Walking along the Via del Corso and stumbling head-on into Piazza Spagna, eating a pizza in Trastevere, contemplating the Tiber illuminated by the moonlight and enjoying the best chocolate ice cream in front of the Fontana Di Trevi are some of the wonders that you can live in Rome. However, the Eternal City is one of those destinations that no matter how much you visit every year always has something new to surprise you, so it does not matter if this is your first or fifth time in Rome, what is really important is knowing how to organize a trip in Rome.

There are many historical, architectural, religious and gastronomic attractions that the Italian capital offers, so it is advisable to make an itinerary of not less than two days that covers all the places you want to visit. This trip, more than a pleasant investment, is a cultural investment that will allow you to get to know and live the hectic pace of Roman life and the humorous idiosyncrasy of Italian.

Planning a trip to Rome tips

The first thing to organize a trip to Rome is to decide the number of days that you will be visiting this enormous city. Take into account that there are many attractions to see in Rome, so if you travel two days, it may not be enough to get to know it in-depth and to experience the Italian atmosphere that permeates the city.

Trip to Rome for 4 days

It is recommended to visit Rome for four days so that you can move around the city, which is quite large, and enter the different attractions with ease. Keep in mind that if you want to take advantage of and visit the Vatican, you will lose a day, not because of distance, but because St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums are very crowded and a very long walk, with queues and many tourists.

Set budget

Once you have decided on the days of stay, you should focus on the most difficult thing to organize a trip to Rome: the budget. The Italian capital is not exactly one of the cheapest cities in Europe and also, like Paris, London and New York, it is such a typical destination that its high season lasts 365 days a year, which makes lodging and the food is expensive.

If you are on a low budget, it is recommended that you avoid staying near emblematic places such as the Trevi Fountain or the Roman Coliseum, because although it is a privileged location to move around the city, the prices per night can be higher. You can consider staying in a hostel or a three-star hotel outside the city center. Another important fact for your budget is that even a simple food menu in Rome can cost 18 euros.

Trip to Rome to know Rome

Is the budget ready? Let’s get to know Rome! Make a list of all the attractions you want to visit and distribute them by day according to their location. Ideally, you should group in one day those places that are close to others to make you spend your time. In Rome, many city ​​tours take you to explore the city by Bus; the bad thing is that many of these do not have a complete historical guide on each traction.

For this reason, we recommend that you venture on a free tour. Many companies offer free tours of the city of a well-studied guide on Roman history who, in addition to showing you the most emblematic places in the city, will tell you about their importance and origin: No waste! At the end of the tour, the guide will tell you to collaborate financially with what you can contribute.

You can also call the hotel you have chosen to stay and ask if they offer guides or excursions organized by themselves. This can make transportation to tourist sites easier and be much more convenient for those who cannot walk around the city as much.

Opening hours and days of the attractions

Rome is a very large city and has many places to visit, so to organize a trip to Rome, we recommend checking the opening hours and days of the attractions you want to know on the Internet. Many museums offer free admission some days of the week, and you can check which ones to see if they coincide with your stay and save a little money.

Visit Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica museum

If you are planning to do religious tourism, then we have a superb recommendation to organize a trip to Rome: buy the preferential tickets to enter the Vatican Museums. They are expensive, yes, but this will allow you to save at least three hours of the queue and make the most of your day. These tickets include a super complete audio guide in all languages ​​about each corner of the museums, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica, where the tour ends. If you want to attend a mass officiated by the Pope, you should know that this happens on Sundays, if you want to attend an audience, you must sign up on an online list almost a year in advance.

We also suggest NOT to do the temple route in a single day, as these typical churches are not located close to each other, which will take you to waste time and a full day.

Find out about public transport in Rome

In general, it is quite easy to get around by metro and bus, as taxis are costly in the Eternal City. When you arrive at your hotel, ask them to provide you with a map of the metro and the city so that you can locate yourself. Similarly, it is better that you print one from Google so that you get oriented.

Do not forget before traveling that you should look for how to get from Fiumicino Airport or Termini Station to your hotel. You must find this route to avoid getting lost when you arrive or take a very expensive taxi to your hostel.

The gastronomy

We cannot stop recommending you enjoy the gastronomy of this city, some say that in Rome you eat badly, but we assure you that if you stay away from tourist restaurants, you will find the true Italian food flavor. Trastevere is one of the best places in Rome to eat. It is full of many restaurants of local food and the most frequented by the Romans to enjoy a delicious pasta accompanied by an authentic Italian wine. Its atmosphere and its architecture will captivate you. In Rome, don’t stop drinking coffee, eating ice cream, trying the bologna sandwiches, ordering a calzone, trying different wines and refreshing yourself with an Italian beer.

Be careful in Rome when crossing the streets and avenues

If you have ever seen Italian cinema and you think it is an exaggeration of what they show about how the Romans lead, because it is now that you know that it is not fiction or magical realism, it is pure reality. Attentive when crossing any street or avenue and, preferably, crossing at the same time as the Italians, they know very well the “rules of the pedestrian” of their city and they will open the way for you to cross too. Although it sounds chaotic, it is a super fun experience.