25 Things to Know Before Visiting Rome | First Trip to Rome
25 Things to Know Before Visiting Rome.- especially if this is your first trip to Rome!
Hi! I'm Megan, a licensed NYC tour guide, and I recently paid my first visit to the Eternal City. I immediately fell in love with Rome, but a few things about Rome were a bit trick for an first-time visitor. (At least an American first-time visitor to Rome.) Here is a Rome Travel guide I put together of 25 things I wish I knew before traveling to Rome. (It's TECHNICALLY 26...you get a bonus!)
A few links. I DO NOT MAKE A COMMISSION ON THESE! My mom and I paid for everything on this trip ourselves, so this is our absolute honest Rome experience.
City Experiences Rome (For tour): bit.ly/3s7n9qQ(We especially recommend " Rome in a Day" and "Crypts, Bones, & Catacombs.)
Travelon Pick-Pocket Proof Bags: (We got ours from Amazon and Macy's but this is the official website of Travelon) www.travelonbags.com/
Cecilia Santa Cucina (You MUST eat here!): en.ceciliasantacucina.com/
Hotel Art by the Spanish Steps (we stayed here and loved it): www.gruppouna.it/en/esperienz...
We booked the hotel through Small & Elegant Hotels: smallandeleganthotels.com/des...
Map of Places we loved in Italy: www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edi...
00:00 Intro
00:44 Do you need to know Italian
01:45 Nasone
02:31 Tap, Still, or Sparkling
03:03 Book a Tour
03:34 Extreme Heat
03:54 How to Dress for the Heat
04:51 How to Dress for Religious Sites
05:28 Crowds
06:18 Book in Advance
06:51 Parks
07:34 Taxis
08:15 Getting Around
09:05 Tiny Sidewalks
09:44 Should You Drive?
10:24 Comfy Shoes
11:20 Pick-Pocket Proof Bags
12:14 Airtags
13:10 Hotel Rules
13:39 Shopping
14:14 Cash or Credit
14:57 Tipping
15:38 Large Food Portions
16:27 Restaurant Reservations
17:13 Late Dinners
17:35 New Experiences
18:42 Let Yourself Wander (This is the bonus!)
19:36 Final Thoughts
I studied abroad in Rome/Florence. Don’t take a taxi. They will rip you off. Take an uber. If you are in a busy area, walk 10 minutes away and then call. You’ll save money. I probably took 30 ubers during my stay and only a handful cancelled but i always got another driver. Try taking the subway or the trains! Super user friendly.
What about pickpockets in subway then ?
@@delacles3194 They are there, but they are also there in airports, busses, metros all over the world. I prepare similarly. What I did was buy a slashproof fanny pack that had zippers that clasped/clicked into the actual bag so they couldn’t just unzip and run. I clipped the pack and wore it like a front sling bag diagonally over my body, so it was never behind me. Never take the bag off. In my group 3 people got their phone/wallet stolen and using my tips I was perfectly fine. I also never take out my phone, i’d set the walking directions and leave it locked in my bag.
@@delacles3194 keep your wallet in front pocket. And be vigilant.. just left Rome..
I live in rome and Uber is more expensive than taxi. No taxi driver has ever ripped me off. In fact, often they don’t even charge the cents, as in if the total is 15.60€ they will round it down to 15€. I’m sorry if a taxi driver ripped you off.
@@caramia4789 I had total different experiences, I was ripped off by taxi. Uber was less than half the price of the taxi.
Loved the energy of your video. So relaxed and enjoyable. I will be going to Rome this July 2024, and was stressing out from watching other videos that are so alarming and scary. Thank you for all your wonderful tips. You’ve been so helpful.
I agree with you. My favorite thing about Rome was just wandering with no destination in mind. Let the Eternal City reveal itself to you. I'm not normally a big city person, but I LOVED Rome. ❤
I felt exactly the same. I didn’t think I’d like the big city but I loved Rome
I appreciate seeing this from the perspective of a traveler. Looks like you had a great trip!
You did a fantastic job with this video!
Fantastic Megan! great things to know. So glad you had a wonderful trip. Memories, that you can create and keep as long as you live! 🗽
Loved this review. We’ve been in Italy for last week and agree with everything you’ve said. This is also consistent with Milan, Cinque Terre, Florence and Venice. Heading to Rome tomorrow. Thanks very much it’s been good to hear what you’ve had to say.
I am getting ready to travel to Italy today. I love your video. Actually watching you and your mom live the experience is helpful for future travelers 😁
Thanks Megan, this was great! Heading to Rome for the 2nd time mid September and really hoping the weather is perfect for us. So glad to learn the good shopping is behind the Spanish Steps, thank you!
So happy to have found your channel. I am booking Cecilia for the end of September for my wife and I. I can’t wait. Great info through your entire video. Thank you.
Wonderful video! I went to Rome last October as a solo traveller and I agree with all your recommendations.
You went to Italy in the middle of a heatwave across central Europe. You coped well as many countries were hit really badly by it. Thanks for the video tips as I they really help.
Thanks for sharing, it`s lovely to see Rome from your lenses.Since the first time I visited Rome,I`ve told anyone who`d listen that everyone should be lucky enough to visit Rome once in a lifetime. I hope to see more of your videos in the future
Amazing Video. Going to Rome in 2 weeks and this video really was extremely informative and appreciated. You are the Best :)
The park is the Villa Borghese, which has (amongst many other things!) a viewing "platform" overlooking the Piazza Del Popolo & a panoramic view of Rome, including St Peters on the horizon. Have never been when it is so hot, so some useful tips here!
"Kudos on the fantastic Rome vlog! Your candid approach makes it feel like we're getting real, unfiltered travel advice. Can't wait to explore these spots!"
Thank you so much for all the helpful tips!
❤❤❤this video was very helpful… thank you
Thanks for the reccomdatioms. I can’t wait for my trip next year
Thank you for this wonderful and amazing video!!! 🤩❤️ This was very helpful 🙌🏽
Great tips! Thank you so much!
Best advice, "just wander." I have quite a bit planned but there is time scheduled to just wander around. Can't wait!
Awesome tips!
Love your video! As a Dutch resident we drove with our own car to Rome. Been there just after the heatwave!! Sooo cool to park your car in a Roman street just below the Spanish steps :-)
Very nicely done. Great practical advice. 👍
I aim to please!:-)
Love your guidance, tips and go with the flow energy! Going to Italy in July! Subscribed!
Thanks for sharing. I'm coming in 3rd week of May for a three day stay. Wishing for a nice weather.
Nice vid. Been to Rome many times and there's never a bad time to go.
Loved your presenting style. Well done.
We were in Florence, but only for a day! I would love to go back again! Love, love Italy 🇮🇹 ❤️
Thanks for the video
Megan, Thank you so much for your down to earth The travel suggestions. You're my favorite so far. I like your go with the flow attitude. Very professional done. Please do more traveling suggestions as you go around the world. Cheers Amore
Im heading to Rome next week and it’s not 100 degrees but still quite hot. Needing to cover up my shoulders is not something I thought of. Thanks for all the tips!
Thank you for sharing these incredible travel insights with us! 🙏 Oh, and speaking of travel, have you seen the new Nomadlane V4 Bento Bag? It looks like the perfect companion for wanderers! 🌟👜
Great information. Very well explained.
exploring for my NY loving nieces May Tuscany Wedding this yr...Rome is a must see indeed
yes! i clocked 22,000 steps a day there !
I have a travelon bag and I LOVE IT!
Beautiful video ❤
Wonderful tips. I took note of the restaurant’s you recommended. I will surprise my wife in this May.
Like your energy and enthusiasm, crowds did not look too bad but I have dealt with crowded city centers and mass public events(>1 million). Did not like when you diverted water from fountain by touching it as that could contaminate the water,just cup your hands under and drink from your hands,wash first of course
Great tips thank you
Great informations and presentation👍👍
Thank you!!
Great tips
great suggestion for the Travelon Body Bag-I went directly to Amazon and found that same bag at 49% off-
Awesome! I m going to Rome in 4 days😂 just in time. Thank you😂
very helpful:)
Have fun! Live the Sweet Life!!! 👏👏👏
Nice job.
Thank you just booked Cecilia Santa Cucina for my birthday looking very amazing
I'm jealous! I wanna go back so badly!
Nice video Megan - next time, use a wrap that's made of sun-blocking fabric (think Coolibar or UV Skinz). I live in FL (started in NY and wound up here and you started here and went to NY!) and use clothes, gloves, scarves, pants, etc. from both companies. It keeps me cool because it doesn't let the heat of the sun in as much as the parts of my body that is in regular fabric. PROTECT your sensitive skin! Hope Mom is ok - even in NY, the taxis get close but they don't roll over feet!
Hi hello... I a'm Singapore to follow your video. Thank you.....
You two ladies are beautiful, and your mother looks like your sister. Way to go, Mom!
As Italian living abroad, I have to say that her report is quite honest, and thank you for portraiting Rome in such a beautiful way (better than actually it might be). The town is really very much crowded and the summer season is every year hotter and hotter, so you've to train yourself before to the heat waves, and queues under the sun. A lot of useful tips here, and it would be even better to find a roman friend who could show you the town from the point of view of a resident. We warmly welcome all the educated and polite tourists, and advice not to leave any graffity on the monuments (it's a criminal offence that might be very costly) and we hope you will have a nice experience there.
Thank you so much for all the tips
This was great ... I my myself can only walk about a mile ... bad ankle .. do you have recommendation of tours that would enable me to get around with my wife who is an avid walker.
More restaurant suggestions please!!
We loved Cecilia Santa Cucina, Bucatino, and Tartufi and Friends. We didn't get into Teo, Enzo, and Roscioli which were recommended to us by several people. In the comments to this video I included a map of the places we ate and loved!
Thank you for sharing your experience! I have a question, what do you recommend for phone data plan, if we will be using data for looking up places to go, and google translate? Thank you
Amazing video Thankyou! Can I ask the name of the travelon bag you’re using? :)
This is the one I used: www.travelonbags.com/shop-the-look/crossbody-bags/all-bags/anti-theft-essentials-north%2Fsouth-asymmetriccrossbody/43487.html
@@TheMeganDaily thank you so very much!!
The most surprising thing in Rome for me was their Metro in a working day. I gave up continuous 5 metros but still could not ride one. I have never seen such crowd in a metro! But Rome is aesthetically the most beautiful city in the world!!
I’ve been in Italy 🇮🇹 three times now, second time in Rome. I’m also a speaker and learner of the Italian language.
Very helpful video! Though I did chuckle at learning that the Colosseum is in fact, not air-conditioned...😆
It is when it's breezy.
Great tips. Please allow me to expand on them. 1. Rome in a day tour is for those who are happy to tick items off their bucket list, not to experience Roma. 2. How do you spot a tourist? they're the ones with the hats. 3. Taxi? Uber? Are you kidding me? Have you seen the trams / buses / metro? 4. Who goes to Italy in high season? 5. Know how and when to go to Trevi and the pantheon. Love your final tip.
Great video! Loved it. What tour company did you use for the full day tour? (top 5 places)
Walks (by city experiences.)
Where you purchase them? Thank you
You forgot to mention that parking a rental car is reason enough to not rent a car
Go in late March , April
Thank you for the amazing vid! Do you have a working link to the site you booked your tour with?
I worked with WALKS/City experiences.
www.cityexperiences.com/walks/
NO, you cannot put your finger on the fountain's water dispenser. BAD! You cannot touch. You have to bring a cup or bottle.
It's what the Italians have been doing for centuries.
What are you talking about? If you want to drink directly from the fountain, you put a finger on it so it comes out of the top hole and that was you don’t have to stick your head under the water.
I hear Cicadas buzzing in the trees 🌴 bugs!
Why did you not use the metro😱 we used it so many times last month, life and leg saver!
A few reasons: 1. The stops didn’t seem near where we wanted to go many times and 2. We wanted to stay above ground and see everything and 3. It seemed a bit intimidating to learn. Of course, everyone is gonna have different experiences. We did take a few buses, but we usually just walked. Founds lots of cool treasures that way! Metro night be a better option for most, I dunno.
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏thank you💐💐💐💐👒👒👒👒👒
Great info, thank you. And wow, you’re gorgeous!
How can you make a reservation if most of these places do not have any website & you are there for 1-2 days?
You call. And you call well before your trip.
Do you recommend that day tour? We r going in a few weeks and they have spots available.
I really enjoyed the day tour. There is a LOT of walking so wear comfy shoes, but it was really great way of seeing all the “postcard sites” and getting a lay of the land/traditions/local customs. We had a great guide named Anna.
Please answer, going next month God willing. Where do you use the restroom when walking so much ?
What was the last restaurant you went that has the chocolate cigar?
8:38 that’s funny considering you’re from NYC. I was there a month ago and one day I walked 15.3 miles and 36,400 steps so 10,000 - 15,000 steps sounds like a cake walk.
10 000 steps just an avarage day, siteseeing is triple at least
Great video and I recently subscribed. Hopefully you can provide some guidance. Will be arriving at Port of Civitavecchia and planning on going to stay in Rome for 3 days in March 19 to 22, 2024. We are bringing our parents with us aged 70 and 71 and would ask you the following questions. 1. Which hotels based on your experiences would you stay since we are bringing our parents 2. Also any advise that you may have with regards to arriving from our cruise at Port of Civitavecchia to Rome would also be helpful. 3. Do you have any recommendations on a tour bus for our parents 4. You mentioned that you took taxis to get around but how feasible is it to take the bus to get around everywhere. 5. When taking the taxis how affordable was is, just don't want to get ripped off using the taxi since I had bad experiences in New York taking the taxis since they would take the long way to get more fare 6. We are planning on staying in UNAHOTELS Trastevere Roma (27 Via Emilio Morosini, Trastevere, 00153 Rome, Italy ) what are your thoughts of this location 7. Any other advise you feel may be helpful would surely be appreciated Thank you.
Thank you for subscribing and I'm so glad you enjoy the video. I must admit I've only been to Rome once, and sadly have yet to visit the Port. I also tend to avoid tour buses personally, having worked on several, I feel my experiences are best with other types of tours. If you do take a bus, make sure there is a live guide and as opposed to a pre-recorded tour. Tour guides in Rome go through extensive training, and you'll definitely want to take advantage of their knowledge. They're your local BFF! Perhaps contact NYC WALKS via City Experiences and see if they have any chauffeured tours. Your concierge at UNAHOTELS (I LOVE Unahotels, we stayed with Una in Taormina and LOVED THEM) should be able to direct you to good tours for anyone who struggles with mobility. I'm sure you can call ahead and ask too. Our concierges were SOOOOO helpful! WE REALLLLLY loved the Walk Crypts Bones and Catacombs tour, it was mostly climate controlled and had less walking than the ROME IN A DAY tour or food tours. Hope that was helpful!
Thank you for your quick response and my family truly appreciates your advise.@@TheMeganDaily
Could you please tell the name of the hotel you were staying in? I'm planning on visiting, and searching for smth on a budget)
Hotel Art by the Spanish Steps.
The Vatican suites. Simple, but super nice people. Very inexpensive ,about $90/ night plus city fee of $3.50. We stayed a couple nights. Will recommend to everyone !!
Please tell me the name of that yummy restaurant that have the chocolate cigar, please
Cecilia Santa Cucina! SOOOO GOOD!
There's an app where you can request a taxi - eliminates the wait time. Also, ask before you get in if the credit card machine is working. It usually is - they just prefer cash because they can skip reporting it & paying taxes
What is the app if you dont mind?
Just came back from Rome. If you want to lose some weight it’s a great place to visit. I found the food to be horrendous everywhere.
I don’t care if people think wearing a hat makes you look like a tourist. I AM a tourist and I don’t want to be sunburned. Plus I wear the same hat at home or at the beach.
Are the knee covering for women only or can men wear bermuda shorts to the holy sites. Thinking of a vacation in early July. Great tips.
Google is saying that Bucatino temporarily closed 😢.
If it says that, my thought is because it's August. I'm told lots of local businesses in Italy take the entire month of August off for a holiday.
That’s a tourist restaurant anyway. Avoid
Interesting , I've never seen anyone put their finger on the fountains. Most people cup their hands. Also, water even if you have to buy it, is 1.50 -2 euros. If you're paying more than that for a bottle of water, it's a bit overpriced.
Loved your video. Have to say you looked more like sisters than mum and daughter. Must be good genes. X
What brand is your travel bag?
Travelon. There’s a link to it in the description of this video!:-)
See all those people milling around you in the famous tourist spots? Look like tourists? Well only about half of them are tourists, the other half are pickpockets.
Lol
Where I go it’s the old Italian dialect
You sound like a teacher.
Y’all gotta figure out the sound 😢
Don't take a taxi. Only tourist takes a taxi😂. Don't leave a tip on the table because you paid for coperco en servesio included in de bill. When you were a hat you looks like a tourist, you better dress like the people in Italy. And don't drink the water from the street. Go to the supermarket and buy a fress botle of water. We don't drink the water in the house is only for shower etc.
I'll add one thing I didn't see in the video. Both Rome and Florence smell like a over cologned ash tray. The locals and other Europeans smoke everywhere. This includes all outdoor seated restaurants, so if you're sensitive to that eat indoors.
Great info
I made an easy but stupid mistake when buying tickets for the Pantheon. I showed up excited to go in, only to find I'd bought tickets for the Pantheon in PARIS! Just a heads up.
Isn’t pantheon free to enter????
Not anymore: a few months ago the Government established a 5 euro ticket.
It used to be, no more
I did two road trips and I deliberately skipped Rome. No need to worry about pickpockets
All the restaurant bread I ate there was horrible. And butter is almost like the water. Frowned at. Also bathrooms in Rome , Venice, Florence are horrendous. Even the airport in Rome barely had a bathroom. Bathrooms was the biggest , worst part of the trips.
Can I just drink from my reusable water bottle in the restaurants?
Maybe we women need to bring back the parasol/umbrella for sun protection. No sweaty hats, and face, neck, and shoulders covered.
The best museum in Rome is MUSEO NAZIONALE ROMANO. It is a museum for intelligent people,