Rome the capital of Italy and the third most visited city in Europe, and 12th in the World. Venice and Florence are among the world’s top 100 destinations.

• Rome is the largest city and capital of Italy, It has a permanent population of around 2.8 million people. Up to 4.2 million people live in the metropolitan area of Rome, which includes the surrounding municipalities.
• Tourists throw €3,000 into the Trevi fountain every day. The coins totalling thousands of euros each day are given to the Red Cross.
• Rome was built on seven hills, known as “the seven hills of Rome” Esquiline Hill, Palatine Hill, Aventine Hill, Capitoline Hill, Quirinal Hill, Viminal Hill and Caelian Hill.
• There are over 2,000 fountains in Rome.
• Cinecittà Studios in Rome­ is Europe’s large­st film studio.
• Roman cement and concrete are part of the reason ancient buildings like the Colosseum and Roman Forum are still standing strong today. Roman arches, or segmented arches, improved upon earlier arches to build strong bridges and buildings, evenly distributing weight throughout the structure.
• Roman roads, the most advanced roads in the ancient world, enabled the Roman Empire—which was over 1.7 million square miles at the pinnacle of its power—to stay connected. They included such modern-seeming innovations as mile markers and drainage. Over 50,000 miles of road were built by 200 B.C. and several are still in use today.
• Roman hours were counted ordinally from dawn to dawn. Thus, if sunrise was at 6 am, then 6 to 7 am was called the ‘first hour’. Midday was called meridies, and it is from this word that the terms am (ante meridiem and pm (post meridiem) stem.
• Italy is home to two sovereign states, Vatican City and San Marino. 
• Spanning just 44 hectares, the Vatican City is around one-eighth the size of New York’s Central Park. This makes it the smallest country in the world.
• If you experience an emergency, dial 113 for assistance.
• Time zone in Italy (GMT+1)
• Country Code: +39
• Currency: € (Euro)

From its founding in 625 BC to its fall in AD 476, the Roman Empire conquered and integrated dozens of cultures. The influence of these cultures can be seen in objects, such as oil lamps, made and used throughout the Empire.

• Rome was founded around 625 BC in the areas of ancient Italy known as Etruria and Latium.
• Ancient Rome grew from a small settlement on the River Tiber in central Italy, founded in 753 BC, was ruled for 244 years by a monarchical system.
• In the wake of Julius Caesar’s assassination in 44 BC, Rome grew into a massive empire stretching from Britain to the borders of Persia, engulfing the whole Mediterranean basin, in which Greek, Roman, and other cultures merged into a powerful civilisation. The long reign of the first emperor, Augustus, began an age of peace and prosperity.
• As legend has it, Rome was founded in 753 B.C. by Romulus and Remus, twin sons of Mars, the god of war. Left to drown in a basket on the Tiber by a king of nearby Alba Longa and rescued by a she-wolf, the twins lived to defeat that king and found their own city on the river’s banks in 753 B.C. After killing his brother, Romulus became the first king of Rome, which is named for him.

I stayed at Rome Kings Relais hotel just around the corner from the Trevi Fountain.

• Airbnb, available everywhere in Rome. Private rooms €60-80 per night, apartments  €80-115 per night.
• Hostel, €32-45 per night (€25-35 during the summer). Private rooms €92-170 per night.
• B&B & Guest Houses, €33-70 per night.
• Hotels, €90-140 per night (€10-20 less per night in the off-season). These range from simple two-star to lavish five-star and all-inclusive resorts.

Tip: Stay outside the centre. If you are open to staying on the outskirts of Rome, you can save a lot of money on accommodation. Food outside of the city is much cheaper as well, and it’s easy to take the train to Rome for your sightseeing.

Tip: There will be city taxes on check in. Usually cash only ranging between €4-10.

• Partake in La Settimana dei Beni Culturali (10-day event that occurs every May)
• Festa della Repubblica when the city celebrates the unification of Italy in 1946 (2nd June).
• The Festa dei Noantri happens in the Trastavere neighbourhood with street performers and lots of food and drink (late July)
• Rome Film Festival is in October.

Italian is a Mediterranean cuisine and the key characteristics are its simplicity, with many dishes made up of few ingredients. Therefore Italian cooks often rely on the quality of the ingredients, rather than the complexity of preparation. Rich in pasta, fish, fruits, and vegetables. Cheese, cold cuts, and wine are central to Italian cuisine, along with pizza and coffee (especially espresso) form part of Italian gastronomic culture.

• Commonly known around the world as spaghetti Bolognese, in its authentic form ‘Ragu alla Bolognese’ is recognised as the national dish of Italy.
• A typical Italian breakfast usually consists of a sweet pastry like a croissant (called “cornetto” in Italian), often accompanied by a cappuccino, with other popular options including yogurt, fruit, biscotti, and sometimes a slice of “fette biscottate” (a type of rusk) with jam or hazelnut spread; the focus is generally on light, sweet foods and strong coffee.
• Street food €4-8. Try the Suppli (aranchino ball) and Trapizzino (pizza sandwich).
• Sit-down restaurants €15-30.
• Beer €4-5.
• Glass of wine €3-5.
• Cappuccino/latte €1.50.
• Bottled water €1.

Tip: When eating out ask for free tap water or you will automatically get expensive bottled water included on your bill.

Tip: Some restaurants charge you extra for bread they leave on the table. You won’t know until the bill arrives. Send it back if you don’t want to be tempted.

Tip: Roman pizza has a thin, crispy base compared to the deep dough of a Neapolitan.

Tip:  If many dishes have an asterisk after them, hightail it out of there. Asterisks in Italy mean that one or more items are frozen.

To legally fly a drone in Rome (and Italy), you need to register as an operator with the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC), maintain a direct line of sight, and adhere to specific altitude and distance restrictions, including staying away from crowds and congested areas.

• Unfortunately pretty much the entirety of Rome is a no fly zone.
• If your drone weighs less than 250 grams and is equipped with any sensor (i.e. camera): no remote pilot certificate will be required for operations in the OPEN category as per EU reg. 2019/947,
• Registration on d-flight website will be required (in case you are at the same time pilot and operator) a liability insurance is required.
• Police checks are very frequent and the penalties are very severe in Italy you have to pay fines and it is possible that they will take your drone if you fly without permission.
• Italy drone laws.

Rome has an extensive public transportation network consisting of buses, a subway (metro), trams, and trolleys. We bought the Turbopass, but to be honest it wasn’t worth it. Especially if your only there for a few days. We went to the office to grab the transport passes, but they failed to inform us that the QR codes on the Turbopass app wasn’t the entry tickets for the attractions. The QR codes need to be scanned by the Turbopass offices then they hand you the proper ticket. We should have just asked for all the attractions to be printed at once when we first went there. We didn’t realise this until we tried to get into the holy angel after being at Vatican City most of the day. We made it an hour before last entry, but were told our QR codes weren’t entry tickets and there should be a tent outside with the turbopass people. However when we went outside we were told they had packed up and gone home early, so we didn’t get in and didn’t want to pay again.

• Bus, The bus can get you into the areas not covered by the metro system, but it’s a lot slower than the subway due to constant traffic jams. Tickets are €1.50.You can purchase a one-day pass for unlimited travel for €7 or a two-day pass €12.50. A one-week pass costs €24.
• Car, The traffic in Rome is absolutely terrible so I would avoid renting a car here.
• Cycling, there are bike lanes around the city centre that make it possible. Bike rentals start around €9-16 per day.
• E-Bikes/scooters, explore the city on electric scooters through sharing services from companies like Bird, Dott, and Lime.
• Taxi, Taxis are very expensive with the meter starting at €4.50 and then increasing €1.45 per kilometre. Probably best to avoid them!
  • Uber, prices are usually cheaper than taxis, however they’re still not cheap so avoid these to.
• Metro (Train), the fastest way to get around the city. There are three metro lines (A to C) (Line C is still largely under construction)
  • The metro runs every day from 5:30 am to 11:30 pm (1:30 am on Saturdays)
  • Children up to 10 years old travel for free when accompanied by a paying adult
  • Do remember to stamp your ticket (you do this yourself on the buses and trams), or you risk a fine
• Roma Pass
  With the Roma Pass you can make unlimited use of the ATAC public transport for 48 or 72 hours. You also have access to one or two attractions (including the Colosseum, Castel Sant’Angelo and Galleria Borghese). After booking you can easily pick up this ticket at the airport. The prices of the Roma Pass are:
  • 48 hours €36.50 including  1 attraction.
  • 72 hours €58.50 including 2 attractions.
• Rome City Pass (Turbopass)The Rome City Turbopass is valid for 1 to 7 days and gives you access to various museums and attractions. This new tourist card is especially interesting if you are staying in Rome for a longer period of time. The hop on hop off bus is included (48 hours) and as extra option you can add public transport tickets.

Tip: The Roma Pass or the Turbopass does not include access to underground areas of Colosseum or the Catacombs. You have to book a separate ticket 

Tip: Don’t use your phone when the metro doors are open, They’ll grab it and run out just as the doors are closing.

I flew into Rome from Bristol with EasyJet which was a 2 hour 30 minute flight. The best way to get to Rome from the airport is by taking the Leonardo Express train which is a direct, non-stop service from Fiumicino Airport to Roma Termini station, the central train station in Rome, making it the fastest and most convenient option. It’s in the same building as the airport, you just have a 10 minute walk from plane to train. You will need to buy yourself a ticket from one of the machines which was easy, although they only had 1st class available which was still only €14 each.

• Bus, Cheapest option, around €7. Takes 50 minutes and buses run approximately every hour.
• Shuttle Bus, This can be included in the Rome City Pass. Pre-book your Rome Travel Card.
• Taxi, Comfortable but expensive, costing €50-€60.
• Train, around 30 minutes to reach the centre of Rome and run every 15 minutes. 

Tip: Taking the Leonardo Express from the airport to get into Rome is the easiest way.

Tip: There’ll probably be a queue at the first train ticket machine. Don’t worry, carry on walking, there are more at the airport exit and more as you walk into the train station.

Tip:  If you do take a taxi ask for a fixed price before jumping in, so you don’t get scammed.

• There’ll probably be a queue at the first train ticket machine. Don’t worry, carry on walking, there are more at the airport exit and more as you walk into the train station.
• The metro runs every day from 5:30 am to 11:30 pm, 01:30 am on Saturdays.
• There will be city taxes on check in. Usually cash only ranging between €4-10.
• Beware of Pick pockets. Don’t use your phone when the metro doors are open, They’ll grab it and run out just as the doors are closing.
• Opt for comfortable, smart casual style, modest attire with neutral colours, while considering that you might need to cover shoulders and knees when visiting religious sites like the Vatican.
• Avoid wearing very short skirts, low-cut tops, or overly tight clothing. Gym clothes or running shorts are not considered appropriate for most situation. Avoid loud colours or patterns and uncomfortable shoes: High heels or flip flops might not be the best choice for all walking.
• of the museums and other sights are free on the first Sunday of every month. This includes the Colosseum, the Forum, the Pantheon, and many more of the iconic sights. Though you won’t be able to see it all in one day, you can save a lot by visiting a few major attractions then.
• Colosseum is closed first Sunday of each month.
• You need a guided tour to access the underground areas of the Colosseum.
• Request Papal Audience at the Vatican tickets here.
• Vatican is closed on Sundays. Except the last Sunday of the month, the Vatican Museums are free between 09.00 and 12.30, leaving by 14.00. Expect crowds!
• Observe the dress code for visiting the Vatican and wear clothing that covers your knees and shoulders, otherwise you may be refused entry.
• Roman pizza has a thin, crispy base compared to the deep dough of a Neapolitan.
• If many dishes have an asterisk after them, hightail it out of there. Asterisks in Italy mean that one or more items are frozen.
• Stay outside the centre. If you are open to staying on the outskirts of Rome, you can save a lot of money on accommodation. Food outside of the city is much cheaper as well, and it’s easy to take the train to Rome for your sightseeing.
• Some restaurants charge you extra for bread they leave on the table. You won’t know until the bill arrives. Send it back if you don’t want to be tempted.
• If visiting in the summer, wake up early to beat the heat and the crowds.
• If you experience an emergency dial 113 for assistance.