Marco was born in Rome and came to Australia when he was six. Here is what happened when he went back, the heat, the history, the food, and everything he wishes someone had told him first.
People ask me what the best part of Rome was, and I never know where to start. The Colosseum? The food? Drinking straight from a fountain in the street on a forty-degree day?
But if you want the useful answer, it is this: I got there and back on my own, and the things that made that possible were mostly small and mostly boring. Forms. Blister packs. A letter from my doctor. So I am going to tell you about the trip, and then I am going to tell you the twelve things I would pass on to anyone else thinking about it.
Sydney to Rome is a long way. Eight hours to Singapore, then thirteen more to Italy, with a stop in between. Twenty-three hours all up.
The thing that made the difference was Passenger Assist. I signed a form with Singapore Airlines beforehand, which tells them you have a disability and you would like assistance. It sounds like paperwork. It is not.
It meant I got on the plane first and got myself strapped in before anyone else boarded. It meant I was the first one off at the other end. That gave me more freedom and more time to get organised, without holding anyone up or feeling like I was in the way. And because the crew knew, they came and checked on me more often than they otherwise would have.
At Singapore they put me in a golf buggy and drove me across to the other terminal. Travelling on your own, that takes an enormous amount of stress off you. You know you are going to get there. You know you are not going to get lost.
The night before I flew, there were stories on the news about baggage handlers. I was a bit up in arms about it, I will be honest. In the end there was no problem at all.
I landed at Fiumicino and my first job was the luggage. After that long in the air I wanted everything accounted for before I went anywhere.
Then came the part I had been thinking about for hours: I found a bar and ordered a cappuccino with a Nutella croissant. Sometimes the small things are what you remember. That one certainly did the job.
Then I stepped outside and felt the heat. I had left Sydney in August, where it was still cool, and walked into thirty-five degrees.
I came to Australia when I was six. So Rome was never just another destination for me it was already part of my story before I got on the plane.
Even knowing that, seeing it again was emotional. Walking through the streets I could hear my own language all around me, while tourists wandered past taking photographs of things that were simply there. It felt surreal.
At home in Sydney my routine is hectic. A lot of my day goes into getting organised, and I am happy to do it, but it is work.
Rome was different. Getting up in the morning with nothing I had to do, and just enjoying it, that made me feel good. It was a more relaxed routine. I was chilling out. I had not realised how much I needed that until I had it.
Standing next to something that has been there for two thousand years makes you feel very small, in the best way.
Vatican City was one of the highlights I had planned for. The scale of it is hard to describe. St Peter’s Basilica, the papal tombs, the Sistine Chapel, and Michelangelo’s work there, including The Last Judgment, which you can’t really prepare for by looking at pictures.
But what stayed with me most was wandering among the ancient ruins. Standing beside structures that have been there through centuries of history makes you feel very small in comparison.
And then the Colosseum. No amount of planning gets you ready for that one. Those enormous open arches seem to stare back at you. Standing there, you feel the weight of everything that happened in that building.
Pizza, gelato, arancini, pasta, and sweets of every description. It was almost impossible to walk anywhere without finding something worth stopping for.
But the thing I loved most was the water. Rome has public spring fountains all over the city, fed from the old Roman aqueducts, and you can just stop and drink. It is free, it is freezing cold, and it is the freshest water I have tasted in my life. On the day it hit forty-three degrees, those fountains were not a novelty. They were the reason I kept going.
That and gelato, which I will admit became a core part of my heat management strategy.
I do need to say this part. On public transport, be on guard. Pickpockets are real and they are quick, and before you know it your wallet is gone. There is security around, but it is not always enforced.
I was very mindful of it the whole time, and I had no trouble. But I was paying attention, and that is the point.
These are the things I would tell anyone before they go.
Especially on the trains. Pickpockets work fast, and a wallet in a back pocket is an invitation. Keep your valuables where you can feel them.
Sign the form with your airline before you travel. You board first, you disembark first, and staff check on you more often. If you are travelling alone, it takes an enormous amount of anxiety out of the day.
Reliable and on time, every time. Worth it.
In summer Rome is semi-vacant, because the Romans themselves are away on holiday. In winter the city is packed. That surprises people who assume summer means crowds.
Make sure you have enough to last the whole trip and then some. I took four blister packs for twenty-eight days. Don’t assume you can top up over there.
It confirms your medications are prescribed to you, which matters at the airline and at customs. Ask them to list your physical conditions on it too, so if anything happens while you are away, the information is already in your hand.
There are limits on how long you can be out of Australia before your payment is affected. Mine was twenty-eight days. Check your own situation with Services Australia before you book anything.
Well before you travel, not the week before. Check the expiry date now.
I have type 2 diabetes, and I walked so much in Rome that my system genuinely recuperated. I came home better than I left. You do not always expect a holiday to do that.
The aqueduct fountains are everywhere and the water is free and fresh. On a forty-three degree day this is not optional.
I was rushing to pay a parking meter because I didn’t want to delay the payment, and I walked straight into a tree and ended up on the floor. That is what hurrying gets you. Slow down. You’re on a holiday.
Look it up when you arrive, before you need it. You probably will not need it. But knowing is what lets you relax.
Rome gave me much more than sightseeing. It gave me food, family, history, culture, and the simple pleasure of walking through a city unlike anywhere else I have been.
My advice is the same wherever you travel: be mindful, and keep your wits about you. But when in Rome, do as the Romans do, and enjoy it.
My personal rating for Rome as a safe city: 8.5 out of 10.
Arrivederci, readers. Until next time.
About the author
Marco was born in Rome and came to Australia when he was six. He first came to Dream Maker Community Services as a participant and now works with the marketing team, writing about travel, food and everyday life from a participant's perspective. He travelled to Italy on his own and would like more people to know it can be done.
This article is general information about travelling with a disability. It is not medical, financial or legal advice. Before travelling, speak with your doctor about medication and fitness to fly, and check your payment and portability rules with Services Australia, as time limits outside Australia vary by circumstance. For support with travel planning in your NDIS plan, talk to your support coordinator or LAC.
Written by the Dream Maker Community Services marketing team. Dream Maker is a registered NDIS provider operating across Western Sydney since 2019.