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Your first time in Rome- What you need to know before you go to Rome
The eternal city has been on the list of many travelers from all over the world. Whether you are planning to see Europe or are planning a weekend trip, Rome is not to miss. By considering the following points you will enjoy your experience of the city much more.
Pick the right time to visit
The high season to visit Rome is April and May. The weather is nice, but it is not yet as hot as in the summer months. Since the best way to discover rome is by walking and it is very likely that you have to wait in line in front of the main attractions you might not want to do that in 35 degrees. However high season comes with high prices for hotels, tours and masses of tourists will be in the city. I would recommend to visit Rome in the winter months or slightly before and after high season.
What day of the week shall I come
The best thing to do is arrive during the week and cover the major sights. Use the weekend to take it easy: visit local areas, markets and enjoy the nightlife of the city.
Buy your tickets for the Vatican online
If you are keen to visit the Vatican museum and the Sixtine chapel, I highly recommend to book your tickets in advance through their website.
For an adult ticket you will pay a little bit more: 20 Euros instead of 16. This is really worth it though since you choose the day and time when you want to visit and when arriving you don’t have to wait in line. If you arrive a bit later than the time shown on your ticket that’s no problem at all.
The ticket will entitle you to visit the Vatican museum and the Sixtine chapel. However if you want to also visit the St.Peter’s you either have to take a tour that allows you to enter the St.Peter directly or you need to make your way out of the museum and wait in line for that as well.
Remember to dress modestly.
There is not always a need to buy a skip the line ticket
For a lot of places you get offered a skip the line ticket which is way more expensive.
Keep in mind to book the Vatican ticket online, the St.Peter is free entry- just arrive early or shortly before it closes and remember when buying tickets for the Colloseum& the Roman Forum to buy them not at the Colosseum but at a side entrance to the Roman Forum (for an adult ticket it is only 12 Euros and you can visit Coloseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum).
Choose the right area for your accommodation
Rome is surprisingly small and everything can easily reached by public transport or even walking. So you don’t necessarily have to book your hotel in the main tourist area. Choosing an area a bit further away has lots of advantages: Cheaper hotel prices, local neighborhoods where you can find cozy and inexpensive restaurants and bars and it also feels more lively. A great neighborhood is San Lorenzo which is close to the university and therefore offers chic restaurant and inexpensive bars and the Colosseum can still be reached in 15 minutes by using the tram.
How to get great photos of the sights
During the day everything is going to be way to crowded to take nice shots, however at night all those overcrowded places are pretty much empty. Come after 10 pm to enjoy the sights more and get some great photos. Another option is to get up really early.
There is no need for a public transport day pass
Using the public transport system in Rome is really cheap. A single ticket costs 1.50 € and after getting it stamped you can use it for 100 minutes and change as many times as you want. I never needed more than two tickets per day.