Originally published: 16 June 2014
Welcome to Rome.
I hope you said goodbye to cohesive timetables, sensible living hours and general sanity because these things really do not matter out here. Whatever stereotypes you may have heard about Italy and the Italians, I want you to bring them to the front of your mind. They are true. All of them. Well perhaps not the one about the hairy women, although I have yet to check. Don’t be daunted though, because hopefully in the following article I will be able to shed a little light on what is, in my opinion, the most beautiful, the most luxurious and the most unendingly complicated city in the world.
What you should have packed:
- Sunscreen: Lots and lots of sunscreen, it will be hot all the time so be prepared before heading out.
- Mosquito bite cream: The Tiber river runs through the centre and it bristles with great flocks of these tiny blood suckers.
- Hot clothes: See sunscreen.
- A waterproof and a single change of warm clothes: Thunderstorms do happen throughout the summer, but they are brief and generally only last a couple of hours. Umbrellas and woolly hats not recommended.
- Reading material: Reading’s good for you, educate yo’ self.
Tourist spots:
Just some quick advice on some particularly tricky points, rather than telling you where to go, as I believe you should choose which ones suit you best.
Most tickets can be bought at this site here http://www.tickitaly.com/tickets/
The Colosseum and roman forum:
Book tickets in advance. Just do this. Don’t try and turn up on the day and pick up tickets, the average queue time is an hour and fifteen minutes on week days. Imagine that. Having to stand in 30 degree heat for an hour and a half, listening to some enormous blokes from Northern England talk about how much their man boobs are sweating. I suggest you go for the dungeon tour, with the catacombs and the third level, I'm not a fan of guided tours usually but this is worth it as you get to go onto the sands themselves. Plus you miss the queues and it also includes entry into the Roman Forum across the way. After having done these two you will have earnt your evening spritz.
Villa Borghese:
If you want to go to the gallery, you will need to book tickets again and be prepared to queue three times, once to drop off any bags you are carrying, once for the tickets and once more to get into the gallery. There is endless queuing here, but the artwork and the stories inside are definitely worth the wait. The only arguably better gallery than this is the Vatican Museum, and even that has nothing really to compete with the Bernini statues on the second level.
Villa Borghese Gardens:
Devote an entire afternoon to these if you can. They are much larger than you would expect, and they are beautiful. Take a book, wander around and sit in the sun. Although they can be complicated to get your bearings sometimes, there are maps all over the place so you shouldn't worry if you do get lost for a while. If you're taking a romantic weekend then I suggest finding the lake (pictured) and renting a little rowing boat for half an hour, it's on of the most peaceful things you can do.
St. Peter’s Basilica:
The centre of a religion that has over a billion people. Behave yourself. There will be some queuing but it generally moves quite quickly. Always remember you need to wear clothes that cover your knees and shoulders out of respect when going into religious places in Rome.
Vatican MUSEUMS:
The entrance to the Vatican museum is actually not through the Basilica of Saint Peter, but is in fact on the Northern side of the city. Simply turn left once you are leaving the basilica and follow the Vatican wall all the way around until it comes to the entrance of the museum. You can consider buying tickets in advance, but in my experience the queues haven't been too bad. This is also the only way to get into the amazing Sisteen Chapel. It's smaller than you would expect and also no photos allowed. Really, they will throw you out if they catch you which is hilarious for everyone around you.
Churches:
Rome is of course Catholic and so every single church is completely over the top, covered in gold and filled with expensive paintings, each one a small gallery in itself. You do not have to pay to go into any churches in Rome and so you should pop into every one you come across. You never know when you will happen upon a Caravaggio painting on the wall, or a Michelangelo Sculpture in between the pews.
The Trevi Fountain:
The Trevi Fountain is tucked away in the very centre of Rome, and is surprisingly easy to miss. Definitely worth fighting the hundreds of thousands of people who come to see it daily. If you are feeling spritely I would suggest going to have a look in the very early hours of the morning, as there tends to be less people around then, but definitely don't leave Rome without seeing this.
Trastevere
Less of a tourist sight, more of an area. This is where the famous winding cobbled streets are at their best. Good spots galore for 'apperitivo' (a drink and finger food in the late afternoon) and for fun shops that sell various odds and ends. This is also a good spot for you to have a late night drink and some of the most authentic Italian restaurants can be found here. Just avoid anything with a neon sign and you should be safe. Look for 'Impicetta', a restaurant more Roman than Caesar himself and 'Bar San Calisto' which is where all the locals drink. Also this is where I used to live.
Getting around in Rome:
The first thing you will want to do is to get hold of a map. Almost every restaurant, bar or tourist spot will give you a map if you are a patron there, so don’t hesitate to ask, even if the waiter looks at you like you are something unpleasant he just trod in.
Unfortunately the actual centre of the city (the 'Historic Center') does not have any metro stops in it, which can make things complicated for those of us who fear public transport. Your next choice is the bus, however, be very wary of buses in Rome, they are notoriously disorganized and you will end up waiting several hours for a bus that might take you vaguely near your destination, and then all 4 will arrive at once and you will inevitably get on the wrong one, get pick-pocketed and end up crying with your face pressed deep into some sweaty tourist’s back fat because the bus is overcrowded.
You can get a taxi, which tend to only go from specifically designated Taxi ranks, unles you are lucky enough to catch one on their return journy. Roman taxis are cheapish when compared to some capital cities, never really costing more than 10 euros. This may not be to your liking though, as the Italian taxi driver is an animal that knows no fear. They fling their cars into such death defying feats of driving that your heart will genuinely stop beating at least 5 times a minute, and every time you move you find yourself thinking "Why God, why did I get into this white and black chariot of death?". You will get there quickly though.
All this said, in my opinion the best way to get anywhere around the centre is to walk. Rome’s centre is not large, and everything you require to survive is within 5/10 minutes walking distance. Obviously depending on where you are staying the amount of time it takes to get from A to B will vary. The main benefit of walking, I find, is that you will be able to see everything that you can’t when in a taxi or a bus, and you can discover funny little places and take things at your own pace, maybe stop for a coffee or a beer in a funky looking cafè, or nip into a tiny little church that may just have a Caravaggio painting hanging on the wall. The Italian style is to saunter along at your own pace and not to be rushed by anyone else's 'plans'. Just take your time, because everyone else is. Remember though, if you get lost, head for the river. The river goes right through the middle and is the perfect landmark for getting your bearings.
Finally, if you feel like going a bit further out of the city, then you could go and take the metro. The metro and I have a real love/hate relationship. It kind of skirts around the edge of the Historic Centre, and at rush hour/peak times it is completely un-usable. Honestly, if you are taking the metro try your very best to avoid it during peak times (12ish, 5ish and 8ish) as it gets so busy its almost unbearable, as hundreds of heaving businessmen and tourists claw, bite and fondle their way into the carriages. But if your idea of fun is using other people's sweat as lubrication to squeeze yourself into an already full metro carriage then go for it.
Prices in Rome:
Italians take food very seriously and it is at the very heart of their culture, and therefore you have to expect to pay money for it. I'm sure it comes as no great surprise that the prices in he main tourist areas are expensive. For example, for a meal in the Pantheon piazza you are probably looking at about 7 Euros for an antipasti, 12-15 Euros for a plate of pasta, or a pizza and maybe another 10 Euros for a pudding. It is rare that these will go any higher however, unless you picked badly. As a general rule, the further away you are from the big three tourist sites (Piazza di Spagna, Piazza Navona and the Vatican), the cheaper your meal will be. Do be careful of the waiters bringing you 'free' extras. These are not free and you will be charged extortionately for things like breadsticks, water jugs and little snacks before hand. Always ask if it is free or not.
Coffee, that most beautiful of beverage, is roughly a euro for an espresso, 2 Euros for a cappuccino or a latte or 3 for something more flamboyant. This is only in bars however, as the restaurant coffee prices vary wildly, and you should always ask before ordering. I should also mention how truly glorious Italian coffee is. They take great pride in their coffee, and I heartily recommend you have some, even if you aren't a big coffee drinker. Remember though, after 11 am only drink espresso otherwise you will be labelled as an ignorant foreigner forever.
You really should at one stage fork out for an expensive meal, as when Italians cook well, they cook REALLY well, the likes of which you couldn't find anywhere in most other countries around the world. The restaurants at the top of the Spanish steps are nice, as are the ones down the little side streets around Piazza Navona, but I would suggest that you perform a little research to find the restaurant most suited to you.
Finally, the Romans themselves:
SMOULDER
Italians in Rome do refer to themselves as Romans, so don’t get confused by that. The three Golden Rules with the Romans is 1. be as polite as it is possible, 2. Talk to them, they are a friendly bunch and 3. Don’t be American. Sorry Americans but it's true, European waiters seem to have a lot of contempt for Americans, which is odd because I have never met an unpleasant American on my travels. Although there was that one lady who tried to order a 'deep dish' pizza at a restaurant outside the Pantheon, which was not received well. I think she was from Chicago.
Just remember, don’t be insulted. Italians seem rude and loud, they don’t have the same personal space boundaries as we do, the men are sexist, the women are condescending, and all in all they run their country in a blissfully chaotic manner that cannot be comprehended by anyone who isn't one of them. And if you aren't very careful you may end up falling in love with them by the end.
