25 Things to Know Before Visiting Rome.- especially if this is your first trip to Rome!
Hi! I’m Megan, a licensed NYC tour guide, and I recently paid my first visit to the Eternal City. I immediately fell in love with Rome, but a few things about Rome were a bit trick for an first-time visitor. (At least an American first-time visitor to Rome.) Here is a Rome Travel guide I put together of 25 things I wish I knew before traveling to Rome. (It’s TECHNICALLY 26…you get a bonus!)
A few links. I DO NOT MAKE A COMMISSION ON THESE! My mom and I paid for everything on this trip ourselves, so this is our absolute honest Rome experience.
City Experiences Rome (For tour): https://bit.ly/3s7n9qQ(We especially recommend ” Rome in a Day” and “Crypts, Bones, & Catacombs.)
Travelon Pick-Pocket Proof Bags: (We got ours from Amazon and Macy’s but this is the official website of Travelon) https://www.travelonbags.com/
Cecilia Santa Cucina (You MUST eat here!): https://en.ceciliasantacucina.com/
Hotel Art by the Spanish Steps (we stayed here and loved it): https://www.gruppouna.it/en/esperienze/hotel-art-by-the-spanish-steps
We booked the hotel through Small & Elegant Hotels: https://smallandeleganthotels.com/destinations/italy/rome/hotel-art-by-the-spanish-steps/
Map of Places we loved in Italy: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1gX2FKdAaF88Y3ZSo3I9b2kJ6GOcVWbQ&usp=sharing
00:00 Intro
00:44 Do you need to know Italian
01:45 Nasone
02:31 Tap, Still, or Sparkling
03:03 Book a Tour
03:34 Extreme Heat
03:54 How to Dress for the Heat
04:51 How to Dress for Religious Sites
05:28 Crowds
06:18 Book in Advance
06:51 Parks
07:34 Taxis
08:15 Getting Around
09:05 Tiny Sidewalks
09:44 Should You Drive?
10:24 Comfy Shoes
11:20 Pick-Pocket Proof Bags
12:14 Airtags
13:10 Hotel Rules
13:39 Shopping
14:14 Cash or Credit
14:57 Tipping
15:38 Large Food Portions
16:27 Restaurant Reservations
17:13 Late Dinners
17:35 New Experiences
18:42 Let Yourself Wander (This is the bonus!)
19:36 Final Thoughts
21 Comments
Fantastic Megan! great things to know. So glad you had a wonderful trip. Memories, that you can create and keep as long as you live! 🗽
I appreciate seeing this from the perspective of a traveler. Looks like you had a great trip!
You went to Italy in the middle of a heatwave across central Europe. You coped well as many countries were hit really badly by it. Thanks for the video tips as I they really help.
Why did you not use the metro😱 we used it so many times last month, life and leg saver!
I studied abroad in Rome/Florence. Don’t take a taxi. They will rip you off. Take an uber. If you are in a busy area, walk 10 minutes away and then call. You’ll save money. I probably took 30 ubers during my stay and only a handful cancelled but i always got another driver. Try taking the subway or the trains! Super user friendly.
How can you make a reservation if most of these places do not have any website & you are there for 1-2 days?
So happy to have found your channel. I am booking Cecilia for the end of September for my wife and I. I can’t wait. Great info through your entire video. Thank you.
See all those people milling around you in the famous tourist spots? Look like tourists? Well only about half of them are tourists, the other half are pickpockets.
Thank you for sharing these incredible travel insights with us! 🙏 Oh, and speaking of travel, have you seen the new Nomadlane V4 Bento Bag? It looks like the perfect companion for wanderers! 🌟👜
The park is the Villa Borghese, which has (amongst many other things!) a viewing "platform" overlooking the Piazza Del Popolo & a panoramic view of Rome, including St Peters on the horizon. Have never been when it is so hot, so some useful tips here!
Thanks for the video
Amazing Video. Going to Rome in 2 weeks and this video really was extremely informative and appreciated. You are the Best 🙂
Google is saying that Bucatino temporarily closed 😢.
Great tips.
Please allow me to expand on them.
1. Rome in a day tour is for those who are happy to tick items off their bucket list, not to experience Roma.
2. How do you spot a tourist? they're the ones with the hats.
3. Taxi? Uber? Are you kidding me? Have you seen the trams / buses / metro?
4. Who goes to Italy in high season?
5. Know how and when to go to Trevi and the pantheon.
Love your final tip.
I hear Cicadas buzzing in the trees 🌴 bugs!
You forgot to mention that parking a rental car is reason enough to not rent a car
Europeans don't drink water, Americans are like hydrate hydrate hydrate! I'm in the later group 😂
Isn’t pantheon free to enter????
great suggestion for the Travelon Body Bag-I went directly to Amazon and found that same bag at 49% off-
Love your video! As a Dutch resident we drove with our own car to Rome. Been there just after the heatwave!! Sooo cool to park your car in a Roman street just below the Spanish steps 🙂
Stop talking about tip- the rest of the world is not USA plus tipping is a type of slavery- just read the origin of tip 😢