Rome travel information for first timer visit in Rome | discover the top picks
Rome is one of the most impressive cities ever built, but there is a lot to know before you go if you want to maximize your trip. In this travel guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to know to travel like a pro when you visit Rome travel information. If you’re flying into Rome, you’ll most likely arrive at Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci International Airport. Technically, Rome has two airports, but given its size, chances are you’re flying into Fiumicino, which is about 20 miles from the city center.
You’ll have a few options to get downtown. The most common way is to take the Leonardo da Vinci Express train to the city. This is a 32-minute, non-stop train ride direct from the airport to Rome’s main train station, located near the heart of Rome. To get tickets, simply go to one of the red ticket kiosks and purchase the number of tickets you need. Your ticket is valid for 90 minutes from your selected time, so just be sure to validate it before you board.
This blog discusses Rome travel information, such as travel essentials, hair care on the road, the best time to visit, and, most importantly, currency and tipping.
Table of Contents
Travel Essentials
So, we’ve made it on the train here. It was a bit of a hike getting here from baggage claim to the train station—it was probably a 10 to 15-minute walk. Definitely budget that in when you decide which train you want to take. Your train tickets are good for an hour and a half after you validate them, so even if you miss your train, you should be able to hop on the next one with no problem, which is what we did. If there are four of you traveling, it may be cost- and time-effective to instead take a taxi. A taxi from the airport to anywhere inside Rome’s Aurelian walls is a fixed price, so this is a great option to consider as well.
While everyone packs differently, there are a few essentials we recommend. First, consider something to keep your passport secure, as you’ll need to show this to check into any hotel or Airbnb. Bring great walking shoes that can handle sometimes uneven cobblestone streets and a water bottle to fill up from fountains as you go. Mainland Europe uses their own style of plugs, which run at 240 volts instead of 120, so you’ll need a power adapter. We prefer the extension cord style like this, as the box ones are sometimes too heavy for outlets and fall.
If you’re bringing any hair tools, make sure they’re dual voltage, and if they have a switch, make sure to switch to the 240V mode. We also brought these tiny fans, which were way better than expected at keeping us cool during the scorching Rome summer, and they also double as a power bank. Consider bringing a theft-proof day pack or a crossbody purse to avoid those sneaky pickpockets in crowds. A lot of churches in Italy actually have a dress code to enter. This dress code usually involves making sure your knees are covered, as well as your shoulders, so you might want to bring a scarf or a jacket that you can throw over your shoulders to be allowed entry.
We found they weren’t quite as strict about covering up your knees, but definitely have something in your suitcase that meets this requirement if you plan on popping into a lot of churches. At one point, I carried around a skirt and a jacket in my day pack and just threw them on before entering a church. We found sunscreen to be pretty expensive, so consider bringing some to avoid high costs. Given that you can only fly with small bottles on airplanes, this can be tricky, especially when your other toiletries can take up that precious one quart of gels and liquids.
One travel tip to get around this is to use high-quality shampoo and conditioner bars like these ones from Kitsch. We’d like to thank them for sponsoring today’s video. These bars are truly a traveler’s dream because you don’t have to worry about liquid requirements. You don’t have to worry about your shampoo and conditioner spilling all over your toiletries bag, and just one bar can last up to 100 washes, which should take you pretty far. A plus is that these bars are way more sustainable because they come in cardboard boxes instead of single-use plastic bottles. I’m currently trying to work on growing my hair long and strong after a terrible relationship with sun damage last year, so these bars have been key in repairing that damage and keeping it healthy on the road.
The bars themselves are made of rice water protein, which helps strengthen hair.
Hair Care on the Road
This is really important for me when traveling because my hair goes through a lot between long travel days, being out in the sun all day, and swimming in salty oceans. I can really put my hair through a lot, and as you can see, here’s a quick little before-and-after of my hair after running around in the hot Dubrovnik sun for a couple of days.
The shampoo and conditioner bars really cleaned up all of the grime that was building up in my hair while keeping the ends of my hair damage-free and moisturized. These bars also lather really well, which isn’t always the case with shampoo bars, and they’re also free of phthalates, silicones, parabens, and sulfates. Since Kitsch is in the US as well as over 27 international countries, it’s really easy to stock up. Be sure to use the code “SharingTheRoad” or click the link in the description to get 25% off your first order with Kitsch. Thank you so much to Kitsch for sponsoring this video! We love your products—even Michael loves them! Now, let’s jump back into the Blog.
It’s possible to walk from attraction to attraction once you’re in the heart of Rome. You also have a few additional options to get around. Public buses in Rome can be an efficient way to quickly navigate the city. Since you can’t purchase tickets while boarding a bus, you’ll need to get them ahead of time. Bus tickets are primarily sold at tobacco shops in Italy, which you can identify by a large “T” on their sign. When you board your bus, be sure to validate your ticket at the machine on board.
Once validated, you can transfer from bus to bus for 100 minutes without needing a new ticket. Rome also has a great metro system that consists of three lines: the Orange Line, Blue Line, and Green Line. It’s a great way to avoid traffic and get around quickly. You can purchase metro tickets from most metro line stations as well as from tobacco shops. Taxis are another way to get around Rome, but unlike many cities, you can’t just flag one down when you see one driving by. You’ll need to find a marked taxi sign where they queue up. When we first arrived in Rome,
When we first arrived in Rome, we took a taxi right outside the main train station and felt we were a little bit overcharged, so this isn’t our preferred option to get around.
But luckily, Uber is present in Rome, and we found this to be the most convenient and affordable option
when we needed it. Uber works a little bit differently in Italy, though. You’re not going to be able to schedule a ride or know your taxi driver’s information ahead of time. It essentially works by calling the nearest taxi to where you are, and you’ll be able to know your price ahead of time. It will charge the card you have on file. We found this way easier to use than some of the other local taxi apps. There’s also the option to purchase an Aroma Pass, which gives you access to certain main attractions and unlimited public transport rides while valid. We’ll link more information below about the Aroma Pass if this interests you.
Best Time to Visit
Being the capital of Italy, there’s always something going on in Rome. However, the time of year you visit will greatly shape your experience. May through September is considered to be the main tourist season, where you can enjoy long summer days but also face much larger crowds. Mid-March through early May and October through November are considered the shoulder seasons, where you can expect fewer crowds and a more authentic Roman experience. For reference, we visited in August and still had an amazing time.
There are countless hotels and Airbnbs scattered across Rome; however, we recommend staying in the Trastevere neighborhood if you can. This is one of Rome’s most charming districts, with cozy cafes and streets lined with romantic restaurants. Plus, it’s only about a 20 to 30-minute walk to most of the main sites in Rome. We stayed here, and while it was small and a little musty-smelling, our Airbnb was only about 100 bucks a night. If you’re visiting in the summer, consider filtering your search to ensure you have an air conditioning unit if you’re worried about traveling during one of Rome’s notorious summer heat waves.
You’ll need tickets. Rome’s ticketing websites tend to be confusing and clunky, making it difficult to secure highly competitive tickets to some of Rome’s key sites. We cover all of Rome’s top spots in our Top Things to Do in Rome video and walk through all you need to know about the ticketing process for sites like the Coliseum, Pantheon, the Vatican, and even how to secure an audience with the Pope. So, consider subscribing to our channel and checking those videos out as well.
Given that many places in Rome will charge you even for a glass of water at a restaurant, finding ways to stay hydrated for free is always preferred. Thanks to Rome’s ancient aqueducts, we’ve got you covered. All around the city, you’ll find these water fountains that are actually part of the original aqueduct system. What’s amazing about these fountains is that you can just fill up your water bottle or drink straight from them, and you get fresh, clean, and surprisingly cold water anywhere around the city.
And yeah, we were here in early August, and this one is actually pretty darn cold, which we weren’t expecting at all. It’s amazing! There are some much prettier fountains than this one—we saw one at the Trevi Fountain today—but it’s definitely refreshing, and it’s nice that you don’t have to worry about hydrating on your trip to Rome. While water is free in most cases, there are a few times you’ll need to use a public bathroom, so be sure to have a couple of extra coins on hand, as it will usually cost about one euro to use a public bathroom. To find these, just look for signs that say “toilet” or “WC” (which stands for water closet).
But to avoid this cost, most large restaurants have bathrooms for paying customers, and in one case, we ended up purchasing a cappuccino from Burger King because it ended up being a better deal than paying for public restrooms.
Currency & Tipping
With Italy being one of the first countries to adopt the Euro, this Technicolor currency is the money you’ll use. For those who aren’t keen on carrying a wad of cash with them, you’ll be pleased to learn that credit cards are accepted at most major eateries and attractions. We even found our American Express card was accepted almost everywhere we went, so plastic is certainly your friend here in Rome. And here’s a tip about tips: Tipping is not common in Italy, so it’s not expected that you add a tip to your restaurant bill or your cab fare. If you’re inclined, you can always leave a euro or two as appreciation for good service on your table. This isn’t expected or needed.
That being said, a lot of restaurants in Rome will have a fixed cover charge per person just for sitting at the table. This charge is called a coperto and is usually one or two euros per person. Some restaurants don’t have this charge at all, so just ask before you sit down if that’s a deciding factor for you.
Most people coming to Italy are eager to try the food, being the motherland of pasta and pizza. There are some incredible dishes to try, and in our Rome food tour, we walk through some of Rome’s most iconic dishes and share some of the best foods to try, so be sure to check that out as well. When it comes time to plan your meals, many restaurants close briefly between lunch and dinner, so keep that in mind. Also, if you’re visiting in peak season and there’s a restaurant you really want to visit, consider getting a reservation online or in person. But if you really forgot to make a reservation, consider dining at the hot spots for lunch instead, when they’re less crowded.
We stayed in Rome for a total of seven nights and documented every single cent we spent. In total, we spent about $1,150, or about $575 per person. This included our Airbnb, all our food, tickets we bought, and other expenses along the way. We did shop for groceries and cook for ourselves some nights but never felt deprived of a true Roman experience. So, use this as a reference if you’re looking to budget for your trip to Rome.
If you’re looking to escape Rome for a bit, there are a few nearby places to consider. You can visit the town of Tivoli in about 35 minutes by train for roughly two and a half euros each way. This is a charming town with some Roman ruins and an incredible garden, which you may recognize from the Lizzie McGuire Movie. With a two-hour high-speed train, you can visit the fabled ruins of Pompeii, which can be an exciting though ambitious day trip to consider. Florence can also be reached by a high-speed train, and in just an hour and a half, you can be exploring the picture-perfect medieval city. We’re about to release a Florence travel guide to share the top things you need to see and eat in Florence, so be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss that.
Although hotel and restaurant workers speak English, it’s still helpful to know a few important words. For example, “Ciao” is used for both hello and goodbye, “Per favore” is please, “Grazie” is thank you, and “Dove è il bagno?” means “Where is the bathroom?” Be sure to download the Google Translate app and download the Italian language before your trip, so you can translate even when you don’t have any cell coverage.
If you have any other questions regarding your upcoming trip to Rome, please leave them in the comments below. And if you’re a Rome expert, please consider helping out those in the comments below as well. Thank you all so much for reading. If you found this blog useful, please consider giving this blog a love. Thanks, and we’ll see you in the next one.
Thank you, and that wraps up our The best Rome accommodation | discover the top picks. . Do you agree with the places we chose, or is there somewhere you visited that you feel should be on the list? leave us a comment.
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