If you don’t know it by now, I’m a HUGE fan and supporter of Locals! I love meeting and featuring experienced, dedicated, knowledgeable locals who are, for me, absolutely essential to a truly authentic travel experience.
I love being with and learning from these passionate experts – experts who share their talents and offer experiences gleaned from dedicated “hands on” research as well as developing and nurturing genuine relationships. And, of course, before I recommend them to you, I love meeting and spending time getting to know more about them…
And today I’m so excited to introduce you to Elyssa and Romewise!
Roma! The Eternal City! Where do you start?!
Rome, “Caput Mundi”, is legendary and definitely on everyone’s “must see” list when planning their Italy vacation.
The biggest mistake is to think you can “see Rome” in a few days! But what if a few days is all that you have?! How do you even begin to plan and prioritize over 2000 years of history, not to mention the fact that Rome is HUGE! The capital and largest city in Italy, it has a population of almost three million and is larger than New York City!
There is just so much to see and so many choices, it’s dizzying! Without some serious pre-planning, it’s easy to spend half your time just wandering around and, well…wandering around!
So, how to sort through all of the options? How to avoid overwhelm? Where do you start? I have the perfect solution…
When in Rome, be Romewise with Elyssa!
My first “go to” is to find a local expert! And I’m talking about someone who has not only studied and researched, but someone who has been and is living and loving it! Someone who is knowledgeable and passionate about the history and heartbeat of the place and they live and breath it!
That includes an intimate firsthand knowledge of the historic monuments and museums, neighborhoods, accommodations, best eats and shopping, artisans, how to get around, and what’s happening at any given time…and so much more that can only be learned by being in a place! And they are passionate about it – they love it and love sharing the best with you!
Elyssa and Romewise check all the boxes! Neighborhood by neighborhood she has you covered for any aspect of visiting Rome that you can imagine! Elyssa’s love and passion for Rome is apparent and contagious! Not only is Romewise thorough but she is continuously providing updates so you can be assured that you’re getting current and accurate information firsthand!
Taking photos inside the Vatican and Sistine Chapel (Photo credit: Romewise)
Month by month, season by season, Romewise is a comprehensive guide for everything from the weather, what to wear, how to prepare, what to expect, and, again, neighborhood by neighborhood; where to stay, eat and shop! It’s easy to navigate, with detailed information, sources, and recommendations (plus you can find accurate up-to-date information on the latest COVID-related restrictions, the Green Pass, etc.).
As a travel designer and planner, I have enormous respect for the breadth and depth of her research and it didn’t take me long to decide that I definitely wanted to share about Elyssa and Romewise!
For Elyssa, all roads led to Rome!
Believe it or not, Elyssa’s story has a familiar ring to it: young woman comes to Italy, meets handsome Italian…falls in love…and then? Yes, Elyssa came to Rome with a backpack, walked into a B&B in Rome with a friend, met Alessandro and embarked on a new adventure. She fell in love with Rome and Alessandro and together (over twenty years later), that love affair is still their passion and livelihood.
I’ll pick up their story when they decided to open a 3-room B&B in Rome (after 9/11!). Over time, as they met and greeted guests, Elyssa found herself answering lots of questions and giving advice on what to see and do, etc. This evolved into a FAQ page and creating hundreds of templates as a guide for anyone and everyone. As if that weren’t enough, in the meantime, they expanded their B&B to 20 rooms!
In 2009, the idea of turning the FAQ page into a separate website resulted in the “birth”and launch of Romewise! Having created and continuing extensive research and resources, it was then a natural to monetize all of her hard work! As Romewise grew, and after 18 years running their B&B, Elyssa and Alessandro, decided to sell the B&B and focus on Romewise together.
And the rest is history and a story still unfolding!
Romewise is infused with Elyssa’s passion and love for Rome!
I “met” Elyssa virtually via Instagram when, during a period when travel was still restricted (early 2021), she was posting dreamy photos of the Colosseum and other iconic monuments of Rome. I loved following her around (virtually) and hoped to connect once I got to Rome.
In the meantime, I have spent lots of time on Romewise, and was immediately impressed (as you will be!) with the wealth of information and resources that she has compiled, curated, and organized into a very attractive and easy to read format that includes every aspect of traveling in Rome that you can think of!
Then last year, in late spring as COVID restrictions started to ease, Rome was high on my “revisit” list before it opened up to tourism. Once I decided on dates, I reached out to Elyssa in hopes of somehow connecting during my stay. Then, when I finally organized my trip, I was delighted that our schedules would permit us to meet!
I found Elyssa not only to be accommodating but to be extremely open and congenial. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch at one of her favorite neighborhood trattorias (and another of her dining recommendations in Trastevere was absolutely perfect!). My initial impressions were on target and I felt an instant rapport.
I knew immediately that I wanted to feature her here! So, on this most recent visit to Rome we sat down and chatted over dinner about a lot of topics including more details on her “story” (all of which is on Romewise ), how COVID did (and does) affect Romewise and what’s next.
Your “Go-to Guide to Rome”!
Like every business related to travel, Romewise was impacted by COVID and like everyone else I have spoken to and from my own experience, it was a very challenging time (and we are no where near a “full recovery”). However, coping with the roller coaster of COVID and now political influences, she and Alessandro have been steady and strong in their commitment “to doing whatever it takes”.
They continue to share reliably excellent information, fresh content, and frequent updates with their audience whether it’s via their e-newsletter, e-books, e-guides or informative YouTube video. They are consistent and committed to being your “go-to guide to Rome”!
-> Please wait for the slideshow! (All Photos courtesy of Romewise)
During our dinner conversation, once again, I was impressed and inspired by Elyssa’s passion and energy! She is always transparent about her content and how Romewise is their livelihood. Well-deserved! They have grown her audience and followers and I am definitely one of them!
Cin cin to a delightful evening with Elyssa!
I feel that Elyssa says it best in her own words:
“I live in Rome and really know the city, on the ground. I live it, eat it, shop it and love it. Also, for nearly 20 years, my Roman husband and I ran a Rome B&B specializing in customer service. On a daily basis, I got to know the kinds of questions people have, and what people really want to know before and during their holiday in Rome.
I created Romewise to share this information with visitors to my city, with the aim of ensuring everyone who comes here, experiences Rome to its fullest.”
What more could you ask for in a local expert?!
And that’s exactly why I’m also so excited and pleased to include Elyssa and Romewise as my new Friend of Victoria in Rome!
Read more About Elyssa and Romewise:
www.Romewise.com
…and please tell her you read about her here!
More Resources!
Brush up on Sightseeing and Getting Around in Italy with my book:
Victoria’s Travel TipZ Italian Style
Read about other Locals I have ♥ loved learning with!
Planning YOUR trip to Italy? With help from my
Friends of Victoria,
We can help you a little or a lot!
