Booking tours in Rome

Our first tour in Rome.  An afternoon in the Roman countryside at a vineyard of a prince where we learned about Italian Wines.  This was a great experience. 

When Mom and I booked our trip, we did not take a full guided tour approach even though neither of us had ever been to Italy.  We wanted to explore the city, at our own pace and allow plenty of wiggle room to see whatever caught our fancy when we arrived.

That being said, I wasn't opposed to taking small tours while there, and I am so glad we did as they offered insight and access to things we wouldn't/couldn't do on our own and enhanced the time we had exploring on our own.

Before leaving home, I pre-booked a Roman countryside vineyard/wine tasting tour, Ostia Antica tour, and the Vatican.  Also read  http://tipsforrome.blogspot.com/2017/05/is-it-worth-prebooking-tickets-to.html . I spaced these apart for Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday which allowed for plenty of time in between to do our own thing.  While there, I bought my guided tour ticket to Borghese museum (which was on my must-do list) and added a crypts and catacombs tour through the same company we did the Ostia Antica tour on Tuesday.  I did both of these added tours on my own, while Mom used the time to relax or explore on her own.

All the tour company tickets were printed, and they all indicated that I need to show I.D. and were non transferrable when I bought them.  In reality, I.D. was never necessary.  In all five tours I took, not once was I asked to prove who I was.  In fact, I didn't even need the tickets for the independently run tours, but did for the Vatican and Borghese museum guided tours.  I showed my tickets there, but no I.D. (as asked for on the tickets) was required.  I always had my passport safety tucked away, but there was no need to show it. 

The independent tour company (City Wonders) guides had a list of names and once you gave the name, they crossed you off as there and that was it.  No need to even show your ticket and was as easy as it can get.  At the museums I had a printed ticket and presented it as you would at any venue.

Borghese museum is very popular, and I highly recommend you book as soon as you can commit to a date or you may not get in.  I saw many people being turned away.  Additionally, the other tours can fill up during the busy time and they limit the number of people (which makes for a wonderful tour) but I did not get my first choice of times for either of the two tours (Borghese and crypts and catacombs) that I waited to book while there.  I was fortunate that they had other times that worked with my schedule that I had kept pretty open, but be warned that waiting too long may eliminate the possibility to see something you want. 

Another bonus of taking some side guided tours is you connect with other English speaking people in Rome.  While I found that many people in Rome spoke English, taking a tour automatically gives you something in common with those around you and our groups were small so you get to talking to others who are on vacation like you.  While they speak English, they are not necessarily American.  At the vineyard tour we visited with four people from Dublin, Ireland, a couple from Finland and  young couple from Chicago.  On another tour I talked to a mother and son from Serbia for some length.  I found these experiences enhanced my travel adventure. 

Mom and I at the vineyard getting ready to learn about and sample Italian wines.

Our Best Meal in Rome

We saved the best for last.  Friday was our last day in Rome before an early departure on Saturday morning.  I had read about a pizzeria not far from our hotel and it was on my top 10 list of things to do in Rome.  That is saying a lot, since there is so much to see and do in Rome.  I was a bit apprehensive, since I had read such rave reviews about this place that I was afraid it was like the movie that everyone says is a must see and you get your expectations up, only to be disappointed.  Surely, I was setting myself up to be let down.

I am happy to report that I was wrong.  It was even better than anticipated.  The pizzeria is Pinsere, and it lives up to its great online reviews.  My mother, who is not a pizza fan,

Standing is your only option at Pinsere.

loved it and like me, claims it is the best pizza she has ever ate.  (My previous nomination for this title is Lombardi's in New York).  The toppings are very unusual and the pizzas are slightly oval, not round.  We selected two and shared, which was more than we could eat.  The price was great at 5.00 for one selection and 5.50 for the other (euros of course, not dollars) and for 10.50 euros it was the very best meal we ate in Rome.

Don't expect fancy dining.  After getting your hot pizza you eat standing up either inside or out, and even then there are only a few places to stand with little shelves.

Mom and I split our two selections.

  The guys running the place are very nice and will help you decide what to eat and speak English well enough to cater to tourist, though I think this is more of a "local" place.  Given the great reviews, I am sure it gets its fair share of us tourist though.

We went early, and got there right around noon and it was not crowded.  However, by 1 pm this place had a line out the door and down the street.  Do yourself a favor, and go early. 

After eating this slice of heaven on a plate (seriously, it was delicious) we went to the restaurant across the street called La Grande Belleazza Ristorante.   We wanted to sit and people watch.  This is how we saw the lines start forming at Pinsere.  We ordered a cherry pie, which was more like a tart, and house red wine.  I know little about wines, except the tiny bit I gleaned from our wine tasting vineyard tour the week before, but the wine with the pie paired very well in my opinion and was the perfect end to the best pizza we'd ever ate across the street. 

There is a hotel a couple doors down from Pinsere.  Mom and I stepped in and checked it out thinking that on our next trip we might want to book at this hotel to be that close to the best pizza ever.  We are half serious about this...I

I highly recommend Pinsere for your trip to Rome.  Even if it is slightly out of the way from your hotel, be sure to take the time to look this up.  Top it off with dessert and wine across the street.  It may just be your best meal in Rome! 

The restaurant we stopped for dessert after the perfect pizza for cherry pie and perfectly paired house red wine.  We sat outside and watched the crowds form around Pinsere.

The selection of pizza on the day we visited.  We selected a two different pizzas.  One had pumpkin on it.  Both were delicious.

Rome Dining

For our 8 day stay in Rome, we only had one waitress.  From a casual tourist perspective, it appears that waiters are much more prevalent than waitresses.  We very much enjoyed our dining experiences while in Rome and they were different than what you experience in the United States (after all, isn't the reason you travel to experience new things?)

One of the biggest differences is in all 8 days, we never once had a waiter bring us our check until we asked.  You always had to find your waiter and usually using a hand gesture combined with verbiage ask for your check.  One of our tour guides gave us a great demonstration on how to get your check and I was then able to do it with confidence.  You don't even need to call them to your table.  Just grab their attention from across the room, make the gesture and your check will come. If you don't ask, I wonder just how long a person has to wait if they don't ask.

My daughter works for a local café here in the U.S.  Her manager/owner has a policy.  If a table has to ask for a check, then the waitress (yes, it is all women at her café) has waited too long to give them their bill and (in theory) the waitress has to pay for the food (I'm not sure it is really enforced, and is more like a threat to keep the waitresses from not giving the bills quick enough).  This is the exact opposite of the mind-set of dining in Rome.  You are not rushed out and dinner can be a nice, relaxing, and long process. 

One of our favorite places we ate was an outdoor table at a restaurant right next the to the Pantheon.  It was evening and the sun was about to set.  We sat at a table and ordered a drink.  Forty-five minutes later we ordered our dinner.  There was absolutely no feeling of rushing through dinner.  It was a two hour dinner as the sun set and the lights came on the Pantheon, and it was as Roman feeling as you can get.  Dinner was excellent and our waiter, like we'd experienced at other restaurants, gave Mom lots of attention, including a few pecks on the cheek.  Nothing like making you feel beautiful while you sip wine and enjoy the view.  Now this is a Roman holiday at its finest!

Waiters in Rome seem to be both super attentive, and also out of sight at the same time.  If you need something, don't expect to look up and your waiter be hovering over you anticipating your every need.  Patience is the key, but once you slip into that mode, it really becomes a vacation - relax, people watch and talk.  If you're looking to eat quickly, grab a sandwich to go (take away as I saw it called) somewhere.  Dining is a huge part of your experience there, and while there is so much to see, don't underestimate this essential part of your holiday in Rome by trying to rush through it.

My picture taking skills are very lacking here, but this is Mom and our waiter at the restaurant in front of Pantheon.  He showered Mom with attention and our meal there was delicious, relaxing and fun.  The perfect Roman meal.

Wine is inexpensive, good and always part our meals in Rome.

Our last evening in Rome.  We found this place just down the street from our hotel and the food was incredibly inexpensive and good. 

Ice in Rome, or lack thereof

Everything you may want to know before a trip to Rome....

      Sure, it is fun to wing it and go on your own, but if you can pick up a bit of information before you go, your trip will be smoother.   I have many topics to explore having just come from my Rome trip and I hope you can glean a bit of knowledge before your trip.  So be sure to check out my other blogs for more information.

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With 8 full days in Rome, eating at minimum of two different places each day I feel I can say this with some authority.  Don't expect ice.

Or straws for that matter....of course, without ice, are straws even necessary?  I always use a straw when dining out in my normal daily life in the US.  I didn't really need them in Rome, because there is none of that annoying ice to get in your way while drinking.  

If you really like ice, you will be missing this when in Rome.  I didn't even see an ice machine in the hotel as are standard fare in the U.S. at all class of hotels/motels.

It isn't that Rome has no ice, as I did have it in a cocktail so I know it is possible to get it and I am sure if you really must have it, you can ask for it perhaps.  However, my philosophy when traveling is to experience things as locals, as much as possible,  which in this case means no ice. 

Our table after a typical meal in Rome. Wine and espresso along with water glasses (on right) with no ice.

In the United States, many times water comes to the table (with ice) before you have even ordered your drinks or dinner.  I am used to always getting water, even if I ordered a glass of wine.  This is very different in Rome, as they will sometimes ask you if you want water (mineral or fizzy, or gas or no gas) and there is always a charge. It is usually just a couple euros.  While I don't relish paying for water, as I am accustomed to getting it for free, I didn't mind it too much as the prices quoted for food is the price you pay and not added onto by taxes and tips.  If your pasta is 6 euros, that is what your check says (when you ask for it, and you will always have to ask).  If you have your own water bottle and take a table on the sidewalk at a café (which it is not really called a café there, but is what it reminds me of) for lunch you can drink from that bottle and nobody will say anything. 

While I've heard you can ask for tap water, to avoid the charge, I felt the unspoken nudge from waiters that made me a bit uncomfortable doing so.  So I didn't.  Bring your own and unless you're eating at a high end restaurant I don't feel like you'd feel uncomfortable at all drinking it.  Save your euros for some wine and espresso.