Rome Survival Tips for the First-Time Visitor

[LL_Travelfan]

Hi,



No travel to Italy is complete without a visit to Rome. However, if you are a first time visitor, here are some survival tips.


The city might feel overwhelming at first, but many of Rome's biggst tourist sights are concentrated in a relatively small area, so the part of Rome that you will be spending the majority of your time visiting is considerably smaller than you might think. With a good map, a centrally-located place to sleep and an understanding of the public transit system in Rome, you will be able to navigate the city more easily. In particular, I cant emphasize enough how important it is to get a handle on taking the bus around Rome - the bus network is way more extensive than the subway system, so there are even more places you can go without much effort. Your feet will thank you later.In a city like Rome, more than in other Italian cities (at least in my opinion), its important to pace yourself. Will you see everything in Rome on your first visit? Absolutely not. And youd be foolish to try. Give yourself ample opportu July and August might be the peak vacation months in some parts of the world, but in Rome they are typically exceedingly hot and humid and many residents (the smart ones, anyway) abandon the city for the coast. Do not be surprised to find lots of closed for the holidays signs up in shop windows around Rome. Of course, this means the city is potentially less crowded for those who do brave the heat!If you do decide to visit during the hottest summer months, be smart about your time spent in the sun - bring and wear appropriate sun gear (floppy hats, sunscreen), and carry a reusable water bottle with you. Romes free public drinking fountains spout some of the best-tasting (and blissfully cold) water youll find anywhere, and youll need it. Theres even one conveniently located right in the Roman Forum, which is good because theres almost no shade to speak of there.Like any big city the world over, you are bound to run into higher crime rates in Rome than you might in the Tuscan hill towns, for instance. I know people who have been pickpocketed in Rome, people who have caught pickpockets in the act (and thwarted the theft), and others whove never had any trouble at all (including myself, though I might have just jinxed myself by saying that aloud) - so Im definitely not saying that anyone setting foot in Rome is going to be robbed. However, I do think that it pays to be alert in Rome. If you remain aware of your surroundings and cautious about your belongings, especially on the subways and the bus tourist routes, you will in all likelihood have no problems whatsoever.Many of Italys main tourist cities are also cities where people still live and work, and in Rome this is particularly true. The people you pass on the street are not just waiting to give tourists directions to the Colosseum or recommend a good restaurant - they are on their way somewhere, just like you would be walking down the street in your hometown. If you can find a tourist information office or a tourism-related shop, those are the places to stop and ask questions. The locals you pass on the street arent rude, and many of them may stop to help you if youre holding a map and looking lost - but theyre also not delegates of the tourism office, so you shouldnt expect them to go out of their way to help you.

[kthlnwtfrd]

Great recommendations. My husband & I will be leaving for Rome 10/25/2009 -- staying at the Cota d'Africa. Has anyone ever stayed here?



Does anyone know the best way to transfer back & forth from FCO? The hotel charges 75 euros each way?!?!



Any recommendations on what to see first, since it sounds impossible to see everything in one visit. We will be there for 3 days & then on to Paris for 4 -- staying at the Mon!



Thanks --



First time poster --

[kyshel]

I've been "close" to getting to Rome (standby flights as airline spouse) . When I do make it, I am taking the Step by Step Guide to Rome--which all our flight attendants swear by for first-timers. Hope it's of use to you!

[exflygirl]

On my first (and only but hopefully not the last--I threw coins at the Trevi Fountain just in case) visitto Rome several years ago, I shared a cab with two other people into the city. After several hours of traveling, I just wanted to check in and freshen up and get going!



There is a lot to see in Rome. If you plan on taking a bus tour, do the night tour as all the famoussights are lit up. I took a day one and a night one, and the night one was incredible. I enjoyed that night tour so much that on another night, I rode a publicbus that looked like it would hit several sights just to see them again.



Frances Mayes wrote that art in Italyis accessible--some areoutside and not necessarily allarein museums. I concentrated on one artist--Bernini--and mapped out the fountains and sculptures he had done for my very own walking tour. If it wasn't Bernini, I moved on (OK, I admired some non-Bernini works; but I think it helps to have a focus given all the choices).



All the best!

efg

[kthlnwtfrd]

Thanks for the reply -- I will try to take that night tour you recommended, sounds awesome!



I am also very interested in just walking around the city, but have heard it can be dangerous??? Is this true???

[exflygirl]

Dangerous as in life-threatening? I don't think so. Pickpockets? Probably.



Iwas on my own in Rome. When traveling alone, a general rule I follow is ensuring there are other people around when exploring. This doesn't mean nothing canhappen amidst a crowd. I passed a group of young men coming down the Spanish Steps, and my instincts told me tokeep goingno matter what. I was in a similar situation at the Trocadero in Paris. Both of these areas are teaming with people.On the other hand,I walked a deserted street in Rome (andBarcelona and Madrid); and nothing happened.



As LLTravelfan said,it pays to be alert, to remain aware of your surroundings and to be cautious about your belongings.



I have to confess the most traumatic thing that happened to me in Rome was being showered by bird droppings while waiting for a bus. To this day, I still cringe just thinking about it.



efg

[beckycaudill]

We visited Rome and Florence in November 2006 and I can tell you that three years ago it did not feel dangerous at all. We are very much go, go, go type of vacationers and we walked everywhere and saw everything we had time for in five days from sun up until well after dark. The only time I found an area even remotely sketchy was when we got off the bus at the wrong end of the market (swap meet) in Trasteveri.