3 days in Rome, what’s a must see and do?
Discussion
Rome is amazing, and there is so much to see and do.
Two recommendations for food if I may.
https://ivoatrastevere.it/ - locals queue round the block to get in and it’s the best pizza we’ve ever had. We’d been told in advance that the waiting staff are somewhat ‘grumpy’ but it’s part of the experience. And it is.
https://www.facebook.com/twosizes - if you’re only going to serve one thing - Tiramisu - in a city such as Rome, you better make damn sure it’s the best in the city. And for my my money it is.
Two recommendations for food if I may.
https://ivoatrastevere.it/ - locals queue round the block to get in and it’s the best pizza we’ve ever had. We’d been told in advance that the waiting staff are somewhat ‘grumpy’ but it’s part of the experience. And it is.
https://www.facebook.com/twosizes - if you’re only going to serve one thing - Tiramisu - in a city such as Rome, you better make damn sure it’s the best in the city. And for my my money it is.
Oooh - one of my favourite cities. Been a few times (used to live in Italy).
Crime - I would not be paranoid unless you are extremely niaeve. Rome never felt dodgey. I never felt Barcelona was either.....
Might be a fab time to do the Vatican. We did it pre-pandemic and it was horrific - the pure numbers of chinese tourists made it unbearable. You were swept along like being in a machine.
Colloseum is fascinating.
Lots of the most interesting ruins are right in the middle. We just wander from one to the next.
The tour bus is superb and fascinating (open top with an audio guide) - well worth doing 1st to get your bearings and decide what you want to see.
Eat - everywhere :-)
Crime - I would not be paranoid unless you are extremely niaeve. Rome never felt dodgey. I never felt Barcelona was either.....
Might be a fab time to do the Vatican. We did it pre-pandemic and it was horrific - the pure numbers of chinese tourists made it unbearable. You were swept along like being in a machine.
Colloseum is fascinating.
Lots of the most interesting ruins are right in the middle. We just wander from one to the next.
The tour bus is superb and fascinating (open top with an audio guide) - well worth doing 1st to get your bearings and decide what you want to see.
Eat - everywhere :-)
Griffith4ever said:
Oooh - one of my favourite cities. Been a few times (used to live in Italy).
Crime - I would not be paranoid unless you are extremely niaeve. Rome never felt dodgey. I never felt Barcelona was either.....
Might be a fab time to do the Vatican. We did it pre-pandemic and it was horrific - the pure numbers of chinese tourists made it unbearable. You were swept along like being in a machine.
Colloseum is fascinating.
Lots of the most interesting ruins are right in the middle. We just wander from one to the next.
The tour bus is superb and fascinating (open top with an audio guide) - well worth doing 1st to get your bearings and decide what you want to see.
Eat - everywhere :-)
Personal experience suggests crime affecting individuals is particularly common in Barcelona, Rome and Lisbon.Crime - I would not be paranoid unless you are extremely niaeve. Rome never felt dodgey. I never felt Barcelona was either.....
Might be a fab time to do the Vatican. We did it pre-pandemic and it was horrific - the pure numbers of chinese tourists made it unbearable. You were swept along like being in a machine.
Colloseum is fascinating.
Lots of the most interesting ruins are right in the middle. We just wander from one to the next.
The tour bus is superb and fascinating (open top with an audio guide) - well worth doing 1st to get your bearings and decide what you want to see.
Eat - everywhere :-)
Vasco said:
Griffith4ever said:
Oooh - one of my favourite cities. Been a few times (used to live in Italy).
Crime - I would not be paranoid unless you are extremely niaeve. Rome never felt dodgey. I never felt Barcelona was either.....
Might be a fab time to do the Vatican. We did it pre-pandemic and it was horrific - the pure numbers of chinese tourists made it unbearable. You were swept along like being in a machine.
Colloseum is fascinating.
Lots of the most interesting ruins are right in the middle. We just wander from one to the next.
The tour bus is superb and fascinating (open top with an audio guide) - well worth doing 1st to get your bearings and decide what you want to see.
Eat - everywhere :-)
Personal experience suggests crime affecting individuals is particularly common in Barcelona, Rome and Lisbon.Crime - I would not be paranoid unless you are extremely niaeve. Rome never felt dodgey. I never felt Barcelona was either.....
Might be a fab time to do the Vatican. We did it pre-pandemic and it was horrific - the pure numbers of chinese tourists made it unbearable. You were swept along like being in a machine.
Colloseum is fascinating.
Lots of the most interesting ruins are right in the middle. We just wander from one to the next.
The tour bus is superb and fascinating (open top with an audio guide) - well worth doing 1st to get your bearings and decide what you want to see.
Eat - everywhere :-)
Have to be honest, not my favourite city. We did Rome for a day as part of a week in Italy and much preferred Venice, Florence and Turin. So many people hassling in Rome compared to those others. Still enjoyed it and as said above, loads to see, but a day was enough for us and we managed to walk miles and see all of the sights (Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Colosseum, Vatican, Pantheon, Roman Forum, Castel Sant'Angelo)
We did 3 days in Rome last month. Fabulous place! Stuff like the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain are all in much the same area, so you can walk from place to place. Taxis aren't too expensive, either.
Some thieving barsteward nicked my specs while we were there.
They were in the case that my (prescription) sunglasses came in and somebody made off with them. Swines. I had to spend the next 24 hours wearing sunnies even at night, I couldn't see a thing!
Suffice it to say - keep an eye on your valuables. My insurance only paid out half of what the specs cost.
Lovely city though. I'd love to go back and see more of it. 3 days didn't really feel like enough.
Some thieving barsteward nicked my specs while we were there.
They were in the case that my (prescription) sunglasses came in and somebody made off with them. Swines. I had to spend the next 24 hours wearing sunnies even at night, I couldn't see a thing! Suffice it to say - keep an eye on your valuables. My insurance only paid out half of what the specs cost.
Lovely city though. I'd love to go back and see more of it. 3 days didn't really feel like enough.
The Maltese ambassador's residence can make for a photo opportunity: look through the keyhole in his garden gate (very polished by generations of tourists), look down the tunnel of trees and there is the dome of St Peter's, perfectly framed
Mind the bird poo scam, especially near the station. Also don't drive a car down Spanish Steps!
Mind the bird poo scam, especially near the station. Also don't drive a car down Spanish Steps!
Magooagain said:
Vasco said:
Griffith4ever said:
Oooh - one of my favourite cities. Been a few times (used to live in Italy).
Crime - I would not be paranoid unless you are extremely niaeve. Rome never felt dodgey. I never felt Barcelona was either.....
Might be a fab time to do the Vatican. We did it pre-pandemic and it was horrific - the pure numbers of chinese tourists made it unbearable. You were swept along like being in a machine.
Colloseum is fascinating.
Lots of the most interesting ruins are right in the middle. We just wander from one to the next.
The tour bus is superb and fascinating (open top with an audio guide) - well worth doing 1st to get your bearings and decide what you want to see.
Eat - everywhere :-)
Personal experience suggests crime affecting individuals is particularly common in Barcelona, Rome and Lisbon.Crime - I would not be paranoid unless you are extremely niaeve. Rome never felt dodgey. I never felt Barcelona was either.....
Might be a fab time to do the Vatican. We did it pre-pandemic and it was horrific - the pure numbers of chinese tourists made it unbearable. You were swept along like being in a machine.
Colloseum is fascinating.
Lots of the most interesting ruins are right in the middle. We just wander from one to the next.
The tour bus is superb and fascinating (open top with an audio guide) - well worth doing 1st to get your bearings and decide what you want to see.
Eat - everywhere :-)
When I returned to somerset my new GF thought it odd I always took my phone with me when going to the loo etc. She's a Devon girl and down there/here you can leave your wallet in teh pub and it'll still be there the next day :-)
If you're open to leaving Rome for the day, do the day-trip to Pompeii. It's very doable - just get on the fast train down to Naples early in the morning (which is a premier s
te-hole so don't even bother leaving the station, unless there's really something you want to leave there. Naples station also feels a bit seedy in parts, so keep an eye on your valuables).
The worst bit of the whole trip is the awful regional train that takes you from Naples to Pompeii and back. It's slow, dilapidated and usually crowded. When my wife and I caught the return leg back in 2019, someone fainted on the train from the heat/crowding and we sat on the tracks for ages ... no fun.
However, it is well worth the extra effort and cost - one of the best day trips I've done in my life and such an interesting place full of history. My wife, who isn't big on history, loved it too. Bring some food/drink with you as there's not much at Pompeii.
In terms of Rome itself, obviously the Colosseum is a must-see, but having been a few times now I would say the Forum that is basically next door is actually much more interesting, and less of a tourist trap.
I guess it's worth going to the Trevi fountain to do the mandatory coin-over-the-shoulder shot, but it's crowded and a bit underwhelming.
Vatican City is worth visiting although the times I've been it's always crowded. We joined a paid tour which got us expedited access and then ditched it as soon as we could, which seemed to work well.
The Pantheon is a superb piece of engineering and well worth seeing.
Otherwise we found just walking around and taking the time to explore little side streets etc was some of the most fun. We stayed about a 20 min walk from the Colosseum (in an interesting old converted monastery) and it was lovely just taking the time to explore the area, pop into shops etc and actually spend less time near the main tourist traps.
Re: safety, we never felt unsafe in an 'I'm about to get my arse kicked' sense (I'd rather walk around downtown Rome at night than downtown Auckland, where random crime is less pickpocketing and more having your face caved in these days). However, you do need to be alert for pickpockets and the usual tourist scams, e.g. people trying to thrust items on you and claim you owe them. I'm sure the less touristy parts of town could feel a whole lot worse.
I reckon if you make yourself a difficult target, it goes a long way. For example I carried our wallets, phones, camera etc in a backpack, which had a combination padlock on the zippers and a front buckle so it couldn't be pulled off my shoulders. Assume anyone who looks down-on-their luck or a bit dodgy is a scammer or pickpocket and avoid them like the plague.
te-hole so don't even bother leaving the station, unless there's really something you want to leave there. Naples station also feels a bit seedy in parts, so keep an eye on your valuables).The worst bit of the whole trip is the awful regional train that takes you from Naples to Pompeii and back. It's slow, dilapidated and usually crowded. When my wife and I caught the return leg back in 2019, someone fainted on the train from the heat/crowding and we sat on the tracks for ages ... no fun.
However, it is well worth the extra effort and cost - one of the best day trips I've done in my life and such an interesting place full of history. My wife, who isn't big on history, loved it too. Bring some food/drink with you as there's not much at Pompeii.
In terms of Rome itself, obviously the Colosseum is a must-see, but having been a few times now I would say the Forum that is basically next door is actually much more interesting, and less of a tourist trap.
I guess it's worth going to the Trevi fountain to do the mandatory coin-over-the-shoulder shot, but it's crowded and a bit underwhelming.
Vatican City is worth visiting although the times I've been it's always crowded. We joined a paid tour which got us expedited access and then ditched it as soon as we could, which seemed to work well.
The Pantheon is a superb piece of engineering and well worth seeing.
Otherwise we found just walking around and taking the time to explore little side streets etc was some of the most fun. We stayed about a 20 min walk from the Colosseum (in an interesting old converted monastery) and it was lovely just taking the time to explore the area, pop into shops etc and actually spend less time near the main tourist traps.
Re: safety, we never felt unsafe in an 'I'm about to get my arse kicked' sense (I'd rather walk around downtown Rome at night than downtown Auckland, where random crime is less pickpocketing and more having your face caved in these days). However, you do need to be alert for pickpockets and the usual tourist scams, e.g. people trying to thrust items on you and claim you owe them. I'm sure the less touristy parts of town could feel a whole lot worse.
I reckon if you make yourself a difficult target, it goes a long way. For example I carried our wallets, phones, camera etc in a backpack, which had a combination padlock on the zippers and a front buckle so it couldn't be pulled off my shoulders. Assume anyone who looks down-on-their luck or a bit dodgy is a scammer or pickpocket and avoid them like the plague.
People are obsessed with petty crime it’s boring. My family are from Italy.
Rome is no different to any other capital city, just keep your valuables close to you. You wouldn’t leave your valuables open in Stratford but nobody goes on and on about it when visiting London.
My top tip is to eat well away from any plaza if you want to avoid the tourist tax on iffy authentic food.
And if you grab a bus round town make sure you validate your ticket even if it seems pointless. The police will look for tourists who haven’t
Rome is no different to any other capital city, just keep your valuables close to you. You wouldn’t leave your valuables open in Stratford but nobody goes on and on about it when visiting London.
My top tip is to eat well away from any plaza if you want to avoid the tourist tax on iffy authentic food.
And if you grab a bus round town make sure you validate your ticket even if it seems pointless. The police will look for tourists who haven’t
People are obsessed with petty crime it’s boring. My family are from Italy.
Rome is no different to any other capital city, just keep your valuables close to you. You wouldn’t leave your valuables open in Stratford but nobody goes on and on about it when visiting London.
My top tip is to eat well away from any plaza if you want to avoid the tourist tax on iffy authentic food.
And if you grab a bus round town make sure you validate your ticket even if it seems pointless. The police will look for tourists who haven’t
Rome is no different to any other capital city, just keep your valuables close to you. You wouldn’t leave your valuables open in Stratford but nobody goes on and on about it when visiting London.
My top tip is to eat well away from any plaza if you want to avoid the tourist tax on iffy authentic food.
And if you grab a bus round town make sure you validate your ticket even if it seems pointless. The police will look for tourists who haven’t
I’d happily recommend a Segway tour of the main sights - bit of a whistle stop tour but if you do it early on in your trip, you can go back and visit places you like the look of at your leisure later.
Remember that Rome is built on 7 (I think) hills, so a Segway is a good way to get around.
November might bot be the best time to do it though?
Remember that Rome is built on 7 (I think) hills, so a Segway is a good way to get around.
November might bot be the best time to do it though?
Literally just back from 3 days in Rome with the wife and our first visit.
Positives were....
Leonardo express from airport to Rome Termini. 14 Euros, 30 minutes and very smooth and effortless.
Locals were all friendly, restaurant staff and bus drivers all happy to help.
Colosseum was great, pre booked tickets and all went smoothly. fascinating building and took time to walk round the inside at various levels as well as round the outside as well.
Tickets got us into the Roman Forum and Palatine as well where we spent most of the afternoon just mooching around.
The Pantheon. Thought it was just another old building but wow, inside is spectacular and we sat down for ages inside just looking around. Just incredible!
Piazza Navona, 10 minutes from the Pantheon. Bite to eat watching the world go by.
Piazza Venezia and the Altare della Patria. Stunning building and free to walk around and inside.
Vatican. A must see apart from the negatives below...
Food and gelato etc. Anywhere and everywhere. Didn't find anywhere we didn't like!
And for me, just walking the little side streets and coming round a corner and seeing an amazing little church or beautiful building was great. Don't forget to look up!!
Laughing at the parking! if there is a space between 2 cars there will be a scooter there! Def lots of parking by touch! Ton's of Renault Twizys and Citroen Ami's!
Negatives....
Trevi Fountain. Totally underwhelming and so so busy at any time of day.
Spanish steps. Again, underwhelming really.
Vatican. Between walking from the river to the Vatican itself, say half a mile we were approached by about 30 street traders trying to sell fast track tickets to the tour. Would literally say no to one and turn around and another guy. Some of them were very insistent and actually pissed me off somewhat.
General street traders everywhere! Bracelets, shawls, paper birds, roses these guys are everywhere. Even sitting having lunch they keep coming up trying to sell the same crap.
Overall a cracking few days and def recommend it to anyone.
Positives were....
Leonardo express from airport to Rome Termini. 14 Euros, 30 minutes and very smooth and effortless.
Locals were all friendly, restaurant staff and bus drivers all happy to help.
Colosseum was great, pre booked tickets and all went smoothly. fascinating building and took time to walk round the inside at various levels as well as round the outside as well.
Tickets got us into the Roman Forum and Palatine as well where we spent most of the afternoon just mooching around.
The Pantheon. Thought it was just another old building but wow, inside is spectacular and we sat down for ages inside just looking around. Just incredible!
Piazza Navona, 10 minutes from the Pantheon. Bite to eat watching the world go by.
Piazza Venezia and the Altare della Patria. Stunning building and free to walk around and inside.
Vatican. A must see apart from the negatives below...
Food and gelato etc. Anywhere and everywhere. Didn't find anywhere we didn't like!
And for me, just walking the little side streets and coming round a corner and seeing an amazing little church or beautiful building was great. Don't forget to look up!!
Laughing at the parking! if there is a space between 2 cars there will be a scooter there! Def lots of parking by touch! Ton's of Renault Twizys and Citroen Ami's!
Negatives....
Trevi Fountain. Totally underwhelming and so so busy at any time of day.
Spanish steps. Again, underwhelming really.
Vatican. Between walking from the river to the Vatican itself, say half a mile we were approached by about 30 street traders trying to sell fast track tickets to the tour. Would literally say no to one and turn around and another guy. Some of them were very insistent and actually pissed me off somewhat.
General street traders everywhere! Bracelets, shawls, paper birds, roses these guys are everywhere. Even sitting having lunch they keep coming up trying to sell the same crap.
Overall a cracking few days and def recommend it to anyone.
All the usual tourist spots already mentioned.
However I'd highly recommend The Basilica di San Clemente al Laterano
It's a series of church's built on top of each other.
So when you go down it's like a series of architectural digs, due to the ground levels being built up over the centuries.
However I'd highly recommend The Basilica di San Clemente al Laterano
It's a series of church's built on top of each other.
So when you go down it's like a series of architectural digs, due to the ground levels being built up over the centuries.
Gassing Station | Holidays & Travel | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff