Advice for a First-Time Visitor to Rome

If I had to give advice to anyone planning their first visit to Rome, I could sum it up in three words:

Preparation!  Preparation!  Preparation!

Ok, so that's only one word, but I can't emphasize it enough!  Although serendipitous traveling can lead to great discoveries, I wouldn't recommend it for your first visit to Italy or Rome in particular.  Lack of planning will be disastrous if you show up with a list of things you want to see but no idea where they are, how to get there, what it costs, or when they're open, especially if your trip is on a strict time schedule.

Instead of spending a few hours marveling at the Colosseum, you spend an hour in line - just to buy the tickets!

Instead of seeing the Sistine Chapel, you go away disappointed - because you didn't research that it's closed on Sundays!

Instead of seeing Bernini's David statue at the Borghese Gallery, you get turned away at the door - because you didn't make a reservation!

These are just three instances in which your trip could be jeopardized due to lack of planning.  We Americans have such precious little paid time off that we must capitalize on every minute.  One minute spent standing in line is one less minute spent enjoying the actual sites!

So here are a few specific tips for making the most out of your time in Rome:

1.  Read a guidebook or do extensive research online before your trip.  Don't wait until you're there to frantically search for information on your smartphone.  Map out the places you want to see and figure out how many of them are realistic within the time-constraints of your visit.  Know the whats, whens, wheres, and how much for each site.  Personally, I buy a Rick Steves guidebook for almost every trip and also do my own research online.

2.  Invest in a good map.  Digital maps are great, but if your battery dies, what then?  We used Streetwise's maps for both our Prague and Rome trips.  The laminated maps are perfect for using dry erase markers to circle all the sites we want to see and know where they are in relation to each other, making it easy to plan out our daily itineraries.

3.  Buy the Roma Pass.  Honestly, this pass is an absolute MUST for anyone on a time-sensitive or budget-conscious trip to Rome.  Here's what it provides:

• Three days of unlimited metro and city buses in Rome.
• Free admission to a total of three museums/archaeological sites (complete list of applicable sites can be found here).
• Discounted admission to any other sites on the list during the three day window in which your Roma Pass is active.
• Line "skipping" at the Colosseum, which has lines almost as colossal as the building itself.  Roma Pass holders have their own line, which is a breeze to go through.

If you're planning on visiting the Colosseum, at least one other of the sites, and want the convenience of using the metro/buses, then buy the pass.  In my opinion it pays for itself simply in bypassing the long queues at the Colosseum!  At the time of our visit, the Roma Pass was 36 euros per person.  There is also a 48-hour Roma Pass (for 28 euros) which works similarly, so figure out which would be best for your trip.  You can buy either pass at almost every Tabacchi shop or newsstand in Italy.  Ask your hotel clerk for the closest one!  The website for comparing the 72 and 48 hour Roma Passes can be found here, and although they can be purchased online, I'm almost 100% certain that you still have to pick the Passes up in person when you arrive, so I wouldn't bother buying in advance.  We arrived in the height of tourist season and had no problem acquiring one.

4.  Be cautious against scams but don't put up a wall against genuinely friendly Italians.  Rome could be called "The City of Scam Artists and Thieves" thanks to its reputation for attracting various miscreants.  Flower-toting men try to press a flower into your hand "as a gift" because "it's tradition and good luck to give a flower to a beautiful woman in Rome."  Despite their protestations that it's free, it most certainly is NOT.  They will hound you for money if you take anything.  Keep your hands closed and your answers firm.  And be aware of "helpful" strangers near the metro ticket machines.  They'll try to help you navigate the automatic system and then take the change the machine issues back to you (or they may try to snatch your wallet while you're trying to pay).  As these machines have an English option, tell the would-be scammer that you don't need any help.  If they continue to insist, walk away and find another machine.

Be mindful of your surroundings and your possessions, but don't assume that everyone is out to scam you or you'll spend your entire vacation paranoid!

Of course there are probably a lot more things I could advise you, but these four things would be the first out of my mouth.  Do you have any advice for a first-time visitor to Rome?

Creating Travel Magic

So you've got a great idea for a weekend getaway just a few hours drive away... your bags are half-packed, you can't wait to get there, but you haven't worked out any of the logistics yet.  Where does one start?!

Before you start panicking, take a deep breath, pour yourself a glass of wine and use the tips below to create some travel magic:

 1.  Establish a base-line budget.  How much do you have available for your weekend trip?  Instead of going on the first weekend in May, should you wait a few more weeks to have a little bit more cash on hand?  Once you know how much you can comfortably spend, start opening those internet browser tabs!

This photo of Candlewood Suites Harrisonburg (VA)
is courtesy of TripAdvisor. Photo taken by SvenskaSvea1987
in February 2014.

2.  Book your hotel.  Other than airfare, lodging will most likely be your biggest expense whether it's a domestic or international trip.  Finding the perfect balance between the cost of a hotel and its quality is truly an art form.  Typically, I use Orbitz to scope out the options for my destination and then compile a "Top Five" list of lodging preferences, or simply search for hotels on Google Maps for that location.  Depending on where you're going, a hotel, motel, campground, hostel, or even a bed and breakfast may be your most cost effective choice of accommodations.  Take your Top Five list and check out the guest reviews on a site like TripAdvisor to gain a unique look into  other travelers' experience with those particular businesses (*see note at bottom of post regarding guest review sites).  For a more unconventional approach, but potentially cheaper, check out Airbnb.  You could rent a room in someone's house or flat, stay in a guest house on an estate, or a cabin out in the woods for an one-of-a-kind experience.  I've had many friends and relatives book rooms through this site for trips at home and abroad.  Once you've settled on a hotel, check out their website to see if you can get a deal by booking directly.  Otherwise, I've had great experiences booking through third-party sites.

3.  Arrange the events and entertainment for your trip.  If you're going to a popular attraction, see if you can make entrance reservations in advance so that you can skip long queues.  Research fees and other costs for your planned activities.  If there are any dress codes or banned items, take note of it so that you won't be turned away when you arrive.  Be sure to budget enough time for each activity so that you don't end up feeling rushed.  Again, you can glean a wealth of information from sites like TripAdvisor regarding other travelers' recommendations for how much time you'll need for any particular attraction.

Enjoying a street vendor's gyro in the Old Town
Square, Prague, 2012
©Thrifty Gypsy

4.  Decide on a meal "itinerary."  What will your budget allow for food?  Will you be eating out for every meal, and if so, where?  Again, use Google Maps to scout out local eateries.  If you're in a region renown for, say, their seafood, you might want to splurge a little and enjoy the local cuisine.  Otherwise you might be better off saving your money for other expenses and just grabbing a quick bite at a small diner, chain restaurant, or even from a street vendor.  Or you could plan to eat picnic style in a nearby park.  This can save you a lot of money and can add to your overall experience.  While visiting places like Gettysburg National Battlefield and Prague in the Czech Republic, my husband and I have often packed our own meals and or bought a cheap sandwich from a street vendor to enjoy on the go.  We saved time and money!

5.  Make back-up plans for your back-up plans.  "The best-laid plans of mice and men oft go awry," as Robert Burn's poem is so famously paraphrased.  You might arrive at your destination and discover that the hotel has caught on fire.  Or you show up at the Smithsonian and the one exhibit that you just had to see is closed for renovations.  What are you going to do instead?  If you've made a back-up plan or two, you can ensure a successful weekend no matter what curve-balls are thrown at you!

I've found that these five simple steps result in travel magic.  Practice due diligence in your research in every step of your planning, and you will be rewarded with fantastic experiences.  

Cheers!

~ Just a Thrifty Gypsy

Paulaner Weiβbier enjoyed in Füssen, Germany,
July 2010.© Thrifty Gypsy

* End note: Remember that all reviews found on TripAdvisor  and similar websites are the sole opinion of the user and may not necessarily reflect the actual conditions of the attraction or lodging.  What one person may find absolutely intolerable, may be perfect for your budget, purposes, and/or traveling style.  Take all reviews with a grain of salt.  Don't expect the Motel 6 in Virginia Beach to meet the same standards as the Ritz in New York City.  But in general I have found the reviews helpful in determining what may or may not work for my trips.  If you're interested in reading any of my reviews on TripAdvisor, my user name is SvenskaSvea1987.