29 rome Specific Travel tips, My Experience, not chat gpt.
Rome is a complicated city. There is so much to do and see but the size of the city can be overwhelming to many at first. Having to deal with the metro, trains, busses and taxis can be a challenge even for the experienced traveler. Before heading to Rome it is important do a little preparation in advance to make sure you have a great experience. You will need to decide how may days to dedicate to Rome, where to stay including location and accommodations, what sites to see, where to eat, budget and so on. I have put together 29 (Started out as 10) travel tips from lessons learned while living in Rome and not from chat GPT.
1 Choosing a location
My advise is simple. Choose a location that will allow you to walk to most of the major sites. Rome tends to not have enough public restrooms so make it easy on yourself to get the your hotel or Airbnb, It is no fun to have to bus or metro ride to start and end everyday. But it is fun to take a walk in the morning or evening and just stumble upon many of Rome’s sites. Heading out to get a gelato and just happen to walk past the Pantheon is prety awesome. I have recently completed a video of what I feel the best location for your visit in Rome. I am in the process of making a video new video shows the pluses and minuses of many locations in Rome that I will have out soon.
2 Pickpockets
Italy is filled with wonderful people but there are some who want to take advantage of you. Pickpockets do happen so pay special attention when you are in crowded area, especially crowded areas with many tourists such as all the major sites and especially on the Metro and at the train station.
3 Do not take luggage on busses or metro.
If you have luggage it is strongly recommended to take a taxi. A taxi is way more convenient, can take usually up to 4 people, and the cost is very reasonable. A taxi to or from from your hotel to the train will cost 8 to 12 euros. This way you will avoid pickpockets, and reduce your stress.
4. The Vatican
If you plan to visit the Vatican church get here at 7:50 am and get in line. The Vatican opens at 8am. If you show up just before it opens you will get right in with minimal lines. As the morning goes on the line will rapidly increase, It is not uncommon to stand in line for 2 or more hours that could be avoided by getting there early. Added bonus! If you want to climb to the top of the vatican dome get in line about 8:45. The roof top opens up at 9am. You have limited time in Rome so avoid the lines whenever possible.
5. Bathrooms
If you are out and about and need to use a bathroom you will soon learn public bathrooms are far and few between. The best option is the visit a restaurant or bar and ask to use the bathroom. It is best to order some food and they will be much more accommodating. One rule I do is whenever we eat out we always visit the restroom and that seem to solve the problem of needing to make an emergency stop.
6. Colosseum
They sell out so be sure to get tickets online in advance, Your tickets are good for 24 hours after entry. If you get there late and did not get enough time you can return in the morning on the same ticket. With you colosseum ticket you also get entry into the Roman Forum. Im my opinion it is as interesting as the colosseum if not more. While in the forum be sure to walk up the Palentine hill. It offers the best overlook in all of Rome and is one of the seven hills of Rome.
7. Taxi
Taxis in Rome are affordable and generally easy to find. Only take official Rome taxis. Yes there are unofficial taxis that will charge 2 to 3 or more times the cost of an official taxi. There are there to make a quick buck. Real taxi are lined up at the official pickup locations. Another way to spot them is to look on the doors of the taxi. All official taxis have a flat rate to the airport advertisement on the exterior door. A GREAT taxi app to have on your phone is the “Free Now” app. It makes getting a taxi in Rome even easier. In Rome it can be hard to wave down a taxi so if you are not near a taxi station just use the app and a taxi will be on its way to get you. This really is a great app!
8. Bars in Italy
Bars in Italy are not like the bars in the states. A bar in Italy is were most Italians get their morning coffee or fresh squeezed juice, and breakfast pastry. They also sell alcohol but that is just one of many things they offer. Here is where it get a little tricky. If you order at the counter and drink or eat your food at the counter like most Italians do, the price is lower. If you sit down at a table the price is higher. The pricing is not clearly marked for each, Somtimes the seat is worth the extra money. The good news is they do not expect you to vacate the seat quickly like in the states, You can take your time and enjoy the atmosphere.
9. Car Rentals
In most cases I would not recommend a rental car within the city of Rome. Rome drivers are very aggressive but he real problem is the parking. Parking can be a nightmare. One time over 10 years ago I could not find parking in Florence so I parked at the train station over night. When I went to check out the in the morning the cost was over 50 US dollars. Parking sucks. There are parking garages in most cities that you can park in overnight for a more reasonable fee but years ago I did not know about them and if I did I had no GPS to find them. Today it is much easier.
10. Italians are Friendly
Don’t be afraid to ask Italians for help even in English. Most Italians know enough english to help and most want to help and most are friendly. The French have a reputation to not be very helpful, Italians on the other hand tend to be very helpful, animated but helpful.
11. Eating out
When eating out the price of the food typically includes the tip. Some restaurants do add a cover charge for each person. If you want to tip above and beyond you can but it is not expected. Also when eating at a restaurant it is common to spend 2 to 3 hours unjoying a meal so no need to rush. When you are ready to leave and pay you will likely need to ask for the check. They usually do not bring it out to you until you ask for it. It is also a good adea to check trip advisor or Google reviews before entring. Some restaurants, bars and even gelato store are scams with way overpriced items with low quality
12. Busses
Bus tickets are good for 100 minutes once you validate it on the buss. If you do not validate your ticket in advance, and they decide to check passengers for tickets, if your ticket is not validated, you will be fined. The cost is around 100 euros. You will not be able to talk your way out of the ticket. No excuse will work so be sure to use the validation machine on the bus. From my experience most of the time nobody check but about 5 to 10 percent of the time they do, so you can only ride for free for so long before you are caught.
13 Avoid scams
If people try to give or put things in your hands like flowers or beads or anything else, it is a scam. If they want you to sign a petition it is a scam, if people try to help you at the station when no help was asked for it is a scam. If someone offers to take your picture with someone in costume it is a scam.
14 Power charger
It is a good idea to purchase a couple of power charges before getting to Italy to power your phones. You will see power chargers for sale on the streets of Italy but most are not very reliable. It is best to purchase in the stated before getting to Italy.
15. The Umbrella
As soon as it starts to sprinkle in Rome within seconds people will come up to you and have an umbrella for you to purchase. This cost is usually 5 euros but these are very cheep umbrellas and will only last about 1 day. Kinda a single use umbrella. If you are there during the rainy season it is best to bring your own or you can purchase a higher quality one from a local shop. Hopefully that one will last a bit longer.
16. Avoiding Crowds
Even in peak tourist season early mornings until about 10:30am crowds in the streets can be very mild. It is amazing by 11 the streets can be packed with people. Get up and out of bed and enjoy the mornings outdoors in Rome. You will be glad you did! Also later in the evenings crowds tend to be lighter.
17. Tired of walking?
Take advantage of electric scooters and bikes that are scattered around. They are lots of fun and can get you to your next stop fairly quickly. Not sure how safe but fun for sure!
18 Ordering Coffee
If you order a Cafe, you are ordering an espresso by default. You typically only order a cappuccino in the morning but they will serve you one even in the afternoon or evening if requested. If you want a coffee like in the states ask for a Cafe Americano.
19. Water
Water is available everywhere. Water is either naturale (natural) of gassata (carbinated) However the best water in Rome is FREE. Rome has over 2500 drinking fountain known as “Nasone” big noses. Rome’s free water is clean, fresh and tastes great!
20 cash, Debit, or credit cards
Most places take debit and credit card and do not mark up for the exchange rate. It is nice to have cash for street venders or small purchases but cards work 90% of the time.
21. On a budget?
Avoid restaurants and eat more street food. buy drinks, snacks other food items from a grocery store and not a convenience store. It will save you about 50%. Eat lots of pizza, it’s cheep. Don’t pay for skip the line tickets, just get there just before it opens, Do not sit down for you coffee, drink it at the counter. Do not pay for water, drink from one of Rome’s 2500 drinking fountains.
22. Shopping
There are 3 types of shopping in Italy. Super high end shopping, average person shopping and bargain shopping. If you are looking for super high end shopping the best can be found near the Spanish Steps along Via dei Condotti. Some the best every or average person shopping check out the shopping along Via del Corso as it heads towards Piazza del Popolo. That is a real fun street to shop on with nice atmosphere. For bargains Rome is filled with thrift shops and open markets. The Sunday open market in Trastevere. The Porta Portese market opens very early and closes at 2pm. There are almost 1000 venders and sell just about everything at bargain prices. In places like these it is common the negotiate if you think the price is too high or you just want the see how low you can get it for. Part of the fun.
23. Fiumincino Airport
Only take the train (Leonardo Express) from the airport if you are catching a train out of Rome to another city. The Leonardo Express costs about 16 euro per person, it is direct and takes about 35 minutes. If you are staying in Rome it is best to take a taxi. The taxi is a flat rate of 50 euros to just about anywhere in the city and that is for up to 4 people. It is much easier and you will not have to take your luggage onto the Rome transit system. If you are coming in from Rome’s other airport same rule applies, take a taxi.
24. Pizza
You are in Rome and you will likely want to try some pizza. There are 4 types of Pizza in Rome. taglio, pensa, Napolitan and Roma round. While most people are most familiar with Napolitan style which you can find in Rome but do not assume all pizza in Rome is Napolitan., Romes most popular pizza style is taglio. It is a dish pizza that is cut into squares where you typically order 2 or 3 flavors. If you eat a pizza in Rome at a restaurant that is round like the Napoliton but has very this crust, that is the Roman equivalent to the Napoliton. In my opinion it is not close to being as good to a traditional Napolitan pizza. If your pizza is in an oval shape that will be the pensa pizza. I think the crust is kinda tasteless but some people love it. They way it is made it is supposed to be easier to digest. When I am in Rome I usually only eat the taglio style as it one of my favorites. I love the variety, the crunch and the freshness of Rome’s taglio pizza. When I visit Naples I eat the Napolitan style, my overall favorite pizza in the world!
25. How Many Days Should You Spend in Rome?
On your first visit to Italy I think 3 night is perfect. On your arrival day you may only have the late afternoon and evening. on 2nd and 3rd days you will have the full day. After the 3rd night you can see one last site the next morning before departing. You may have early checkout but your hotel may be able to hold your bags for awhile while you check out 1 more site.
26. Day Trips From Rome
If you are spending several days in Rome you should consider 1 of several day trips from Rome. My 3 favorite are Napoli, Spoleto and Tivoli. All 3 are about 1 hour train ride from Rome. all are great!
27. The Metro
Metro tickets are the same tickets as buss tickets. The tickets are good for 1 time in the metro. If you come up out of the metro you will need another ticket to get back to the metro. If you use the ticket for the bus, it is good for 100 minutes from validation. You validate the ticket in the small machine on the bus.
28. Book hotel Early and Save
This is especially important in peak season and on weekends. If you book early you can usually find reasonable prices. Last minute bookings can be 2 to 3 times the rate had you booked early. Last time that happened to me I ended up heading to Naples for a week as I refused to pay $500 a night for the cheapest hotel. I found a nice one in Naples for under $100 a night. If you need to stay near Rome and are having a hard time finding a reasonable prices hotel the Frascati or Tivoli. They both have trains for just a few euros to get to Rome center. Towns are also worth seeing.
29. Rome’s best nightlife
Without doubt the best nightlife in Rome across the Tiber river in Trastevere. The evening are great hear with lots of great restaurants, bars and boutique shops to visit. Many of the streets are free of cars making it much nicer to walk around. Trastevere is also known for some of Rome’s best dinning option, and most are at reasonable prices catering to more Romans than tourists.
So far I am to 29, I think I am done!
oops, 1 more.
30. Gelato
Getting gelato in Rome is nothing new and to be honest there are so many great choices it is near impossible to say who has thebest gelato. Romans know how to make gelato! I have 2 tips here. Tip 1 Know the price before you order. there are a few that gelato shops that exist just to rip off tourist charging well above the going rate for gelato. It does not happen often so do not worry too much. It is a good idea to check the online reviews before ordering. Tip 2. Get the cream on top of your gelato. It is included for free but many time you have to ask for it. It is less sweet then the cream in the states but SO good on gelato. In Italian is is called “panna.” So do not forget to ask for panna when you order gelato.
The End.