Rome in January - tips

[Derbyshirelady]

Apart from take all the clothing we own as it will be freezing I think!

It’s DH 50th and first time we have left the kids for more than one night. Staying in Hotel Artemide for 3 nights. Any special restaurant recommendations or other things to do that aren’t in the guidebooks that I can surprise DH with while we are there?

TIA

January 6 is a major holiday in Italy and other Catholic countries: It's the Day of the Kings. Winter sales usually begin sometime the first week in January. After that, Rome tourism drops to almost nothing. And then you can pretty much count on having a lot of sites, including the Sistine Chapel, to yourself. OK maybe the Sistine Chapel is not the best example, there are always people in there. But one winter I went and there were lots of places to sit down. You would not even see the benches other times of the year, because of how crowded it is.
Sometime in late January there is the blessing of the animals in St. Peter's Square. I have been and it's absolutely wonderful! Farmers bring their farm animals, but also locals bring their pets. You will also see a big parade of officials on horseback, in all their regalia.

Thanks ricekrispie! We are there in last week of Jan will look up the blessing of the animals.

Do the 'roman food tour'

7 restaurants have Michelin stars in Rome. There is one with 3 stars. I would see which one is within walking/taxi distance from the hotel and go for it. Assuming they are not closed in January of course! That would be an unforgettable meal!

Take comfortable shoes.

Bumping this thread as we are also going to Rome - next week! Any more tips, please? We will also have kids with us.

We went in December last year and it was surprisingly warm, there is so much to see and do, definitely get a 3 day pass for the metro most of the stops are next to or near to landmarks, on the 1st Sunday of the months I think the Vatican is free to visit and on the last Sunday of the month the colusium is free to visit (might be the other way round sorry if I've got that wrong) Both were amazing.
The trevi fountain blew me away, and I've never tastes ice cream as amazing as in the stores in Rome.
Cant wait to go back one day.

We went last jan & it was quite warm. It wasn’t particularly busy so we did all the usual to tourist spots. Id say do the guided tour of the Vatican/Sistine as it was so informative & interesting.

Yes to comfy shoes, don’t try an wear heels (as I seen some do) it’s to uneven. The best tip I can give is to avoid the food trucks around the streets especially at St. Peter’s bascilla as the food is state & the ice cream rotten... eat in cafes/restaurants. I also wouldn’t bother with the colosseum tour as it’s very very boring & IMO much more interesting from the outside.

Take a brolly 😬. It's not too cold, but when it rains, it really rains. Night tour of the colosseum if you can get one is fabulous, look at air B and B experiences they are usually quite good for things to do.

If you want good food at a reasonable price I can recommend this restaurant, it's not too far from your hotel.

Ristorante Mario's
Piazza del Grillo, 5, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
+39 06 679 3725
goo.gl/maps/7yNc2a5FW4b1DEqHA

Don't miss the Pantheon, it's amazing, a small group tour around the forum is definitely worth paying for, it really puts everything into context and then makes discovering everything else on your own much easier.

Bocca Della Verrita is good to see if you are a fan of Audrey Hepburn and Roman Holiday 😁

I would not recommend the bus tours, everything whizzes past so quickly, you just get a glimpse.

Have good comfortable shoes and walk and wander would be my biggest recommendation, it's an easy city to navigate and there is something amazing around every corner.

Lots of amazing gelato shops too, they are a must, this is a good one, again not too far from your hotel

The Gelatist Via Nazionale 160
Via Nazionale, 160, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
+39 06 8953 3163
goo.gl/maps/HfZ4eqqMMqP6WXpA8

Enjoy, it's the most amazing city.

Great info thanks! Smemorata Have a great time - report back!

I've only been in June, but would echo PPs' advice to wear comfortable shoes for those cobbled streets.
Shoes can make or break a holiday!
And it was all wonderful.