Rome in October - any tips please

[Blues321]

DS 24 and I are going to Rome for a few days in October (I am beyond excited)

On the itinerary so far are the Vatican, Sistine Chapel and the Colosseum.

Any tips or ideas including places to stay please.

Stay centrally, so you can walk everywhere - Hotel Albergo del Senato, right by the Pantheon, is small & family-run, but efficient & great location. You can book a car with them to collect you from the airport.
Do NOT stay near the railway station.

Book your main sights (eg Colosseum) online now. I would include Galleria Borghese in that.
But don't try to pack in too much - take time to wander around side streets and sit in cafes.
It might be old-fashioned, but buy a decent guide book with good maps.
Wear comfy shoes!

Bring an umbrella/raincoat as it can be rainy at that time of year.

It is always worth the extra to skip the queues.
Stay centrally so you can walk everywhere.
Eat lots of Tiramisu.
Visit the feral cats in the ruins at Torre Argentina.
It will definitely rain at some point, but if you don't want to be bothered with carrying an umbrella don't worry - as soon as the first drops fall there will be a dozen people selling €2 umbrellas at €10 each crowding around you to make a sale.

I would advise staying in Travestere. Central enough to walk everywhere e.g. the Colloseum but also very foody and neighbourhood-y for the evening.
Think Shoreditch if in London.

Id recommend staying in trastevere, easy stroll to the sights and so much nicer to eat out in the evening. I recall we stayed in hotel san francesco which was very good.

Book everything through the official websites asap. Don't try to wing it as you won't get in.

Hotel San Francesco, Rome (updated prices 2026) https://share.google/Aye2p4lJJNQ6eYFBS

We booked colloseum tour plus roman forum tour through get your guide. Free cancellation if needed and great value for money.

If you're fit climb to the top of st Peters basilica, its an experience!

Go to largo di Toro Argentina, apparently where
JC was assassinated, now a roman ruins with heaps of cats. Get the best takeaway pizza slices from Pizza florida opposite the ruins, see screen shot below for location

DD and I stayed in Trastevere, it’s got a very nice feel to it, felt safe out and about in the evenings and close enough to walk to all the sights. We booked hotel and flight package through British Airways which was a good deal. The trains from the airport to the city were easy and cheap.
Wear really comfortable walking shoes, eat lots of pizza!

Go up to the top of the Janiculum Hill (Gianicolo) at sunset for great views over the city: The golf trolley tours are a good idea on your first evening to get your bearings and see the sunset. Trastevere is a lovely area to stay and for dinner as it is pretty and less touristy.

Following recommendations on MN from other travellers, DH and I stayed at My Spanish Steps , Via Gregoriana 25.
It’s opposite the Hotel Hassler at the top of the Spanish Steps, two minutes from Spagna metro- the views are incredible.

Also agree with @Hohofortherobbers , Trastevere is well worth a visit even if you don’t stay there.
Booking Colosseum etc well in advance will save a lot of queuing.
We loved the Borghese Gardens , the Antico Caffe Greco ( now sadly closed) , window shopping in Via dei Condotti, Bocca della Verita, Babingtons tea rooms, the Vatican and its art galleries - there is so much to see this list could go on forever ! - but IMHO take time to wander and make your own discoveries.
And don’t forget to throw a coin into the Trevi fountain, to ensure you will return to Rome !

Palatine Hill is a must. It is next to the colosseum.

Also, the Pantheon. It is the best preserved of all ancient Roman buildings, mainly because it has been in continuous use. It took my breath away.

This is all great, thank you. Please keep it coming.

Just popping on to say - we went in October expecting it to be pleasantly warm but it was really hot, especially in the middle of the day. We had to keep trying to find shade.

I dislike the way that the Catholic church currently using the ancient building of the Pantheon give no space to present the pre-Christian history of the space. Obviously the current Christian use should have primacy but God is big enough and holy enough not to feel threatened by people learning more about how the building was used before.