Rome

Why go

In Rome the past is underfoot. The Pantheon, finished around AD 125, still holds the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world, and you pass it on the way to coffee. Churches stand on the foundations of temples, Piazza Navona keeps the outline of Domitian's stadium, and the Vatican, a separate state, holds Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling.

Rome's four great pastas, carbonara, cacio e pepe, amatriciana and gricia, are short lists of ingredients done exactly right. Spring brings whole artichokes fried in the Jewish Ghetto. Supplì and pizza al taglio make lunch on the move cheap, and trattorias that have barely changed their menus in decades are still full of Romans.

The sights sit close together, so you can take Rome slowly. Late-afternoon light turns the facades ochre and orange, and the evening passeggiata and aperitivo give every day a second act.

Rome also asks more of visitors than it used to. The Colosseum sells named, timed tickets. The Trevi Fountain has charged €2 for access to the basin since February 2026, and the Pantheon now costs €7. Sitting on the Spanish Steps can earn you a fine. Plan the big three, the Colosseum, the Vatican and the Borghese, and leave the rest of the trip loose.

The lay of the land

The historic centre fills a bend in the Tiber and is still largely enclosed by the Aurelian Walls, built in the third century. That line matters more than you would think: Fiumicino's €55 fixed taxi fare covers any address inside it.

On the river's east bank, the Centro Storico packs the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Campo de' Fiori into the old Campus Martius. The white marble Vittoriano on Piazza Venezia is the landmark to steer by. From there, Via dei Fori Imperiali runs southeast past the imperial forums to the Colosseum, with the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill alongside.

North of Piazza Venezia, Via del Corso runs dead straight to Piazza del Popolo. The Spanish Steps and the designer streets of the Tridente lie to its east, with the Villa Borghese park on the hill above. East of the Forum, Monti climbs towards Termini, the main station, in the Esquilino district. South of the ancient core rise the Aventine Hill and the old slaughterhouse quarter of Testaccio.

Across the river, Trastevere spreads below the Gianicolo hill. Vatican City, the world's smallest state, sits to the northwest beside the orderly grid of Prati.

When to go

Spring and autumn are best. In April, May and October average highs sit at roughly 19–22°C, and late September is still warm. These are also the busiest months, so book rooms and tickets early.

Summer is hard work. The official 1991–2020 normals for Ciampino show average highs of 31°C in July and 32°C in August, and the stone city holds the heat. Sightsee early and late, rest in the middle of the day, and refill your bottle at the street fountains. Around Ferragosto on 15 August, many family businesses close.

Winter is cooler, wetter and cheaper. November is the wettest month, with about 108 mm of rain. From 25 October 2026 to 28 February 2027 the Colosseum closes at 4:30pm, so start early.

Dates worth planning around:

• Easter falls on 28 March 2027, when crowds pack St Peter's Square for papal ceremonies and hotel prices climb.
• Natale di Roma, the city's birthday on 21 April, is marked with historical parades.
• Festa della Repubblica on 2 June brings a military parade on Via dei Fori Imperiali and free entry at state sites, including the Colosseum.
• The feast of Saints Peter and Paul on 29 June is Rome's own public holiday.
• The Rome Film Fest brings premieres and screenings to the Auditorium Parco della Musica in October.
• On the first Sunday of every month, entry is free at state sites such as the Colosseum, the Pantheon and Villa d'Este. You cannot book the free Colosseum entry, so queues are long.

What it costs

Eating out is fair value away from the big piazzas and transit is cheap, so hotels are the big cost: a 3-star double typically runs €130–200 a night before tax. Tickets add up too. The Colosseum is €18 (€24 for the Full Experience), the Vatican Museums €25 booked online, the Borghese €18 with its booking fee, the Pantheon €7 and the Trevi basin €2.

Romans save in small, constant ways. They drink coffee standing at the counter, where an espresso costs €1.20–1.50; sitting down costs more. They buy pizza al taglio by weight and supplì for a couple of euros, and drink from the nasoni, the free street fountains. Most churches, every piazza, the Aventine keyhole and the Gianicolo terrace cost nothing at all.

The bill can surprise you in other ways. A coperto, the cover charge for bread and table, is legal if it is on the menu. Restaurants serve bottled water by default. Tourist-zone terraces near the Pantheon and Piazza Navona can charge double what you would pay two streets away.

Getting there and around

Most flights land at Fiumicino (FCO), on the coast west of the city. The Leonardo Express runs non-stop to Termini in 32 minutes for €14. The slower FL1 regional train (€8) is better for Trastevere, Ostiense or Tiburtina. Licensed white taxis charge a fixed €55 to any address inside the Aurelian Walls; use the official rank and ignore anyone who approaches you in arrivals.

Ciampino (CIA), southeast of the city, handles mainly budget airlines. Coaches run to Termini from about €6.50 and take around 40 minutes, and the fixed taxi fare to the centre is €40.

Termini is also the rail hub. High-speed trains reach Naples in about 1 hour 10 minutes and Florence in about 1 hour 30, which makes both possible day trips.

In town, walk. Most of the big sights are within half an hour of each other on foot, and walking is how you find the side streets. The metro's three lines skirt the historic centre, so buses and trams fill the gaps. A BIT ticket (€1.50) covers 100 minutes on buses and trams plus a single metro ride. Passes cost €8.50 for 24 hours, €15 for 48 and €22 for 72. Easier still, tap a contactless card or phone at the metro gates and on bus and tram validators, using ATAC's Tap&Go. If you use paper tickets, validate them, or risk an on-the-spot fine.

Licensed taxis are white with a TAXI sign on the roof. Take them from ranks or book by app or phone. Transport strikes are announced in advance, so check before an airport run. Do not drive in the centre: camera-enforced ZTL zones fine unauthorised cars automatically.

Where to stay

The Centro Storico puts the Pantheon, Navona and Campo de' Fiori outside your door, at the highest prices in the city. Hotel Raphaël, the ivy-covered hotel beside Piazza Navona, has a rooftop terrace with a view across the domes.

Monti suits a first visit: wine bars and small shops a short walk from both the Colosseum and Termini, with a metro stop at Cavour.

Trastevere is the loudest base, especially on weekends. It has no metro, but tram 8 runs to the centre. Hotel Santa Maria keeps its rooms around a quiet courtyard nearby.

Prati, beside the Vatican, is calm, safe-feeling and on metro Line A. It suits families and anyone planning several Vatican visits.

The Tridente, around the Spanish Steps and Piazza del Popolo, is luxury territory. Hotel de Russie has a terraced garden that climbs towards the Pincio.

Esquilino and Termini are the budget base, with the best transport links in Rome. The Beehive, a long-running small hostel and guesthouse, is a few minutes from the station; Hotel Artemide on nearby Via Nazionale is a solid four-star. The streets right around Termini feel rough late at night, so pick your block with care.

Avoid saving money by staying far out unless you are on a metro line. In summer, confirm the air conditioning. If you rent an apartment, a legal short let shows its national CIN registration code in the listing.

What to do

The Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine come on one ticket. The €18 version is valid for 24 hours and includes one timed entry to the Colosseum. The €24 Full Experience adds the arena floor or the underground. Give the Palatine Hill time: its palace ruins and umbrella pines are the calmest part of the site.

The Vatican Museums open Monday to Saturday from 8am to 8pm, with last entry at 6pm. Tickets cost €20, or €25 booked online, which is the only sensible way to go. The route is long and ends in the Sistine Chapel, where photography is not allowed. Next door, St Peter's Basilica is free, though the security queue can be long. Inside are Michelangelo's Pietà and Bernini's bronze canopy. The dome climb costs €17 by stairs or €22 with the lift for the first stretch. Cover your shoulders and knees for both.

The Pantheon (€7, free for under-18s and on the first Sunday of the month) is best early or late, when the light falls through the oculus without a tour group under it. The Galleria Borghese (€16 plus a €2 booking fee) holds Bernini's most famous sculptures and a run of Caravaggio paintings, with numbers capped per timed slot.

At the Trevi Fountain, the €2 ticket for the basin applies from 9am to 10pm, starting at 11:30am on Mondays and Fridays. Early mornings are the calmest time.

Save an evening for Trastevere: see the mosaics of Santa Maria in Trastevere, eat, then climb the Gianicolo for the view over the city's domes. On the Aventine, peer through the Knights of Malta keyhole for a framed view of St Peter's dome, then watch the sunset from the Orange Garden.

Two day trips stand out. Ostia Antica, Rome's ancient port, is half an hour away by the Roma–Lido train from Porta San Paolo, beside Piramide metro, on a standard ticket. Its streets, baths and apartment blocks (€18, valid for eight days across the park's sites) are usually far calmer than the Forum. Tivoli is about an hour by train from Tiburtina. Villa d'Este's Renaissance water gardens cost €15, and the VILLÆ pass (€30 for 72 hours) adds Hadrian's Villa on the plain below.

Eat and drink

Romans start the day with a cornetto and a cappuccino at the counter, eat lunch from about 1pm, take an aperitivo from around 7pm and sit down to dinner at 8:30pm or later.

The four great pastas anchor every menu. Salumeria Roscioli on Via dei Giubbonari and Armando al Pantheon, a family trattoria since 1961, are benchmarks for carbonara. Felice a Testaccio has served cacio e pepe since 1936. In the Jewish Ghetto, Giggetto al Portico d'Ottavia has fried carciofi alla giudia since 1923, and artichokes are best in spring. In Testaccio, Checchino dal 1887 keeps the quinto quarto tradition alive with coda alla vaccinara, oxtail braised with tomato and celery.

Rome also eats well on the move. Antico Forno Roscioli on Via dei Chiavari sells pizza bianca from early morning, Pizzarium on Via della Meloria near the Vatican does pizza al taglio by weight, and Supplizio on Via dei Banchi Vecchi specialises in supplì. For something sweet, Pasticceria Regoli in Esquilino has filled maritozzi with whipped cream since 1916, and Giolitti, near the Pantheon, has scooped gelato since 1900.

The Mercato di Testaccio is the market to visit. It opens Monday to Saturday from morning to mid-afternoon, with street-food stalls among the butchers and greengrocers. Campo de' Fiori's market now leans heavily towards souvenirs.

A few customs help. A coperto on the menu is normal. Tipping is not expected, though rounding up is appreciated. Romans drink cappuccino in the morning, but nobody will refuse to make you one at 4pm.

Practicalities

Money. Cards work almost everywhere, though small bars and market stalls may prefer cash. Canada warns that card skimming is common in tourist areas, so use ATMs inside banks and shield your PIN. Always pay in euros when a card machine offers to convert.

Data. EU SIM cards roam at no extra cost. Tourist eSIMs start at about $4 for 1 GB.

Water and power. Tap water is safe and good, and the nasoni run all day. Sockets take Type C, F and L plugs at 230 V; a Type C adapter fits most of them.

Safety. Watch for bag snatchers on scooters, distraction thefts on buses and around Termini, and drink spiking in nightlife areas. Call 112 in an emergency. Licensed taxis are white with a roof sign.

Rules and etiquette. Cover your shoulders and knees in churches. Rome fines people for sitting on the Spanish Steps, eating on monuments and paddling in fountains.

LGBTQ+. Italy has recognised same-sex civil unions since 2016 but not marriage. Rome is relaxed in the centre, Rome Pride takes place in June, and the bars on Via di San Giovanni in Laterano near the Colosseum are a long-standing hub.

Accessibility. Cobbles, steps and broken pavements make Rome hard going with a wheelchair or pram. Step-free access on the metro is patchy, so check lifts before you rely on them.

Phrases. Buongiorno (good morning). Per favore (please). Grazie (thank you). Permesso (excuse me, to get past). Il conto, per favore (the bill, please).

What nobody tells you

The Trevi Fountain is a scrum for most of the day. The €2 ticket controls numbers at the basin, but the piazza around it is packed. Go early in the morning, or accept that you will see it over a sea of phones.

The free last-Sunday entry at the Vatican Museums is rarely worth it. The queue can take hours, and the galleries are shoulder to shoulder when you get in. Pay the €25 on another day.

In summer, the Forum and the Palatine have little shade, and the stone holds the warmth well into the evening. Carry water, refill at the nasoni and go back to your room after lunch.

Touts work every famous corner. Men tie "friendship" bracelets on your wrist and then ask for money. Costumed centurions near the Colosseum charge for photos. Ticket sellers outside the Colosseum and the Vatican offer "skip-the-line" entry at inflated prices. Say no and keep walking.

Restaurants with touts, picture menus and a view of a famous fountain are almost never good. Walk two streets away before you sit down, and check your bill.

Bus 64 between Termini and the Vatican is notorious for pickpockets, and the area right around Termini feels rough late at night.

Rome is loud. Scooters buzz through the night, Trastevere's bars spill out until late, and rubbish collection is noisy. Pack earplugs.

Things close. Many shops and restaurants shut around Ferragosto, and strikes can disrupt the metro and buses for a day.

And allow time at Fiumicino on the way out. EES exit checks for non-EU travellers can make the passport queues slow.