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Rome

Updated · BootsnAll

Read enough about Rome and you get two sets of words. One set says timeless, magical, romantic. The other says chaotic, sprawling, exhausting. Both are right. Rome is an extraordinary city with some hard edges, and a bit of preparation tips the balance toward the extraordinary.

It was the center of an empire for centuries and of the Catholic Church for longer, and the evidence is everywhere: the Colosseum at the end of a traffic-choked avenue, a 2nd-century temple in the middle of a cafe-lined square, Baroque churches built from ancient marble. Around all of that is a noisy modern capital of nearly three million people who have no intention of tiptoeing around their past. That collision is what makes Rome both thrilling and tiring. It is also where most people start an Italy trip, since most long-haul flights land at Fiumicino.

This page covers the basics: getting in, getting around, where to stay, what to see and what it costs in 2026. The links below go deeper.

Quick links to Rome travel resources:

Getting to Rome and Getting Around

From Fiumicino airport the simplest option is the Leonardo Express, a non-stop train to Roma Termini every 15 minutes that takes 32 minutes and costs about 14 euros in 2026. The FL1 regional train is cheaper (about 8 euros) and stops at Trastevere, Ostiense and Tiburtina, but not Termini. Taxis charge a fixed fare of about 55 euros from Fiumicino to anywhere inside the Aurelian Walls (about 40 euros from Ciampino), for up to four people with bags. With three or four of you and luggage, the taxi is the better deal. Our Fiumicino page has the details.

By train, Rome is about an hour from Naples, 1 hour 25 minutes from Florence and under 3 hours from Milan on high-speed trains run by both Trenitalia and Italo. Fares work like airfares, so book ahead for the cheap ones.

In the city, ATAC runs the buses, trams and three metro lines. Line C reached Colosseo/Fori Imperiali in December 2025, where it meets Line B. In 2026 a single BIT ticket costs about 1.50 euros and is good for 100 minutes on buses and trams plus one metro ride. A 24-hour ticket is about 8.50 euros and 72 hours about 22. You can skip tickets entirely and tap a contactless bank card or phone at the gates and on board; the charge caps at the 24-hour price. See Rome Transportation 101.

Honestly, though, the historic center is a walking city. The metro skirts around it rather than through it, and buses crawl. Plan your days by neighborhood and walk, and save the transit for getting to the Vatican, the Colosseum or your hotel.

Where to Stay in Rome

The closer you sleep to the big sights, the more you pay, and Rome is spread out enough that a cheap room far from everything costs you in time and feet. Here is how the main areas compare:

  • Centro Storico (Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Campo de' Fiori): you walk everywhere, and you pay for it. Can be noisy at night.
  • Monti: a short walk from the Colosseum and Forum, with good wine bars and small restaurants. Our favorite all-round base.
  • Trastevere: pretty, lively and packed with restaurants. Quiet by day, loud until late at night.
  • Prati: near the Vatican, calmer, orderly streets, easy metro access on Line A.
  • Termini and Esquilino: the cheapest rooms and the best transport links, but scruffier streets. Fine for a short stay or an early train.

Rome charges a hotel tax on top of your room rate, per person per night for up to 10 nights. In 2026 it runs from about 4 euros a night at a 1-star hotel to 10 euros at a 5-star, and about 6 euros in B&Bs and short-term rentals. Children under 10 don't pay. Check that any rental you book shows its national ID code (CIN) in the listing.

What To Do in Rome

Rome can feel overwhelming, especially as your first stop in Italy. Don't try to "conquer" it in one visit, and don't worry if you don't fall for it right away. Rome grows on people. A first trip of three or four days covers the essentials; a week lets you slow down.

The biggest change for anyone who last visited a few years ago: the major sights now run on timed, pre-booked tickets, and some put your name on the ticket. "Just show up" no longer works at the Colosseum, the Vatican Museums or the Borghese. Book before you fly.

Our main article is what to do in Rome, and don't miss the free things to do in Rome. For a short trip, these are the must-sees, with what they cost in 2026:

  • Roman Forum, Palatine Hill and Colosseum: the heart of ancient Rome, on one combined ticket of about 18 euros. Tickets are timed and named, so carry matching ID, and book at the official site, which opens 30 days ahead.
  • Vatican City: the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel (about 20 euros plus a 5 euro booking fee, closed most Sundays) and St. Peter's Basilica (free; the dome climb is extra). Cover shoulders and knees.
  • Pantheon: the 2nd-century dome that every later dome copied. No longer free; about 7 euros in 2026.
  • Trevi Fountain: free to see from the piazza, but since February 2026 non-residents pay 2 euros to go down to the basin between 9:00 and 22:00.
  • Spanish Steps: a grand staircase and meeting point, though you can now be fined for sitting on it.
  • Piazza Navona: shaped like a stadium because it was one.

With more time, or on a second trip, add the Galleria Borghese (booking compulsory, about 18 euros), the National Roman Museum at Palazzo Massimo, the Capitoline Museums, Castel Sant'Angelo, the old Jewish Ghetto, the Appian Way and its catacombs, and the Capuchin Crypt, a chapel decorated with the bones of about 3,700 friars. You can follow our self-guided Angels & Demons tour, visit the cats at Torre Argentina, or hunt down Rome's weird and wonderful corners, like the Museum of Purgatory. For a quiet corner, cross the river to the Trastevere neighborhood in the daytime. At night it's a different story.

If you want the whole city on one card, the Roma Pass costs about 38 euros for 48 hours (one free site) or about 63 for 72 hours (two free sites), with unlimited public transport. It only pays off if you use the transport a lot, and you still need to reserve the Colosseum and the Borghese.

How Much Time to Spend on the Big Sights

Give the Vatican a full morning at least, and a day if you like art. Once you're inside the Vatican Museums you won't want to leave and come back, so book an early slot at tickets.museivaticani.va (the only official online seller; look-alike sites charge more), see what you came for, then walk to St. Peter's. The basilica is free, but the security line can be long.

Ancient Rome takes a day: Colosseum in the morning, then the Forum and Palatine, then up Capitoline Hill for the view over the Forum. You can finish at the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. That's a lot of walking, much of it on uneven stone with almost no shade, so wear proper shoes and carry water (the nasoni, Rome's free public fountains, will refill it). An espresso or gelato on Piazza Navona costs a lot. Pay it once for the view.

The Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps are kitschy, and you should go anyway. Throw a coin over your shoulder into the Trevi to guarantee your return; the coins are collected and given to the Catholic charity Caritas. Go early in the morning, or after 22:00 when the basin is free and the crowd thins. The Spanish Steps may make you want to watch "Roman Holiday" again, which is never a bad thing. Just don't sit down.

A Few Rome Rules and Money Notes

  • Sitting on the Spanish Steps, wading in fountains and eating on monuments can all get you fined.
  • Lazio's regional law bans a separate cover charge (coperto) in restaurants, though some add one anyway or charge for bread. Check the bill.
  • Tipping isn't expected. Rounding up or leaving a few euros for good service is normal.
  • Churches enforce dress codes. Carry a scarf for your shoulders.
  • The first Sunday of the month is free at state museums and at the Colosseum, which still needs a timed reservation, and at the Vatican Museums it's the last Sunday. Free days are the most crowded days.

Rome may not make you sigh the way the Tuscan hills or a Venice sunset do, but you can't skip it in Italy. Plan ahead, pace yourself, and Rome will reward you. For a day-by-day plan, see the 5-day Rome itinerary.

For where to eat, Rome-based food writer Katie Parla keeps a list of her favorite restaurants in the city. For events and opening hours, the city's official tourism site is turismoroma.it.

Buon viaggio!

original photos, from top to bottom, by: cuellar, clayirving, cuellar, wenzday01