Why go to Rome
Rome is the one European capital where you can turn a corner on the way to buy bread and walk into a 2,000-year-old temple. It is also loud, hot in summer, and occasionally maddening. The buses run late, the queues are real and the pickpockets around Termini are good at their job. Even so, I have never left without already wanting to come back.
The city rewards slow walking more than ticking boxes. Three or four days is enough to see the big names and still have an evening for a plate of pasta you'll talk about for months.
What to see in Rome
Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
One combined ticket covers all three. Book ahead online, because the walk-up queue in high season can eat a whole morning. Go first thing, then wander the Forum and climb the Palatine, where the views over the ruins are better than from inside the Colosseum.
Pantheon
Still the best-preserved ancient building in the city, with a concrete dome that no one has beaten in size for centuries. Entry now carries a small fee. Go early or near closing, when the light through the oculus is the point.
Vatican Museums and St Peter's
The museums end in the Sistine Chapel and are crowded almost all day. Book a timed slot and try the first or last entry. St Peter's Basilica is free to enter, with security lines that move faster than they look. Climbing the dome is worth the effort and the stairs.
Piazza Navona and Campo de' Fiori
Navona is Bernini's fountain and a lot of tourist menus, so look and move on. Campo de' Fiori has a morning market and turns into a loud drinking square at night. Both are best crossed on foot, not lingered over.
Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps
Go at 7 a.m. or after 11 p.m. if you want to hear the water rather than selfie sticks. Access rules around the fountain have been changing, so check before you go.
Trastevere
Cobbled lanes, ivy, laundry lines and the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere with its gold mosaics. Evenings are packed. Mid-morning is when it feels like a neighbourhood.
Borghese Gallery and Villa Borghese
Bernini's sculptures, Caravaggio's paintings, and entry limited to two-hour slots, so reservation is compulsory. Afterwards, walk the park to the Pincio terrace for a sunset over Piazza del Popolo.
Jewish Ghetto and Teatro di Marcello
Small, atmospheric, and the home of carciofi alla giudia. The Portico d'Ottavia ruins sit between restaurants, which sums up Rome nicely.
Basilica of San Clemente
Three layers in one site: a medieval church over a 4th-century basilica over a Roman building and a Mithraic temple. You descend through history by staircase. It is far less visited than it deserves.
Appian Way
Ancient paving, catacombs and umbrella pines. Rent a bike on Sundays, when traffic is restricted, and go in spring or autumn.
Things to do beyond the sights
- Look through the keyhole of the Knights of Malta door on the Aventine Hill, then step into the Orange Garden next door for the city view.
- Take the train from Piramide to Ostia Antica, a Roman port town with mosaics and a theatre, far quieter than the Forum.
- Spend a morning at Mercato Testaccio, eating supplì and sandwiches among locals.
- Walk the Tiber embankments at dusk, when the bridges light up and the crowds thin.
- Visit the Capuchin Crypt near Piazza Barberini if you can handle bone-decorated chapels.
- Add a day trip to Tivoli for Villa d'Este's fountains and Hadrian's Villa.
How many days and a suggested route
Three days covers the headline sights. Four lets you breathe, which is what I'd recommend.
Day 1: Colosseum, Forum and Palatine in the morning, lunch in Monti, then the Jewish Ghetto and Trastevere for dinner.
Day 2: Vatican Museums early, St Peter's, then an afternoon on foot through Prati and across the river to Piazza Navona, the Pantheon and Trevi at dusk.
Day 3: Borghese Gallery slot, Villa Borghese, Spanish Steps, then Testaccio for a long dinner.
Day 4: San Clemente, the Aventine, then either Ostia Antica or the Appian Way.
When to go
April, May, late September and October are the sweet spot, with warm days and temperatures roughly between 15 and 25°C. July and August regularly pass 33°C, the stone holds the heat, and some family-run restaurants shut around 15 August. Winter is mild but wet, particularly in November, with daytime temperatures of about 8 to 13°C. Flights and hotels are cheapest then, apart from Christmas and New Year. Easter week is crowded and pricey.
Where to stay
Centro Storico
Walk to everything, pay for it. Expect noise and higher prices. Best for a short first visit.
Monti
My pick for most travellers: close to the Colosseum, with wine bars, small shops and a local feel. Mid-range.
Trastevere
Charming and lively, but loud on weekend nights. Pick a room on a side street.
Prati
Near the Vatican, calmer and more residential, with good-value hotels and solid food.
Termini and Esquilino
Cheapest area, with the best transport links. The streets around the station are scruffy at night, so choose carefully, but it works on a tight budget.
Testaccio and San Lorenzo
Less polished, better eating, ideal if food matters more than postcards. Note that a city tax is added per person per night, usually a few euros.
What to eat and where
Rome's cooking is simple and unapologetic. The four classic pastas are carbonara, cacio e pepe, amatriciana and gricia. Carbonara has no cream, and if you see cream, you're in the wrong place. Then there's carciofi alla giudia, deep-fried artichokes from the Ghetto, saltimbocca and, for the brave, coda alla vaccinara, an oxtail stew.
For fast food, pizza al taglio is sold by weight in bakeries, and supplì are fried rice balls with a molten mozzarella centre. Breakfast is a cappuccino and a cornetto, drunk standing at the bar for about a euro or two. Try a maritozzo, a sweet bun split and filled with cream.
Look for places a couple of streets away from the main sights, with short menus and no photos of the dishes. Testaccio, San Lorenzo, Monti and the quieter corners of Trastevere are reliable hunting grounds. Many restaurants add a small coperto cover charge, which is normal and not a scam.
Getting from the airport and getting around
Fiumicino (FCO): the Leonardo Express runs non-stop to Termini in about 32 minutes for roughly 14 euros. Slower regional trains stop at Trastevere and Ostiense for less. A taxi to the centre has a fixed fare, about 50 euros.
Ciampino (CIA): low-cost airlines often land here. Shuttle buses reach Termini in around 40 minutes for a few euros, and taxis have a fixed fare too.
Around town, walking is the main transport. The metro has three lines (A, B, C) and mostly helps with the Vatican, Colosseum, Termini and Spanish Steps. Buses and trams cover the rest, though they can be unpredictable. A single ticket costs about 1.50 euros and is valid for 100 minutes. Taxis are best booked by phone or at an official rank. Wear comfortable shoes, since the cobblestones are hard on feet.
Rough daily budget
- Budget: about 70 to 100 euros a day, with a hostel or simple room, pizza al taglio, one sight.
- Mid-range: about 150 to 250 euros, with a decent hotel, sit-down dinners and a couple of tickets.
- Comfortable: 300 euros and up for central hotels and long dinners.
Sightseeing tickets for the biggest sights typically run between 15 and 25 euros each, and many cost more with guided tours. Drinking water from the public nasoni fountains is free and safe.
FAQs
Is Rome safe?
Yes, broadly. Pickpocketing is the main issue on crowded buses, near Termini and at major sights. Keep bags zipped in front of you.
Do I need to book tickets in advance?
For the Colosseum, Vatican Museums and Borghese Gallery, yes. Most other sights are fine on the day.
Is the Roma Pass worth it?
Only if you plan to use lots of public transport and visit several included museums. Do the maths first.
Can I drink the tap water?
Yes. Rome's tap water is good and the street fountains are free.
What should I wear at churches?
Cover your shoulders and knees at St Peter's and other major churches. Staff do turn people away.
Photo: Paolo Costa Baldi · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Guide updated 21 Oct 2026