Day One - Arriving in Rome

HG and I had the chance to visit Rome last week and as it is somewhere we had both wanted to go we took it :-) It was only after the booking was confirmed that I began to look through other people's websites and blogs that I began to feel apprehensive. There are many tales of pickpockets. We flew with Easyjet and took the Terravista coach from the airport to the city centre (both were booked in advance!) It was an easy journey with no fuss (although I hadn't realised that mascara counts as a liquid and cannot be taken in your hand luggage).
Before we left home we had discussed in detail whether to take the underground, bus, taxi or walk to our hotel from the Terminii. In the end we took the underground. The taxi would undoubtedly have been the easier option but HG said we should try to experience something of the real Rome. Could it be any worse than London Underground? Also we were on a tight budget and taxis are undoubtedly more expensive. So with due care and respect for our surroundings (and me hanging on to my bag for dear life) we made the journey without any serious problem. The underground was really busy, the first train to arrive was so full we couldn't get on it! But that did leave us at the front ready for the next which came very quickly. Tickets for the underground were purchased from a tobacconist at the Terminii for one euro each. This gave us 75 minutes from the first stamp in the machine! It was plenty of time. The hotel was about 5 minutes walk from the underground station and at first not so easy to find. We were conscious of not wanting to stand out in the crowd by spreading maps about in every direction but after checking discretely we found the right road and a hotel sign pointing in the right direction! Although we did try to speak basic Italian we were pleased to find an English speaking desk clerk :-)

This grand staircase to the hotel is deceptive :-) It had mixed reviews on the various websites, but all we wanted was somewhere safe, clean and comfortable. We were not disappointed. Although our room was small that is often the way, it was bright (but with window shutters), a high ceiling and plenty of hot water! Just what we needed after a day of travelling.
Our hotel was close to the Spanish Steps and unable to wait until the next day we dashed out on the first evening. It probably was a mistake. We were tired, it was already getting dark and there were no flowers in the Piazza di Spagna as the guide books showed. I was very disappointed!

Spanish Steps

We ate at a nearby restaurant (pizza), slept soundly, and looked forward to visiting the Colosseum on day two!

Arriving in Rome was easy. A Terravista rep was available at the airport to direct us to the coach. It was not so easy to find the coach for the return journey coming home, it did not pick up in the same place that it dropped us at! It would be useful to check when they are dropping you off, we certainly will another time! Also the driver kept our email confirmation and gave us a small ticket in its place, on checking we found it was a return ticket but it wasn't explained until we asked! We walked through the Terminii Station to find the underground! Direction signs for destinations were clear but remember to buy your ticket from the tobacconist before you reach the barrier. Ticket barriers did not all work and we had to try our ticket several times before the machines accepted them. The underground was extremely busy - keep a close eye on all your belongings! Screens on the underground trains explained what to do and gave phone numbers if you do have trouble. Trains were however very frequent.