Five things I wish I’d known before travelling to Rome!

I recently travelled to Rome, Italy for the first time! I’ve been to Italy three times before but this was my first opportunity to visit the Eternal City and I was so excited!

I did so much research on the trip, so I had a pretty good idea of what Rome would be like – the good parts, bad parts and what to watch out for. Despite my expectations, there were still a few things that surprised me when I got there.

Comment below if you already knew one or more of these five things, which ones surprised you, or what else surprised you when you visited Rome!

1️⃣ Everything is bigger and more beautiful in Rome than I expected (and I had high expectations)! Carvings and statues on ordinary buildings, beautiful window and architrave designs, painted ceilings spied through windows, fountains and piazzas everywhere  – expect to walk around in awe! 

2️⃣ Some attractions in Rome are only open certain days or need to be booked well in advance, so do your research and have a basic plan for your days before you go! The best tours offered by the attractions are released a month in advance and sell out immediately. Smaller, more unique attractions like beautiful Palazzos with government offices in them only offer tours on certain days and times! If you want your travel in Rome to be customized to your interests – research in advance!

3️⃣ There is no longer an “off-season” in Rome! As Rome travel guides on Insta and YouTube will tell you, there isn’t really a quiet time in Rome anymore – May to October are still the busiest time, but attractions, piazzas, and restaurants can be packed with people year round now! We travelled in February after Carnivale expecting it to be a bit quieter and found out that it’s the time secondary school trips go to Rome! Each day was beautiful and above 15 degrees Celsius so no wonder!

4️⃣ You don’t need a transit pass or tickets even though Rome’s ATAC doesn’t support Phone Wallet Transit Cards! You can use your debit or credit card to tap on transit while travelling in Rome, you just have to unlock your phone wallet or tap your physical card. And, Rome ATAC won’t charge you more than a pass would have cost you – if you tap more than a day pass costs, they’ll only charge you the day pass amount!

5️⃣ Wear comfortable shoes! This seems like a common tip and despite everyone’s desire to look fashionable, you will walk a lot and comfortable shoes are a must. Rome is such a walkable city – probably because there are attractions around every corner and it’s fun to walk from sight to sight. The public transit is amazing in Rome, but if you like to walk on vacation you can easily walk 20,000 to 30,000 steps a day!

If these five things I wish I’d known before travelling to Rome helped you as much as me, feel free to leave a comment below!