Going to Italy?! 21 Things to Know before Visiting Rome

How exciting the thought of planning a trip to Rome.. But before making that happen here are some advice on things to know when visiting Italy.

Have you planned out your trip from hotels, places to go, airline ticket to what to pack and then you visit a place and find out there are things that would have helped if you knew ahead of time?

At first you would think most places in Italy would be the same but that is so far from the truth.  Every place from Florence to Venice are so different and Rome is not the exception.  Here are a few tips or things to know before visiting Rome.

1 Take the Metro

For transportation Metro can be your best bet if visiting during high season traffic is pretty bad, Metro can be a fast way to get around, in fact, one of the stops is right in front of the Colosseum.  During a typical rush hour, the metro can be very crowded, you can plan to ride it before or after. Also, check the schedule that will show the last train for that day.

2 Go to Colosseum early

the line to go inside is usually long, go earlier to enjoy it or purchase your ticket ahead of time.

3 Cash is key

exchange to get Euro to pay in cash when card is not accepted.

4 Pay for Bathroom Use

some places you will need to pay to use the bathrooms

5 Have Toiletries in Hand

some bathrooms might be out of the items needed, travel toiletries might come handy

6 Gelato try it before buying it

you can ask for samples before selecting the flavors, Some locations will provide a list of the items used to make the gelato to know if is authentic

7 Wear comfortable shoes

There is so much to see and most of it is walking distance from the Colosseum to some ruins and other must-see locations.  But the floor in some areas is not smooth or paved which can get uncomfortable which is best to wear comfortable shoes, especially when walking a lot.

8 Pass on the “Free” items given to you

Our first time in Rome we didnt see items just handed to you but on our last trip in May was very overwhelming the constant items handed to you from roses, splat toys, glass cubes.  If you experience it while in Rome just skip it and dont take it, they will expect for you to pay for the item.  Is not FREE jejej..

9 FREE entrance First Sunday – 

Is pretty cool to plan a trip and find out some places are FREE of charge but for those must-see locations, there might be an entrance fee.  You can plan your trip during the First Sunday of the month and will get museums to the entrance for FREE.  To avoid unexpected surprises when planning your trip confirm if the month you are visiting is offering this deal.

10 Visit during Spring or Fall

you will enjoy the weather, less crowds, pleasant walks during those season.

11 Take Jacket or Shawl 

this might seem unusual for summer weather but some locations you may plan to visit requires for certain areas to be cover. If you are wearing short or a tank top (at least the ladies) you will need to cover those areas in order to

12 Take Water Bottle 

you can bring your own, purchase at convenient locations or refill in water fountains throughout the city

13 Pizza is one Size

if traveling with kids most restaurants doesnt offer a kids menu, the size for the pizza is the same for everyone.

14 Plan your meal time

some locations may close in the afternoon and reopen for dinner

15 Mcdonalds in Rome?

if you are traveling with kids or want to grab something quick Rome has a Mcdonalds with 2 floors, they include different menu items

16 Some places you can visit for Free

The Pantheon, St. Peter’s Basilica (in Rome most of the places are walking distance from each other just plan your itinerary accordingly)

17 Validate your ticket 

If you are traveling using the metro, you will see a machine which is there for you to validate your ticket before getting inside the metro

18 Visiting from the Cruise – 

The port is about an hour away if planning to visit Rome from the Cruise set plenty of time for the drive to and from

19 Pictures not allowed? – 

Some locations like a church might not allow cameras, you can go inside, they are still open meaning the locals do go in.

20 Know your way around 

Dont have a map? You can use your GPS to take you from place to place

21 Sign your name ? – 

At the Pantheon you can sign your name in a journal kept right by the tomb of the King of Italy

 

 

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