Rome 1st Time - Wish you'd known, tips, unexpected surprises
 

Hello to "Rome been-there, than that" travelers. As Fodorites, you all are well-researched travelers. But no amount of research beats experiencing the reality. Please share tips, logistics and insights and wish you'd known this or that in your travel to Rome. But only found out the reality of it once you got there. Such as you'd rather have stayed in this area or that. I'm very interested in areas that have easy access to good restaurants, dinner.

I will be in Rome 4 nights next year, 2nd half of May. My last trip to Italy was 5 years ago. in the past, instead of Rome, I visited other Italy destinations such as Venice, Firenze, Liguria, etc.

I'm very interested in time saving tips, how you grouped together the sites you wanted to see. Practical aspects such as if you had problems using a certain credit card brand. I have various Chip/Signature cards that I've been using in France and Spain as recent as 3 months ago with no problems.

I'm interested in the big attractions : Colosseum, Forum, Vatican, etc. and just wandering around the city for 1 day to soak in the Roman atmosphere and seeing Pantheon and various Plazas, Borghese gardens etc. I am very well-traveled. I know the drill. It's just that, it's been a long 5 yrs since my last trip to Italy and I'm sure a lot of things has changed. Yeah, it is time to go back.
I have read 4 books in Rome. But you know that's dry narrative VS your actual tips and insights. Thank you all.

Book the Colosseum and Vatican Museums online at the official sites to save waiting hours in lines.
http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/do
http://www.coopculture.it/en/colosseo-e-shop.cfm

Make sure you take official white taxis and their meters are running. A trip from Termini station to, say, Piazza Navona should cost no more than 10 euro.

Stay central - somewhere around the Pantheon or Piazza Navona - easy walking to the sights including the Colosseum and St. Peter's. If you prefer, Trastevere around Piazza Santa Maria and toward Ponte Sisto is picturesque and charming.

Take a walk around the Jewish Ghetto - it is still relatively undisturbed by tourists and there are some great spots to eat there. The Portico of Octavia is being restored but there is a walkway past it and around the outside of the Theatre of Marcellus with lots of great explanatory signage. A quick walk up the hill from here will bring you to the Capitoline.

Coliseum to the Forum to Trevi Fountain to Pantheon to Piazza Navona to Campo de Fiori (also up to Spanish Steps and Via Veneto) is totally walkable in one long, easy plod (though you won't be the only ones!).

To skirt around these areas after you've walked the center (and away from the hordes) consider renting a bicycle. For me it made it a super easy and convenient trip from Trajan Forum to Colisuem to Circus Maximus, Temple of Apollos Solisano, through the Jewish Ghetto, Isola Tiberina, all around the winding streets through Travastere, up through the park Giancolo with nice views to the city (though uphill to get there) then down to the Vatican and back into town. You'd think traffic would be scary but instead it's a breeze - - even busier streets are so unevenly-wide that there is always room for bikes, and drivers were ultra-respectful. Pictures here starting the middle of the page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dougla...57637640291643

Watch out for scam artists and pickpockets - carry valuables in a secure under your clothing money belt or pouch - not to worry you but if you realize there is a problem and take precautions the problem is no problem for you. Several folks on Fodor's report being pickpocketed - carry nothing valuable in a day pack - even at the Vatican there can be problems in crowded areas.

Here's my blog post on resources for Rome, lots of links and ideas...

http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2014/...urces+for+Rome

Been reading some forum posts about Rome. Some travelers want to be by the Pantheon, Navona area. Yet some would say too noisy, tourist-trap central. This statements give the impression that pantheon and Piazza Navona is like staying by Barcelona's Las Ramblas? or Madrid's Puerta del Sol? Or by Firenze's Duoumo?

What do you think about the area between Margutta to Campo Marzio VS Piazza Navonna?

Thanks for your tips, Blueeyed, Pal, dfour, welltrav.

We just went in July, and stayed in the Piazza Navona. It was the PERFECT location. We did AirBNB and got a really great price for an apartment for 4 days. We could walk everywhere!

We ate at Roscioli in Piazza Navona, which was one of the best meals! Also heard that Armando al Pantheon was great.

Things we'd do differently:
We did SO MANY tours in order to "skip the line" but regretted it. The tours were boring, particularly the colosseum. We requested a night tour that was cancelled at there last minute by City Wonders and they could only rebook us into a night tour 2 hours after our flight landed. That was brutal. I'd buy skip the line passes but wander on my own.

Go see the colosseum at night! We were too tired on our last night and regretted it.

Vatican was absolutely insane, but worth seeing, even if you're not religious.

We loved Rome. We LOVED it. We did a lot of restaurant research so as to avoid tourist traps and it paid off.

You should be ok in May I think, but we had no idea how unbearably hot it would be. We knew, but we didn't KNOW. We were miserable.

The Trevi Fountain was completely under construction which was disappointing - not sure when it is to reopen.

Our BIGGEST do better was trying to fit in and order food the way italians do. IT WAS SO EXPENSIVE. Stick to the pasta as your main course, save some money, and don't waste food. We did that for about a week before we realized how much money and food we were wasting in order to fit in and not offend.

We also struggled with no lunch menus and what to eat at lunch. Find some markets!

Last thing - unless you reaaally love art, I found the Borghese totally boring, especially after days of the colosseum, Vatican museum etc. I would skip it, but we really enjoyed the Borghese gardens.

One more thing - we walked everywhere! The Rome maps were really challenging to navigate so we took a couple of morning cabs, but we eventually got the hang of it. Everywhere was walkable from Piazza Navona.

We did:
Day 1 Colosseum and Roman Forum
Day 2 Vatican and walk back through the shopping streets.
Day 3 Borghese

You could potentially do more than one of these in a day but it would be a lot. Pantheon could be fit in with colosseum or Borghese as it is a short visit and on the way. Vatican should really be its own day - do a morning and then spend the afternoon wandering Rome on your way back home.

Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountains are beside each other, and visiting at night after dinner is enough.

I'm the opposite to Alexandrak. I absolutely loved the Villa Borghese - it was so quiet and intimate compared to places like the Vatican, and the sculptures were unbelievable. Pre-book your visit online for that before you go, or I don't think you'll get in. We also found the underground tour of Basilica San Clemente to be really interesting. We stayed in a hotel near the Pantheon last time, and it was not noisy at all.

My husband and I went to Rome in 1998 with a tour group. I found it to be my least favorite city in Italy, it was chaotic, big and noisy. Many years later, we went on our own to Italy and loved Rome! I think what changed my mind was that I broke down the city into individual neighborhoods and explored them more intimately. It was so much less overwhelming and I could appreciate everything in smaller doses.
I loved the Borghese gallery- was lucky enough to walk up and snag 2 tickets.(probably not the best plan). The statues were amazing. Also loved Trastevere and would like to stay here on my next trip.

We loved Rome. Maybe just expect to get lost and carry a water bottle which you will easily be able to fill over the city. Know that they drive with little to no regard for traffic rules, which to me is quite entertaining.

We spent one night recently at a hotel next to the Pantheon and the noise did not bother us at all. The nice thing was that the piazza was completely empty in the morning while it is packed the rest of the time.

I also loved Borghese Gallery...the detail in the sculptures was incredible.

We used Walks of Italy for small tours a few years ago. I don't like tours but they did a great job start to finish. I think they only take 10-12 people per group.

The sheer history of it all floored us in Rome! I hope you enjoy Rome as much as we did.

You haven't actually said you're interested in art and artifacts, but FWIW we also loved the Galleria Borghese as well as some lesser-known museums. Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, Palazzo Altemps, Ara Pacis.

And archeology sights beyond the usual tourist stops: Domus Aurea near the Colosseo and the Scavi beneath St. Peter's. Both require reservations, through the Vatican for the Scavi.

Interesting history and/or views of the city: Castello Sant'Angelo, Vittorio Emanuelle Monument.

With only 3 days, you'll have to very selective in your sightseeing. We like to stay in the area between Piazza Navona and the Spanish Steps, not too close to either one.

Piazza opposite the pantheon is great for sitting with a drink and watching the world go by in the late afternoon. A couple of cafes and we found one that served little bites with your drink.

Get to the Colosseum early and then head to the forum with a GOOD guide books. This place is the political,cultural and religious center of ancient Rome and there is a huge amount to be learned there. Do be sure you know the basics of Roman history before you go so you are not lost.

I did not like the area around Domus Aurea two weeks ago. There were a lot of young immigrant guys just hanging around various part of this mini park area. I could not see what they were doing. It was around 11 a.m. in the morning.

You asked about the Campo Marzio area. We go to Rome fairly often, have stayed all over, and this is my very favorite area. So yeah, I think it's a good place to stay.

You ask about how to spend your days. Yes, grouping activities is good, but I would not leave an entire day for wandering. Instead, I would build free time in to each day, so that as you come across places or have the time and inclination, you can take a little to wander about. The bit of wander time in a day of sightseeing has really been some of our best times.

I would also suggest, again based on things I've enjoyed tremendously, a visit to someplace off the beaten track. Rome is the most interesting city because of the layers of history and the myriad ways it's been explored and exploited.

The biggest attractions are great, but IMO they don't make the city in the way some others do.

I applaud your choice to do that reading; I do it too. But now take it and make a list of the things that intrigue YOU the most. Add a couple of those things to your itinerary.

I would tell you what mine are, but they may have nothing to do with what you like or desire to experience.

IME, the best way to learn what you didn't know to ask is by consulting a good guidebook.

I don't find guide books all that great - they are still a subjective opinion from someone and how often are they updated? I think by the time the editors source contributors, the contributors do their on the ground (hopefully) research, write it up, it gets edited, goes to the publisher .... and so on.... the information is outdated. I have a Lonely Planet guide book on Naples and the Amalfi Coast that still mentions the Metro del Mare that hasn't run for years.
Guide books are good for timeless information - such as background history on a site and its location.
Try this website for current information on Rome

http://www.buzzinrome.com/

I really enjoyed walking down the via Coronari (you'll see theology students) and the Monti area.

I loved sipping coffee in the Jewish ghetto on a Saturday or Sunday morning. Nice atmosphere.

Trastevere is always delightful.

Rooftop bars with lounge chairs. On a warm evening in a peaceful surrounding, there's nothing that beats that.

Explore. Walk. Let yourself get lost. Rome is so full of surprises.

Taxis are cheap.

Booking on-line: this is the key to seeing the main attractions. The Vatican museum is lovely on Friday nights.

Blueeyedcod: I clicked on your link. It's fantastic. I love the idea of scooterino, the uber of scooters. Thanks for sharing.

Do eat as Romans do, so the menu of the day E13 is a great way to eat, but so are the smaller buffet type places where they queue up.

Do go to the typewriter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altare_della_Patria one of the best sites for a great view of the place, plus the cocktails are not too expensive.

Do walk, but do make sure you footwear is up to it