Rome, the Eternal City! Full of ancient wonders, unforgettable pasta, and yes… a few pitfalls if you’re not prepared. On our recent trip, we made a handful of avoidable mistakes that we do not want you to repeat.

1. Don’t Stay Too Far from the City Center

Left is the view from our room on our first trip (amazing but too far away).  Right is our view from our last room in Rome, within walking distance to the train station.

Rome is way more spread out than you might think. Plan the location of your hotel carefully, and use Google Maps or a built-in map app to estimate the distance to the attractions and transportation.

We stayed just outside the city center using hotel points, with a great view of the Vatican (see the above photo), but we paid the price in time and effort. Every trip into town meant a taxi or train. There weren’t even decent coffee shops nearby. Next time, we’ll stay central, even if it means paying out-of-pocket.

Where to Stay in Rome

Moderate 

Hotel Hiberia, near the Roman Forum and Trevi Fountain

Hotel Santa Maria, Trastevere

Hotel Lancelot, near the Colosseum

Mid-Range

Albergo del Senato, Piazza della Rotonda (Pantheon)

Hotel Artemide, Via Nazionale

Nerva Boutique Hotel, near the Roman Forum

Luxury

Hotel de Russie (Rocco Forte Hotels), near Piazza del Popolo

J.K. Place Roma, near the Spanish Steps

Baglioni Hotel Regina (Leading Hotels of the World), Via Veneto

See More Accommodations Here

2. Book Tickets and Tours Before You Go

Don’t wait until you land to figure this out. Rome is crowded and some experiences are too special to miss. Two tours we absolutely loved:

• Colosseum + Roman Forum Tour with Underground Access 

  Highly recommend. At the very least, snag Colosseum tickets in advance. Heads up: once you’re in Italy, you can only buy tickets online — so make sure you have data on your phone or a working eSIM (we use GigSky-use code Sunshine for 10% off) or you might be out of luck.

• Early Morning Vatican Tour (Small Group)

  This was magical. We were one of the first into the Sistine Chapel with just a few others — priceless compared to being packed in shoulder-to-shoulder. Yes, it’s an early wake-up, but absolutely worth it. We even got to go back into the Sistine Chapel a second time and what a difference seeing it with just a few people versus the massive crowds.

See ALL our Recommended Rome, Italy Tours in our Viator Shop

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Pro Travel Tip: Do NOT book more than one tour or experience per day.  Don't think that you will want to do the Vatican in the morning, have lunch, and then hit the Colosseum and Roman Forum in the afternoon.  Tours in Rome are fantastic (guides must be certified), but you will be in information overload and won't be able to properly enjoy them. 

3. Don’t Miss the Hidden Gems

Our afternoon stroll on the Appian Way after visiting the Catacombs and Scott peeking through the Keyhole of the Knights of Malta

Rome is more than the Colosseum and the Vatican Museums. These lesser-known spots totally enriched our trip:

• The Appian Way: an ancient Roman road perfect for a walk.

• Keyhole of the Knights of Malta: A surprising, perfectly framed view — and totally free (but yes, expect a short line). Detailed instructions on how to find this can be found here.

• The Catacombs: Super affordable and fascinating and you can just show up, and we recommend joining a guided tour if there is one available. When we were there they did not allow photos inside but that's creepy anyway.

If you do want to book a tour of the catacombs ahead of time, here's one we would recommend.

Now for the Mistakes We Made so you Don't Have to

4. The Polaroid Picture Scam

 Here’s how it works: You're tired from your overnight flight, want to get out and see some things, and are trying to get oriented to the city. Someone offers to take your Polaroid picture for 1€, and before you know it, they’re asking for 10€. We got fed up and just paid him.  At least we had a cool souvenir, but don’t be afraid to walk away or say “no, grazie" politely.

5. Going on a Cruise from Rome? Plan ahead to get to Civitavecchia

Taking a cruise? Don’t underestimate how far the port is from Rome. But the good news is that it’s super easy to reach by train. Just make sure to double-check which station you need to depart from; we wasted time by going all the way to Roma Termini when we could’ve left from a station closer to our hotel.

Pro Travel tip: On our return, we realized our mistake and hopped off at the right stop, lesson learned!

If you are going straight from the airport, though, it might be faster and easier to book transportation.

6. Don’t Eat Right Next to Major Tourist Spots

We caught this one fast, but it bears repeating: restaurants right near top attractions are tourist traps. Do some food research ahead of time and save your favorites to Google Maps.

Pro Travel Tip: Always ask locals for recommendations: hotel staff, taxi drivers, even tour guides can steer you to incredible spots. One of our best meals? In a tiny local place several blocks from the Vatican, tucked into what looked like a residential neighborhood. 

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