Tips and Useful Information
Rome is a busy city - full of attractions, full of activities and full of people. Exploring Rome - especially if it's your first time to do so - can overwhelm you and make you feel like you don't know where to start. Learning the tips and useful information about Rome travel will surely help you avoid the most common mistakes Rome travelers make - falling for tourist traps and missing some of the best attractions in the city. The last thing you would want during a trip to one of the most beautiful cities in the world is settling for okay attractions that you need to pay tons of bucks for.
Getting familiar with both the famous and the hidden attractions, the fastest way to go around, money saving, and safety tips in Rome can help make your travel more stress-free. Check out the tips we've prepared below.
Getting familiar with both the famous and the hidden attractions, the fastest way to go around, money saving, and safety tips in Rome can help make your travel more stress-free. Check out the tips we've prepared below.
Transport
Rome Metro Time:
Sunday-Thursday: 5:30am-11:30pm Friday-Saturday: 5:30am-1:30am Metro gets to most of the city’s top attractions Line A runs from the northwest to southeast, from Battistini to Anagnina Important stops: -Cipro - Musei Vaticani: near Vatican Museums and to the Sistine Chapel. -Ottaviano - San Pietro: a few minutes’ walk from St. Peter's Square and St. Peter's Basilica. -Spagna - near Piazza di Spagna and Villa Borghese. -Barberini - Fontana di Trevi - five minutes away from Trevi Fountain and near Piazza Navona and the Pantheon. -Termini: Stops at Roma Termini railway station. Visitors can take the Leonardo Express to get to Fiumicino Airport. Line B connects the northeast to the south of Rome, from Rebibbia to Laurentina. Important stops: -Termini: Stops at Roma Termini railway station. Visitors can take the Leonardo Express to get to Fiumicino Airport. -Colosseo: near the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. -Piramide: If you come in the FR1 regional train from Fiumicino, you will be able to take the metro from this stop. -Bus -Rome has 338 bus lines that run throughout the day, 22 night buses and 8,260 stops. Use the ATAC Roma Route Calculator to determine the appropriate bus route to your destination. The ATAC buses run from approximately 6 am to midnight. Some lines do offer night buses. The signs at the stop will provide information for which stops that particular line will go to. -Various types of lines: -Urban lines (U): The large majority. They start between 5 am and 6:30 am and finish at midnight. -Night buses (N): These lines operate while the urban lines rest between midnight and 5:00-6:00 am. -Express (X): These lines are for the outskirts of Rome, for longer journeys. -Exact (E): These lines link the centre with the surrounding neighbourhoods. They run on fixed timetables. -Trams Trams are much bigger, offering more seating, and they come much more frequently than buses. The tram system has six lines running through the city. One of the newest and most popular lines is Tram 8. Trams run from 5:30 am until midnight every day, like the city buses in Rome. The tram network in Rome has six lines: -Line 2: Piazza Mancini – Piazzale Flaminio. -Line 3: Piazza Thorwaldsen – Trastevere. -Line 5: Giovanni Amendola – Piazza dei Gerani. -Line 8: Torre Argentina – Trastevere. -Line 14: Giovanni Amendola – Palmiro Togliatti. -Line 19: Piazza Risorgimento – Piazza dei Gerani. None of these lines have any special attractions for tourists. -Urban railway lines The Ferrovie Urbane is made up of following three lines: -Rome – Lido. ( the most important from a tourist's point of view ) -Rome – Viterbo. -Rome – Giardinetti. -Urban trains run from 5:30 am to 10:30 pm. The Rome-Lido line runs until later, till 11:30 pm. Trains leave every 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the time of day. Rome’s underground subway or Metropolitana has two lines: red and blue. The Metro runs from 5:30 am to midnight. -Taxis Taxi rates in Rome are considered quite high. Average journey in the centre of Rome should cost between 6 and 8 euros. All taxis in Rome are white, with a taxi roof sign and a taximeter visible at the front of the car. Hail cabs that have a telephone number written on the sides of the vehicle - this means that they work for a taxi company and are more reliable. Taxis from the airports can be extremely expensive. They are quite in abundance once you exit Fiumicino or Ciampino. Make sure to always enter a cab that is registered and has a meter. Rates: -Minimum fare on weekdays from 6 am – 10 pm: 3€ -Minimum fare on public holidays 6 am – 10 pm: 4.50€ -Minimum fare at night time: 6.50€ -Rate per kilometre (Tariff 1): 1.10€ -Rate per kilometre (Tariff 2): 1.30€ -Rate per kilometre (Tariff 3): 1.60€ -Surcharge for each additional suitcase (one per passenger included in the price): 1€ -Surcharge for telephone reservations: 3.50€ -One hour waiting time: 27€. Public transportation tickets can be bought in vending machines in any metro station, convenience stores or news agents. .Kids under the age of 10 ride the metro for FREE. .Purchase tickets prior to boarding.You can’t purchase tickets while on the bus or metro. . Travel out of rush hour times Morning rush hours: 8-10 am Lunch rush hours: 12:30-1:30 Evening rush hours: 6-7:30 pm Midmorning or the middle of the day up until early afternoon tends to be less busy. Money Saving
Visit our Free Things To Do page Changing Currency -The best option is to withdraw at ATM machines, known as Bancomat in Italian. -Try to negotiate for a better rate. - Beware of trading money with someone from the streets. Some of these people may be scammers and you might get arrested for engaging in a black market transaction. -It is advisable not to bring traveler’s cheques to Rome because they are very rarely accepted in Italy. Most Italian banks and money changers do not buy traveler’s cheques anymore. -Many money changers - especially those in stations and airports - can charge a commission in excess of 10%. -Avoid airport and hotel currency exchanges. - When buying tickets for anything, always check online first as it is normally cheaper. .Take a local bus The allure of the tourist buses is that they will pick you up and drop you off exactly where you want to be to see the important monuments in Rome. However, there is already a bus system in Rome that does the same thing and charges far less per ride. You can see Rome completely by public transportation for €1.50 for 90 minutes. .Take public transportation Taking public transportation will save you cash. The local trains are also quite cheap and are a great way to get out of the city for a day especially if you're going on trips to see Lake Bracciano in the north or Frascati in the south. .Walk and explore The best way to save money on transportation in Rome is to walk! Rome is a city best seen by foot. If you like walking we strongly advise walking everywhere as this city has so many sights to see along the way. .Free view Instead of paying to take the elevator up the Vittoriano monument or to climb the stairs up St. Peter’s Dome, get a free view from the many hills of Rome. Rome’s best views come from Janiculum Hill, between the Vatican and Trastevere. The best sunset view can be seen from the Pincian Hill, above Piazza del Popolo, where you can watch the sun sink behind St. Peter’s Dome. Check out our Sunset Spots page. .Purchasing water from snack carts and restaurants are costly. Purchase water from a supermarket. Better to carry an empty bottle because there are plenty of places in Rome where you can always fill up. .Bringing food and drinks to a piazza (square) is a good way to save money. Grab a slice of pizza and a beer to enjoy in the piazza while watching Roman life go by. One good piazza for eating and drinking is Piazza Maria dei Monti, which fills up especially on the weekend nights. .The sales in Italy are controlled affairs and happen at specific times during the year: the beginning of January for winter clothes and beginning of August for summer. As these months go on, the prices keep getting cheaper. .One of the best free things to do in Rome is to enjoy a park. Bring a picnic and sprawl out on the lawn at Villa Pamphili, Villa Borghese or Villa Celimontana. Take a walk around and relax with the Romans. Try out our Parks, Gardens & Nature page. .On the first Sunday of every month, state museums and archeological sites are free for everyone. .AVOID BUYING BOTTLED WATER, ESPECIALLY NEAR A TOURIST SITE You can drink free, clean delicious water all around Rome in the fountains you will see everywhere. Check the weather
Rome Seasons: Winter : December - February are cold (highs during the day between 30’s and mid-50’s °F/0-10 °C) and can be rainy. Rome’s coldest months are January and February with temperatures of 12°C (53°F). The week from Christmas to New Year's Day is also often a period of high hotel prices. November and February are the least popular months to visit Rome. November is typically the rainiest month of the year and February can be miserably chilly. Spring : March - May are warmer (mid 50’s-60’s °F/10-18 °C), but can have plenty of rain and chilly evenings. Spring is high season in Rome. Spring is the most crowded time in Rome since it is during this time that Romans celebrate one of the most important events - The Holy Week. Many hotels charge the highest price during Easter week, usually around the last week of March to the first week of April. April to June is a wonderful time to visit Rome - days are mild and nights are cool. Summer : June - August are hot months with temperatures in the 80’s and 90’s °F/30-40 °C during the day, and 70'-80’s °F/20-30 °C at night. June through August sees the heaviest tourist traffic in Rome. The weather is warm to hot (the average high temperatures range from 81 to 88 F) and the chance of rain ruining a vacation is low. Some shops and attractions are closed during August. August 15 - holiday of Ferragosto - officially begins the summer break for the majority of Italians. Many hotels actually offer lower rates during August. Mid July into early September it can get unpleasantly hot, with temperatures reaching into the forties (Celsius) or well over 100ºF. Autumn : September - November are the busiest months of the year in Rome with temperatures 60’s and 70’s °F/15-20 °C during the day, and 50’s-60’s °F/10-18 °C at night. Autumn is a good time to visit Rome. September is a lovely time to visit Rome. October, temperatures are still warm, generally in the 70s. November is the start of the rainy season. Rome's climate in September is generally quite dry, but by late October expect rainshowers coming in frequently. The rainiest months in Rome are November and December. At the airport
Leonardo da Vinci airport is the main international airport for Rome. There are four Terminals at "Leonardo da Vinci" di Roma - Fiumicino Airport: -Terminal 1 (Gates B1–B13 and B14–B30) is used by Alitalia (short-haul flights), Air France, Croatia Airlines,[5] Etihad Regional and KLM. -Terminal 2 (Gates C1–C7) was mainly used by easyJet with Blue Air, Wizz Air, and Ryanair being the only other tenants. This terminal was closed on 15 December 2017 for Terminal 1 extension. -Terminal 3 (Gates C8–C16, D1–D10, E1-E8, E11-E24, E31-44 and E51-61) is the largest terminal and used by Alitalia (long-haul flights), Vueling and several other companies. -Terminal 5 (Gates E1-E8, E11-E24, E31-44 and E51-61) is used by all U.S. and Israeli carriers. All 4 terminals serve both domestic and international flights. All International 'Non-Schengen' flight arrivals, including U.S. flights*, arrive at Terminal 3, at either Gates G or H. From there, passengers go through immigration -Information Desk - In Terminals 1 and 3 (Arrivals and Departures levels) and in Terminal 5, there are a total of nine information desks. -Luggage Storage & Lockers - Location: T3, International Arrivals. Hours: 6:30AM - 11:30PM. Rate: €6 per item per 24 hour period, paid upon pick up. -Luggage Trolleys - Available and free to use. -Showers - at HelloSky. Location: landside in front of Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. Hours: 7:00AM 9:00PM. Rate €15. Showers are also available in some of the lounges. -Mobile Charging - Mobile charging stations are available, free of charge in some cafes and restaurants. -Fiumicino has a train station located near the Arrivals and Departures Terminal. .The Leonardo Express Train is a non-stop service between Fiumicino Airport and Rome Termini train station, with departures every 30 min .FL1 regional trains offer service between the airport and important train stations, including main train stations in Rome: Tiburtina, Tuscolana, Trastevere and Ostiense. .Frecciargento trains offer modern and comfortable service along high-speed and traditional rail lines between Fiumicino Airport and major cities in the northeast and south sides of the country Ciampino Airport Ciampino is a military airport which has been developing its passenger terminal since it began playing host to the budget airline companies. Before you travel
. Make sure you have the correct documents. . Do you need a visa? . Check your airlines luggage allowance and fees. . Check with your doctor about vaccinations. . Make sure you have travel Insurance. . Check if there are fees on entering and leaving the country. . Let your bank know your traveling abroad or they might cut your card off. . Bring an adaptor. Other tips
.Beware of Pick pocketing Check belongings at all times and don’t carry large amounts of cash.Don’t Act Like a Tourist. .Do not take a rose from anyone on the street .Don’t be afraid to speak up if your bill is wrong .Tipping is not mandatory .Pay to pee.The fee is 1€ in Rome. Children are free. .Wear comfortable shoes .Learn basic Italian phrases -Public watering places are very safe in Rome. Walking in Rome is the best way to see all the sights and follow the tourist trail. Rome is often congested with traffic. Most of what you see and do in Rome will be experienced on foot. It is wise to invest on shoes that are comfortable. Rome also has a lot of cobbled streets and uneven territory especially around the Roman ruins. Heels and precarious footwear are not advisable. The Vatican dress code: Clothes that show the cleavage and legs, slippers and shirts with no sleeves are not allowed inside the Vatican. |
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