A traveler's guide to Rome
Rome is best in layers: one ruin, one church, one long lunch, one neighborhood wander. Trying to 'do Rome' in two days is how you end up angry in a queue.
Rome is chaotic in a way that photographs well and walks even better. The Forum, the Caravaggios, a carbonara that ruins you for imitations, and a fountain you did not plan to find. Heat and crowds are real; so is a 4 p.m. gelato that resets the day.
Tickets
Book the Colosseum and Vatican in advance. The Forum/Palatine combo is the better half of that day. Skip-the-line is often worth it in summer. Many churches are free and hold better art than you expect.
Eating
Carbonara, cacio e pepe, amatriciana, and artichokes in season. Sit down. The tourist menus near the Trevi are a trap. Testaccio, Monti, and the side streets of Trastevere still feed people well.
Pace
Afternoons are for shutting museums and sitting down. Romans eat late. August is hot and partly closed. A morning at the Borghese Gallery is a calmer masterpiece run than the Vatican Museums.
If you only remember this
- Fill a bottle at the nasoni drinking fountains.
- Pickpockets work the Metro and famous squares. Be boringly careful.
- Dress codes at St. Peter's are enforced. Cover shoulders and knees.
- Taxi from the airport is a fixed fare. Confirm before you ride.