Our Favorite Things to Do in Rome: A Complete Guide

Exactly What to Do in Rome: A Complete Guide

We’re basically going to get straight into it here, because we have a lot to say in this extremely long, detailed guide. 

There’s something for everyone in Rome, from foodies to history lovers and everything in between, and we’re here to give you the menu of options for planning your own trip. 

Below, you’ll find a blend of the must-see sights, like the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Vatican, and there are some less obvious things, like a DIY Centro Storico food crawl and a walk up to our favorite view in Rome. 

Below the list, you’ll find a handy interactive map with all of our favorite spots in Rome plotted out for you, along with a couple of important logistics like how to get around and where to stay. 

Step into History at the Colosseum and Roman Forum

I’ve been inside the Colosseum on five different occasions over the past 15 years or so, and it never gets old. 

The Colosseum and Roman Forum, which are smack dab in the center of Rome, are the distillation of Rome’s history on display in plain sight. 

There is, perhaps, no better example of that phenomenon of history in plain sight than the combination of the Colosseum and Roman Forum, which are part of the same complex and are best visited together (we think). 

In many ways, this archaeological complex was the beating heart of Ancient Rome, acting as the political, economic, and cultural center of an empire that sprawled across thousands of miles and most of Europe at one point. 

Coming from an American perspective – particularly being from the west coast, where our cities are MAYBE 200 years old – the depth of history and culture that exists within this little complex is mind boggling. 

Thousands and thousands of years old, some of the structures have been repaired, sure, but the fact that anything at all is standing here after millennia brings the grandeur and impressiveness of the Roman empire into full focus. 

It’s most likely that the Colosseum, after some expansions and renovations over the years, could fit somewhere between 40,000 and 50,000 spectators, though you’ll still hear numbers as high as 80,000 thrown around which most historians agree is a little aggressive. 

Another misconception about the Colosseum that is mostly perpetuated by media like movies and TV shows is that the gladiatorial games were brutal, bloody, and murderous.

That’s true to an extent, but our guide reminded us that, at the end of the day, the gladiators were highly skilled professionals AND they were the property of rich people who most definitely didn’t want their assets killed. 

It’s more likely that the gladiatorial battles were similar to modern-day boxing matches than the bloodbaths you’ve seen Russell Crowe participate in. 

While the Colosseum gets more modern fanfare, we’d argue that the Forum is actually the more important piece of the complex from a historical perspective. 

Today, with a few exceptions, the Roman Forum is mostly in ruins, but in Rome’s heyday this was the center of the action, from intense debates in the Roman Senate, to markets where goods from across the vast empire were traded. 

Before or after your visit, there’s an excellent view of the Roman Forum from OUTSIDE the boundaries located here.

We also think that, if you’re going to do a guided tour of an attraction in Rome, it should be the Colosseum and Forum. 

Why, you ask?

As we already mentioned, this was the political and economic center of Rome.

Now, if you want to visit independently, we have an entire separate guide dedicated to planning your visit to the Colosseum (and Forum), which covers everything from how to get tickets (step by step), navigating the buggy official website, and more. 

I’m often a huge proponent of investing in the audio guide at museums and attractions because it’s a good middle ground between a guided tour and just wandering around. 

For the Colosseum and Roman Forum, I’d turn to the free Rick Steves guide, which is pretty good (especially for the price of free – you need to download the app in advance so you can have offline access to the guide). 

Marvel at the Vatican Museums’ Collection (& the Sistine Chapel)

The Vatican Museums contain a whopping 20,000 pieces of art, making it one of the most impressive collections in the world, and your visit culminates with the legendary Sistine Chapel, where the ceiling bears the famous work of Michelangelo. 

Think about the wealth and power that it takes to accumulate or commission all of this fantastic (and expensive) artwork and architecture (but don’t think too hard about it, because it gets kind of dark). 

I’ve seen the Sistine Chapel three times now, and each time I am completely spellbound by the storytelling and detail that has gone into every single aspect of the Sistine Chapel, particularly the Last Judgement that covers the wall above the altar. 

And, yes, the first thing you need to know here is that the Sistine Chapel is inside the Vatican Museums, and is covered by the same entry ticket.

It’s also worth noting that it is the last thing you’ll see, saving the best for last, because of the way the museum is laid out. 

You’ll go through the entire collection before ending at the Sistine Chapel, and we think this is a good way to organize your visit (though it does mean it will be relatively crowded in the Chapel when you arrive there). 

Some people like to make a beeline for the Sistine Chapel so that they’re first inside, but this means you’ll be doing a lot of “hurry up and wait” – the Sistine Chapel doesn’t open at the same time as the broader complex (and it’s kind of murky when exactly it does open), so you’ll likely run to the entrance and then stand there. 

Instead, we prefer having fewer crowds in the museums before you arrive at the Chapel because in the Chapel everyone is looking up, and thus there is nobody blocking your view (unlike if you’re trying to see a sculpture and read the information on the panel next to it). 

If you’re visiting independently, you need to book your tickets in advance. Of the attractions at the Vatican (the museums and the Basilica), The Vatican Museums are the only tickets you need to book in advance, and they are extremely competitive and will sell out.

Buy tickets for the Vatican Museums here – toggle the site to English with the language selector in the top right.

For far more information and all the details, including how to get tickets (and what tickets to get), entry procedures for both the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica, and more, head over and read our guide to visiting the Vatican in Rome.

Step Inside Stunning Saint Peter’s Basilica

I had a little bit of a revelation on this latest trip to Rome about the value of the Basilica di San Pietro and its incredible opulence. 

I had been to the basilica several times (three or four, I can’t remember which) before, but as I was standing there admiring the altar, I realized that, though I’m not religious, the beauty of the basilica kind of made me want to be Catholic. 

And that, my friends, is part of the reason why St. Peter’s Basilica was built; to project the immense wealth and power of the Catholic Church, which has played an important role in politics on the Italian peninsula and throughout Europe for more than 1,000 years at this point. 

Divorcing the religion and politics from the art, the basilica is a masterpiece. 

The current basilica was built over the course of the 16th and 17th Centuries on the site of an old Roman basilica (that was not nearly as grand as this version). 

It’s the largest church in the world by interior area – a superlative that they have gone great lengths to preserve by making sure no other Catholic church surpasses it – which is in part thanks to the soaring ceilings. 

There are a few pieces of the basilica that we think you absolutely should not miss on your visit: Michelangelo’s Pietà (which is on your right as you enter through the front doors) depicting Jesus and Mary, which is a masterpiece, the high altar, and the view from the dome.

Until recently (during Jubilee), it was completely free to enter the basilica (and every other basilica in Rome).

The good news is that it is still free to enter, though you will have to wait in the (sometimes long) security lines, which tend to move pretty quickly. 

They recently introduced an option where you can book in advance and pay €7 to, essentially, skip most of the security line, which you can book through the official website. 

That security line can be long, but in my experience, it does move fairly quickly.

I’d only consider doing that if your visit is going to fall midday (and especially on a weekend) when the lines can take an hour or more. 

On my last trip to Rome, we arrived at the entrance for St. Peter’s Basilica at about 6:45am on a weekday in March and there was already a somewhat hefty line formed at the gates, which was mostly made up of big groups.

Still, it moved quickly and we were inside the basilica by 7:20am or so. 

If you’re interested in climbing the dome, which we’d recommend, that part opens at 7:30am and tickets are available onsite (no need to book them in advance). 

Both attractions, in our experience, are much more pleasant first thing in the morning, when it’s cooler and the crowds are thinner. 

You do not need to book tickets for the interior of St. Peter’s Basilica in advance, and the tickets for the dome can be purchased onsite. 

Climb to the Top of Saint Peter’s Basilica for an Excellent View

On my latest trip to Rome, one of the few things I wanted to do that was new to me was to climb the Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica. 

Prior to that visit, I had been to St. Peter’s Basilica several times, but I had never embarked on the 500+ step climb up to the top of the tallest dome in the city (in the country?). 

One of the aspects of the climb that I enjoyed most is the short walkway that takes you along the interior of the dome, giving you a nice view of the frescoes from up close. 

If you are claustrophobic or afraid of heights, I would say that there are a couple of points – a narrow staircase and passageway and the climb along the interior of the dome – that will be a bit troublesome. 

Generally speaking, the passageways to get to the domes of these churches were not necessarily built with the idea of hundreds of tourists an hour using them, so they can be a little cramped. 

There is an option to skip about 200 of the stairs by using an elevator, which costs an extra couple of Euros per person.

You still have to do a majority of the climbing, so it doesn’t necessarily work if you’re unable to climb any stairs, but it does get you to the path along the inside of the dome. 

From the top, you have a 360-degree view of the surrounding area, including some fabulous views of the city and Piazza San Pietro from above, and of the Vatican’s gardens. 

It costs €8 (taking the elevator instead of the stairs is another €2, but you should know that you’re only cutting out about half of the stairs on the climb) and you’ll have to wait in another line within the complex to access it. 

While you technically can now book in advance, it’s not worth booking in advance because it’s twice the price and includes skipping the line and the audio guide, which you don’t need (especially if you’re here when they open). 

To skip the lines for the ticket office of the dome and have a better experience, we’d actually head there first right at the opening of the basilica so that you get to be one of the first groups up.

Then come back down and visit the rest of the church (where you will not have to deal with a line, and there’s plenty of space for everyone). 

Dive Deeper into Rome’s (Excellent) Food Culture

Diving into the food culture in places we’re visiting is one of our favorite aspects of traveling, and we try to include a food tour, cooking class, or market tour in most places we visit. 

The food of a place tells you so much about the culture, history, and influences that have shaped it, and exploring a city through its food scene is a unique perspective that a lot of people don’t even consider.

If you are really interested in going deeper on food culture in Rome, we would highly recommend booking a guided food tour while you’re in town.

Unfortunately for us, the reality is that because Matt has Celiac Disease and can’t have even a speck of gluten without being sick for days, a food tour or cooking class wasn’t in the cards for us in Rome. 

However, we recently did one up in San Sebastián in Spain (less gluten involved there!) that was one of the highlights of our entire recent three week Spain trip.

HOWEVER. That does NOT mean it shouldn’t be for you!

We’d highly recommend it because it gives you a local’s perspective on the city’s food scene – what and where to eat and drink – and you get to connect with fellow travelers and try some amazing food.

We like Devour, who are in many ways the O.G. of this style of food tour in Europe, and their sister company (Walks of Italy) is our favorite tour company in Italy (we’ve done 5+ tours with them across Italy over the past few years, as we’ve already covered above). 

That food tour up in San Sebastián was with Devour, and it was arguably the highlight of the entire trip. 

We got to try a bunch of the local specialties, learn about WHY those foods ended up here, and how they fit into the bigger cultural landscape (which is what I would expect here). 

Following that positive experience, my mom and her siblings visited Madrid and Sevilla a few months later and did a Devour food tour in each city that they also enjoyed. 

Devour has a couple of tours in Rome that we’d consider, one that focuses on Trastevere and another that focuses on Testaccio, a less-visited neighborhood south of the Colosseum known for its culinary history. 

The evening Trastevere tour would be a great way to dive deeper into Trastevere, one of our favorite neighborhoods in Rome, and eat your way through four hours (with plenty of wine to wash down the meats, cheeses, pastas, and street food). 

The lunchtime Testaccio tour is a cool way to explore a neighborhood that most people completely skip, and also get to eat your way through Testaccio Market with a local guide who knows exactly what to eat and where to eat it. 

The other tour we wanted to mention is Kate’s “Eat Like a Roman” tour that takes you on a small group culinary journey through Trastevere around lunchtime. 

The number of reviews and the stellar ratings is what first put this last tour on my radar, and I’ve had it on my “send a friend or family member” list for years, but haven’t found anyone to take me up on it just yet. Needless to say, it looks great!

Take an Early Morning Stroll through the Centro Storico

There is nothing more charming or atmospheric in Rome than walking through the historic center. 

However, that charm and atmosphere can be a little overwhelming in the afternoon and evening, when the narrow corridors snaking their way between the sights in the Centro Storico are crowded with people. 

Instead, we’d highly recommend taking a walk through the Centro Storico (here’s a map!) early in the morning – before 9am if you can – when you’ll largely have it to yourself. 

You’ll start from Campo de’ Fiori, a historic square with a flower market (don’t buy souvenirs here – they’re overpriced and generally low quality), wander through the narrow alleys of Rome’s historic center, and end at the north end of the neighborhood near Villa Borghese, where you’ll be treated to an excellent view of the Vatican. 

Campo de’ Fiori

This historic square, at the southwestern end of the neighborhood just a few blocks from the Tiber, has roots in Ancient Rome.

That’s where it gets its name – “field of flowers” – which refers to the fact that this used to be open space before the expansion of Rome swallowed it up. 

Today, this square has two sides. In the morning, you’ll find a bustling market with flowers, fruits and vegetables, and the kind of over-priced, mass-produced souvenirs that you’ll find at every other shop in Rome. 

In the evening, it turns into an outdoor club, basically.

The restaurants and bars on the square bring outdoor tables onto the square, and it’s generally full of people eating and drinking their way through the evening (complete with plenty of “untz untz” music). 

It’s a nice place to start a morning walk.

If you’re looking for coffee nearby, either stop in at one of the many bakeries and cafes for an espresso at the bar, or detour a few blocks over to Barnum for specialty coffee. 

Piazza Navona

Piazza Navona is probably our favorite of the stops on this walk through the city center. It’s a huge, oval-shaped open space with a ton to see.

The shape comes from the fact that the square exists on the site of an old stadium used for chariot racing (which explains the oval shape), and it became the place it is today in the 15th Century (which explains the architectural style you’ll find here). 

You’ll be approaching from the south if you’re coming from Campo de’ Fiori, so we’ll start there. 

At the southern end of the square, there’s a fountain – the Fountain of Moro – with some scantily-clad, well-muscled men frolicking in the water.

At the northern end is the Fountain of Neptune, which is another excuse to have a bunch of muscled half-naked men in the water, I guess. 

In the center is an obelisk – the Obelisk of Domitian – and just to the right there’s a massive church – Sant’Agnese – that looms over the square. 

Most importantly, there’s a Grom gelato location at the northern end of the square that serves our favorite gelato in Rome (plus, everything is gluten free, including the cones, which Matt loves). Is it ever too early for gelato?

The Pantheon

Continue your journey, turning east from Piazza Navona to make your way a few short blocks to the Pantheon. 

The Pantheon is a huge former Roman temple that was built in the second century C.E. (though a temple existed before that on the same site before it burned down), which makes it one of the oldest standing buildings in Rome. 

In the 6th Century, it became a Catholic church, and as a result of their care it is one of the more intact buildings from Ancient Rome.  

Going inside used to be free, and the only price you had to pay was waiting in line for somewhere between 15 minutes and two hours, depending on the day and time. 

Now, they’ve introduced an entry fee to pay for maintenance and upkeep, and you can book tickets in advance. ONLY BOOK THROUGH THE OFFICIAL SITE. Tickets are released on the 1st of the month for the rest of the month.  

You can also buy tickets onsite, but the lines are long. If that’s the route you go, show up when the ticket office opens and pay in cash (they have separate lines for cash and credit, and the card line is WAY longer). 

If you do go inside, we think the intricate (and huge) dome and the skylight are the coolest parts, bringing some of that sweet Mediterranean sun into the cool darkness of the Pantheon’s interior. 

For a traditional coffee experience head over to nearby Tazza d’Oro (here on Google Maps)  and order an espresso at the bar, which is a must-do experience for coffee lovers in Rome. 

Don’t sit down (it’s very expensive)! Order from the cashier at the front, take your receipt to the bar, and show it to the (gruff) barista. It’s cheaper and a more unique experience that way, we think. 

Trevi Fountain

Continue the journey east to the most beautiful and the most crowded sight in the Historic Center, the Trevi Fountain.

Everyone who comes to Rome comes to Trevi to either a) throw a coin in or b) get the perfect picture in front of the fountain.

As a result, this area and the surrounding few blocks is a veritable zoo at all hours, even at 8:30am in March or October (the months when we’ve visited on our last three trips to Rome).

It’s a classic landmark, sure, but there are so, so many people.

So many that they have recently instituted a ticketing system for the very front row of the viewing area during peak hours (9am to 10pm, most days). Which is why you should go first thing in the morning! 

The fountain was built in the 18th Century out of Travertine stone, which, if you do a guided tour of the Colosseum and Forum, you’ll learn all about.

It’s a limestone (not a marble) that comes from quarries to the east near Tivoli (it also exists in Yellowstone National Park, I just learned), and was used for just about everything in Ancient Rome because it was relatively easy to get it to Rome.

It’s used in just about every famous structure in Rome, from St. Peter’s Basilica to the Colosseum, and pretty much everything else.

Piazza di Spagna (the Spanish Steps)

From here, your walk turns almost due north to make your way to the last stop on this grand tour, Piazza di Spagna. Or, as you might know it, the Spanish Steps. 

At the base of the steps, you’ll find a baroque fountain – Fontana della Barcaccia – which depicts a longboat in the center (the name translates to “fountain of the longboat”), which is an excellent foreground subject for the steps behind it.

Originally, there was supposed to be a statue of Louis XIV here, but it never came to be. 

Walk up the stairs, making sure to turn around and admire the view.

If you’re up for a little more walking and want an even better view, head along the path in Villa Medici over to Terrazza del Pincio (here on Google Maps) for an excellent view of the Vatican, with Piazza del Popolo in the foreground.

Eat Your Way through the Historic Center

On our first trip together to Rome a few years ago, our initial impression of the food in Rome’s historic center was simply “don’t.” 

If you’ve traveled to any city that sees a bunch of tourists, like San Francisco or New York City, then you know that the area immediately surrounding a tourist attraction is generally where you’ll find the worst food. 

Both in terms of value (it’s going to be expensive) and food quality (the location means they don’t have to care as much about quality). 

Rome is not terribly different in that respect. If you walk to Trevi Fountain or the Pantheon, you’ll walk past all sorts of restaurants with pictures on the menu (usually a bad sign, but not always) and hosts trying to get your attention as you walk by (universally a bad sign).

Our first advice is to skip those places. 

However, over multiple trips back to Rome over the past few years (roughly once a year – we love Rome!), we’ve learned that, yes, there is some terrible food in the historic center, but there are also some gems that have been recommended to us by tour guides and locals we’ve talked to. 

If you know where to look, there are a bunch of really good spots where you can get one of the best versions of Rome’s culinary classics just a few steps away from the city’s most famous monuments. 

That’s what we want to talk about in this section: what to eat and where to eat it in Rome’s historic center. 

These are places we’ve personally been to and can vouch for (Matt has Celiac Disease, so usually he’s “forcing” Alysha or another travel companion like his mom to try things for him).

I’m sure there are plenty of other good spots, but these are our picks. 

Cacio della Campagna Romana: An excellent little shop a few blocks south of Camp de’ Fiori selling local cheese and meats. I stumbled upon this place on a walk one day around lunchtime and stopped to listen to the proprietor talking about what makes pecorino Romano special.

I ended up chatting with him for a bit, and he might be the most friendly cheesemonger of all time.

I walked away with some local cheeses to enjoy on our apartment’s rooftop terrace, which were selected after trying samples of nearly every cheese in the case on the cheesemonger’s insistence.  

Forno Campo de’ Fiori: A bakery on the northwestern end of Campo de’ Fiori that has been running for almost 150 years (!!).

A good example of finding great food as long as you know where to look, go here for the pizza al taglio.

They have a bunch of other baked goods, sweet and savory, but the pizza is the reason you’re here.

Supplizio: Supplì are Rome’s version of croquettes or arancini (though they’re fervently adamant that the correct word for them is “supplì” and that they’re different).

Basically, it’s a ball of filling wrapped in rice and deep fried. Amatriciana was the fan favorite between my mom and uncle, but you should also try the carbonara. 

Roscoli (x2): Roscoli is a well-known name in Rome’s culinary scene, and they have two locations on the southern tip of the center that do completely different things, but are both worth a visit.

First is Antico Forno Roscoli, which is known for their pizza slices and is one of the most popular spots in the city to get them. Go in the afternoon (2-3pm) to get the pizza without a line.

Second is Roscioli Salumeria, which is their sit down restaurant a half block down the street. Go for the Roman pastas, and book weeks in advance to get a table. 

Fatamorgana: On my recent super scientific gluten free gelato shootout where I tried two different gelatos (pistachio + wildcard, across two visits) at a range of dedicated gluten free gelato shops around Rome, Fatamorgana was my top pick.

They have a location on the southern end of the Centro Storico (here on Google Maps) that we’ve been known to frequent approximately once a day when we’re in Rome. 

Traditional Coffee: Look, I’m a big coffee nerd, and spend 10 minutes every morning brewing a pour over coffee to start my day. I prefer fruity and floral light roast coffees.

However, I also do enjoy a good old fashioned strong, bitter espresso shot at the bar when I’m in Italy.

Is it the best quality coffee? Probably not. But I like it more for the ritual and people watching than the taste.

The two spots in the Centro Storico that I’d go are Tazza d’Oro near the Pantheon (here on Google Maps), which is a no-frills, espresso or cappuccino at the bar (you’ll pay more to sit at a table) situation, and Sant’ Eustachio Caffè (here on Google Maps), which you go to for the “la nostra specialita”, which is a frothy shot of espresso with an opaque process to make it (you want it at the bar, and you want it with sugar). 

Specialty Coffee: If, like me, you prefer your coffee on the more modern end of the spectrum, with fruit-forward flavor profiles and a lighter roast, go to either Barnum near Campo de’ Fiori (here on Google Maps) or Slow Specialty Coffee a few blocks south of the Pantheon (here on Google Maps).

Both of them have a nice selection of roasters, mostly from Italy (and a couple from Rome itself). 

Enoteca Il Piccolo: My first ever experience here involved sitting down on their bustling little street side patio, telling the older gentleman (who I later learned was the owner) serving us what we wanted in broken Italian, and being completely unsure whether he understood only to be served two delightful glasses of wine that perfectly matched our requests.

That’s the kind of place it is – they have some bottles open, and you tell the server what you want and they’ll do their best to match you with a glass.

It has been here since 1980, and I go every time I’m in Rome.

Last time, I showed up in a AS Roma jersey only to be heckled by the proprietor – the older gentleman I previously mentioned – who I learned is a Lazio fan (ew). 

Explore Rome’s Other Cool Neighborhoods 

While Rome’s historic center is, in fact, lovely, it’s absolutely not the only neighborhood you should spend time exploring while you’re in Rome. 

We like to build our itinerary by choosing a main attraction for the day and then spending the rest of our time wandering neighborhoods, grabbing coffee, shopping (mostly for food items), and getting a little bit lost. 

Here are our three favorite places in Rome to do just that. 

Trastevere: Maximum Charm (with Crowds)

Trastevere is, without a doubt, our favorite neighborhood in Rome. Both to stay – it leads the list of neighborhoods in our guide to where to stay in Rome – and to visit (specifically to eat and drink in the afternoon and evening). 

Trastevere sits on a mini peninsula that juts out into the Tiber River near Isola Tiberina, just across the river to the southwest from the historic center.

It has all of the charm of the historic center, with uneven cobblestone streets (watch your ankles!) and buildings in every shade of orangish-brown you can possibly imagine, but a fraction of the crowds. 

You may have guessed that there’s a “but” coming, and it’s the result of the huge year-over-year increases in tourism that Rome has consistently seen over the last five or so years. 

Trastevere is still a place we love, BUT we do think there are now some caveats to that statement that you need to keep in mind. 

Trastevere has become the second most popular neighborhood with visitors in Rome, and it shows when you walk the streets between about noon and 10pm, when the narrow cobblestone streets that we found so charming are packed wall-to-wall with tourists (which admittedly does make them significantly less charming). 

On one hand, there’s a really nice energy that comes with people milling about the streets as the sun goes down, but it’s certainly not the “off the beaten path hidden gem” that it once was. 

All that said, the number of visitors who make it to Trastevere is a small fraction of the visitors you’ll find, say, in the piazza outside the Pantheon (though the fraction seems to grow every time I find myself in Rome). 

I first set foot in Trastevere 15 years ago on my second trip to Rome (see, I didn’t make it to Trastevere on that first trip) when I was on a guys trip with two friends, and we shared a studio apartment (with no hot water, in true Roman fashion) on a quiet street in Trastevere. 

Since that trip, when I knew next to nothing about Rome, Italy, or really anything useful for my future self, I make it a point to return to Trastevere on every trip because it is the most charming slice of Rome, at least to me. 

Trastevere very much comes alive at dusk, when the restaurants are full of people dining al fresco and the bars are standing room only, with people spilling out into the streets. 

However, while that’s when it’s most popular, I actually kind of prefer Trastevere in the morning, when the ratio of visitors to residents is tilted in the favor of residents, and the Mercato di San Cosimato (here on Google Maps – worth visiting for some people watching!) is in full swing. 

Here are some of our favorites, in no particular order. 

Enoteca Cuverie: My favorite wine bar in Trastevere, tucked away in the quieter part of the neighborhood (the southern half tends to see fewer visitors because it’s further from the Centro Storico). Nice wines, with a focus on local wines made in Lazio, and small plates (think meats and cheeses) to enjoy them with. 

Les Vignerons: A nice little wine and beer shop in a residential corner of Trastevere where I had a long conversation about gluten free beer labeling laws in the E.U. in half English, half broken Italian (I did get to the answer, though!).

They have a great selection of both beer and wine, along with a surprisingly good selection of cider (which is rare in Italy, I’ve found). 

Fatamorgana: On a recent trip to Rome, my goal was to try every single gluten free gelato spot in Rome twice to decide which is my favorite (so I could give a more informed decision and prioritization) and this was my top pick.

The flavors are more food-forward than other places, but the quality is up there with the best of them (and everything is gluten free). They have a location in Trastevere, along with a bunch of others around the city. 

Supplì Roma: Famous fried rice balls are called supplì (NOT arancini, like they are in other parts of Italy), and they’re a perfect street food snack: cheap, fried, filling, delicious.

This is, perhaps, the most popular spot in Rome to get them, and there’s often a long line.

I went here with my mom and uncle, and the favorite was the amatriciana (tomato, pecorino, and pancetta), though we were hoping for the coda alla vaccinara, or braised oxtail (which apparently only shows up once or twice a week). 

Testaccio: Old School Rome + Great Food

The more we’ve traveled, the more we’ve learned that a city’s food culture is inextricably linked to its history and people. There is no better example of that phenomenon in Rome than Testaccio. 

Historically, Testaccio was a working class neighborhood that grew from a slaughterhouse that opened in the 19th Century and brought crowds of workers to Testaccio. 

One of the things we love about Roman cuisine is that it’s not, in any way, fancy.

It often uses pieces of the animal that were traditionally less desirable, like oxtail and tripe (though the former has become trendy more recently), and it’s generally very simple and hearty. 

Two of the best things I ate on my last trip to Rome were coda alla vaccinara and trippa alla Romana, which are great examples of this phenomenon.

Both are stews made from oxtail or tripe, and both came from the working class roots of Testaccio, where workers used the cheaper cuts of meat and slow braised them to perfection to make them more palatable. 

The best part about Testaccio, however, is the fact that you will hear far more Italian being spoken around you than any other language, which is, uh, not the case in the historic center or around the Vatican and Colosseum. 

That, and the phenomenon of older men sitting on benches and chatting around Piazza Testaccio, which is as Italian as it gets (at least to us as Americans). 

A good way to incorporate Testaccio into your itinerary would be to walk up the Aventine Hill from the Circus Maximus on the north side, stop by the Giardino degli Aranci (here on Google Maps) and the Keyhole with the view of the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica (here on Google Maps) for some nice views, and then walk down the south slope into Testaccio. 

Of the three neighborhoods we chose to feature in this section, Testaccio is the neighborhood where you’ll see signs of real people living in the area, like laundry hanging on the balcony or people pushing a cart with their veggies from the market. 

A perfect afternoon in Testaccio looks like this: A stop at Tram Depot, a kiosk in a park at the base of Aventine Hill, for either a coffee or a glass of wine (or a spritz), a wander through Mercato di Testaccio with multiple food stops to cobble together a light meal, and a stroll through the Non-Catholic Cemetery (with a nice view of the pyramid). 

In between those main stops, take a second to walk along the river, stop by Piazza Testaccio, the public square that serves as the beating heart of the neighborhood, and stop in a shop or three to pick up some food-related souvenirs or picnic items (we’d recommend Salumeria Volpetti, here on Google Maps). 

However, if you really want to get a layer deeper, we’d strongly recommend a guided food tour of Testaccio, which will help you figure out what to eat, where to eat it, and teach you a little bit about the history and culture of this area in between bites of delicious food. 

Prati: More Modern + Charming

If Testaccio is the working class neighborhood on this short list of Rome’s other neighborhoods, then Prati is the upper crust. 

Walking through Prati on my way to the Stadio Olimpico for a Roma game (highly recommend – and walking from Prati to the stadium with food and drink stops is also recommended), I marveled at the wide streets (dare I say, almost Parisian) lined with three or four story buildings filled with flats.

It might as well be a different city than the rest of Rome, where the streets are narrower and the apartment buildings are far less opulent. 

This is the part of the city where Alysha lived for six months more than a decade ago, and though it has certainly changed since then, it remains a largely residential neighborhood aside from the section near the Vatican and along Via Cola di Rienzo, the main commercial corridor in this neck of the woods. 

Sure, there are no big tourist attractions in Prati (though it borders the Vatican and has Castel Sant’Angelo, Hadrian’s Mausoleum turned papal fortress), the people you find here are much more likely to be speaking Italian, especially as you venture a few blocks away from the Vatican. 

Many people don’t go further than a block or two into Prati, and we think that’s a mistake because there is a wealth of great places to eat and drink to be found within a five or ten minute walk. 

If you’re interested in going deep on the food scene in Prati with a local foodie, look at this in-depth food tour.  

Here are some of our favorites, in no particular order. 

Castroni: A gourmet grocery store that is the perfect place to pick up food souvenirs, or snacks for a picnic later. 

LOVE and Pergamino: Two of my favorite specialty coffee shops in Rome are just a few blocks away from each other.

Pergamino is the OG of specialty coffee in Rome, and they have literally been on that corner across from the Vatican for a decade now (the location means that the service can be a little bit gruff, but the coffee is great).

LOVE is relatively new, but I’ve been there over multiple trips and not only is the coffee amazing, but their handmade pastries are also top notch (source: dragged my mom and uncle here to get their take because I have Celiac Disease, so no gluten for me). 

Bonci Pizzarium: The most famous pizza al taglio in Rome (the chef was featured on all sorts of Netflix Shows like Chef’s Table), this has also been in this location for a decade.

I know because I read about it before my trip with friends in 2014 that I referenced above and dragged them here.

It was chaotic (none of us knew a word of Italian and it was busy and Italians aren’t known for being great at making orderly lines) and delicious. You pay by weight, so get a few different flavors to split with your companions.

Worth noting that, with their fame, it’s now very busy and you can likely find similar quality with a much lower wait time elsewhere. 

Sciascia Caffe: For a more traditional Italian coffee experience, this is the spot. Pro-tip: stand at the bar to save money, which is why you rarely see locals seated. 

Fischio: I’m a sucker for an outdoor bar (maybe it’s because we live in Portland, city of food carts), and this scratches that itch.

It’s a little kiosk with an outdoor seating area that serves up basic cocktails, beer, wine, and coffee, and seems to be popular with a younger crowd than you tend to see elsewhere in Prati (or Rome more broadly). 

El Maíz: On one of our last days of a six week stint in Italy, we were a little burnt out on Italian food.

Searching for something new (and gluten free), I stumbled upon this Venezuelan gem that makes arepas, one of our favorite food groups, and I’ve been here on every trip to Rome since. They’re really good, and it’s an excellent value too. 

Take a Scenic Walk Up to Piazza Giuseppe Garbaldi

On my last trip to Rome with my mom and uncle, this scenic walk was the highlight of my trip despite the fact that I had done it before. 

We left the Vatican after an early morning visit, headed to my favorite gluten free bakery in Rome (Le Altre Farine Del Mulino – here’s my full gluten free guide to Rome with all of my favorites) for a coffee and cornetto, and then headed up Viale delle Mura Aurelie to get up to my favorite view in Rome. 

Now, I had never walked up that particular street to get up Piazza Garibaldi, which was apparently a huge mistake because the views of the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica from the street were absolutely showstopping. 

We discovered a little park – Parco della Panchina (here on Google Maps) – that also has an excellent view of the dome, plus some lovely flowers and makes a nice stop on the way up. 

Eventually, you’ll reach Piazza Garibaldi, the main attraction of the day with the statue of a man on a horse looking out over the city of Rome sprawling before you. 

Piazza Garibaldi sits atop the hill above Trastevere, and there are several reasons why we think this is a must-do while you’re in Rome. 

First, the views out over the city are second to none, and they come with a fraction of the crowds that you’ll find in other parts of the city (the hill you have to climb to get here is a real crowd thinner). 

Second, the history represented along the journey here will teach you something about the history around Italian unification, which happened in the 19th Century (Italy is actually one of the youngest countries in western Europe).

It’s an interesting story that really begins with Napoleon crowning himself king of Italy in Milan in the early 19th Century, the French being replaced by the Austrians after his fall, and then a long war between the independence movement and the Austrians, who had controlled most of northern Italy since the fall of Napoleon. 

Eventually, after several wars and decades of fighting, the Kingdom of Italy unified the Italian Peninsula in 1870, with the conquest of Rome (which became the capital, moving it from Florence). 

Anyway, the point of that painfully brief overview of a really complex and fascinating piece of history is that Gisusepe Garibaldi, the man on the horse at the top of the hill overlooking Rome, was a key figure in that movement, serving as a general in the wars for independence. 

On the other side of the hill – the side that takes you down into Trastevere – there are a couple of cool stops to make. 

We’d definitely stop at both the Fontana dell’Acqua Paola that is every bit as beautiful as Trevi Fountain, with a tiny fraction of the crowds, and the Mausoleo Ossario Garibaldino, a mausoleum dedicated to the soldiers who died in the battles for Rome in the mid 19th Century (it’s only open to the public for a brief window on Thursdays, but it’s worth a stop to admire from outside the gates). 

Here’s a map of the rough route we took, with the stops we’d recommend making along the way.

This is best on a clear day when you can see across the city to all of the rooftops and domes around the city. 

You can do it in either direction, walking up from Trastevere and back down to end on the south side of the Vatican or vice versa, but we do think you should do it as a one way walk to get both the Vatican views and the cool fountains and war memorial on the way up from Trastevere. 

Catch an AS Roma Game

On a recent solo trip to Rome, one of my “must do” activities was seeing a game at the renowned Stadio Olimpico in Rome, which is quite possibly the most famous stadium in Italy (San Siro is somewhere up there, too). 

I’m a big soccer nerd, and this, along with the San Siro, are the two pilgrimages in Italy that I would recommend for all soccer fans. 

If you’ve never been to a match in Europe, it’s quite the spectacle. Singing and chanting all game long, huge cheers, and more than a few shenanigans make it a very entertaining 90 minutes or so, even if you’re not into the sport itself (like Alysha). 

However, there’s only one team I was interested in seeing in Rome, AS Roma, and I literally planned my entire trip around their schedule, making sure I was in Rome on a weekend when they had a home game. 

Let’s just say that it’s no coincidence that Rome’s other team, S.S. Lazio, features the letters “S.S.” in their name, if you catch my drift. I wasn’t so interested in seeing them play. 

The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico for a game between Roma and Bologna, who is the Serie A team I follow and root for most, and I’ve now been to three of their games, was absolutely electric.

From 20-30 minutes before kickoff, the flags were waving, the ultras were singing, and before kickoff the entire stadium joined in to sing “Roma (Roma, Roma, Roma)” by Antonello Venditti together. Pure magic! 

To get tickets, you’re going to want to go to the ticketing portal directly on the club’s website. Tickets go on sale in waves, with earlier access for supporters of the club, and tickets are released to the general public only after those phases are complete. 

You should know that tickets for the most in-demand matches, like Roma vs. Lazio (or the Milan clubs or Juventus) are going to sell out to local fans before they ever get to the phase where you can buy them. 

Generally speaking, tickets for matches hit the market about a week before the match, which can make planning a little bit difficult. I will say that I have found that as you get closer to the day of the match, more tickets tend to become available, so keep checking even if you don’t have luck right off the bat. 

Admire the Sculptures at the Borghese Gallery

We’re suckers for good sculptures and all the craft and care that goes into getting every fold and crease of skin just right, and that’s really where the Borghese Gallery shines. 

The gallery holds a vast collection of some of the best paintings and sculptures from Italian masters like Barberini, Carvaggio, and Raphael, all accumulated by the Borghese family.

They moved to Rome from Siena and became one of the city’s most prestigious families (not to mention wealthiest), which led to them commissioning and purchasing all sorts of art. 

The gallery is relatively small, but it is PACKED full of beautiful pieces.

The museum is laid out over two floors, and one of the floors was actually closed for renovation when I was there last.

However, after spending two hours with Anna, my Walks of Italy guide, on just the first floor, I’m not even sure how you would fit both floors into just a couple of hours. 

I walked away more than satisfied, in awe of the emotional power of sculptures (something I don’t necessarily feel about paintings like I do about sculptures or other mediums like music).

It’s wild to me how much emotion and movement can come out of what is essentially a carved up piece of rock. 

I also love that sculptures have higher stakes than, say, paintings (with some exceptions). You can paint over a mistake in a painting with relative ease – not so in a sculpture!

Tickets for the Borghese Gallery are notoriously hard to get because of the extreme limits on people allowed inside at a given time, so book your visit as early as possible. Only 360 people are permitted into this exclusive art gallery every day. 

We recommend you pre-book tickets as soon as humanly possible so that you have a chance to experience what we think is the most interesting museum in Rome (sorry, Vatican). You can do that here. 

Alternatively, if you’re interested in taking a deeper dive, grab a spot on the excellent Borghese Gallery Tour with Walks of Italy, which is what I did on my latest visit. 

It might seem expensive, but you’ll get to experience masterpieces from Italian masters like Barberini, Caravaggio, and Raphael with all the context and details you’ll want to have to truly appreciate what you’re looking at. 

However, if you only have the budget for one tour, I’d still do the Colosseum and Forum, which benefit the most from that added context and history (followed by the Vatican Museums + Saint Peter’s Basilica).

One thing to note about the museum is that bags need to be checked (which is safe). Either plan on checking your bag, or leave the bag at home for this part of the day. 

Get Inside Castel Sant’Angelo

I had never actually been into Castel Sant’Angelo until a recent trip despite walking by it countless times. 

The building was built as a mausoleum for Emperor Hadrian, and has been co-opted by various factions in Rome like the Catholic Church ever since (it still has the tomb of Hadrian though). 

It’s actually well worth the time and money. Possibly even worth it for the view of the Vatican alone from various points on the self-guided tour they have set up. 

Book tickets in advance here, and try to go either first thing in the morning (when light on the Vatican is best) or last thing in the afternoon (when light on the historic center is best).

Seek Out the Best Views in Rome

There are endless places to get a nice view in Rome, some of which we’ve already covered (like the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, or the terrace on top of Castel Sant’Angelo). 

Here are a few more spots in Rome – including a few we stumbled upon mostly by accident – where you can get some excellent views out over the city of Rome. 

Terrazza del Pincio

At the southwestern end of the Villa Borghese you’ll find this excellent viewpoint out over Piazza del Popolo, with the Flaminio Obelisk in the foreground, and the Vatican out in the distance.

It’s best in the morning, otherwise the sun will be right in front of you and wash out your photos.

You’ll find it here on Google Maps. 

Terrazza Piazza Garibaldi (Above Trastevere)

We accidentally came across this viewpoint as we went on a little bit of a wander up the hill above Trastevere.

As you ascend the hill, there’s a bunch of signage about the history around the war for Italy’s independence that we really enjoyed.

We always forget that, despite being home to the Roman Empire, Italy is actually one of the newest countries in Europe.

You can take a nice walk from Trastevere up the hill and down to Castel Sant’Angelo and the Vatican. You’ll find it here on Google Maps.

Giardino degli Aranci (The Orange Garden)

Our favorite sunset spot in Rome, but also everyone else’s too.

It’s a lovely little terrace up on the hill where you can get a nice view of Rome from above, which will help you realize that despite walking around the historic center, Rome is not actually really that flat.

The best view is to the north, where you’ll have a view of the Tiber (it’s a little hard to see the river itself, but you can see its path) with the “wedding cake” (as Alysha calls the Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II) towering above the rest of Rome.

You’ll find it here on Google Maps.

The Keyhole

This is right down the road – a few hundred feet away – from the Orange Garden. First thing’s first, everyone and their mother comes here for a picture in the late afternoon around sunset.

You can see the line in the picture below (we skipped it and came back in the early morning, when we were literally the only people there).

Someone expertly designed and placed the door and its keyhole here to have a picture-perfect frame of the dome of the Vatican when you look through it.

You’ll find it here on Google Maps.

The Roman Forum From Above

I’m not sure if this viewpoint has a name or not, but we stumbled upon it during a post-aperitivo walk back to our apartment through Piazza del Campidoglio.  

From here, you have an excellent view out over the Roman Forum. It’s best in the afternoon and at night, when the sun isn’t directly across the Forum from you. 

What to Eat in Rome

Rome is an excellent food city, and we say that as two people who eat gluten free by necessity (sometimes Alysha gets to cheat, but Matt has Celiac Disease and will get deathly ill with just a crumb of gluten).

Italy happens to be a fantastic place to eat gluten free, so we largely got to eat and drink everything we wanted to while we were in Rome – gelato, simple pasta dishes (with guanciale or pancetta), cannoli (which are Sicilian not Roman, but still very much worth eating), and things like fried artichokes and oxtail stew. 

There are a bunch of different ways to experience Rome’s rich food culture (and Italy’s) while you’re in town.

From food tours to cooking classes, here’s our take on what to do (really, eat and drink) if you’re a foodie. 

Let’s talk about what kinds of foods you should seek out when you’re in Rome.

Italian cuisine is diverse and multifaceted, and each region has a very, very different set of ingredients and, as a result, dishes that make it special. 

For example, bolognese (which by the way is completely different from the Americanized version – here’s a recipe that we now make all the time and LOVE) is from Bologna and the surrounding area, while arancini (crispy fried rice balls) are a Sicilian specialty. 

In Rome, the food is relatively simple.

And this is most evident in the pasta dishes you’ll find in Rome, which we’ve explored at home (through this excellent cookbook) and which usually are some combination of guanciale (or pancetta), cheese, and salt and pepper. 

Here are the pasta dishes that are native to Rome and are worth ordering. 

Cacio e pepe: As simple as it gets. Pasta, pecorino romano cheese, salt, and pepper. No butter – the creaminess comes from the starchy pasta water added back in at the end. 

Carbonara: Again, incredibly simple. Eggs, cheese, and pancetta. Add in some salt and pepper, and you’ve got a delicious, hearty, filling pasta dish. This is my first memory of a meal in Rome, and we make it all the time at home now. 

Pasta alla Gricia: Take cacio e pepe and add in some guanciale and white wine. 

Pasta all’Amatriciana: Take pasta alla gricia and add in tomatoes.

See? Super simple. And they’re all basically made with the same ingredients. 

Outside of pasta, you should definitely try a few other things while you’re in Rome. 

Pizza al taglio: Pizza by the slice (New Yorkers rejoice!) usually served cut into squares.

The most legendary version of this is a small shop near the Vatican, Pizzarium, though we noticed that Antico Forno Roscioli always had a line out the door (it was right under our apartment on a recent trip to Rome). 

Anything with pecorino romano: We discovered this cheese at home as the best pasta cheese around, and it’s even better in Italy where you can get it closer to the source.

It’s a hard, salty cheese, and it’s an ingredient in just about every pasta dish you’ll find in Rome. 

Trippa alla Romana: Roman cuisine is pretty frugal which means you’re going to find cheaper cuts of meat around.

We heard it’s because all of the good cuts of meat were taken by the nobility, which left the less desirable parts like tripe for the commoners, but we’re not sure how true that really is.

This is a tomato-braised tripe with pancetta that is topped with, you guessed it, pecorino romano. 

Things to Know Before Your Trip

Before your trip, there are a few things you should know about Rome that will help you plan a great Rome itinerary. 

We have an entire guide with all of the things to know before your first trip to Rome, which is a collection of tips that we’ve come up with over the years to help first timers acclimate to the beautiful chaos that is Rome. Read that for far more than we’re going to include in this section. 

The crowds are intense (even in “low” season). If you know me in real life, you know that I love asking questions. Lots of questions.

One of the questions I’ve found myself asking people in Rome – tour guides, baristas, etc etc – is how the crowds have been.

The thing that I’ve learned from those locals in the tourism industry is that the number of tourists has consistently gotten higher year over year, and there isn’t really a low season anymore.

Rome is packed from March to November (even into December), so the only “low” months you’ll find are going to be January and February.

Sure, the crowds will be thinner in October than July, but it’s still going to be busy.

Book things well in advance. I know that it sounds sexy to “play it by ear” and “go with the flow”, but that strategy definitely has some downsides in a city like Rome.

If you don’t book anything in advance, more often than not, that means that you’re going to miss out on things while you’re in Rome. And that’s fine, as long as you’re okay with it.

Definitely book the Colosseum and Vatican Museums in advance, as well as the Borghese Gallery.

If you want to eat at a specific place that is relatively famous, you’ll want to book that in advance too. 

Plan to do the big attractions on separate days. My number one piece of advice for Rome (and for all cities, really) is to do major tourist attractions on separate days.

That will help you absorb the information rather than being a zombie for the second attraction of the day. Believe me because I’m writing this after an early morning Vatican Museums visit and my brain is completely fried.

There is no way I could go to another museum or the Colosseum and actually absorb anything useful. 

Where to Stay in Rome

Rome is a big, sprawling city, and our general approach to choosing where to stay in a city like Rome is to first choose the neighborhood based on things like location and vibe, and then find a place to stay in that neighborhood. 

In Rome, there are five central neighborhoods we’d recommend (and we’ve stayed in most of them ourselves at this point), but the three that rise to the top of our list are the Centro Storico, Trastevere, and Monti. 

If it’s your first time in Rome, you can’t go wrong with the Centro Storico, which is the most charming part of Rome, we think. Here you’ll have incredible world-famous monuments around every bend in the narrow cobblestone streets. 

We strongly prefer the southern end near Campo de’ Fiori and Piazza Navona, which is where you’ll find most of the recommendations in the Centro Storico food section above and offers a more low-key version with a bit less chaos than, say, the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain. 

If you’re looking for an apartment, we’ve stayed at both these lovely apartments near Campo de’ Fiori and this central and convenient aparthotel, and would recommend them both. 

If you want to stay in our personal favorite neighborhood in Rome, stay in Trastevere, which is just across the river from the historic center. 

While it’s no longer “off the beaten path” (quite the opposite these days) and it’s not the most central location, we still have a soft spot for Trastevere, and stayed there on a recent trip. 

We would try to stay on the outskirts where it’s a little quieter, because Trastevere is known for nightlife, and it can be loud into the early morning on the popular piazzas. 

We’ve stayed at Horti 14 Borgo, a beautiful boutique hotel on the outskirts of Trastevere far from the bustling nightlife scene, and can’t recommend it highly enough. 

If you’re looking for an apartment, look at Numa Trastevere, which is also just outside the main center of Trastevere and in a quieter location. For what it’s worth, we’ve stayed at Numa properties across Europe, and really like them. 

If you’re looking for the single best location in Rome, we’d stay in Monti, a slice of Rome that is tucked in between Termini Station, the Colosseum and Forum, and the Centro Storico. 

I (Matt) have stayed in Monti on my last two trips to Rome, and I can firmly say that it’s the best possible location in Rome, especially if you like to walk.

In addition, it’s a lovely slice of the city with some good food and drinks, and plenty of atmosphere (especially after dark). 

From here, I walked literally everywhere I wanted to go, and only hopped on a bus (which are plentiful on the main streets that form the borders of Monti) if I wanted to go somewhere like the Vatican, which is a little too far to casually stroll to from this side of the river. 

I’ve stayed at both Salotto Monti and Condiminio Monti, and would recommend them both (they’re also run by the same hotel group). I slightly prefer the latter, but they’re just a couple of blocks from each other, so the difference in location isn’t that big of a deal. 

We have an entire guide dedicated to helping you figure out where to stay in Rome for your particular budget, style, and group size, which you should read for far more detail than we’re going to be able to include in this short summary. 

Getting Around Rome

When you’re in Rome, there are basically three different modes of transportation you should consider: walking, public transit (buses or metro), and taxis. 

Walking is going to be the best way to get around because it completely bypasses Rome’s intense traffic. Generally speaking, you’ll be able to walk everywhere in the Centro Storico, and from there it’s only about 20 minutes to the Colosseum, Trastevere, and the Vatican. 

The biggest challenge with public transportation in Rome is the fact that the coverage of the underground metro system is fairly limited, which means that the buses are going to be your best bet in terms of getting around. 

Unfortunately, the other thing that’s a little bit limited is dedicated bus lanes, which means that buses are subject to the same awful traffic that afflicts other modes of getting around (like taxis). 

Combine that with the fact that buses are often packed to the brim near tourist attractions and Termini Station and you have yourself a very uncomfortable method of transportation. 

That being said, I often use buses while I’m in Rome, and Google Maps is a relatively reliable way of seeing schedules and routes. 

Here’s what you need to know about paying for the bus in Rome; gone are the days where you have to pre-buy tickets at a tabacchi before boarding – you can now tap your credit card at the machine near the front doors! 

You should also know that they do check tickets on public transportation. Multiple times over the course of my trip, a group of the Roman equivalent of transit police boarded a bus, fanned out, and began asking people for their validated ticket.

If you paid by tapping a credit card, they’ll check that card with their machine and it will show that you paid (assuming you tapped it correctly). 

The implication is this: don’t use the bus or tram without paying, otherwise you risk a fine. Especially when the fare is only 1.50€. 

The best way to get to and from the airport is the Leonardo Express, a nonstop service run by TrenItalia between Rome’s Termini Station and Fiumicino Airport every 15-30 minutes for 14€.

The journey takes just 32 minutes, and isn’t subject to the whims of road work and traffic jams. 

If you want to take a taxi in Rome, you need to either get one at an official taxi stand (denoted by big orange signs that say “TAXI”, outside hotels are a good bet for this), or use an app like FREENOW (which is what we use) that orders a taxi through an app (like a rideshare, but the ride is an official taxi). 

If you don’t use the app, be prepared for shenanigans like cash only rides and circuitous routes. We’d just use the app for ease and peace of mind if we were you. 

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