If we did Japan one way, we did Rome the complete opposite.
Japan? No tour groups.
Rome? Oh, you betcha we did tour groups. 😂
But first, we had to get there.
We flew American Airlines, and the direct flight to Rome was about eight to nine hours. After our Japan flight, that felt like nothing. We practically thought, Look at us! We’re practically there already!
Then came immigration.
Japan had prepared us for a line that looked like it could rival the length of the Great Wall of China.
Okay, that’s an exaggeration.
But it felt like it.
Rome, on the other hand, was surprisingly quick. We were called into the line, had our passports stamped, and suddenly we were standing there looking at each other like:
That’s it?
Well, okay then.
Off we go.
Before leaving the airport, we exchanged our dollars for euros and then went looking for our bus. I would definitely recommend getting the bus tickets online ahead of time. One thing I liked about the bus option was that the tickets didn’t have a specific time slot, which made getting there a lot less stressful.
And this is where my husband and I once again demonstrated our very different approaches to travel.
I’m the one who goes:
Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go!
My husband is the one who actually reads the signs.
So when we walked out of the airport, I was already looking around trying to figure out where the buses were going to be. My husband pointed up.
There was a sign.
Buses →
Oh.
Right.
Fine, fine. Let’s go. 😂
Once we got to the correct bus lane, they scanned our QR code, took our luggage, and off we went.
And just like that, our first Rome adventure had begun.
The bus took us from the airport to Roma Termini, the main train station. What I didn’t realize when I was doing all the booking and planning was that so much of Rome’s public transportation connects through Termini.
That turned out to be a very good surprise.
Because the Hop-On Hop-Off buses started there, too.
And even better?
Our hotel was within walking distance.
As in, really walking distance.
When we got to Roma Termini, we grabbed our luggage and had some time before we could check into the hotel, so we went inside the station to find something for lunch.
We settled on sandwiches and drinks.
After my husband finished eating, he did what my husband does best: reconnaissance.
He figured out exactly where the hotel was.
Turns out, we just had to cross the street, walk to the end of the block, and there it was.
Not even a five-minute walk.
Of course, we then learned something else about Rome.
Apparently, you can cross the street pretty much wherever you want.
There was a perfectly good pedestrian crossing, but we kept seeing people just crossing wherever they pleased. So naturally, we thought:
Okay! We’ll cross wherever, too!
The important rules appeared to be:
- Make sure there is no oncoming traffic.
- For the love of God, do not look scared while crossing.
We had little souvenir shops and restaurants all around the area, which turned out to be really convenient. We could easily grab lunch or dinner without having to go searching all over Rome for food.
Then we checked into the hotel.
And this was another surprise.
After our Japan experience, we weren’t expecting the same kind of room setup.
But Rome said, Oh, you want space? Here you go.
Our room was huge.
We had two bathrooms, a living room area with a couch that could be turned into a bed, and a separate area with a king-size bed.
Did I take a picture?
No.
No, I didn’t.
Apparently, documenting the hotel room was not high on my list of priorities. 😂
That afternoon was mostly about getting our bearings.
We also needed internet, so we went looking for a SIM card. Unlike Japan, where we had the option of using pocket Wi-Fi, that wasn’t really an option for us in Rome. So we decided that one SIM card would be enough.
My phone would have the data for maps and whatever else we needed while we were out.
My husband and my son?
Their phones could become very expensive cameras.
They could use the hotel Wi-Fi when we were back in the room.
Problem solved.
That evening, we met up with my nephew, who happened to be vacationing in Rome at the same time.
It was so good to see him again.
The last time I had seen him was when we were in California, and apparently he had decided that he was no longer interested in being shorter than me.
He was taller now.
Much taller.
Thanks for that, kid. 😂
We had dinner together and caught up.
And that’s when we discovered another important difference between America and Rome:
Dinner time.
Americans tend to eat dinner fairly early.
Rome?
Not so much.
Apparently, dinner starts when we’re already wondering why everyone is still eating lunch.
But it was a wonderful evening, and it was especially nice getting to spend time with my nephew.
My son, however, had a completely different agenda.
He hadn’t taken a nap.
Because apparently, naps are for people who don’t have important things to do.
By the end of dinner, he was already yawning.
So my husband and son headed back to the hotel while I stayed out a little longer with my nephew. We walked around, caught up some more, and eventually had gelato.
Because obviously.
And there was one more important development on this trip.
My son had learned from Japan.
After what happened on that flight, my husband’s aunt had told him to pack snacks in his backpack.
This time, he listened.
He was not about to go hungry on an airplane again.
Look at that.
Growth. 😂
So that was our first day and night in Rome.
No Colosseum.
No Vatican.
No grand sightseeing adventure.
Just figuring out the buses, finding our hotel, getting connected, learning how Roman traffic works, eating dinner at a completely different time than we’re used to, catching up with family, eating gelato, and making sure our son had snacks.
And honestly?
It was exactly what we needed.
We had arrived.
We had gotten our bearings.
And tomorrow was going to be a day full of new adventures.
