 😉
AMAZING! I am attempting to share with my daughter..We are going this summer!
Oh my gosh, yay! You’re going to have THE BEST TIME! Let me know if you use any of my tips!