Everywhere you turn there is a piece of history; ruins are all around you even by the side of the road. So you begin by taking snapshots of everything until you realize it’s impossible to photograph every corner and you become more selective about your shots.

The best thing we did before getting there was to book our tickets to the Vatican Museums online, which meant we could walk straight past a huge slow moving queue under the scorching sun. I actually take credit for it, which got me a lot of praises from my boys! If you visit it might be worth looking at booking in advance.

Unfortunately I hadn’t booked in advance for the Coliseum, but you can still avoid the long queue by paying an extra €5.5 per ticket for the audio guide that comes in different languages, which we did. The audio guide is only available to European nationals and you need to leave a document at the desk in order to collect the audio handsets. You can purchase your tickets in advance online. Kids under 18 years of age go free.

Initially we were taken by the beauty of the city so we walked everywhere, but eventually we had to succumb to other means of transport. The underground system is very easy: only two lines that cross over at Termini station. Tickets are also cheap at €1 per journey or €4 for a day unlimited. Kids younger than ten don’t pay. Taxis are also reasonable and a good option especially in the evening.

Another important thing to remember is that the water from the fountains is drinkable so you can easily avoid the extortionate prices for bottled water by refilling in the fountain taps.

We have had the best ice cream from Gelateria di San Crispino close to the Trevi Fountain. Italian ice cream is generally very good, but this in particular is outstanding with really creative flavours such as ginger and cinnamon cream and fruit flavours like figs and white peach that are like eating the actual fruits. It is not a surprise that they won many awards for their homemade efforts.

The most disappointing sight, but only because of expectations, was Trevi Fountain. The fountain in itself is a beautiful work of art, but every time we passed by it was so crowded with people day and night that it was almost impossible to appreciate it.