Rome is my husband's favorite city--it is now a top 3 for me.  

We tend to travel to Europe for the Thanksgiving holiday.  We enjoy this time period because its not the height of tourism and Italy is still rather warm to walk around.  

Itinerary:  

We flew to Rome on an overnight flight on a Tuesday--arrived Wednesday in time for lunch near the Spanish Steps.  We stayed in the heart of Rome for 5 nights-leaving late Sunday afternoon. *Travel Tip: find an airline you prefer and start earning frequent flier miles--to my point: We were able to cash in two global upgrades with United and fly business class at no out of pocket expense. 

My husband frequently stays at the Intercontinental-so we spent 3 nights there and two nights at the Hotel Eden.  *Travel Tip: If you can earn points or cash in for a few nights--use this to your advantage.  Hotel Eden is part of the Dorchester Collection; I knew I wanted to stay but to make the most of the trip balanced the front end by using some points at Intercontinental.  

Our Activities:

Vatican City: I'm generally not the type that likes a guided tour; however, I thought this was the trip of a lifetime.  We hired a private tour guide to take us around.  He told us the secrets and history lessons (without overwhelming us) that changed the entire experience. *Travel Tip: When going to St. Peter's Basilica keep in mind this is the world's largest basilica of Christianity, so dress in that manor.  This may have been the highlight of the day--yes I know, Sistine Chapel, should have been..  It was amazing, but I was unprepared for the beauty I was about to witness at St. Peter's Basilica.

Rome: As a latin student since the age of 12--I dreamt of this ancient city for 18 years prior.  If you are like me, bring a large memory card for your camera.  The photo opps are endless--I like to pretend I'm Audrey Hepburn 95% of the time--so this trip, I was living out my Roman Holiday.

You must, as you know go to the Colosseum; to beat the crowd, I recommend going earlier in the day and preferably not on a weekend.  Ask your concierge if they can buy the tickets ahead of time for you--this will save you waiting in yet, another line. From the Colosseum head towards the Roman Forum. Seeing the old city blended with the new is extraordinary and from this part of the city it is prevalent.  The Trevi Fountain is a must as well as the Spanish Steps, but hopefully you are staying close.  Enjoy Gelato on the steps-weather permitting.  Great people watching and close to all the great shops Italy is known for.  To continue your Roman Holiday take a trip to the Mouth of Truth.  This will be a perfect photo opp to pretend your hand is being bitten off. 

Day Trips:

Pompeii & The Amalfi Coast

Places to Eat & Drink that we enjoyed:

Highlander- American Sports Pub * I needed to watch my football.. don't judge me :)

Pier Liugi- fantastic fresh seafood; request outdoor seating if possible

more to follow...