Here is a TR for my recent trip to Rome last week
Sat Nov 9thDL to FCO Sat night at 7:30 out of JFK in Y booked using Virgin - 30K PP each way with the 40% bonus came out to around 45K RT. I booked round trip to save big on taxes and fees. RT taxes and fees on both tickets came to around $150. JFK is a nightmare to get in and out of these days with the construction. Thankfully I live close by and my FIL was available to drive me to the airport. The flight was boarding when we got to the gate, and we were off for an on time departure to rome. The kosher meals served on the flight were pretty bad (fish and an egg bagel) which we skipped. I enjoyed some Woodford and snacks instead. The flight was pretty bumpy but I was comfortable enough to get some shuteye for a few hours until the crew came around to prepare for landing.
Sun Nov 10thLanded in FCO around 10 AM, the terminal (3) was bright and empty at that time. I took a few minutes to daven Shachris before heading to Rome. There are signs by the cabs letting us know of the 55 Euro flat fee to Rome. The cab driver tried to get me to pay 60 Euro to use a credit card, but I pushed back and he agreed.
The weather on this trip was in the 60s in Rome and 50s in Venice. We had no rain and beautiful clear skies the whole time we were there. Given the shoulder season, I’d say Nov is a great time to visit Italy.
We stayed at the hotel Monte Cenci which is right outside the Ghetto and a 2 min walk to the restaurants. I booked it via Chase points at $250 a night. I saw the HT6 available for $40 more a night but decided to stay here a bit outside of the hub hub by HT6. Given the low season I was upgraded to a superior corner room. Breakfast was included and the hotel was happy to arrange a kosher breakfast with some light food from the Ghetto. Service was great and accommodations very comfortable
After dropping off our luggage (since the room would not be ready until the afternoon), we went to Bagetto Bistro for a quick bite and then off to a tour of the Colosseum with Sarah. Getting a cab was difficult so I took a scooter which was a learning experience. This worked out nicely since I was able to take it right up to the Colosseum check in. By the time I got there, I had missed my check in time of our tickets and with the long lines was concerned I may not get in. Sarah (who really knows here way around and is well known by the workers at the Coliseum) was able to convince them that this was no big deal and they allowed us in. Getting a jewish and historical perspective of this place was very special. We got a real feel for what it was like back in the day and how th Jews played a role in it. From the Colesseum we went to the Arch of Titus and the Roman Forum where Sarah explained the history from the Roman aspect along with the Jewish perspective of the people who were in Rome before and after the destruction.
After the tour we went to the Great Synagogue for Mincha / Maariv, and explored the city for a bit. I was able to pickup some pastries from Flour that were truly next level. That night we ate dinner at Bagetto Milky where we loved the Pasta more than anything else.
Monday Nov 11thWe got a late start the next day being jet lagged and all. We ate breakfast on the hotel rooftop before heading out on a walk through some of the sights in the Palentine hill area, Trevi fountain (which was drained and overcrowded) before heading back for lunch. We had lunch at Bono Pizza which has Roman style pizza. The pizza is cut to your size and sold by weight. We ate outside and it was fantastic.
After lunch we met up with David Walden for a Jewish Ghetto tour. We loved the tour and his unique perspective on both the old and current story of the place. He is non rushed and really takes the time to make you feel at home asking about anything and everything. The tour wrapped up right before Mincha / Maariv. After Maariv we got some Capuchinos and set out to the shops near the Spanish steps. One thing we never got bored of was walking aimlessly down the cobblestone allies full of restaurants and shops,a very cozy experience.
In Rome (and Europe in general), eating dinner late is common and restaurants close after 11 in most places. We went for a late dinner at Yotvata where we enjoyed the fried artichoke and zucchini appetizers among the other food. The gnocchi was the only dish I would say we did not like.
Tuesday Nov 12thThe next morning we were scheduled on the 9:35 train to Venice. I woke up early to get out for a run to the Villa Borghese (which I’d compare most to Central Park) and back. Running down the small cobblestone allies and next to the River Tiber was very unique. I made it back in time to grab some pastries from the Ghetto for our trip (burnt cakes, kosher cakes, Bagetto Bistro). It was at this point that I noted the prices at Bagetto Bistro are very high compared to the other options. We spent close to $60 on some pastries, a salad and omlette when we did not spend much more than that for dinner at any other place.
We took a cab to the train station and waited at the board for our track number. The train was delayed and time kept getting pushed back. Eventually the track for our high speed train to Venice was announced. We boarded the Frecciarossa to Venice where we had booked first class seats in advance. The first class seats come with meager drinks, but the seats were much wider and the cars very quiet.
We arrived in Venice shortly after 2:00. Our hotel was the Hotel Acaidia right outside the Jewish Ghetto and close to the train station. Being low season a room set us back $138 and I decided to book this with cash. The hotel was ok and the room decent but nothing special. The best part of this hotel was the location. We spent the rest of the day exploring Venice by foot which never gets old. We had dinner at Gam Gam (which was packed until about 10:30) which we really enjoyed. I found the service to be phenomenal and went above and beyond to make us feel at home.
Wed Nov 13thThe next day we were slated to go back to Rom on a 3:15 flight which meant things would be tight. I initially had hoped to have time to visit Morano or Borano but that would eat up too much time. Instead we took a Jewish Tour of the Ghetto touring the shuls and leaning about the 500 year old history there. I found this part of the trip to be very meaningful. You could feel the jewish neshamos in the shuls and area. I found it interesting that the decline of the Jewish community there was not cause by the Holocaust as much as by the general decline of residents in Venice due to the overtourism. We had time for a Gondola ride after the tour before we grabbed lunch and dinner to go at Gam Gam.
We took a cab to the airport ($20) and got through security for our quick flight to Rome airport on ITA. We booked two one way tickets via Chase for 6000 UR points (CSR) and after a 30 minute delay were off to Rome. After landing we were picked up by a hotel shuttle for the airport hotel we chose to stay at for the night before our flight back to NY the next morning.
Thu Nov 14thWe had a relaxing morning at the hotel and took the shuttle back to the airport at 10 for our 12 PM flight. After checking in, I went looking for the “kosher food” available at FCO that was listed on the airport website. It turned out to be some frozen meals that can be purchased to be heated up in the Microwave. I got the last of my Capuchinos in the airport before boarding the flight home to JFK. The meals on the way home were turkey cutlet for the first and a soggy Felafel for the second. The first meal was pretty tasty. My IFE was not working and after complaining a few times gave up with the FA’s getting annoyed with me. The service on both flights was typical poor American style service where the FCO - JFK leg was very noticeable. Delta has really fallen by the wayside over the past few years to be very similar to UA and American.
We were able to squeeze a lot into this trip even though we didn’t have too much time. Thank you to this group and Dan for the advice and planning I was able to glean from here. Hit me up with any questions.
