I'm traveling to Rome , what are some important things I should know about the area?

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Ihaveherduck

Rome is a wonderful city, (excuse my poor italian spelling) i too say be wary of pickpockets- remember they will be the last people you will be expecting ie: children crowding you, waiting at train termini- taxi etc. the carabini (police) are fantastic there, if anything does happen, persistance works, find a female!! All the embassys are very good help also if you so need.
I found it's hard not to stand out as a tourist but little things help eg: don't wear a bum bag, don't carry a backpack.
Dress as the locals do, they are uber stylish- women walk on cobbles in high heels in their 60's men are always smartly dressed. If your sunburt, dressed down in cargos and a t-shirt all day , can't speak the language, you will be picked as tourists and charged tourist price everywhere you go, restaurants etc.
All of the places you see in the tourist guides are must see just for the history, next time I go back i'll spend more time wandering about the back streets and steer away from the crowds, if that is at all possible. hope that helps.

Food food food, like i said before be wary of tourist menus. Don't let them give you a tourist dinner menu, to know this you must know a little language, wild mushrooms in italy are like nothing else.
Be prepared if you don't eat off a tourist menu to go the whole hog, antipasto, entree (pasta), main course and dessert. This is how they do it, most italians do not just order a pasta whilst thwy snack on the bread on the table. Be prepared to put on kilos, walk it off!!! HA

tardis_mom

Language: Italian (glad to help!)

Seriously, check out TripAdvisor.com or IgoUgo.com for helpful information on hotels, restaurants, and things to see.

Hanno ucciso Kenny! Bastardiii!!

hi! I'm Italian... I don't speak English very well, but I'll try to answer!
well... Don't worry about the food... You have to taste "matriciana"... it's a tipical kind of pasta!
there are too many places to visit... first of all see the Colosseo... you'll see person dress up as centurion there and you can take photos with them... it's very funny!

Hub

Buy a good travel guide like Fodors or Lonely Planet. It will give you the better hotels, some history (at least in the case of Lonely Planet), the better restaurants, schedule of holidays and festivals, getting around, important sites, etc. A good travel guide is indispensable.

Having said that, Rome is one of the greatest cities in the world and has lots of different things to see and do. You could spend years and years there without seeing everything. The language is Italian, but the people in the hotels, restaurants, etc. also speak English so you won't have a problem.

Among the really important things to do are:

The Roman Forum--You can see where the Roman Senate sat, where Marc Antony made Julius Caesar's funeral oratation, etc. Probably the most important place in the world in its time.

St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Musuems. The largest church in the world, and one of the most sumptious. If you have time and are interested in ancient Rome,. write ahead to reserve a visit to the "Scavi"--the excavations of a very early cemetery underneath the Basilica.

As to art: there are many great art and archaelogical museums in Rome. The Vatican Museums have an overwhelming collection of various kinds of things, painting,. sculpture, books, holy objects, etc. so definetely go there and also ltour the Stanza della Signatura and the Sistine Chapel. If you're into ancient art, try the Capotoline Museums--with a wonderful collection of busts of famous Romans, among other things, and the Museo Nazionale Romano in the Baths of Diocletian. The Villa Giulia houses the greatest collection of Etruscan Art in the world. The Villa Borghese has a wonderful collection of Renaissance and Baroque art.

If you have time, you can take a day trip to Pompeii (near Naples), Ostia Antica, Tivoli or Palestrina, all of which have ancient Roman ruins.

May is a great time to visit Rome, so hope you have a wonderful trip.

Constance B

I have never been to Italy but my husband has been many times...Watch out for two things he found very annoying in Italy. Pickpockets and wild dogs.

The dogs are looking for food, and they know enough that if they follow humans they will find food. ON the other hand, keep all cash you have in the pockets of your clothing, preferably pockets hard to get into, like the front pockets on a pair of jeans. If you have been "accidently" bumped into, you have most likely been the victim of a pickpocket.

If you only speak English, you will not have much of a problem as most Italians, and Romans too in general know how to speak English,and many menus and such are written in both English and Italian.

Have your money converted from US dollars to Euros in a reputable bank or money exchange. It is too late when you have eaten dinner at a restaurant and go to pay the check and all you have is US dollars. Businesses are waiting for tourists to do this then work the exchange rate to their favor. It is also too important to know the rate of exchange if you are making credit card purchases so you are not unknowingly overcharged.

Stay away ( unless you absolutely have to have it) American Fast Food Chains (McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut, etc.) if you think it is expensive here wait till you see how much it is there. Besides it great fun to go into the local restaurants where the locals eat, and experience the culture and their food. My husband recalled going several different places where they got mammoth pizzas and a bottle of wine for $5 US. Remember to ask for "American or Americano" coffee otherwise if you want a full cup of anything, you will be given a double espresso! This almost always comes with a tiny Andies candies type chocolate on the side.

I would highly recommend seeing the Coloseum. The Lateran Cathedral, of course the Vatican (both of which have amazing works of art), There are catacombs not too far away.

Check out the website below it has hotel listings and information about attending the Opera if you wish and local festivals and jousts, etc.
Enjoy your trip!

rachel z

Rome is beautiful.... it is full of life. I was there back in 03 and it was amazing. My trip was all planned out by a tour guide. I never learned the language but knew a few things that could get me by. I suggest eating as much as you can as the food is wonderful. I would go to every historical site there is. Be careful the ceasars forums steps can be slick. Try the gelato. Watch out for gypsies they are real and they will beg you for money and have lil babies out in the heat just wanting money. It is very dirty but in the same it is beautiful. The vatican is so undiscribable you have to just see it to believe. Watch out for motorinis... they are dangerous when they drive. All i can say is that you will be in love with it and never want to leave because that was how i felt. Have a great time.

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