Our Roman holiday kicked off in the most unexpectedly delightful way – at a cat sanctuary nestled among ancient ruins, where hundreds of strays roam freely and are lovingly cared for by volunteers. Sarah was in absolute heaven, and Scott had the very unpopular job of reminding her we couldn’t adopt any three-legged Roman cats (despite her best arguments). From there, we wandered to iconic spots like the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, and, of course, the Colosseum – which absolutely lived up to the hype. Despite being just five days post-accident, Scott managed to traverse all three tiers of the Colosseum on crutches (which he’s casually hiding behind his back in the photos – injury chic at its finest). Then there was the Pantheon – still breathtaking at 2,000 years old. It’s been in continuous use as a holy place for two millennia and serves as the final resting place of legends like Raphael, making it one of the most humbling stops of the trip. We crossed the Bridge of Angels, lined with Bernini’s ethereal statues, on our way to Castel Sant’Angelo, a moment that felt pulled from a Renaissance painting. We fueled up along the way with perfectly crispy Roman-style pizza, and navigated the occasional chaos of crowds and transit mishaps, including Scott’s unforgettable stairlift entrance into the Sistine Chapel. It was three days of history, hilarity, and heart – a Roman adventure full of ancient wonders, cat cuddles, and carbs. Just the way we like it.

💡Rome Tips

• 🐈 Visit the cat sanctuary – it’s pure joy. But set emotional boundaries if you’re prone to trying to adopt three-legged cats.
• ⛲ Trevi Fountain is beautiful, but also a full-contact sport. Go early or be ready to throw elbows with your coins.
• 🍕 Roman-style pizza is phenomenal Crispy, rectangular, and life-changing. Make time for it often and without regret.
• 🦽 Don’t rely on “accessible” tours unless you’ve confirmed every step (literally). Not all early access tours are mobility-friendly – even in the Vatican.
• 🌧️ If it’s raining, skip the top level of double-decker buses. Unless you’re in the mood for a soggy slip-and-slide with a view.
• 📲 Download the Rick Steves’ audio tours. They’re free, actually useful, and make you feel like a time-traveling legend.

Rome Itinerary

This itinerary is based on the Rome leg of our 2016 Italy trip from September 9–12.

🚆 Day 1: Cat Sanctuary, Trevi Fountain & Spanish Steps

• 🚆 4:25 PM – 5:53 PM: Train from Naples to Rome (🎟️ Pre-purchased 1st Class, $23, Italy 9934)
• 🚕 Uber to hotel near Pantheon
• 🏨 Check-in to Dimora degli Dei
• 🐈 Visit Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary (7-min walk past Pantheon)
• 🌙 Nighttime walk (🎧 72-min Rick Steves’ Heart of Rome tour 📲 download app)
  • Trevi Fountain
  • Spanish Steps

⛪ Day 2: Vatican City

• 🎟️ 7:30 AM – 10:00 AM: Vatican Museums Early Access Tour via City Wonders
  • Unfortunately we had to cancel this tour and enter on our own later in the day. See our story on “Touring the Vatican with One Leg”.
  • 🎧 Rick Steves’ tours for Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums 📲.
• ⛪ 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM: St. Peter’s Basilica & Dome climb (💡Go early to avoid crowds)
  • 🎧 55-min Rick Steves’ tour 📲
• 🍕 Lunch @ Pizza Zizza
• 🏛️ Other attractions (time permitting):
  • Borghese Gallery
  • Castel Sant’Angelo (exterior)
  • Colonna Palace
  • Vatican Gardens
  • Metro to aqueduct

🏛️ Day 3: Ancient Rome

• ⛪ 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM: Pantheon (Free;💡Go early to avoid crowds; no short shorts or bare shoulders allowed)
  • 🎧 23-min Rick Steves’ tour 📲
• 🍕 Quick lunch
• 🏟️ 11:20 AM – 12:50 PM: Colosseum Underground Tour (🎟️ Pre-purchase recommended)
• 🏛️ 1:45 PM – 3:15 PM: Houses of Augustus and Livia Private Tour with Roman Forum and Palatine Hill (🎟️ Pre-purchase recommended)
  • 🎧 40-min Rick Steves’ Roman Forum tour 📲
• 💡 There are lots of options for combo tickets with the Colosseum. Find the best option for the attractions you want to visit.

✈️ Day 4: Fly Home

• 🛫 11:30 AM – 2:50 PM: Rome to Toronto (Air Canada 891)
• 🛫 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM: Toronto to St. Louis (Air Canada 7387)

Pictures

Cat Sanctuary

Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps

Pantheon

Colosseum

Ancient Rome (Houses of Augustus, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill)

Vatican City

Unforgettable Stories

Blessed and Stressed: Touring the Vatican with One Working Leg

Scott, ever the thrill-seeker, severely injured his leg on a scooter during our trip (yes, a scooter – the least dignified of all noble steeds). This led to him needing a wheelchair for our Vatican visit. We had booked the Early Access Tour with City Wonders, only to find out that “early access” doesn’t include ramps or any love for the mobility-impaired. So, cancel that.

We ended up going later in the day – big mistake. Imagine the crowd from a Cardinals game, but everyone’s wearing fanny packs and shoving their way to salvation. People were ruthless, bumping into Scott’s injured leg like it was some kind of holy relic. Zero chill.

BUT, in true Vatican chaos fashion, Scott did get to live his best diva moment. He stopped all foot traffic while dramatically ascending into the Sistine Chapel via stairlift, like the Pope of Sass himself. And since no one wants to be the villain who tells a guy in a wheelchair to stop taking photos, he gleefully snapped pics of the “no-photos-allowed” ceiling with his fancy camera. Honestly, Michelangelo would’ve been proud.

Moral of the story: if you’ve got limited mobility, skip the Vatican unless you enjoy pain, crowds, and being treated like a speed bump. If you must go, bring a camera, a sense of humor, and prepare to be both spiritually and physically tested.

Double-Decker Disaster: Soaked, Snubbed, and Slightly Scarred

After surviving the Vatican chaos, we were running on fumes and figured a relaxing ride on one of Rome’s double-decker tour buses would be the perfect, low-effort way to see the sights.

LOL. No.

The second we boarded, the sky opened up like we were in a biblical plague. And, naturally, every able-bodied person onboard suddenly developed selective blindness to the guy using crutches. Not a single soul offered a seat for poor, injured Scott – who, let’s recall, is hobbling around with one good leg and the spirit of a gladiator.

So, up the stairs we go – wounded war hero in tow – only to discover the upper deck had transformed into a Roman lazy river… but make it dirty, cold, and with zero vibes. There was no drainage, so the rainwater just sloshed around up there like Poseidon’s dirty bathwater. It washed over Scott’s injured leg like a healing ritual gone very, very wrong. And by the time the puddle reached full swamp status, so did our patience.

Needless to say, rain wasn’t the only thing flowing that day – tears, drama, dignity… all washed away.

We bailed at the next stop like fugitives from a tourist crime scene and never looked back.

Moral of the story: If it’s raining in Rome, do not get on those tour buses unless you’re actively seeking pneumonia, trench foot, and a front-row seat to your own villain origin story.