Rome is one of the most visited cities in the world, and it can get crowded during the peak tourist season. The best months to visit Rome are April, May, late September and October. The weather is comfortable, sunny with cool evenings, and big crowds are few. Airfares and hotel prices also drop during the months surrounding the peak season.
Summer months are the peak, but hot days make sightseeing uncomfortable, and the flood of tourists makes lines long everywhere you go. August especially should be avoided because it is the most popular vacation month for Italians.
During the winter off-season, some attractions are open fewer hours or closed completely.
The closer you stay to the sights you want to visit, the more you will have time to see. To stay close to the heart of Rome, book your accommodations in the area east of the Tiber River and west of Station Termini. One of the liveliest areas to stay in Rome is the area stretching from Piazza Navona to Piazza Barberini. Some of the hotels are expensive, but you can also find more affordable and smaller family-run hotels.
Italy is famous for delicious food, and Rome is not an exception. Sandwiches from a deli or pizza from the numerous pizzerias are cheap but delicious lunch and dinner options. In addition, the side street shops and street vendors sell traditional Italian food for couple of euros. And you absolutely cannot eat enough gelato, Italian ice cream.
The house wine in Roman restaurants is usually excellent so don't let the cheap price fool you. It can be useful to know at least couple of Italian phrases even though most of the waiters speak English. And unlike in the United States, tipping is not expected in the restaurants.
Drawing a diamond shape on your map of Rome is one way to plan your itinerary, because about 75 percent of the attractions you want to visit are located inside the diamond that has the Spanish Steps at the top, Station Termini on the right, Aventine Hill at the bottom and Piazza Navona on the left. You will need at least three days to see all the sights inside the diamond; attractions outside the diamond, such as the Colosseum and the Vatican City, will take an extra day each.
Choose a small section of the city to explore each day and give yourself enough time to enjoy your surroundings instead of just running from one attraction to another. It is also a good idea to leave the attractions closest to your hotel until last, so if you have to cram on your last day you won't be wasting time getting to your destinations.
Walking is the best way to see Rome. Wear comfortable shoes, because it will be a lot of walking on cobble-stoned streets. If you get tired of walking, you can also explore the city by bus and subway. Bus routes in Rome can be confusing, so it might help to get more orientated with the city and the locations of the sights if you first take an organized bus tour around the city. You can buy a three-day ticket called BIT or a week-long ticket called CIS. Both of them give you unlimited rides on the buses, subways and some local trains. In addition, you can purchase a Roma Pass that includes transportation and two free museum tickets for three days.
