Rome on my own. Best way to do it when older and a bit wary!

[lesdeluges]

Looking to see if anyone around my age (mid 60s) has gone to Rome solo? All age groups welcome to chip in of course....

I travel a bit on my own and really enjoy it. But for some reason Rome seems to be overwhelming me a bit. The sheer amount of things to see, the traffic (crossing the roads is dangerous, friends of a friend were killed crossing the road there recently). I know, I know but still....

So any tips for me please, as I really would like to go, and on my own as there are things I'm interested in that would bore the pants of others. Anyway I prefer cities alone. Could I get a private guide, is it worth it, I have a hotel recommendation, near the Vatican, so that bit is ok. I'd welcome any advice and pointers. I'm fit and well, and am a good walker.

We just had a great trip to Rome and stayed at the Orazio Palace hotel near the Vatican and Castel Sant'Angelo. It was in a very safe neighbourhood and I'd recommend that for a solo woman definitely. Our hotel arranged a private transfer back to Fumicino airport, but we arrived via bus which was fine too.

Metro was really simple: we got 24 hour tickets twice over our week but mostly walked everywhere.

Roads were fine and most places have crossings. Like in some other countries, pedestrians have to start crossing the road before the cars will stop, but once we realised this then it was all fine.

We had a wonderful time and I'd feel quite safe to return on my own if the situation arose. The weather was perfect when we went (last week of October), around 22 degrees and sunny every day.

Staying near the Vatican is a bit too far out, imo. You need to be closer to Pantheon/Piazza Babona/Centro Storico. Don't stay near Termini station, it's a bit grotty. Loads of places to eat centrally, day and evening - you'll be fine going out at night.
Try Caffe Greco on Via Condotti for a very smart coffee stop (closed Wednesdays, I think).
Book a Vatican trip well in advance, also Forum/Colisseum/Palatine all in one ticket. Galleria Borghese also needs to be booked in advance.
Go to the top of the viewing deck at the Vittorio Emmanuele monument.

I think you need at least a week to even scratch the surface in Rome, but plan your itinerary carefully, so you see things that are grouped together.
You don't need to use the metro - everywhere is walking distance.

Practically as soon as you get off the plane there’ll be people in the airport trying to usher you into taxis telling you it’s easier than the train - ignore them. Get the train in.

also some of the restaurants looked great and we went to sit down but then they would take us to their “sister restaurant” round the corner where the food and ambience were definitely not what we were looking for so be ready to leave if that happens to you. Some of them were charging €6 for a soft drink as well

tiramisu at the cafe at castel sant angelo is a great experience. The baths of caracalla was one of my favourite things - get the video tour thing.

as a middle aged woman in my 50s I was surprised and horrified to be assaulted on a packed bus despite being with my husband. I refused to use public transport and preferred to walk everywhere

Underwhelming?!! Doh. Overwhelming obv

That’s awful @Goherdy ☹️To be fair though, that can happen in any big city(or anywhere really)

Once again, thank you all for taking the time to pass on your advice. A pp said the Vatican area is not central enough. I am not tied to there, it was a friend recommendation, so where do you all consider to be central? Is Trastevere ok? It sounds like an interesting area.

I’ve stayed here in Trastavere.

https://www.booking.com/Share-JcAUajg

Found it very central with a cafe and a restaurant just across the road.

I didn’t travel on my own but it felt safe overall.

We stayed in the Vatican area , don't agree it is too far out. the tube station Ottaviano was just round the corner from us , we even walked back one day. If we go back we would stay i the same place. There were nice restaurants for breakfast and evening meal within a few minutes walk. It was a really pleasant area. The only thing we would do different would be not to get the tube from Termini when we arrived , far too many stairs for heavy suitcases.

I live in Italy and am 58. I always stay just outside the Vatican walls. From there I walk down into Trastevere and the area itself (IMO) is one of the safest, for obvious reasons. You've got the Italian police, the army, and the hidden in plain sight Vatican security on every corner. Trastevere is basically the next area along from the Vatican towards the centre. There are more bigger hotels near the Vatican, more little B&B type places in Trastevere.

If you don't mind strolling to the centre, then you can get to Piazza Navona and the main tourist sites without using public transport from the Vatican. I have only used the metro really to get to the places which are further out like the Colosseum and the Knights of Malta keyhole.

The best restaurants I use are Arlu (the same area) and basically anywhere in Trastevere that you can see Italians eating at. Proper Roman restaurants will only offer 3 main pasta dishes (it's a known way for Italians to suss if the restaurant is a tourist trap or a genuine Italian one) carbonara, amatriciana or cacio e pepe. The genuine ones are all also extremely cheap.

And yes, definitely do not stay anywhere near Termini. It's the only area in Rome where you literally sense the difference and the menace as soon as you poke your nose out of the exit. The station itself is fine. The roads outside are not. The area outside the main station in Naples is truly Nirvana compared to Termini.

We stayed in a lovely hotel about 5 minutes walk from Termini last year - it was absolutely fine! There were plenty of tourists about also staying in hotels and it certainly didn’t feel unsafe or menacing - if it had we wouldn’t have stayed there.

May I piggyback on this thread, OP, and ask @SirChenjinswhich Termini-area hotel this was? Ideally I would stay in Trastavere etc but we need to be up extremely early with our DC to get a train so needs must!

I did the Vespa tour as a solo traveller on my first full day - small group and really great for getting a grip on where everything is. It included tickets for the Pantheon and a tour round that. Walked mostly after that with audio tours. Also did a great foodie tour and met a lovely group I am still in contact with three years later! As PP mentions, book in advance for the Colosseum tours - it sells out weeks in advance and I missed out on the underground tours even a month before. "Miss the queue" tickets also good for the Vatican museums (but you still have to queue for St Peter's). I went in October and it was lovely - about 22c so warm but not too hot for walking and not too crowded (not school holidays)

I have stayed in a small hotel called Napoleon near Termini, which was perfectly fine - clean, helpful staff and a decent breakfast. There was a small square/park nearby where locals would gather in the evening. It felt perfectly safe.

It was a dozen years ago, so I have no idea whether it is still there, but there must be similar places in the area.

Since then we have stayed in an Air B&B near the Vatican and this was also very nice, and closer to the main sights.

We stayed at The Guardian Hotel near the Termini last year. It was a lovely hotel and we felt perfectly safe.

There was a lovely restaurant a couple of roads away called Andrea's. Fabulous food and much better value than the restaurants in the centre of Rome.

Well hello again everyone, it's OP here. The thread popped up for me as it's still in my watch list.

Unfortunately (for me), I had a sudden illness around Easter last year and while I'm well on the mend, travel was out of the question. So I have NOT been to Rome yet!

I'm seeing a lot of it on TV though with the death of Pope Francis, and want more than ever to get there. So I am tentatively planning for October. The Jubilee is on this year so I hope that doesn't have any impact on hotel space etc. but hopefully not.

Anyway, here's to more planning as the months go on and if anyone has more tips, please tell me! I may have more questions if I get to booking stage, health permitting. Thank you one and all for the information so far. There hasn't been a negative post about anyone being in Rome (so far...) and that's a great sign.

Don’t be nervous about eating on your own at night. I saw many women with a swish of hair stride in have a glass of wine and some pasta and swish out.

Went on a few walking tours including a food one. Highly recommend. Always solo people.

I think there’s an official site (or you can google it) with a calendar of Jubilee events this year, so you could check if there’s anything on in October that would affect availability. Sorry to hear your trip has been delayed, though!

Trip is only postponed, not cancelled! Gives me more time to plan and tap all your brains aswell. I fully intend to go this year, but if it doesn't work health wise I will go ASAP.

I’ve done Rome on my own several times. Although I was younger. I felt safer in Tome than in London. It’s a fabulous city? I’ve been about 4 times and feel like I’ve only scratched the surface. This year will be buduier than usual as it’s the Jubilee year,

The Scavi tour under St Peter’s is mind blowing.

Rome feels very safe, I think you’ll be fine when you get there.
The crossing the road thing is probably more risky because you’re used to traffic coming from the opposite direction.