Rome

Check out a few of the more popular hotels in Rome

trevi

A quick review of travel guidebooks reveals an interesting dichotomy in how Rome is described. On the one hand, you have words like “timeless,” “fascinating,” “magical,” and “romantic” - and on the other you will find “chaotic,” “overwhelming,” “sprawling,” and even “brutal.” How can one city inspire such seemingly polar opposite descriptions? Or are they really opposites? Rome is all of those things and more, an incredible city with a few hard edges. All it takes is a little preparation to tilt your visit more toward the amazing side than the frustrating one.

Italy’s capital city has been an important city - not just for Italy but worldwide - for millennia. Once the epicenter of the vast Roman empire, Rome still contains some of that era’s most important structures as well the historic buildings of the empires that followed. But beyond that, the Eternal City is a bustling and often crazy modern city whose residents live in the shadow of their past without being dwarfed by it. It is precisely this meeting of old and new - with little to no buffer in between - which makes Rome simultaneously enchanting and difficult. It is, however, most people’s port of entry into Italy, as most Italy flights from overseas fly into Rome. It’s helpful to do a little research in advance to ease your time here.

What To Do in Rome
Rome could feel overwhelming, especially if it is your introduction to Italy, so do not feel like you need to “conquer” Rome in your first try, and do not feel like you have failed if you do not fall in love with the city right away. Sometimes Rome needs to grow on people. While there is more than enough to do and see in this enormous city to last the intrepid traveler easily a week or longer, you might want to limit your first visit to a few days to see the highlights and plan a second visit when you do not also have to contend with the shock of the city itself.

For a three-day trip to Rome, the following sights are must-see stops:

Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, Capitol Hill and Colosseum - The stomping grounds of ancient Rome
Vatican City (Vatican Museum and St. Peter’s Basilica) - Catholic Church World Headquarters
Pantheon - The 2nd-century dome that inspired all domes to follow
Spanish Steps - This fantastic staircase is a hopping meeting point at night
Trevi Fountain - Stop grumbling and throw the coin already
Piazza Navona - Shaped like a stadium because it used to be a stadium

Other sights you can add to that list if you have more time, you want to skip something above (shame on you!) or you are not interested in just wandering are the Borghese Gallery, the National Museum of Rome, the Cappuccin Crypt (a personal favorite), the Trastevere neighborhood, Castel Sant’Angelo, the old Jewish ghetto area, the Catacombs and the Capitol Hill Museum. Be sure to read about other things to do in Rome, including some weird sights in the city.

How Much Time to Spend on Each “Must-See” Sight
It is easy - and advisable - to spend a whole day in Vatican City, checking out the acres of treasures in the museums. And really, once you are inside, you do not want to think about leaving early and coming back another day - do you remember that line you just stood in for hours to get where you are? Stay, see what you want to see, and be done with the Vatican Museums once and for all. Oh, and reward yourself with a stop in St. Peter’s afterwards - with no fee and (often) no line, it’s bliss.

The highlights of ancient Rome can be seen in a day, from the Forum, Colosseum and Palatine Hill to the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. A day spent visiting those sights (and the views of the Forum from Capitol Hill) is a day spent walking - a lot. So wear your comfortable shoes, and bring sun protection if your visit is during nice weather. In the Forum especially there is no respite from the heat. Oh, and you will need to save extra cash for a gelato or espresso on Piazza Navona - the prices are exorbitant, but the views are fantastic.

The Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps might be kitschy, but you have to do them anyway. Get in line, stand with your back to the fountain and throw your coin - even if you do not really want to return to Rome by the time you squeeze your way up to throwing distance. (The coins are collected once a week and donated to the Italian Red Cross, so at least there is that.) A visit to the Spanish Steps just might make you want to re-watch “Roman Holiday” again, too, which is never a bad thing.

The bottom line is that although a visit to Rome might not inspire the heartfelt sighs that a view of Tuscan hills or a Venetian gondola ride would inspire, Rome is not a city you can skip when you visit Italy. So, rather than worry about what might happen, plan ahead to make sure that a great visit to Rome does happen.

Buon viaggio!

For a first time visitor to Rome, here are a few survival tips:

The city might feel overwhelming at first, but many of the tourist sights are concentrated in the historic center, so the part of Rome that you will be visiting is considerably smaller than you might think. With a good map, a centrally-located place to sleep and an understanding of the public transit system, you will be able to navigate Rome easily. Be sure to read my Rome Transportation 101 post to understand how to get around without wearing out the soles of your shoes.
July and August might be the peak vacation months in some parts of the world, but in Rome they are hot and humid and many residents abandon the city for the coast. Do not be surprised to find lots of “closed for the holidays” signs up in shop windows around Rome. Of course, this means the city is potentially less crowded for those who do brave the heat!
Like any big city the world over, you are bound to run into higher crime rates in Rome than you might in the Tuscan hill towns, for instance. If you remain aware of your surroundings and cautious about your belongings, especially on the subways, you will be fine.
Many of Italy’s main tourist cities are also cities where people still live and work, but in Rome that is particularly true. The people you pass on the street are not just waiting to give tourists directions to the Colosseum or recommend a good restaurant - they are on their way somewhere, just like you would be walking down the street in your hometown. If you can find a tourist information office or a tourism-related shop, those are the places to stop and ask questions - trying to stop a Roman might put you off the locals altogether. They are not rude, and they are also not delegates of the tourism office.

Rome’s official tourism website is here, and should offer some tidbits of help to you in planning your trip to the Eternal City.