When the Airlines Hand You Lemons, Make Limoncello: How to Spend a Twelve Hour Layover in Rome

I am rather confident that someone has put a traveling curse on me. My most recent adventure involving trains helped to strengthen the idea in my mind, but events on Monday confirmed it for me.

Sometimes I take a bus to Chicago because I can get a cheaper, or more preferable flight combination from there; in this case, I had a short, 16 hour flight to the Republic of Georgia going from Chicago to Amsterdam, then Amsterdam to Tbilisi. On Monday, about an hour before leaving for the bus, I received a phone call from KLM telling me my second flight was cancelled and they were re-routing me to Istanbul before going on to Tbilisi. Nothing like adding to my travel anxiety! I was annoyed, but knew I could manage. I made it to Chicago, had dinner and stayed with a friend from college, which was great! I even slept well!

In the morning, I thought, "Maybe I should call the airline and see if they can do something better or at least compensate me for adding 10 additional hours of travel to my trip..." Good thing I did because when I called  there was no record that my second flight had ever been confirmed; in other words, I had NO flight to Tbilisi scheduled! After 1.5 hours on the phone trying to find a flight for me (everything was booked until next week!), we finally found something that did not involve 4+ connecting flights. I was now scheduled to fly from Chicago to New York, then to Rome where I would have a 12 hour layover, and then on to Tbilisi.

Rome and I have a history. She was the first city I ever visited abroad in addition to being the first place I ever visited alone. I love Rome! And as a person who studies the Romans, it is even more fantastic for the archaeology in the city. While one day is too short for proper visit to Rome, 12 hours is ok for getting out of the airport and enjoying some of what the city has to offer.

My bags were checked through to Tbilisi, and I luckily did not have to worry about bringing them with me. I also had the good fortune of knowing a colleague in Rome who had some free time to visit with me. For 14 euros one way, or 28 euros round-trip, there is a train that goes from Fiumicino Airport to Termini Station, central train station for Roma. The train is much faster than the bus, and cheaper than a taxi, which runs about 50 euros. The train normally takes about 40 minutes, but was delayed while en route adding an additional 30 minutes to my trip into the city.

I finally arrived, met my colleague, and tackled my first priority: delicious coffee! I sometimes forget how mediocre coffee is everywhere else I have been compared to coffee in Italy. Even their not-so-great coffee is better than some of our best coffee. Heaven in a little tiny cup!

Second priority for the day: eat something delicious for lunch. It sounds cliche, but you can really not go wrong with pizza or pasta in Rome. I went with the former as it was slightly lighter. We went to a place that sold it by the gram, so you could chose exactly the best size piece, or pieces, or you! Of the three flavors I tried, the best had zucchini flowers and anchovies on top. Yes, anchovies. It is a love I have had since childhood when my father convinced me to try them, and I will not apologize for it!

Incredibly detailed floral decoration in stone. 

Rome is full of history, arts, and so on. My third priority then: to soak in some culture! I had visited many of the important museums and archaeological sites on my previous visits in 2005 and 2008, but one elusive attraction that I have been wanting to see is the Ara Pacis, the Altar of Peace constructed by the Emperor Augustus after the second Roman civil war in which he came out the victor. It had closed the year before my first visit to Rome and opened a few months after my second visit. I was determined that I should see it this time around! Entry was about 8,50 euros since I forgot my student card, but as it was my only expense for the day, I did not mind the cost so much. It was beautiful and exciting to see something I had studied in school!

The Ara Pacis from the front. Note the person on the left for scale. 

A complex scene loaded with symbols pointing to fertility and well-being. 

At this point in the day it was getting rather warm, leading me to my fourth priority while in Rome: gelato! We went to Giolitti, a famous gelaterie with a lot of character and totally charming inside. Fair warning, if you go, it is really busy with tourists in the summer and you have to just push your way to the front -- do not wait in a line, you will never be served :) And with a delicious and refreshing gelato in hand, we just strolled around Rome passing by the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, and other sites that did not really require a visit. I had another coffee before heading back to Termini for my airport-bound train. Luckily my train was not delayed, and I made it through security and to my gate in less than 40 minutes.

This would be a rather easy trip to do for anyone with a long layover in Rome. Remember to grab a free map from the information desk at the airport, then factor in an hour for getting off the plane and through passport control, an hour for the train, about six to seven hours for your visit, an hour to get back, and two hours for getting through the airport. If you have less time, you can always shorten your visit. I really took my time in the city. You could always factor in more sites too, but when you have a short amount of time, it is best to not put a million things into one day. I highly recommend having a coffee, enjoying some food, and getting some gelato. Take the city in. Walk slowly, wander; you will enjoy it more.

After my pleasant layover, I hopped another plane and arrived in Tbilisi early in the morning where I was greeted by Reed and some of his Georgian friends. My exploration of this new city and country has just begun and I will be sure to update my loyal readers on my adventures. In the meantime, you can read about Reed's experiences in Georgia from the past three years at Adventures in Georgia: The Search for the Persian Leopard.