Rome wasn’t toured in a day. “Remember you cannot possibly do it all,” says reader neededaname. “Living there full time for about a year and a half is a more reasonable time frame.” You don’t have a year and a half, so before you take a trip, look through these tips and choose wisely. And Rome is a pickpocket city, so watch out. Maybe wear overalls.
Some readers leave whole mini-guides in their comments, full of good advice. We’ve put a * next to each tip that’s part of a longer comment; click the username to see the rest of it.
Each Monday on Hack Your City, we ask readers for your best tips on a city: driving tips, restaurant recs, things to do, and any other advice for visitors and locals. Then on Thursday, we present the best comments. We’re working our way around the U.S. and around the globe.
Avoid crowds
“Sistine Chapel is amazing but the experience is ruined by the number of people amassed in it (and often by their behavior).”—mbagattini
“If you plan on going to any of the major sites (Colosseum, for example), try going on a night tour, which won’t be as busy.”—TRCP
“If you have the extra cash, a personalized tour of the Colosseum can get you into a special queue that shortens many lines; almost like a FastPass for the Colosseum.”—Tomás de Servo
“As with elsewhere in Europe, going in the spring or fall is best, before and after the summer tourism crush.”—s4zando
Do this
Get the Rick Steves guide; many commenters praised it.
“See everything twice. Night and day show you two different sides of everything. The fountains, the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, Pantheon, all of it is worth seeing twice.”—I’ll-think-of-something
“Visit the Sistine Chapel at the very end of the day just before they kick everyone out. At this time they shut off the artificial lighting blasting the ceiling and you’ll have about 15-30 minutes to view the ceiling just as it was intended, in natural light. The paintings almost leap off the ceiling and into a 3D appearance.”—s4zando
“Stand to drink your coffee, and it’ll cost you 1-2 euro. Sit and it’ll often cost you more than 5. Also, if you ask for milk after noon they’ll shake their heads at you (and who cares, but it’s a funny cultural divide).”—TheBobmanNH
“You will need reservations for lunch and dinner, especially at small restaurants. Even if they are ‘off the beaten path,’ you’ll still need to make reservations!”—TRCP
“Cash is king, but don’t take dollars to convert.” (Use the ATMs.)—e30s2k.
“Get a Roma Pass for each person. It’s something like 20 euros but pays for itself quickly. It’s valid for 3 days and covers public transportation and free or discounted admission to major sights. In those 3 days, the first two sights are free, so choose the priciest ones to see first (I did the Colosseum and Forum).”—Spaceman3k*
“The streets are unevenly paved, even in posh neighborhoods, and you will be doing a lot of walking. Leave the heels for dinner and bring good supportive flats.”—pdxwhy*
“Bring a reusable water bottle and fill up using the public fountains. Yes, water just comes out of public fountains in Europe (esp Rome) and is drinkable.”—TheBobmanNH
“Uber is prevalent in Rome and they have a van option. Great for moving large groups (more than can fit in a taxi) if you need it.”—cheesel
“The MyTaxi app that works so well in the rest of the city, doesn’t seem to work at all at the airport. So, get some cash, and be ready to pay with cash to get where you’re going. Or be prepared to be yelled at in Italian like I was... which honestly wasn’t the worst.”—Stephen
“If you like suits, make sure to check out some of the tailors in Rome, i was able to get a nice tailored suit for ~$130 USD and it looks way better than my $400 alfani suit.”—Exeros
“I’m a big cold brew coffee fan, and that’s something very not Italian. But a cafe misto is a close version: basically an iced espresso that’s slightly sweetened.”—MattJN*
“Always order ‘un quarto di rosso della casa,’ a quart carafe of red wine, with dinner. Make it the first thing that comes out of your mouth to the waiter after looking at the menu. It only costs about 5 euro, and it makes you totally accepted immediately.”—John Star
“There is a fairly large and distinguished community of young accomplished artists from around the world living in Rome. Make sure you check out the art; either at galleries, openings, parties and events. Meet and buy some art from a living artist.”—valley-of-the-uncanny-preserves
“Keep an eye on labor actions in Italy, nothing will ruin a vacation faster then finding out all modes of transportation are cancelled or overpacked.”—Maniac86
“If you are religious or just very interested in the history of the Vatican, You MUST do the Scavi tour. You visit the Tomb of Saint Peter and the Necropolis under the Basilica. Book well in advance. Doing this tour also lets you skip the line into Saint Peters, and during busy months that can save you hours.”—burnthis1313*
“If you’re there in the summer be sure to know what churches will require pants and shoulders to be covered. First time I went to the Vatican I was turned away for wearing shorts. I also saw a lot of tourists in tank tops turned away.”—Mr Pouty Pants*
Eat here
“Old Bear was my favorite meal of a 17-day trip in Italy. Highly recommend the cacio e pepe.”—Stephen*
“As soon as we arrived, we went to a sandwich shop right by our hotel, PanDivino. Those sandwiches were incredible and the gentleman who owns/runs it was as kind as could be. This little sandwich shop is the #10 restaurant in the whole of Rome on TripAdvisor, so it’s legit.”—I’ll-think-of-something
“Café et Caffé ended up being my go-to morning coffee place after having a few mediocre places.”—Stephen
“Testaccio [neighborhood] has great food. Really. The most important one is Mordi e Vai. Really. This is the place where you’re going to have the best sandwich you’ll have while in Rome. Really. It’s in Mercato Testaccio. Do not miss out on this.”—brunostrange*
“Treat the area between the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain as touristy as Times Square, and don’t eat anywhere in that space if you can. Also goes for the aisle of eats near the Colosseum. Just garbage. Instead, seek out the Osteria della Fortunata and have their oxtail. Oh so good.”—palehorsevictoria
“Knick Knack Yoda makes really great burgers.”—cheesel
“For good food, head south of Circus Maximus and the Pyramide. Garbatella is a beautiful neighborhood worth walking around and far enough away from the tourist traps that picking a bad restaurant is nearly impossible.”—neededaname*
“When looking for restaurants, creep down alley ways (haha, JK those aren’t alley ways, they’re two way streets! Don’t drive in Italy) and look for little 5 or 6 table restaurants, the little off the beaten path Trattorias and Enotecas were our best meals.”—IthinkHamNoblockedme*
Go here
“Even if you have no connection, the Jewish Ghetto is a really cool place to visit. Roman Jews have a long history and a unique culture and food. Its a quiet oasis from the city and you can see the old Jewish fish market that was housed in some old ruins as well as sample classic Jewish Italian food like Jewish Artichokes (Carciofi alla giudìa).”—Jon
“The catacombs near Villa Ada (Catacombe de Priscilla, in the convent across Via Salaria from the park) are generally not crowded, are very cool, and contain what is allegedly the oldest image of the Virgin Mary in existence.”—NeuralDuck
“The best thing I did was take the train down Pompeii for a day trip (via Naples). I got a ticket to visit 3 of the sites that are on the train line. Pompeii was fantastic. If you like exploring it’s big enough to literally get lost in. Ercolani is also wonderful. It’s smaller and closer to Naples. In hindsight I wish I had done an overnight so I could have seen more of Naples.”—llaalleell
“Bernini’s Ecstasy of St. Theresa is one of the most beautiful pieces of marble on the planet. It is located in a nave of a relatively small church, Santa Maria della Vittoria, mostly used by neighborhood residents, and you can sit in the pews in privacy, as long as you like, and contemplate pure artistic illumination, or, as the wags have done, wonder whether Theresa is really having an orgasm.”—forget*
“Rather than doing the tour of the Vatican museums, go on the tour of the gardens instead. The gardens were closed to the public for decades and they are gorgeous, and you still get access to go round the museums at your own pace afterwards. When I did it, the garden tour was a bit cheaper too.”—Hugh
“Do not miss the weird Quartiere Coppedè. It is like walking in an M.C. Escher (who lived in Rome btw) lithograph and it is mostly unknown to tourists (and often locals).”—Raev*
“Testaccio neighborhood was my favorite. There’s a great market there where I picked up snacks. Nearby is the Protestant Cemetery where Keats and Shelley are buried and at least at the time, there was a cat sanctuary there so you’d see cats just lounging around looking cool. And there’s a badass pyramid nearby too. I also liked the crypt for the Capuchin Friars.”—llaalleell
“The Vatican has a pretty impressive modern art collection, in the last dash to the Sistine Chapel 99.9% of people blow right past it.”—TCojan
“There is a keyhole in a door to the Villa del Priorato di Malta (on Aventine Hill) which provides a perfectly framed view of the dome of St. Peter’s. On the same street, there’s another cool view/location, the Giardino degli Aranci.”—Elana F. (But expect to wait in line at the keyhole.)
“If you want to get away from the main tourist area, go across the river to Trastevere. It’s slightly more local and still have amazing food. Look for places that serve aperitivo, and you’ll have to pay for a drink or two and they will serve small snacks that will fill you up.”—JeWo
Read up on all the famous architecture ahead of time, so you know where to look for secret details:
And check out these pics:
That’s it! Read the rest of the comments at the original thread, leave your own below, and come back Monday when we dedicate Hack Your City to a single theme park. (It’s not Dollywood.)