Rome Travel Guide
First Time in Rome
The practical playbook for a first visit — named Colosseum tickets, Sunday closures, the new Trevi and Pantheon fees, dress codes, getting around, eating like a Roman, and the small rules that earn fines.
Rome rewards preparation more than most cities. Its headline sights now run on timed, often named tickets; its churches have dress codes; its fountains and steps have rules; and its opening days follow a calendar that catches visitors out. None of this is difficult once you know it, and the payoff is a city that feels generous rather than frustrating. Here is what a first-timer needs to know.
What to book ahead. The Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine share one ticket that is nominative — your name must match your ID — with a compulsory time slot for the Colosseum; sales open about a month ahead and good slots go quickly. The Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel need a timed booking. The Borghese Gallery is reservation-only in two-hour slots. The Pantheon charges a modest fee, raised to seven euros in July 2026, and booking a slot saves queueing. Book these first, then build everything else around them.
What is free. A surprising amount. St Peter's Basilica is free to enter after security, though the dome is paid. Most of Rome's churches are free, and many hold masterpieces: Caravaggios in San Luigi dei Francesi and Santa Maria del Popolo, Michelangelo's Moses at San Pietro in Vincoli, golden mosaics at Santa Maria in Trastevere and Santa Maria Maggiore. The piazzas cost nothing — Navona, Campo de' Fiori, Piazza del Popolo — and nor do the Spanish Steps, the Orange Garden and keyhole on the Aventine, the Gianicolo terrace, or a walk along the Appian Way. The Trevi Fountain is free to see from the piazza; since February 2026 non-residents pay two euros to enter the close-up basin area. On the first Sunday of the month many state sites, including the Colosseum and the Pantheon, are free, but crowds are heavy.
The calendar traps. The Vatican Museums close on Sundays except the last Sunday of the month (free, crowded, shorter hours). The Borghese Gallery closes on Mondays, as do some other state museums. Churches often close for a long lunch break in the early afternoon. St Peter's can close at short notice for papal ceremonies, and Wednesday mornings bring the general audience. Christmas Day, New Year's Day and some feast days close major sites. In winter, outdoor archaeological sites close in the late afternoon. Check before you go, and plan Sundays around churches, piazzas, markets and the Appian Way.
Dress codes and rules. Cover shoulders and knees for St Peter's, the Vatican Museums and churches generally; carry a light scarf in summer. Do not sit on the Spanish Steps — it has been banned since 2019 and police issue fines. Do not sit on the rim of the Trevi Fountain, eat on its steps or wade in. Eating picnics on the steps of monuments can also be fined. Large bags are refused at the Colosseum and must be checked at the Borghese, so carry a small daypack.
Getting around. Walk the centro storico; it is compact, and the best discoveries are in the lanes. For longer journeys, the Metro has three lines, with Line A serving the Spanish Steps and the Vatican and Line B the Colosseum. Tickets are time-based and valid across Metro, buses and trams, and you can tap a contactless card at Metro gates. Taxis are white, metered, and found at ranks or booked by app; there is a fixed fare from Fiumicino airport into the historic centre, and the Leonardo Express train runs from the airport to Termini.
Money and tipping. Cards are widely accepted, though small cafés and market stalls appreciate cash. A cover charge per person, called coperto, is common and legal in restaurants; service is usually included, and tipping is a small rounding up for good service rather than a percentage. Hotels charge a nightly city tax per person, scaled by category and paid at check-out.
Eat like a Roman. Coffee is drunk standing at the bar, quickly and cheaply; sitting at a table costs more, especially on famous squares. Cappuccino is a morning drink. Lunch can be pizza al taglio, a supplì and a glass of wine; dinner starts late, around eight or later. Order the four classic Roman pastas — carbonara, cacio e pepe, amatriciana and gricia — and in season the artichokes. Avoid restaurants with touts and photo menus beside the big sights; walk two streets away. Refill your bottle at the nasoni, the free public drinking fountains with their curved spouts.
Safety and scams. Rome is generally safe, but pickpockets work crowded buses, the Metro, and the crowds at Trevi, the Spanish Steps and St Peter's. Keep phones and wallets zipped away. Decline anyone pressing bracelets or roses into your hand, and ignore unofficial ticket sellers outside the Colosseum and the Vatican; buy only from official sites or reputable platforms.
Day trips worth knowing about. Fast trains make Florence and Naples possible as long day trips, and Pompeii is reachable via Naples. Closer to Rome, Ostia Antica, the ancient port city, is a short suburban train ride away and feels like a smaller Pompeii, while Tivoli, with the Renaissance gardens of Villa d'Este and Hadrian's Villa, makes a beautiful day in the hills. On a first visit, though, most travellers find that Rome itself fills every day available.
What to skip. Overpriced cafés facing the Pantheon or Navona (enjoy the view, then drink a street away), gladiator costumes offering paid photos by the Colosseum, and long walk-in queues that a booking would have avoided. Then let the city surprise you: Rome is at its best in the moments you did not plan.