Rome - any handy hints or tips welcomed!

hollydays

I have never heard anyone else describe anything in Rome as very cheap,but I live in hope.

wizk1

hollydays wrote: »

I have never heard anyone else describe anything in Rome as cheap,but I live in hope.

Just like everywhere, it's a case of knowing where to look

colmil

When we were there we mentioned to the hotel receptionist that we were disappointed with thr shops, he told us to take the metro south (theres only north and south from the main station) get off two stops from the end( just check if I've gpt the right stop before you go )and turn right and walk as if back towards the city centre.

Theres a nice shopping centre then a long road with loads of excellent shops, bars etc, we went twice, got the atmosphere of'real' Rome!

Just remember that the 'siesta time' starts at about 12.30 though so go early or late!

zax47

Wear old shoes, as you may well be surprised at the amount of dogsh!t all over Rome. That, and the horrendous graffiti seemingly everywhere (except for Vatican City which was spotless) spoil an otherwise beautiful city IMO.

RoxieW

we saw the outdoor opera which was amazing - for the atmosphere as much as anything else. Opera set amongst ruins all lit up - wonderful experience.

davidlizard

I go to Rome a lot on business.

Another scam they try to pull on the underground. One person will direct you through the barriers before you validate your ticket, then a second person tries to "fine" you. Tell them to get lost.

As others say, watch out for the note switch scam (where you hand over say a 20€ note and they switch it and made out you gave them a 5€ note) - simply hold the note up in front of them so they clearly see it, and say something like, "I only have a €XX note on me, is that OK?" - that cuts down any of that nonsense.

Its also the worse place I have been for pickpockets - some of them do not even try to disguise the fact they are after your wallet. I recommend taking at least two wallets - have a "working" wallet with a few small denomination notes and expired credit cards that you can afford to lose, with your real one safely stashed away.

Do not walk around with a rucksack on the back - they will be in that straight away.

Other than that, lovely place. Loads to see and do.

AHAR

I don't remember how much the entry fee was but I think Castel Sant'Angelo is worth a look.
As with seemingly many places outside the UK, zebra crossings are merely suggestion of somewhere you may want to try to cross the road, rather than somewhere where cars will stop. I went for the strength-in-numbers approach - find a group of other people waiting to cross and if you all go together the cars will take notice and you'll probably make it!

Nigbob

The Roma Card can prove to be a money saver-it depends how many sites you are planning on visiting. Just work out beforehand if it will save you money. It's actually two passes, one for museum entrances etc and one for transport. I didn't actually use the transport one too often. It does mean that you can smugly walk past the long line at the Coliseum anyway, and straight in!

Personally I think the Borghese Gallery is a must-see, though remember you have to book tickets online for it.

markandkate

If you are staying in a hotel where locals are working ask them where to eat. We put ourselves in the hands of our receptionist and she made reservations for us and recommended places that we would never have found. We had some fantstic meals and not too over priced

richardw

Do they do the 'catch my baby' thing there?