Friends of mine from Holland stayed at Casale Marsciano for a two-week holiday. Casale Marsciano is a beautiful private villa in the Umbrian nature. My friends wanted to visit Rome and from Umbria it is easy to go to Rome by train, also just for a day trip.
But how to explore the eternal city in one day? By bike!
If you have only one day at your disposal in Rome, cycling is an excellent way to get a good impression of this beautiful city. Not only to see the highlights, but also to explore small squares, little streets, restaurants and local bars. It is really fun, you should try it when you’re there.
We rented our bicycles at Bici & Baci. The price for one bike is 12,50 Euro a day.
We left early in the morning from Orte by train. Orte is a small village in Lazio, just over the border with Umbria and easy to reach by taking the E45. From the Orte station every 15 minutes there is a train to Rome.
You can buy the train tickets through the website, but you can also buy them at the ticket office or ticket machine. We parked our car behind the railway station for only 1,50 Euro for the whole day. Perfect!
We arrived at 8.45 am in Rome Termini. After a decent breakfast we headed off with our bikes. Cycling takes a lot of energy, especially in Rome which is a hilly town, being built on seven hills.
But even if you’re not a trained cyclist you do not need to worry, everybody can do it. The only important thing is that you shouldn’t be afraid of the traffic and chaos in the city centre. Cars and busses are fairly careful, though.
Our tour started in Via Cavour, at the bicycle rent office Bici & Baci. From there we went straight away to the Colosseum.
From the Colosseum we went to Circo Massimo and Campidoglio.
The Piazza del Campidoglio is a square created and designed by Michelangelo. Not far from there you see the enormous monument Vittorio Emanuele II. On the square itself you find the statue of Marcus Aurelius. And when you walk down hill you can admire the Forum. What a view.
Often we crossed the Piazza Venezia because it is centrally located and on your way to many sights in Rome.
We also visited the Fontana di Trevi, which at the moment is surrounded by scaffolding for restoration works. From there we cycled to the Piazza di Spagna and the Fontana della Barcaccia. Amazing!
The Villa Borghese park is really fantastic, we decided to have lunch there. Everything is green and clean. There are temples, gardens, lakes, statues etc. You can enjoy yourself in the park for hours.
Before cycling uphill to the Villa Borghese we stopped at the Piazza del Popolo to make some beautiful pictures.
A visit to the Villa Borghese museum is really a must do when you are in Rome, but remember to make a reservation before going there. In this villa you can admire art from Canova, Bellini and Raffaello.
The lunch was excellent. We went to a small bar called “Caffé Aphrodite”, not far from the Villa Borghese. You won’t see any tourist there. If you want to avoid the chaos in the city for a moment, this location is excellent. You can eat pasta, meat, vegetables, toasts and many other Roman dishes. Also the prices are decent. There is a terrace outside and after lunch we had an espresso on the house. Address “Caffé Aphrodite”: Via G. Donizetti 26/30.
Passing by the Via Veneto, we went on our way to Piazza Barberini and the Piazza San Pietro. This was one of the most important highlights of our cycle tour, visiting the Piazza San Pietro. We didn’t see the Pope, but what we saw was an enormous queue to enter the church. Unbelievable.
We saw many other places, like the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Castel Sant’Angelo, Campo dei Fiori, Trastevere, the Jewish quarter and so on. We visited all the important monuments in Rome in one day. And even if the city is (always) crowded with people and traffic, biking in Rome is a beautiful experience.
If you would like to have some information about biking in Rome you can contact us through via email.
What a fabulous idea. Did you have a tour to follow or did you use a map and work it out yourselves. I am amazed at how much you saw in one day Lyn
I have been living in Rome for two months in 2003. I know this city quiet well, I worked everything out by myself. My friends were having a great time with me in Rome. It is really a nice experience going by bike in this city. Have you ever been there? If you go to Rome, rent a bike and enjoy!
I have been to Rome many times but I had never thought about riding a bike there. Next time maybe
Sounds like a great way to see the city. I still would be terrified of the auto traffic! That is one of the things I remember about Rome – crossing the road was scary!
I understand you. But cars and busses drive carefully when they see a cyclist. More Romans should take a bike instead of a car or scooter. It is not only good for you, but also better for the environment.