10 tips to navigate Rome like a local

If you want to truly experience everything the Italian capital has to offer, you'll have to embrace that old adage: "When in Rome..." 

So, you’re going to Rome. Congratulations, and half your luck. But Rome marches to the beat of its own drum and has a lot of quirks. Luckily for you, I recently spent a month there with my family, and I’ve returned with new knowledge of the dos, the don’ts and the hacks to make your time in the Eternal City not an infernal one, but la dolce vita.

1. Avoid the queues

You will line up for pretty much everything in Rome. Museums, galleries, pizza, toilets and more. Get used to it. But there are ways to lessen the pain. For many of the most popular attractions you can book a tour (see below) or buy “skip the queue” tickets in advance. It’s free to enter the Pantheon and no tickets are needed, but as a result it attracts masses of people. Get there any later than mid-morning and you’ll be standing in a long,long line to get in, so arrive around opening time. Research restaurant websites rather than just turning up – you may have to book days (or for very popular places, weeks) ahead. If they’re first-come-first-served, find out their hours and get there just before the doors open.

You will line up for pretty much everything in Rome. Museums, galleries, pizza, toilets and more.

2. Take a guided tour

I’m generally a do-it-yourself kind of traveller, but there are definitely benefits to taking a guided tour for many of Rome’s bucket-list items. It’s no surprise the Colosseum and Vatican museums, for example, are insanely popular and the crowds can be oppressive. On a guided tour you get fast-track entrance but, more importantly, the guides give you information, context and history, plus they know exactly where to go and what to see once inside. Yes, it’s more expensive than just buying a regular ticket, but without a guide you’ll just be wandering around wondering what everything means. It’s definitely worth it.

3. Avoid these restaurants

As a general rule, it pays to run a mile from any eatery that has an overeager guy in a bow tie standing outside desperately beckoning you into his establishment with promises of “tourist menu” or “genuine Roman cuisine”. Likewise, any place that has huge colour pictures of the food stuck all over its windows is usually a no-go.

A guided tour of the Vatican Museum will fast-track entry.

4. Don’t order a cappuccino after 11am

You won’t get arrested for doing so, but Italians treat a milky coffee as a breakfast drink, so it’s not general custom to order a cappuccino once noon is approaching. As for a regular caffè – a shot of black coffee in a tiny cup – Romans go for it any time of day. After lunch, after dinner, after anything.

5. Order the house wine

The house wine in most Roman restaurants is not only reasonably priced, but good quality. Rather than ordering by the glass you’ll usually get a choice of a carafe of either a litre, half-litre, or quarter-litre.

6. Don’t bank on visiting museums on a Monday

Many Roman museums close on a Monday. Check the websites to make sure you know which ones are open. Or use your Monday to visit public sites such as the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona or the Villa Borghese gardens.

A must-see is Trastevere, just across the Tiber, with its cobblestone streets, and bustling bars and restaurants.

7. Venture beyond the centro storico

There’s a good chance you’re staying somewhere in the centre of Rome, but that doesn’t mean you should limit yourself to the centro storico. There are wonderful neighbourhoods within easy striking distance you should investigate if you have time. A must-see is Trastevere, just across the Tiber, with its cobblestone streets, and bustling bars and restaurants. If you’re staying in Rome a little longer, then it’s also worth venturing to Testaccio (for great food), Ostiense (for street art), Monti (for boutique shopping) and Pigneto (for the hipster in the family).

8. Buy train, tram and bus tickets beforehand

Local bus, train or tram tickets aren’t sold on board. You can buy them at any tabaccheria (tobacconist), which are easy to spot as they have a sign outside with a large “T” on it. You can either buy a single-trip ticket, or one-day, 48-hour or weekly tickets, depending on how long you’re in town. Once on board, you have to put your ticket into one of the machines inside to validate it. The same type of ticket allows you to take any of the local forms of public transport.

If you take a photo with the fake gladiators outside the Colosseum, they will pester you for money.

9. Keep those fake gladiators at bay

Those guys standing outside the Colosseum and other sites holding swords, wearing helmets and looking like they’re in an amateur production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum are so friendly. And aren’t they keen to get you to take a photo with them? Well, that’s because they will then pester you for money. And they’re persistent. Unless you really, really want to pay for a photo with some dude in ancient fancy dress, avoid connecting with them.

10. Carry cash 

Yes, it’s 2023 and most places accept cards. But, in Rome, market stalls and some taxis and smaller shops will insist on cash only, so it pays to have a supply in your wallet or purse just in case you get caught short.

Barry Divola is a journalist, author and musician who lives in Perth. His latest book is Driving Stevie Fracasso .

Originally published as 10 tips to navigate Rome like a local