The Basics of Visiting Rome

This is by no means a complete set of information, but I wanted to let you take advantage of the HOURS of research I've done and save you from having as many web tabs open as I have. LOL

A bit last minute, I was leaving in 2 days for Rome and hadn't researched or planned a thing! I have been once before so had an idea of what to see. So down the rabbit hole I went! Looking up specifics for attraction tickets (oops - you really need to book a lot of these in advance), transportation passes, Roma Pass combo ticket, walking times, entry points, metro stops, restaurants, and I'm sure more.

Rome Sites to See and Things to Do

Again, I had only been to Rome once before, but I think I had a pretty good idea of what we could do in our 4 days. I'd have a first-timer with me, so we wanted to hit some of the main tourist spots. Our hotels were around the Spanish Steps area and also close to the Colosseum so all of this is almost walkable!

• Spanish Steps
• Trevi Fountain
• Tiramisu at Pompi
• Pasta at Patificio
• See (but not go in) the Pantheon
• Colosseum
• Roman Forum / Palatine Hill
• Capuchin Monk Crypt
• Eating great food everywhere!
• Many other things to walk to in the area - will depend on if we have extra time

Combo Tickets and Transportation Passes

There do exist a variety of passes for unlimited public transportation (MetroBus 24/48/72 (aka Roma 24/48/72 Ticket that you can purchase on the MooneyGo (myCicero) app, and city passes that also include 1 or 2 attractions (Roma Pass).

However, given what I wanted to see, they just didn't seem a good value. For the Roma Pass, the Vatican/Sistine Chapel are not included in the available attractions. PLUS you still have to reserve your time slot for, say, the Colosseum which may or may not be sold out so you have to purchase your pass blindly in a way.

The transportation-only pass also didn't seem like a very good value unless you are really taking the Metro and bus a LOT. Approximate prices for that are 24-hour ticket €7, a 48-hour ticket is €12.50, and a 72-hour ticket is €18 which does not include the airport train.

Getting to and From the Airport and Around Town

Ruling out the unlimited or combo passes, one-off rides on the bus or Metro are only €1.50 (for up to a 100 minute ride), and with their Tap & Go option, you can simply tap your credit card or phone wallet at the turnstile to buy your ticket. Here's a map of the metro.

From the airport, it's the Leonardo Express direct ($18, 32 minutes) (or the slower FL1 regional train $12, 51 minutes) to Termini Station where the A and B metro lines cross.

In addition,

Rome's main rideshare apps

are Freenow and ItTaxi so I downloaded and set those up with my payment method before leaving home.

Where to Buy Tickets for Rome Attractions

The best thing to do it to purchase your tickets directly from the official sites and BUY THEM AHEAD OF TIME. Paying for your tickets online before you visit allows you to skip some potentially very long (HOURS long) lines of people waiting to get entry tickets. Sites such as St. Peter's Basilica is free, so there is simply a long entry line (unless you buy a tour - see below). The Vatican still has a long security line even if you pre-purchased your tickets. Here are some of the official sites.

• Vatican Museums (including Sistine Chapel)
• Colosseum/Forum/Palatine Hill
• Basilica Di San Pietro
• Borghese Gallery
• Castel Sant'Angelo

However, those that require you to reserve a specific time slot (such as the Vatican and Colosseum) (yeah, you have to commit to a certain schedule!) might sell out. If you cannot get a ticket because they are sold out, your other (of course much more expensive) options will be to buy a tour or get a "hosted" ticket.

What is a Hosted Ticket in Rome?

A hosted ticket to an attraction is where a local meets you and walks you through getting your ticket and getting to the security line. These tickets seem to be pretty readily available even if the direct tickets are sold out. I'm pretty sure these hosted tickets are from scalpers. I personally would not buy a ticket from someone off the street but use a popular online company such as Headout. Get 10% off your first app purchase.

Visiting the Vatican / Museums / Sistine Chapel

Things to Know

Visiting religious sites requires a bit of modesty and respect. When visiting the Basilica or indoor areas of the Vatican, both men and women should cover your shoulders, knees, and back, no hats.

There is no talking nor photography allowed in the Sistine Chapel.

If you buy a ticket to the Vatican, it means it's for the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. This includes the Gallery of Maps and Raphael Rooms - both amazing! See details below about St. Peter's Basilica.

Wednesdays are when the Pope, if in Rome, speaks to an audience in St. Peter's Square, giving pilgrims and visitors the chance to see the Pope and receive the Papal Blessing. Expect big crowds! Tickets to the Papal Audience are free, but must be requested ahead of time. You can make the request online from the Prefecture of the Papal Household. The Papal Audience is not a mass.

Tickets for the Vatican, Sistine Chapel

So many options. As I said earlier, definitely it's best to

buy your tickets ahead of time so you can skip the longer line

(the line to buy tickets on site) and only be stuck with the security line. Tickets are reserved for a certain time slot so choose wisely. Early morning and evening might be our best chance at less crowds.

You can purchase entry tickets either by
1) purchasing directly from the official Vatican site, Biglietteria Musei Vaticani (least expensive €20)
2) purchasing a tour (most expensive and not really my thing, but might be yours €120++) which can also include a shortcut into the Basilica
3) or with a "hosted" ticket (mid-range expensive €40 - €80, prices vary by date and time slot) which is almost the same as having bought an official ticket. Headout also provides and option to include a bus tour of the Pope's gardens for not much extra.

Visiting Saint Peter's Basilica

St. Peter's Basilica

Things to Know

Options to visiting the Basilica include add-ons such as the Dome, the Necropolis, and the Treasury Museum. I personally am satisfied with the free option - it's jaw-dropping enough and you know that would effect my budget anyway. LOL ;)

The line (that can be up to 3 hours long!) is separate than that for the Vatican. It's free to visit during opening hours.

There is no specific "skip the line" service for this location. However, if you buy a reserved access ticket to the the Basilica (€7) or Dome access tickets online, a dedicated entrance is available which will be specified in detail following the purchase via email. I'm tempted to try this!

Then there's the trick that if you buy a tour to the Vatican and include the Basilica, you get to enter the Basilica via a "secret passage" from the Vatican and bypass the line there (add approximately €40 to the cost of your tour).

Visiting the Colosseum

Things to Know

When you purchase a ticket for the Colosseum, it includes the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. Those can be visited within 24 hours on either end of your scheduled Colosseum visit. Don't activate your ticket at the Forum more than 24 hours before your scheduled Colosseum visit or you'll mess up your ticket!

Tickets for the Roman Colosseum

You can buy tickets directly from the official website for €18.00 (an extra €6 to have access to the basement or area floor). With your regular ticket, you can access the floor level, just not the portion of the restored floor that's more in the middle so for me, that was not worth the extra money.

You know me, I'm NOT going to spend more than I absolutely have to, so here's my solution

So much to compare and also check availability. With most time slots sold out in all tours and direct tickets (my bad doing this last minute), my options were rather pricey. I decided to do everything a la carte instead of doing any combo tickets or tours. My hosted ticket for the Vatican was €52. I'll either take my chances on the Basilica line or maybe try the €7 reserved ticket with dedicated entrance. I was able to book the Colosseum direct (€18) since it wasn't sold out! For transportation, I'll just use the Tap & Go option.

So what started out a potentially over €170++ for a tour to include the Vatican, Basilica, and Colosseum, I got it down to €70 to see all of them. Much better. And really it could have been €38 had I booked the Vatican early enough. If you keep at it, read reviews, do various Google searches read forums, etc., you will come across the better options! Don't give up!

Restaurants

I mainly play this one by ear since you never know what quant little restaurant you'll come upon while wandering the streets of Rome. My MUST is to get tiramisu at Pompi and eat at Pastificio near the Spanish Steps. A popular restaurant near the Colosseum is Naumachia Ristorante.

Nasoni Drinking Water

If you don't know about the free clean water fountains all over Rome, you are missing out! They are spread throughout the city, they all look different, and they are a wonderful part of the cluture. There's even an app to help you find them (Fountains in Italy (I Nasoni di Roma for Apple)).

Now if you don't want to look like a tourist, you can go ahead and refill your bottle from the spout, but don't drink from it. I mean, you can, there's no harm, but if you want to do as the locals do "when in Rome" haha, you cover the spout with your fingers so the water shoots out the little spout in the top of the pipe, making a perfect (if you do it right) little drinking fountain. :)