Rome for a week - 1st time do's/don'ts

[Patio]

Going to Rome for a week next month with Mrs and daughter and its our first time

We've seen an omnia Rome & Vatican pass that comes out at about £350 for a 3 day pass with discounts on entrance fees and open top bus....anyone used it?

Obvs want to get to coliseum, Vatican city etc

Any other hints?

Thanks

[Puggit]

Book online for the big attractions to avoid queues on the day.

Water fountains are spread everywhere in the older parts of the city. Take a water bottle and top up from them.

You can walk to so many places.

Eating/drinking in piazzas costs a lot more than doing it in back streets.

[TO73074E]

If you go to the Colosseum do try and go as early as you can in the day. It's not as busy or hot. Also DO NOT buy any bottled water from the people selling it on the street. We were told they basically keep the bottles down in the sewers to keep them cold.

I think we went on a Sunday so the big wide road next to the Roman Forum (Via dei Fiori Imperiali) was closed to traffic making it easier to walk to Vittoriano. The Pantheon is also stunning as was the Trevi Fountain. Problem being we visited there last and it was absolutely packed so only stayed for two minutes.

[Antony Moxey]

Patio said:

We've seen an omnia Rome & Vatican pass that comes out at about £350 for a 3 day pass with discounts on entrance fees and open top bus....anyone used it?

Yes, over two days saved us about eight hours in queueing (the queue for the Vatican looked, literally, miles long) so in effect we got a day for free. Those passes also, or at least they used to, come with unlimited hop on hop off bus travel too.

[0a]

Don’t jump into one of the cabs the airport who then claim they take cash only and your 50 euro note magically becomes a 20…

Never again!

[Freakuk]

As daft as it sounds sitting outside a nice cafe looking at some of the big tourist attractions sipping a coffee/coke will cost you and arm and a leg when there's usually a Maccy D's next door without the tourist tax.

Be prepared for lots of walking, comfy footwear is a must, it'll be hot and busy, go early, really early to see the free the sights, Trevi fountain will be rammed and any photos will be full of tourists.

[Mashwort]

Have been fortunate to visit Rome a few times, last time with our son when he was 7. Couple of ideas / thoughts:
- get a guide for the Vatican - saves on the queue and having someone to show you around, explain things etc was really good. Have visited before and just wondered around, much better with the guide and we found one who specialised in family tours, she was awesome with our son and really engaged him (and us)
- walking tour worked really well, worth doing at the start of the trip so you can get you bearings (find Rome pretty compact and walked every where) and also get tips on places to eat etc. Again the guide was great with our son and showed us a few things not on the usual tourist route
- on top of the usual must sees, I'd recommend the Capuchin Crypt (maybe google it first...)
- not sure on the age of your daughter but a Gladiator experience was great fun and our son loved it. Little cheesy but something a bit different to do
- cookery course - if we are staying a little longer somewhere we try and do this each trip and always have a great time, engage with locals more than you otherwise would etc

[DeejRC]

Roma in July - are you nuts?
Secure, zipped money pouches around your body, under clothing.

I would say are you the usual ignorant tourists, or do any of you actually know what you are looking at? If the usual, then get the passes and do the masses.

[Patio]

DeejRC said:

Roma in July - are you nuts?
Secure, zipped money pouches around your body, under clothing.

I would say are you the usual ignorant tourists, or do any of you actually know what you are looking at? If the usual, then get the passes and do the masses.

v

Not sure what a "usual ignorant tourist" is tbh

We'll do our research and plan to see as many of the main places of interest as we can

We've travelled quite abit but it's a 1st time for Rome for us, hence asking for tips

Thanks for your contribution

[James P]

Patio said:

Going to Rome for a week next month with Mrs and daughter and its our first time

We've seen an omnia Rome & Vatican pass that comes out at about £350 for a 3 day pass with discounts on entrance fees and open top bus....anyone used it?

Obvs want to get to coliseum, Vatican city etc

Any other hints?

Thanks

£350 seems pricey as website is saying €134 for 3 days. Probably worth deciding which places you want to visit then deciding whether it’s decent value. I’d recommend booking a guided Vatican tour and then picking a bus tour (there are several rail operators and routes so you can decide on the day).

There’s a decant bar on top of the Castel sant Angelo.

Avoid Antico Caffe Greco- they charge separately for the tonic to put in your gin so it’s a €35 hit.

[DeejRC]

Patio said:

DeejRC said:

Roma in July - are you nuts?
Secure, zipped money pouches around your body, under clothing.

I would say are you the usual ignorant tourists, or do any of you actually know what you are looking at? If the usual, then get the passes and do the masses.

v

Not sure what a "usual ignorant tourist" is tbh

We'll do our research and plan to see as many of the main places of interest as we can

We've travelled quite abit but it's a 1st time for Rome for us, hence asking for tips

Thanks for your contribution

Then get the passes and do the masses, but you will be fleeced.

[the-norseman]

Pick pockets everywhere as above has said keep your stuff close.

[superpp]

go up the St. Peters dome above the vatican, was our favourite as a family
https://theromanguy.com/italy-travel-blog/vatican-...

[Griffith4ever]

the-norseman said:

Pick pockets everywhere as above has said keep your stuff close.

Seriously - the same stuff comes out on Barcelona posts. Just don't walk around with stuff poking out of your back pocket. I do wonder how some of you enjoy your time in hotspot cities.

Rome is fabulous. Just wander round and enjoy it. The Colloseum is interesting, but in the grand scheme of Rome, don't obsess over it. You will be wall to wall history. It's all too much to take in. Relax, enjoy, eat, drink, repeat.

[Patio]

Griffith4ever said:

the-norseman said:

Pick pockets everywhere as above has said keep your stuff close.

Seriously - the same stuff comes out on Barcelona posts. Just don't walk around with stuff poking out of your back pocket. I do wonder how some of you enjoy your time in hotspot cities.

Rome is fabulous. Just wander round and enjoy it. The Colloseum is interesting, but in the grand scheme of Rome, don't obsess over it. You will be wall to wall history. It's all too much to take in. Relax, enjoy, eat, drink, repeat.

Cheers

Guided tour of colosseum booked and plan on seeing as much as poss

Done a few City breaks and surprisingly managed to make it through wallet intact

[CardinalBlue]

When a restaurant sells one thing, and one thing only (in two sizes) and still can have massive queue, you know it’s going to be good - and it is https://www.facebook.com/share/1ApiygcdyL/?mibexti...

The best pizza I’ve ever had - https://ivoatrastevere.it/ - we are told it’s where the locals go.

One piece of advice I was given… when walking along just pop into a random church you are passing - chances are it’ll be stunning inside (if you like that sort of thing)

[ThingsBehindTheSun]

It's going to he damn hot. The water bottle seller's are everywhere, not sure if the sewer story is true, but I would not buy from them personally. We were staying in an airb&b so I used to freeze bottles of water every night.

I personally found the Vatican tour boring after a while, there are only so many paintings and sculptures you can look at. Our tour guide didn't have the best English which made them hard to understand and again I lost interest trying after a while.

Usual tourist tax on any food and drink you buy in tourist areas.

Watch out for people trying to put wrist bands or the finger traps on you and expecting you to give you money. Just ignore anyone who tries to talk to you in the street, they want money.

If you have been to any major touristy city in Europe you will know the score, watch for pickpockets and everyone will try and pursuade you to come into their restaurant.

We bought tickets with a tour guide for the coleseum online and didn't have to queue, I belive the queues if you just rock up are mental.

Edited by ThingsBehindTheSun on Thursday 12th June 00:23

[CardinalBlue]

ThingsBehindTheSun said:

I personally found the Vatican tour boring after a while, there are only so many paintings and sculptures you can look at. Our tour guide didn't have the best English which made them hard to understand and again I lost interest trying after a while.

Edited by ThingsBehindTheSun on Thursday 12th June 00:23

On this bit, we did the audio tour for that reason. See something that takes your interest, then press the number on your headset and listen about it. Worked well for us

[the-norseman]

Griffith4ever said:

Seriously - the same stuff comes out on Barcelona posts. Just don't walk around with stuff poking out of your back pocket. I do wonder how some of you enjoy your time in hotspot cities.

I dont have an issue but I generally dont go to the tourist sections of Rome, Bars around the stadium for me.

I also speak Italian and enough Romanian to scare them off.

[Alex Z]

The Roma pass or Omnia Pass (which adds the Vatican) are good value and bypass queues.

Take a day trip to Pompeii which you can do on normal public transport. Fast train to Naples then a local train is more comfortable than a coach trip and cheaper if you book in advance.