Rome, Italy is one of the top tourist destination in the world. It is also well known for its tourist trap stories, many of which happens due to the unfamiliarity of travelers with the do’s and don’ts when exploring Rome. So let’s talk about some travel tips today that may make your life easier while enjoying this historic city.
First, lets talk about arriving in Rome. The ‘Leonardo Da Vinici – Fiumicino Airport (FCO)’ is located west of the city near the Mediterranean sea. It is well connected to most major cities around the world with dozens of daily direct flights from New York, Atlanta, London, Paris, Barcelona and locations in the middle east. The airport is well organized with Public Transit (Metro) connection to Roma Termini (central Rome) and rental car desks within the airport. You can take advantage of the nice food court and many restrooms around the airport to refresh yourself before the next leg of your journey.
There are many good hotels in Rome within walking distance to attractions that are well connected by metro from the airport (mostly via Roma Termini) and then a short walk or taxi (or Uber) ride to the hotel. Please keep in mind taxis can get expensive due to the layout and busy streets in the city.
Rome is also well connected to all nearby locations via train. We took advantage of this by staying at a Hilton resort an hour north of the city in charming Lazio hillside regions. We rented a car (compact size) from the airport, allowing us to explore many historic towns and villages in northern Lazio and Umbria. When visiting Rome, we opted to park the car at a train station (Orte in our case) and take the 45-min train ride to Roma Termini. This avoids the hassle of driving in Rome and connects to most places in the city by bus and metro.
Roma Termini is a convenient transit hub to explore Rome. You can take the metro or Bus from here to visit the Vatican, and other attractions a little far form walking. The most popular attractions – The Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hills, Central Square, Trevi Fountain and Spanish steps are all within 25-30 mins walking distance from here. You can also take the metro strops to those destinations from here.
While enjoying the attractions, take time to stop for a lunch at one of many good eateries in the city. The food is delicious and you can’t go wrong with a Italian cuisine. Avoid eateries advertising hamburgers and other non-Italian items if you are craving for good local dishes at reasonable price.
One common sense strategy when exploring the city is to keep your belongings at a safe place and avoiding too much crowd. High crowd concentration typically occurs in Roma Termini, Trevi fountain and around the Roman Forum area. Some ideas to keep your items safe is to use small travel handbags and phone wallets and secure your phone with a neck-chain or belt-lock. Avoid responding to strangers and panhandlers in these areas. Inside the Vatican walls, the colosseum and the forum its relatively safe and secure.
Watch the video below for a brief introduction to a popular attraction in Rome, world’s most famous fountain!
All Around The World 