“Forget sweaty buses and boring walking tours—the best way to see Rome is on the back of a Vespa.” Conde Nast Traveler
What’s the best way to see Rome? What was my favourite part of our visit to this ancient city? Both questions have the same answer, Scooteroma, the guided Vespa tours of Rome that whizz you around the city like a local on two wheels.
We took the twilight tour, a three hour chauffeur driven trip that saw the city change from dusk to night. Our excellent drivers and guides or Vespiti as they are known, Riccardo, Valerio and Simone were knowledgeable, charming and experienced drivers all in equal measure. Our mini convoy of scooters traversed the eternal city taking in the well-known sites, those less familiar and stopping off at various points of interest along the way.
Collected from our apartment as the light started to fail, we drove in formation around the edge of the Colosseum and ancient sites as we made our way through the affluent Aventine Hill neighbourhood. Overlooking the city’s rooftops and the Tiber River, we took our place on the terrace in the Giardino degli Aranci (Orange Garden), also known as Savello park, to watch the sunset. This is a favoured spot for both tourists and newlyweds, the later with their photographers jostling for that perfect romantic shot. Located on the highest hill in Rome, the fragrant garden offers panoramic views over the city’s skyline with the famous St. Peter’s dome prominent in the bright orange sky. Lookout for the queue at the nearby keyhole of the Knights of Malta, a semi-secret peephole that offers a snapshot of St. Peter’s Basilica framed by the foliage of the Benedictine Monastery garden.
We stopped for Aperitivo and conversation with our guides before setting off on the second instalment of the tour. We cruised through the pretty streets of Trastevere with its earthy coloured, ivy clad buildings and cute trattorias, stopped off for a little history lesson at Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi in the Piazza Navona and bumped up and down the narrow cobbled streets in the hipster district of Monti before arriving back at our apartment. Our parting gift was a map filled with local recommendations and points of interest, insider knowledge that’s always a bonus on any trip.
Scooteroma was established in 2007 by American Annie Ojile Nerone and her Italian partner Giovanni, offering curated tours that give visitors an unique Roman experience. The scooter tours combine sightseeing with history, food, street art, cinema and photography. Alongside the Twilight tour visitors can choose from a variety of other options – click HERE to see all the available options. Bespoke itineraries to suit individual tastes and preferences can also be arranged. I cannot express enough what great fun this tour was, seeing all the sites from the backseat of a vespa is an exciting, whistle-stop adventure that sure beats trudging about the sun drenched streets. Scooteroma was recommended to me by a friend and in the spirit of playing it forward, I suggest you add a vespa experience to your Rome itinerary.
Scooteroma
Contact the Scooteroma team to arrange your tour of choice
Telephone: +39 338 822 7671 / +1 612 216 2460
E-mail: hello@scooteroma.com
Website: www.scooteroma.com
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Read more about Rome in previous post In Pictures | A Postcard From Italy
We paid for this activity but were generously gifted a media discount. The views in this post are all my own based on my experience. Unless otherwise stated all photos © Jo Brett 2019. All rights reserved.
looks and sounds great!!