by Wayne Whicher

Created on: April 28, 2009

One day in Rome is truly not enough time. However, a taste of this wonderful city will leave you wanting more and will motivate you to book a return visit in the future.

The biggest tip to aid you in conserving time given a short window of opportunity to explore the city would be for you to go online before your trip and purchase advance tickets to a couple locations that have the longest lines. The Vatican and the Colosseum would be two locations where advance tickets will help you out. Online purchases can be made by going to google.com and inputting "advance tickets - Rome, Italy." Your tickets can be paid for and emailed to you. When you arrive at the locations, there are often two lines, those waiting for hours to buy tickets, and those with advance tickets. The line for advance ticket holders is often very short.

A short list of places that you NEED to see would be the Vatican, the Colosseum/Forum area, the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, and the Pantheon.

Albeit a lot to do in one day, you may have to prioritize what you most want to see. However, the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon will all take you a short amount of time to experience, take some photographs, and create a memory that will stay with you forever.

The Pantheon was originally a pagan temple that was converted to a church in 608 AD. The hole in the roof actually lets rain water come into the structure and you can count the holes in the floor that let the water drain off. The Pantheon is right around the corner from Piazzo Navona where you can sit outside in one of the cafes, have lunch, and soak in the culture.

The Spanish Steps and the Trevi fountain are situated near each other. Climbing up the steps and exploring the high end shopping surrounding the square will be a fond memory. At the Trevi fountain you can throw three coins into the impressive fountain. There is local lore surrounding this tradition which varies in the telling. One version is that one coin thrown in will give you love in your life, two will enable you to return to Rome, and three will give you both.

Not too far from the Spanish Steps and the Trevi fountain is the Vatican. Home of the Vatican museums, the Pope, and the Sistine Chapel you could spend hours and hours roaming the halls and viewing the vast collections of artwork.

The Colosseum and the Forum are located a bit out of the center of town and a taxi ride will get you there quickly. As you round the bend in your cab, beholding the massive Colosseum is a memory that is worth preserving with a quick camera shot.

Walking around both sites will require a lot of time, but the experience is worth it. Of the two locations, the Colosseum is more enjoyable to meander through as the Forum, original the site of the cities political center, is less impressive upheld. Both locations are worth a visit and the history and architectural marvels will amaze you.

Make sure to build time into your itinerary to relax in one of the many piazzas to allow to have a fantastic lunch and experience the culture of people watching.

Plan a return trip soon to see everything you may have missed.

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