Adjust your expectations and do as the Romans do.
If you’re visiting Italy, you ought to adjust your expectations about time and efficiency. As an American living in Rome, I learned quite quickly that when tending to bureaucratic matters or going to the post office, it’s best to bring something to read and settle in for a long wait.
And if you want to check out a specific shop or museum or go to a bar or restaurant, it’s a good idea to look up their opening hours before going.
Nowadays, most chains and large commercial stores stay open all day, but independent boutiques still typically close for lunch (usually from around 1 p.m. until 3 or 3:30 p.m.). Ditto for public offices, including the post office. Restaurants typically open for lunch around noon and close the kitchen between lunch and dinner, so if you’re hoping to get a meal between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., your best bet is to grab a sandwich or a slice of pizza al taglio at a bar or bakery.
Likewise, many offices and shops are closed all day on Sundays. Most museums are closed on Mondays. Many restaurants close one day a week, but the day varies. Google Maps usually has opening hours posted, but they’re not always accurate or up-to-date, especially when it comes to national holidays.
In Rome, appointments—whether with a doctor, hairdresser or sometimes even tour guides—rarely start on time. At social gatherings, it’s expected that people will arrive fashionably late. As Melbourne-born, Rome-based writer Maria Pasquale wrote in her book How to Be Italian, “I learned very early on that arrivo (I’m on my way) can mean anything from, ‘I’ve parked and am two minutes away,’ to ‘I haven’t even left the house yet.'”
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The Roman approach to time can be a bit frustrating if you’re used to things running on schedule, but actually, it’s not necessarily a bad way to live. When I lived in New York City, I was always rushing around, speed-walking from one place to the next, and constantly feeling a bit frazzled. Here in Rome, things are more laid back. If I text a friend to tell them I’m running ten or fifteen minutes late, the response is always something like, “Relax, take your time.” Often, I’m still the first to arrive.
This mentality has certain advantages. Generally speaking, it’s considered better to take your time and do the task at hand correctly instead of rushing through it and making mistakes. Perhaps because Rome is such an ancient city that has survived so much hardship, Romans understand the importance of being present and not always rushing toward the future. After all, where do you think the phrase carpe diem came from?
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With very few exceptions, you’ll never be rushed out of a restaurant here because they need a table for another group. When you finish your meal, the waiter won’t bring you the bill until you ask for it. To do so would be considered rude as if they’re trying to get rid of you. As I explained to a couple of American friends who I was having dinner with recently, the table I booked for us at 8 p.m. was ours until closing if we wanted to stay until then. And in fact, by the time we stood up to leave and I looked at my phone, it was already 11 p.m. That’s why it’s so important to make reservations at restaurants here—because after people sit down to eat, there’s no telling when that table will be free again. After all, dining out in Rome isn’t just about the food—it’s also about socializing and enjoying each other’s company.
Romans have perfected the art of il dolce far niente (the sweetness of doing nothing). Because how are you supposed to enjoy yourself if you’re hurrying from one thing to the next? Embrace it. After all, what’s the rush anyway? You’re in Rome!
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