Lessons Learned From Travellers In Rome
As new residents in the extremely popular tourist destination of Rome
, Italy, we have had the unusual experience over the last year of being able to observe a variety of different holiday techniques undertaken by our many guests. With each visitor we've seen vastly different approaches in how they 'tackle' their holiday and try to get the best out of their stay.They all have had more or less the same core objectives - see the sights, taste the flavours, experience the culture and soak up some of the famous Italian lifestyle. They have to do this while battling against jet lag, limited time, limited money, sore feet and a language barrier. Where possible we acted as guides for our visitors - showing off our favourite gelato and coffee shops and strolling past some of the spectacular sights with them.
However, as a working couple, we couldn't always be so involved. We were resigned to hearing after each day's excursion how it went. Some chose the 'hop on hop off' bus services, some booked tours, some took taxis, and some walked for hours. It was fascinating to observe the energy and enthusiasm levels over their stays and we have definitely learnt to revaluate our own style when we travel. Here are some of the main lessons we've learnt:
1. Attitude is everything - The guests that were open and ready to love their experience, generally, loved their experience! Having a positive attitude and not always comparing everything to how it is 'back home' allows you to enjoy the small things and live in the moment.
2. Pace yourself - Some of our guests made marathon efforts one day and were so exhausted that they spent the following two days lounging around the house to recover! Some even abandoned plans for special day trips because they simply had run out of energy. Never underestimate the energy used by the brain as it encounters new things. Give yourself mental and physical rests to help yourself last longer. This is easier to achieve if the right choices are made.
For example - you could walk around the city in the hot sun and wait in the queues at each site then try and find places to eat with all the other thousands of tourists, or you could use a private car service for a half day or so, and have a dedicated driver with special access to restricted parts of the city, that can take you on your own personal tour of the city, stopping wherever and as often as you like. As you explore the sights, shop and eat you'll always know you have the private, comfortable, air conditioned car ready when you want to move on to the next activity. You can even rely on the driver to make suggestions and give information about the city as you travel.
3. Do your homework - When returning from sightseeing, we heard from our guests so many times - I have no idea what it was but it was absolutely beautiful!'. Nowadays it is so easy to do a quick web search before heading to a sight so quickly read a few facts. It is surprising how much more interesting something is when you hear the back story. You might not always be able to book a guided tour but you can at least be armed with a couple of fun facts before you head off to see the next ancient ruin.
4. First impressions count By far the happiest visitors on arrival were the ones that decided to take airport shuttle services in Rome. They arrived fresh and ready to start their Roman adventure. They were full of interesting information that their friendly driver had shared on the journey home. This was a huge contrast to the ones that tried their hand at the public transport system (so many disaster stories here - from strange encounters with other passengers, confusing and misread signs to huge delays because of the all to common transport strikes).
Others that took taxis fared even worse - one arrived in an unmarked vehicle that sped around the block trying to find our house, taking her on a long detour and asking repeatedly if she would care to go on a date, before finally arriving and making up the price as there had been no meter. The taxi driver of another friend confused the directions and left her at the bottom of a large set of stairs to climb up with her backpack, in the summer heat. Needless to say, we now recommend all friends to look out for one of the friendly and comfortable private car service options when they arrive. Or even better to book in advance.
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