Yep, stuff you remember fondly in your youth. Now that you can afford a nice vacation in Italy, it’s time to go places in comfort and style.

When fate threw me a curve and I became a travel writer, I settled into another form of transportation. I rode, sometimes with others, in a big car with a driver.

A driver who waited for me at the Turin airport when my bag was stuck in the machinery. A driver who would explain the attractions along the side of the road. A driver who would keep watch over my laptop while I got out and snapped a photo of something charming.

Imagine traveling in safety with someone who knows the territory. I liked not hearing that “turn around when possible” from the GPS. I got to where I expected to be without the anxiety of trying to find a place on my own.

So now I’m a fan. I’ve adopted Daytrip as an affiliate. I get a small payment, you get a fine transportation experience.

It was only a matter of time before someone determined the need for a service connecting tourists to local drivers, usually for airport transfers or day trips, door to door. You specify the things you want your professional driver to stop at on the way to your destination. If you tell them in advance, you can even take your pets with you—and they’ll get the appropriate car seats for your kids as well.

The name of the outfit is Daytrip, and it covers Europe and many other places in the globe you might like to explore:

Daytrip

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Below is the map that shows what we found fascinating about the Celio neighborhood.

Map of the Celio Rione in Rome

The black markers indicate the Roman constructions, the orange are churches, and the green is our recommended apartment. The blue marker shows the Casina del Salvi, where today you can take in the views of the Colosseum or wander among the collection scattered around the Parco Archeologico del Celio.

Why Stay in the Celio Rione in Rome?

Imagine walking out your door in the evening and taking a very short stroll to the Colosseum and getting this picture with your phone:

Of course there are more things here that warrant your attention. The food, for example. Our favorite restaurant was at La Taverna dei Quaranta, a block south of the apartment, where we ate outside with a small peek at the Colosseum. A restaurant called Propaganda, also close to the apartment, was good but pricey, and Il Bocconcino had many of the Roman specialties and some surprises.

We enjoyed this corner of Rome and its proximity to the Palatine Hill to the west, Trastevere a little further to the west, and the Circo Massimo to the southwest, giving you plenty of things to see and do in this central Rome location.

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