Holiday to Rome!

[InfrequentTraveller]

I'm looking to go this summer. I've visited Paris last year after getting MN advice. Paris was quite nice. So those who have been to Rome tell me all about it!

(I don't know Italian)

Rome is my favourite place in the world. When I first visited I couldn’t believe it was real, it felt like a history theme park 😂
Borghese gardens are stunning, and there is the most magical view across the whole of Rome from the viewpoint,
trastevere is so romantic, had some amazing meals there
going up inside St Peter’s basilica
it is relatively compact and walkable

i went first in August, it is stifling hot in high summer, I was with my ex DH, and cried at the longing to be in such a romantic place with someone I loved
i got that wish 5 years later with the love of my life, but we are no longer together 😢😢😢

Rome will always be my favourite place and I’m staggered people hated it, but there you go, you might too!

I loved Rome, around every corner there’s another ancient courtyard with a fountain or fabulous building, it’s like stepping back in time. It didn’t feel remotely unsafe, never encountered pickpockets or scammers, even round the Colisseum where it’s supposed to be rife.
On our first evening we ate at a touristy place, it was pretty expensive.
We stayed here Donna Laura which is out of the centre (nearest attraction is the Piazza del Popolo, a 15 minute walk away) so it was a fair old trek each day into the centre and I wouldn’t have liked to do it in August (we went at Easter). Didn’t bother with the metro as there are only a couple of lines and they didn’t go anywhere near our hotel. The hotel provided a taxi from the airport.
Apart from that first day, we ate at restaurants near the hotel which were excellent value-delicious food of course, and prices cheaper than the UK. We got gelato from Gelateria La Romana at least once a day!
The one must-do for me is the Pantheon, it blew me away.

Following for ideas as planning for next year

I love Rome, it is probably my favourite city based on the historical beauty and the amount of things to see within a small area.
My tip would be to stay in the old part for a better atmosphere.
We were wary of being ripped off before we went but that didn't happen - prices were reasonable if you actually checked the price before you bought. A scam at the time was someone coming up to you at the ticket machines in the train station and offering to help you buy tickets but we already knew about that and declined.
Another tip is to buy tickets for the attractions like Colosseum in advance because there will be massive queues in the summer and with the ticket you will get in really quickly.
I found people to be friendly and helpful.

Sorry to jump on your thread OP, but I was wondering if anyone has visited Pompeii while staying in Rome? If so how easy was it to organise? Thank you

No issues at all with asking. I was thinking this as well.

What's the mugging risk like?

Love Rome, been three times, including last year. We walk everywhere, even off the beaten tourist routes as there is so much more to see, eat in restaurants in more residential areas. The main sites are crowded, pick your visit time of year and we go in April, so hot enough for us.

I didn't feel at all worried about that, no different to being anywhere else.

We didn't visit from Rome, but went via Salerno on the train. I don't think there is a direct train but it is doable. I wasn't prepared for quite how huge Pompeii is, it's definitely a full day out.

@RedFolder
The best place was a tiny restaurant down a cobbled street with a couple of outside tables where pizza or pasta and a carafe of wine was 13 EUR. We ate there twice, the carbonara was so good.

I wonder if we ate in the same place.. there was a place like that behind our hotel in Monti. Their carbonara was amazing, we went there twice too!

I love Rome. Stay away from the main train station area as you would every other City as not the nicest places to visit on the whole. Explore and visit all the main beautiful historical tourist spots and explore Trastevere the old town. It’s just a beautiful city.

My heart and good vibes actually dropped significantly at how very dismal and grim the main train station area was compared to the rest of Rome. Just soak up the gorgeous atmosphere and explores wonderful historical city.

Stay in or near Pompei and visit it separately OP. You can’t do justice to both on a day trip from Rome.

How's the public transport? I found the Paris metro good to use (as in gets you from A to B).

It's the best city in the world - I've been 8 or 9 times, over 35 years.
Book the major sites (Colosseum, Forum, Vatican Museums, Galleria Borghese), at least 4 to 6 weeks in advance.
But don't try to do too much, and do save time for the more quirky and unusual places.
Stay centrally but not near the railway station.
You will walk everywhere, so take comfy shoes.
Wander down some back streets and just enjoy the vibe.

If you thought Paris was nice, Rome will absolutely rock your world. I loved it so much.

we didn’t use public transport as we walked everywhere.
we left tickets to the Vatican and colosseum too late, so we booked skip the line for the Vatican and a tour with Crown Tours, both through Get your guide.
stayed in this hotel. Great location and would stay there again. https://www.torreargentinarelais.com/

In all my visits to Rome, I have never needed to use a bus or a train!

Beautiful!! Didn’t have a bad meal. I had a pasta dish for every dinner.
If you want gelato, look for a place that has them in the metal containers. Stay away from the huge mounds of colourful stuff. The real stuff is in the containers. I remember someone saying if the banana one is yellow, it’s not the good stuff 🤣

We got the bus out of town a few times to visit sites, around 8 miles away from the centre, not walking that

Also, at the end of a busy day, finding yourself miles and miles away from your accommodation, been on your feet for about 12 hours or so, its nice to get the bus back.