Linger in Rome: Top Ways to Spend Your Stay

Rome is a town of Renaissance riches and ancient ruins, but it’s also a place of slowing down and enjoying the finer things in life. Why not discover la bella vita and extend your vacation by a few days on a cruise that begins or ends in Rome? Here are some of our favorite things to do in and around the Eternal City.

1. Take in some of the city’s finest lesser-known treasures – for example, Nuovo Mercato di Testaccio and the bohemian San Lorenzo neighborhood. San Lorenzo is the perfect place to browse artisanal Roman shops and get your Italian chocolate fix. Independent bookshops, art galleries and unique boutiques line Via Tiburtina. Don’t miss Said – the prized chocolate shop and factory, established in 1923. This lively and artsy neighborhood is not exactly on the tourist circuit and all the more charming because of it.


2. When in Rome, you should of course do as the Romans do. Eat local favorites like fried artichokes, the street-snack favorite of supplí, carbonara, homemade gelato – and learn the fine Italian art of lingering at the table over a strong espresso. With an extra day – or two or three – you’ll have a chance to settle in and savor it all. Insider’s tip – we love Felice a Testaccio; it’s one of the last traditional Roman trattorias, and they’ve been turning out deliciously prepared classics like bucatini all’amatriciana, roast lamb with potatoes and tonnarelli cacio e pepe since 1936.







3. Take a day trip to Orvieto. Drive from Civitavecchia across the cypress-dotted Umbrian countryside to Orvieto, a fortified medieval town perched on volcanic stone. Quaint shops offer delicious local cheeses and Orvieto’s celebrated white wines.


4. Explore Ostia Antica – ancient Rome without the crowds of Rome. An absolutely stunning archaeological site about 15 miles southwest of Rome, Ostia Antica is well worth the train ride. Its ancient docks, warehouses, apartments, mansions and theaters will take you back in time to daily life in this once thriving seaport and commercial center.

Explorations of the Eternal City never get old – explore our top cruises from Rome now.