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An Italian family welcomes a daughter and her American husband back to the house on the Adriatic coast where life revolves around rituals of sun, sand, and handmade pasta.

Which of these would you like to see?

Disney California Adventure’s recently renovated ride, Soarin’ Around the World, hits all the wanderlust feels.

We asked one Roman local how to experience the best of his city.

In the City of Canals, even cynics can fall in love.

Overview

The precise formula for a perfect day in Rome is highly personal, but visitors hoping to make the most of a single day in the Italian capital should start with an early morning visit to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, followed by a peek inside the Pantheon on the way to the Forum and Colosseum. Rome is stunningly gorgeous at night, so use your last bit of energy to chase panoramic views and to soak in the atmosphere of the historical center’s piazzas and fountains.

On this week’s episode of Unpacked by AFAR, we explore how to prepare for summer travel.

This southern Italy itinerary sails between Venice and Rome exploring the Amalfi Coast, Sicily, and gems of Croatia and Montenegro.

No matter how many postcards you’ve seen of Rome’s iconic Colosseum, you just don’t get it until you pass beneath its crumbling arches. Built by Emperor Vespasian in 72 C.E., the huge amphitheater held 50,000 spectators and marked its opening with 100 days of brutal spectacles like gladiator combat and animal fights. The Colosseum was in use for four centuries, and now you can tour the ruins. Walk through the Hypogeum, an intricate series of tunnels and elevators originally used to transport animals, slaves, and gladiators, to the performance above, or take a moonlit tour to have one of the world’s most storied structures all to yourself.

The Court, an off-the-radar lounge bar with front row seats to the Colosseum, is the perfect place to wind down in Rome. The bar overlooks the archaeological ruins of the Ludus Magnus (the site where the gladiators trained) and offers a view of sunset over the Colosseum, the world’s most amazing arena. The cocktails are the creation of mastermind Matteo Zed, one of Rome’s top bartenders, whose tasty Rising Sun (a gin, yuzu, and matcha cocktail) may well keep you at the bar until dawn.

Built by the Knights of Malta in the late 16th century to protect the harbor from land and naval attacks, this largely intact fort is now closed to the public and only used by the Malta Film Commission for period films such as Troy and Gladiator, both of which set massive scenes on the site. In 2004, for example, the fort was used to build the entire city of Troy from the ground up, over 10 acres. In one particular scene, the character of Helen is presented to the people of Troy—over 1,200 costumed extras—for the first time. Back in 2000, director Ridley Scott, set his infamous and epic Gladiator fight in the Roman Colosseum here, where a third of it was recreated to a height of 52 feet from plaster and plywood at a cost of $1 million. Parts of the fort were also used to depict the Red Keep in the first season of the HBO series, Game of Thrones.

This busy pizzeria in the Celio, the neighborhood adjacent to the Colosseum, is decked out in kitschy Roman decor. The dining room resembles a piazza of sorts, surrounded by old school storefronts anchored to the walls. Six nights a week, Li Rioni turns out thin and crispy pizzas from its wood burning oven. They also serve pretty good starters, including olive ascolane (breaded fried olives stuffed with meat) and filetti di baccalà (fried cod filets). The margherita pizza and sausage and mozzarella pizza (hold the tomato sauce) are their best.

The Palatine Hill was home to an early Roman settlement and had major significance for the city’s history. Legend states that Romulus founded Rome on that hill in 753 B.C.E., and Romans even maintained a cult site sacred to the founding father for about 1,000 years. When the emperors rose to power, they chose the Palatine as the location for their sprawling villas and built enormous marble-clad structures to showcase their wealth and power. Today, the ruins of their majestic estates rise above the Forum and Circus Maximus, reminders of the grand imperial past. A visit is included in the price of a ticket to the Forum or Colosseum.