Rome: Vintage Fiat 500 Cabriolet Tour & Prosecco Stops

4.96

(279 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The first thing I noticed was the sound — that little putter-putter of our vintage Fiat 500 as we pulled away from the curb near Roma Termini. It’s not a quiet car, but there’s something about the way it rattles (in a good way) that made me laugh. Our guide, Marco, waved at an old lady crossing with her shopping bags and she grinned back like she’d seen this scene a hundred times. The air smelled faintly of exhaust and bakeries — Rome in a nutshell.

I didn’t expect to feel so exposed with the roof down, but you get used to it after a minute or two. We zipped past the Baths of Caracalla (I tried to take a photo but mostly got my own elbow), then slowed by Circus Maximus. Marco pointed out where chariots used to race — he even made horse noises, which cracked us up. The city felt alive in a different way from inside this tiny car; people waved or shouted “bella macchina!” as we rolled through Trastevere, sunlight flickering through laundry lines overhead.

Up on Janiculum Hill, we stopped for prosecco (or soda if you wanted). The view hit me harder than I expected — all those domes and roofs stretching out under pale blue sky. Someone nearby was playing accordion, just softly enough to make it feel like a movie scene. I still think about that moment sometimes; you know when everything just pauses? Anyway, after that we coasted along the Tiber River and swung by the Pyramid of Cestius (honestly had no idea Rome had an actual pyramid until then). The Colosseum at the end was almost too much — I mean, how do you even process seeing that from such a tiny car?