Top 10 Rome Holiday Tips

I know I’m not alone in being vulnerable to the travel bug. When it hits, there is always the weighing of choosing an old favorite versus exploring one of the places on your bucket list. Recently, I was faced with this choice, and the decision was easy. Go with an old favorite, go to Rome.

Several factors conspired to make the choice obvious. In the end, I was rewarded by the decision, which is not always the case. Thomas Wolfe reminded us all that You Can’t Go Home Again. The world is changing so fast that I’m starting to feel that you can’t return to anyplace.

In the past decade, I have been moved to remove a handful of places from my list of favorites. If I’m being honest, I was a little afraid that I might have to do the same to Rome. Luckily, my fears were unfounded. Italy’s capital city is as good as ever and, for my money, remains Europe’s best major city to visit. I’m already scheming for a return visit…

I could bore you for hours with a laundry list of must-try bars, restaurants, attractions, wine recommendations, and accommodations. However, there are hundreds of sites dedicated to this task. What I would like to do, if I may, is set the mood and offer my top ten tips for visiting Rome.

Top Ten Rome Holiday Tips

1. Walk (a lot) – bring comfortable shoes and be prepared to burn some shoe leather. There is nothing like a walk in Rome. The streets were laid out as the city grew. Here you are free of a boring grid dreamed by some twisted urban planner. In Rome, you don’t know what you will find around each corner. Sure, it’s tough to keep your bearings, but so what? Get lost – I recommend it so you can have the joy of stumbling upon a small piazza you never imagined.
2. Go into the churches – unless there is an event taking place, you are welcome in most any church. Be quiet and respectful, of course, and be prepared to be floored by the majesty and beauty.
3. Relax – the Italians are not in a rush, nor should you be. When in Rome… Wine will help.
4. No cappuccino after 11 AM – This is not an official rule, and they will make it for you, but you will be silently marked. After 11, get a simple café (espresso) or better yet, a café with an Amaro.
5. It’s okay to plan your day around meals – if you are a BevX reader, then chances are that you spend a good deal of your time thinking about what you eat and drink. When in Rome, you will want to make plenty of time to enjoy food, wine, and cocktails.
6. Skip the fast-grab pizza-by-the-slice places that populate the tourist zones. This stuff always looks better than it tastes, and I will just fill you up and take away stomach space reserved for something good. (Besides, I got really sick eating at one of these damn places.)
7. Enoteca (Wine bars) – The old tradition of the enoteca was created to give visitors to Italy’s many regions a chance to taste the local wines at low prices before buying. Today, these are most often restaurants with a heavy focus on wine. You can spend your entire trip in enotecas and leave a happier individual.
8. Pasta is a course – Italians eat pasta as a course, which is a great idea. The portions are sensible in Rome, so having a pasta course isn’t like having two dinners. If you are dining with someone (I hope you are), you can always split a pasta course after your starters and before the main (secondo). Of course, when in Rome you must try one, or all, of their classic pasta dishes: Cacio e Pepe, Carbonara, Amatriciana, and alla Gricia.
9. Tipping is not expected in Rome – do it anyway because this is what good people do, and a little good karma never hurt anyone. It is refreshing that a tip is not expected, as in the USA, tips are generally demanded, and the demands grow louder as service declines.

10. 

    See Rome’s many attractions – they are amazing. I have been known to visit a place without ever getting close to seeing the top tourist attraction. Tourist attractions are filled with tourists, and I’m too busy trying to become a local. However, in Rome, the sites are beyond compare. Everyone on the planet has seen images of the Colosseum and has likely seen the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon, and so on. In Rome, these sites are incorporated into the city. You will round a corner of a narrow cobblestone street to find yourself standing in front of the Pantheon. It’s really a thrill.