When my fourteen-year-old daughter Morgan told me she wanted to be an art major, I said well if that’s the case we’re going to do it right. So I started hunting for cheap tickets to Italy.

She’s only fourteen but she got into an art and design high school in New York City, so I knew she was serious. So if you have a little artist in your family I highly recommend a trip to Italy to tour the museums, see the Sistine Chapel, check out the architecture and eat great food. By the way, my daughter is now completely spoiled when it comes to spaghetti and wants to go to art school in Florence. I’m all for that. We went back to school shopping in Florence, how is that for serious Mom points? 

My daughter Morgan and I started our trip in Rome. While I knew it was going to be hot there, because we were going in August, we dealt with it. It wasn’t too bad if you embraced it and packed for it. The hot weather also meant smaller lines and less crowds. 

Landing in Rome

While I have a dual EU passport (Thank you Grandpa), when I’m traveling with my daughter I usually keep my EU passport handy but use my US passport. We already have different last names so I don’t need any hiccups. But when we got to Rome we discovered there is an agreement in place between the US and Italy to allow US passport holders that are fourteen years of age or older, to fast track through immigration the way they Europeans can. We were brought to a different line, put our passports in a scanner, had our pictures taken and were sent through. We never even had to speak to a human. This was a great thing to discover because there was no need to pull out the permission to travel from my daughter’s father because it was just my daughter and I. We’re divorced and sometimes it’s a hassle to ask him to go out of his way to provide a document with permission and get it notarized. But I think it’s still best to get it signed and have it with you. I know the one time I don’t bring it will be the time I need it. I did bring the letter, and even though we flew into Italy, Switzerland and Germany we were never asked. Still, why risk it if you don’t have to?

 

So anyway, first night in Rome. We stayed near Trevi fountain and Spanish steps in this cute hotel called the White Hotel. It was in a perfect location. A friend of mine had recommended a few hotels near the Pantheon, but I liked this area way better. The little streets and shops were perfect for finding a good spot to eat or shop and wander.

I saw a number of cute hotels in the area, so my recommendation unless you really want to focus on the Vatican or Coliseum, consider staying near Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. 

Rome is not very big in actuality, so we walked to the Coliseum from our hotel and back. There are also those hop on and off buses. By the way, I used my Chase Sapphire points not just for my hotel but also, since it’s really a white-labeled version of Expedia, I was able to use my points to buy our hop on bus tickets as well as the tour of the Vatican. That came in really handy. 

We spent three days in Rome and did all the usual activities. We didn’t tour the Coliseum weirdly enough but we did walk around it. My teen was in a mood and didn’t want to go in, so we walked around the outside. Fine, there was plenty to do. And she was far more interested in the gelatto at times than the sites. 

Italian Breakfast and We’re Off

On our second day there my daughter discovered what an Italian breakfast was. Coffee and a pastry. We had tea because the two of us with our Irish roots never managed to get used to the taste of coffee. So we had our tea and pastries and off we went. Morgan got used to saying Grazie for everything. I laughed when she said it on our layover in Dusseldorf. 🙂 

In Rome we saw the Trevi Fountain and then walked to the Spanish Steps. New thing to know about the steps, don’t sit down on them or you will be fined. They are really serious about that now. Afterwards we went to the Vatican and signed up for an English speaking tour. Of course, there was a family there from Iran and so the Italian guide had to say, “we have Americans here, you don’t have a nuclear bomb do you?” Har Har. It’s always fun to be the easy target for cracks when traveling. There’s something about being American that just makes people have to make cracks whenever they get the chance. What are you going to do? 

Hitting the Vatican

So the Vatican was phenomenal and we got to see the Sistine Chapel. Watching her face as we walked through the door and the room just opened up to her, was priceless. I looked at Morgan and thought, “yes, mission accomplished.” We stared at the ceiling for awhile and listened to people get yelled at for taking pictures of the ceiling. The people that paid for the restoration hold the rights to the ceiling, or the Vatican does and they hold it for them. Either way, no photos. Morgan was very disappointed there that the Raphael rooms were closed so she could not see the school of Athens painting that she was dying to see. But what can you do. That will give us an excuse for another visit. 

The Castle

Another great spot I admit I missed on my other trips to Rome, was the Castel St. Angelo also known as the mausoleum of Hadrian. It was well worth the entry fee and the views are spectacular. Morgan loved the little cafe at the top and sat there enjoying her tea as she looked out through the thick portico windows out at the Vatican, complete with pigeons peeping in at us from the outside. There’s a museum inside with some pretty cool armour and frescos, and just a good all around stop before heading to the Vatican. Make sure you get some good pictures on the beautiful bridge right before the castle. 

After we had our fill of restaurants, gelato and walking, we took a taxi to the train station to head out to Florence. So I’ll write about that in my next article.

Travel Scams

One thing I want to tell you about though is the scams they try to pull on tourists. Several times during our trip an African man would approach me and ask me where I was from and tell me I look like I’m from East Africa. And he kept trying to talk to me. As a female traveler with a child in tow I don’t need to stop for conversation in a fairly remote section of the tourist area, so I voiced a firm, “No Grazie,” and he went on his way. I wasn’t sure what was going on but found out later, the scam is the men will walk up to you chatting with you and when they get close enough will slip a cheap “friendship” bracelet on your wrist that you can’t untie and then demand ten Euros. So just stay clear.

Taxis

And for the taxis, check that the meter is on. If the driver tells you the meter isn’t working, get out and get in another one. The meter will tell you exactly what your fare is and sometimes they turn it off and tell you it’s broken and then overcharge you. And they sometimes round up without asking you first. If they have to move luggage for you, a tip is fine, otherwise it’s not necessary, so ask for your change back please. Better yet, use your credit card. 

Also, make sure to bring an debit card if you are coming from the states. In many of the ticket machines, it will ask you for a pin number. If you are using a credit card and don’t know the pin, or it doesn’t have one, you’ll get stuck. So bring a debit card that requires a pin with you as backup. Or make sure you know the cash pin on your credit card.