Traveling to Rome

mr_mich

I'm traveling to Rome soon for a wedding. I'll be there for about a week, I'm traveling with my girlfriend but we're meeting family there. We're going to be staying in Rome for the whole trip, except to see the Vatican.

All of the flights and lodging are already booked, but I wanted to ask if anyone has been to the area on the off chance that people have any big do's/don'ts for the trip. I am bringing my DSLR with a kit lens (as well as my suit for the wedding) in a carry-on on the (hopefully) off chance that Air Europa doesn't lose my checked bag.

Anything I should do/see/know?

Aldo

Ok so Vatican city is in Rome;). Besides general advice re: picpockets.... There is freely available water from taps throughout the city centre, dont be scammed by bottled water sellers. Make sure you have proper clothing for the Vatican, the Swiss Guard will not let you inside the holy buildings otherwise.

Kalkino

Rome is pretty well served by guide books, but anyway. A lot of museums or sites shut Monday, but perhaps not as many as other European cities.

Walk through from the Coliseum through to the Tiber island at night, when all the buildings are floodlit.

Climb to the top of a tall building, like the Monument to Vittorio Emmanuel, Hadrian's Tomb or the comb of St Paul's to look over the centre of Rome.

Afty

I got back from a week in Rome on Sunday!

Highlights for me
- Vatican / Vatican Museums : The museums were very busy but in my opinion it is worth it the Sisteen Chapel is beautiful and there are a tonne of other works by Raphael in the museum too.
- Colosseum / Roman Forum / Palatine Hill : 1 ticket for all three attractions, Again completely worth it, there is a tour available in the Colosseum to go both the under ground section and up higher that the public can access. If you aren't interested in that tour then buy your tickets at the forum, there is much less of a queue.
- The Castello : Near to the Vatican is an old castle, it's nice for a walk around and at the top is a great view of the city.
- Santa Maria Della Vittoria : Is an amazing little church in the city. We went there because of Angels and Demons (could we be any more touristy?) but it was gob smackingly amazing inside.
- Trevi Fountain / Pantheon : Nice to see but VERY busy.
- Piazza Navona - Has more nice fountains (including a berlini sculpture) just off of the Piazza to the south is a lovely food market.

Have a nice time!

Iceman.USAF

I've been traveling a bit in Germany, and Rick Steve's books are awesome. I'm sure there's one for Rome/Italy area.

http://travelstore.ricksteves.com/catalog/index.cfm?fuseaction=product&theParentId=155&id=51

http://travelstore.ricksteves.com/catalog/index.cfm?fuseaction=product&theParentId=155&id=60

I highly recommend the print versions. I travel with my N7, but the paperbacks are pretty perfect in size/weight to toss in a day pack without issue. Not having to ctrl + F to find something is priceless to me, while traveling.

Jam Warrior

A lesser known site is The Capuchin Crypt.



One of my enduring memories of Rome. Rooms and rooms decorated with human bones, lit by chandeliers made from human bones, containing piles of human bones. Just plain freaky man.

Bagginses

Another lesser known area is the Roman Ghetto in the Sant'Angelo historic district, which has a distinctive culture and cuisine and a fair number of historical sights.

Wezoin

Other advice: Wear good walking shoes. I wore sandals the first day, tore up my feet so bad I still had blisters weeks later.

mr_mich

I've got a pair of Asics running shoes which are super comfortable...but they're obviously sneakers. Is that a bad idea? I've been told to minimize things like frayed jeans or other things that paint me as a stereotypical American.

TokyoV

I think the notion of Europeans automatically hating Americans is overestimated. Just be respectful (i.e. don't call every Italian person you talk to, Super Mario) and you should be fine wearing whatever.

mr_mich

Well obviously some of them have to be Luigi.

a5ehren

TokyoV wrote: »

I think the notion of Europeans automatically hating Americans is overestimated. Just be respectful (i.e. don't call every Italian person you talk to, Super Mario) and you should be fine wearing whatever.

Yeah. General rule anywhere is: don't be a dick.

In my experience, foreign cities that live off of tourism will generally be nice (at least to your face) if you aren't a raging asshole. In a city like Rome, the people you deal with will at least know enough English to complete your transaction, but taking the time to learn a few basic Italian phrases (at a bare minimum: hello, thank you, goodbye) will make you nice enough to not stand out.

Bagginses

mr_mich wrote: »

mr_mich wrote: »

I've got a pair of Asics running shoes which are super comfortable...but they're obviously sneakers. Is that a bad idea? I've been told to minimize things like frayed jeans or other things that paint me as a stereotypical American.

The issue with those items would probably be more associated with getting into a lot of sites. Remember, they're still places of worship, and some of them are even still active.

Jam Warrior

I wouldn't worry about 'looking like an American'. You're in fucking Rome! In the places you will be visiting, tourists will outnumber Italians 3:1. Jeans will be fine, just bear in mind you'll be going to places of worship and dress with a suitable level of respect. i.e. if you have a top on and it is not one with an offensive image on it you'll be fine.

Wezoin

Also, not sure if this applies to you or anyone you're travelling with but women are expected to be covered from shoulders to knees in a lot of the tourist locations (mainly churches)

illirica

If you're into sculpture, the Palazzo Altemps is a little off the beaten path and not as common a tourist destination but has a truly excellent collection of some very cool material. It's smaller than most major museums but is well worth a visit if you have a few hours / half a day to spare.