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Colosseum, Catacombs & Gelato in Rome, Italy

Best things to do in Rome Italy - Erica Firpo - Colosseum Interior by Erica Firpo

Colosseum Interior. Photo by Erica Firpo.

I’m really excited to interview Erica Firpo of Ciao Bella about Rome, Italy. Erica’s tips for the best things to do in Rome are awesome because her family is from the city, so she grew up with Rome in her life. After working in Venice, she decided to move to Rome. She loves the art, history, and culture of the city.

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Best things to do in Rome Italy - Erica Firpo - Pantheon Photo Credit Erica Firpo

Pantheon. Photo credit Erica Firpo

Rome, Italy

We share a lot of resources and local suggestions in today’s podcast, but you should also check out Rome My Way, the local visitor’s bureau. They are a wealth of information and can help you plan an itinerary based on your time, budget, and interests.

If you’d like to learn how to travel for free using airline miles and hotel points, check out my free 7-day email course.

Best things to do in Rome Italy - Erica Firpo - Piazza del Popolo Photo Credit Erica Firpo

Piazza del Popolo. Photo credit Erica Firpo

Getting around Rome

The local airport is Leonardo da Vinci International Airport (FCO), which is a 30-minute drive to the city. Use our Expedia tool below to find flight, hotel, and rental car options.

Erica says that, if you’re staying downtown, there’s no need to rent a car. For the best offers, visit Avis, Budget, or Hertz.

Uber and Lyft are excellent ways to get around.

Best things to do in Rome Italy - Erica Firpo - Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish steps Photo Credit Erica Firpo

Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish steps. Photo credit Erica Firpo

Places we talked about on the podcast

Here is a map of all of the places we talked about on the podcast episode with Erica Firpo about Rome, Italy. You can zoom into the map and click on each dot to explore the city.

  • Red dots = best places to eat in Rome, Italy
  • Green dots = best things to do in Rome, Italy
  • Yellow dots = best places to stay in Rome, Italy

Who is Erica Firpo?

Erica Firpo is a travel and lifestyle journalist contributing to By The Way for Washington Post, Fathom, CN Traveler, BBC Travel, The Guardian, Luxe City Guide Rome Expert, Meridian, Forbes Travel, Travel + Leisure, The Telegraph, WallPaper, Wine Enthusiast, AFAR, and more. She is the voice behind Ciao Bella and hosts the podcast Ciao Bella, which features conversations with 21st-century creators based in Italy.

She has also authored and/or contributed to the following books: Rome Select (Insight Guides), Little Black Book Rome, Little Black Copenhagen, and 10 Fodor’s travel books on Rome and Italy. She is the editor of ISSIMO, an e-commerce and Italian lifestyle platform.

Best things to do in Rome Italy - Erica Firpo

Check out a few articles Erica has written and her podcast below:

You can connect with Erica on her website and on Twitter and Instagram.

We-Travel-There-Rome-Italy-Erica-Firpo-podcast-one-sheet

Click here to download our one-page guide of Erica’s tips for Rome.

Big thanks to today’s affiliate partner – CLEAR

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That’s why I use CLEAR to skip the lines and get to my flight quicker.

For my listeners, I’ve worked out a special deal where you can try CLEAR free for 2 months. This is a limited-time offer, so go to WeTravelThere.com/clear to sign up today.

Best things to do in Rome Italy - Erica Firpo - Vatican City Photo Credit Erica Firpo

Vatican City. Photo credit Erica Firpo

Stay tuned for our next episode

Listen to the next episode when author Robert Belle shares the best things to do in Nairobi, Kenya. In this episode, Robert and I talk about taking a safari walk, the waterfalls of the Karura Forest, and the authentic music and dances at the Bomas of Kenya. We hope you’ll join us when We Travel There.

What’s your favorite part of Rome? Send us a Tweet, let us know in the comment section below, or continue the discussion in our Facebook group!

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To see which cities we’ve interviewed and scheduled, please visit WeTravelThere.com/map. If you’d like to be a guest on the show, please submit an application at WeTravelThere.com/guest.

Related episodes

Explore other Mediterranean destinations by listening to these podcast episodes: