My husband and I are visiting Rome for the first time. We are going to be doing A LOT of walking and don't want to keep stopping to eat. Does anyone have recommendations on what we can buy while in Rome that we can carry in my tote. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
Carry anything you like from nuts to bananas to dried fruit. Just about everything for sale as snacks in the US is available in Italy. So not sure what you want or don't think you can buy.
Fresh fruit from the markets, dried fruit, nuts, packaged power bars, you can find it all in grocery stores, street markets, specialty shops. I usually keep a small amount of shelled almonds with me, easy to carry and not messy. Bottled yogurt drinks are available, too. Be sure to take water with you as well.
Keep in mind that the water from the fountains is good to drink. Bring your own Nalgene or other reusable water bottle from home and fill freely/and free!
As far as snacks go, hit a grocery store and buy what sounds good. I usually go to Italy with my own creature comfort snacks, dried fruit, nuts and Lara Bars, and a bit of my favorite dark chocolate. Snacks are something I find to cost less to bring from home, and I create space in my carry on going home as I've eaten my own food. (Not to say that I don't shop the cookie aisle at the Co-op for great Italian cookies!)
You will not be able to eat at important sights... i.e., don't get caught eating on the Spanish Steps or in the Forum...you can get a ticket!
I always take 2-3 bags of trail mix from Trader Joe's and a hand-ful of snack Ziploc bags and every day take a little baggie of trail mix with us when sightseeing in Italy. Trader Joe's also has nuts that are pre-packaged into snack sizes and I took cashews on our last trip as well. By the end of the trip, we then have that space in our luggage for souvenirs/gifts. Our days were pretty fast-paced and jam-packed and if we got hungry in the late morning or afternoon but didn't have time to stop and eat, it was convenient to have snacks with us.
You can stop at any bar or snack bar or "pizza a taglio" and grab something on the go: pizzette, sandwiches, you name it. Rome is not exactly the Sahara. There are places where you can buy snacks pretty much every 10 to 50 mts.
Fountains either have a free-standing drinking fountain (nasone) nearby or a little spigot near the main fountain.
There's absolutely NO WAY I'm bringing any food item with me to Italy! I'm going to the country with the Best Food in the World, and I'm bringing trail mix?! Stop for a quick gelato, or as Roberto suggested a quick piece of pizza or a Panini! Besides, your power bars will be a mess when you get there.
I agree with Donna. No American food on a trip to Italy except what you might want to eat on on the plane.
