Sustainable travel is a hot topic right now – and one we’re truly passionate about. We’re always looking for more ways to make our apartments greener, such as using ecological toiletries and providing recycling facilities, and we do our best to promote responsible, sustainable travel in Italy. So, how exactly can you vacation sustainably once you arrive in Rome? We’ve put together our top tips to minimize the impact of any trip to the Eternal City.
Opting to travel by public transport instead of by taxi or rental car is an easy way to save emissions. In Rome, you can keep up to date with timetables and plan the easiest route by using apps such as Citymapper and Roma Bus. If you’re planning to spend most of your time in and around the centro storico, you’ll be pleased to know Rome is actually a very walkable city, with many popular sites in close range of each other. Plus, walking can be a more immersive experience which leads you to hidden gems or secret corners you might have otherwise missed. There are also a number of spots around Rome to hire a bike, or, if you’re booking an apartment with Treasure Rome, we can organize rental for you.
Named ‘large noses’ due to their distinctive shape, nasoni supply tourists and locals alike with clean, fresh, and free drinking water, meaning you can ditch plastic water bottles with ease. Simply fill up a reusable bottle or drink directly from the fountain by covering the hole at the bottom of the spout with your hand. This forces the water up and out of a smaller hole in front, creating a stream of water to sip from. Just watch the locals to see how it’s done.
Do you really want that plastic model of the Colosseum? Are you going to treasure it forever or, eventually, toss it in the trash? Sustainable travel is also to choose souvenirs that are truly local, not made in factories on the other side of the world. We recommend investing in long-term items, especially if they’re unique to that particular place. Like a pair of the pope’s favorite socks, a personalized marble plaque, or other one-of-a-kind souvenirs. Handmade, artisanal items often do cost a little more but those extra € mean real support for cultural heritage and help contribute to job stability for locals.
Saying no to the big fast food brands you have back home is easy when you can dive into a food scene as delicious as Rome’s. In particular, look for restaurants that source produce from local producers and whose menus change with the seasons. Keep an eye out for the buzzwords ‘slow food’ and ‘0km’, which refer to super local ingredients, cultivated in harmony with the environment and with existing ecosystems. Also consider visiting one of Rome’s many farmers markets to directly get your hands on fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as products like honey, wine and cheese.
Disposable, single-use coffee cups are decidedly not the norm in Italy, but it is possible to find them in some bars and cafes. Shun this modern intruder and get a caffeine fix the traditional way – in a porcelain cup – and avoid contributing to the mountains of plastic that go to landfill in Italy. If you’re making coffee in your TreasureRome apartment, you have the choice to use the moka pot rather than the Nespresso machine – resulting in less plastic waste and, in our opinion, a superior cup. When you’re out and about, refuse single-use plastics such as straws or carrier bags, just like you would back home.
