The Best & Worst of Rome - Five Things to Love & Hate About Visiting Rome, Italy
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- Опубліковано 1 лип 2011
- www.woltersworld.com
Rome, the eternal city and my favorite capital in Europe. There is much to love about Rome, but there is even a few things you might not like. Regardless of the tourist hordes the Romans are wonderful people who enjoy life and love their city. So go and enjoy the atmosphere and wonder of Rome, Italy... But just to be prepared watch our video on the five things you will love and hate about Rome to get you started.
Filmed in Rome, Italy
Just returned from Rome.
Here are my advices:
1 - To skip the crowds of people visit the sites (like forum or colosseum) early in the morning. They usually open at 9 and at that time they are literally empty. The same thing for Palazzo Barberini (you have to book in advance). We were there from 9 and there were maybe 10 people in total.
2 - To reduce a risk of being pick pocketed - in the metro go to the front or to the back - there is quite a lot of space, it is always packed in the middle section. Don't look like tourist (camera, backpacks, flip flops etc). Be watchful - there are certain types of pickpockets - girls with the babies pushing at people, children begging and distorting your attention etc. Leave the passports and the cards at the hotel safe, you can pay by cash everywhere. Have just photocopy of your documents with you.
3 - There are also a lot of quite aggressive sellers - giving a rose to the girl (or they just throw it to her bag or pocket) and asking for the money. Don't be nice to them, don't discuss with them, just ignore them. The same thing is the photo wit the people in historic uniforms (praetorians, gladiators etc.), if you really want a silly photo with them, always ask the price in advance.
4 - McDonald's has quite good toilets everywhere (e.g. next to the spanish steps) for free. Otherwise go for a coffee in a side street (if the café has no terrace it is usually cheap), have espresso for 1 Eur and use the toilet.
5 - You can love/hate the fact that in Rome you can buy all kind of fake Gucci or Prada handbags and purses for almost nothing :)
i appreciate your advice. Going next year. 🙏🏽
I waited for 45 minutes for the Vatican Museum, and I got in for free.
Last Sunday of every month, the entrance is free, nobody buys any tickets and the line goes FAST. When I exited at about 11 AM, the line was only about 100m long (maybe shorter), and moving quickly.
Best things in life are free, heh :)
When in Rome, taking a taxi, always MAKE SURE the driver TURNS THE METER ON. Some of them are just dishonest and they charge unreasonable fares at the end of the ride and for you, as a foreigner, will be almost impossible to have your rights respected.
As an italian it makes me kind of ashamed
Totally agree with your points. Here's my advice, having been there twice, once with two children. We had a great apartment near the Trevi fountain. Get a place with a kitchen. We had breakfast and dinner in the apartment each day. Saved heaps of money. We had lunch out each day and combined that with a toilet break. Most things to see and do are free and you can walk everywhere. Love this place and would gladly go back.
My favorites are Rome, Venice, Berlin, Krakow, Bamberg, Bruges, Paris, Edinburgh and I am sure quite a few more :)
My faves are Rome, venice, Prague and Lucerne
I live in Rome, and even if i have visited bigger and more modern cities Like Berlin, i never found the same air of home, there was always something missing, and i love tourist (if thei are respectful) because they can see what i like so much of this city, like the view from Villa Borghese, or the shops in Via del Corso, and i always help them if i can, maybe if they are having problems with the lenguage, because it makes me so happy to make them feel welcome and at home.
maybe i am getting a little sappy, but who couldn't
One of the best cities, the most history, and amazing structures
***** I agree 100% :)
I am planning a summer trip to Rome. Thank you for all these tips, Wolter! I love your enthusiasm and passionate love for Rome. It's infectious! :)
Thank you so much for this video!! I'm going there soon and it's nice to see other people's impressions and tips! Thank you!
I love your videos! They've been such a help. I'll be in Rome in April 2017...my first trip abroad. I'm looking forward to putting your great tips to use!
My wife and I were in Italy for half of September 2016. Our advice - get the help of knowledgeable travel agents and book tours and transfers ahead of time as much as possible, especially the "Skip the line" tours for the major sites.
Thanks for taking a few minutes out of each of your travels to go over basic details that can/will benefit those of us that aren't as fortunate to have been all the places you have been.
+blech71 I am glad we can help. Just saw so many unhelpful things for first time travelers that we really wanted to do videos that could help all travelers of all levels in an honest and helpful way. All the best on your travels!
Hello again :) and thank you for the kind words (again) :) all the best!
@skillbill83 you did the right thing! Have a great trip!!! I know you will, I love Rome, I am jealous. Thanks for the tips!
I love your videos. Very down to earth. Grazie.
@skillbill83 awesome skillbill thanks for the helpful tips for rome. i will definately get out to ostia antica next visit (hopefully next summer).
Thanks for commenting and watching! and glad you had a great trip!
Thanks a lot Wolter! Very like your videos!
sweet video Mr. Wolters! it's nice to know about the bad things that go along with visiting even a city as great as Rome.
You are very welcome! It is a great place. Have a great weekend!
Just came back from Rome. Spot on for a lot of points. Here are my tips: Vatican museum has free admission on the last sunday of every month. Be there for 7 to get in by 9.15. Worth the wait and worth saving 32 euros. Not as crowded as one may think if you're not looking to examine each piece AND don't mind getting kicked out the Sistine Chapel for taking a sneaky picture ;P. Second tip: use the early morning to avoid a huge line to St. Peter's Basilica and Dome. We got there at 8am and got in my 8.15ish. First ones at the dome and enjoyed it a lot. Keep making these really useful videos, Wolter. I hope I'll get produce a project about travelling in the future just like you. Keep it up!
I recommend San Clemente in Rome near the Coliseum. This is not crowded at all and consists of a Church with two excavated lower levels comprised of a middle ages Church and a Roman street complete with an apartment building with a working spring fed bathroom. Maybe I am unique but it is amazing that one can descend a staircase and be transported back almost 2 thousand years in time to see a temple and an apartment building.
Very good advice, thank you!
haa i got pick-pocketed in rome but i chased after him and got my purse back XD~when i returned to the bus everyone was clapping and yellng brava brava!
+dishfun99 Sure that happend
My first memory of Rome was a guy in a really nice suit being chased down the street by a lady yelling "mia telefon mama mia" the guy had stolen her phone :) Can't wait to be back soon.
perfect time... few tourists, decent prices and its rome... its always good to go :) have a great trip!
may is a perfect month to go. great weather (not too hot) and not too many tourists.
I could not agree more with you :)
Sounds cool. I will try to get there in April. Thanks for the nice words! We just got back from a long summer of filming and we have new videos that will take us through January so please subscribe and enjoy the new videos! All the best!
Great video. Love your enthusiasm. Great advice too. Perhaps the 6th thing you hate was the wind. ;-) Love the orange post-it too. :-)
happyhornet1000 yeah... I am heading back to Rome soon so I may redo this video with the microphone to cut out that wind. ouch. sorry about that :(
It's OK, I'm only joking. I thought it was a great video. Very useful. I'm going next April and your advice has helped a lot. Hope you enjoy your trip.
I agree with you on Rome!! Would take a job there any day... the history, the people are amazing....you do a great job, very animated and passionate!!
Awesome videos
Yeah, i have tried to stay away from windy locations which has been bad for cool views, but at least i could be heard. but this one was weird because while i was filming i didnt really feel like it was super windy. thanks for the nice words.
Rome is the best place ever! I loved it sooo much! About places to stay, I went last november and I rent a studio at Gianicolo area for 8 days, and it was a good price! If I could I'd live there for the rest of my life. If you get lost in Rome, actually you're not lost, every corner there's some piece of art to see and apreciate and be astonished!
I leave today for Rome thank you so much for the great video
Good man. Thank you
@MetallicCashew thanks for the tips! and thanks for watching and commenting!
Great video +++
Im going to Rome on Thursday for four days for the first time,cant wait.This really helps,cheers
Anne Talbot glad we can help :)
Yep :)
Great work buddy,good info and will be handy with knowing a bit more to get around,is it easy to book tours there or is it better to do online before I leave home(Aust)also got a pacsafe RFID BLOCKING hidden waist bag,is that safe enough to limit getting pick pockets having a go at me,as I am getting a bit paranoid👣👣👣and a bit scared I might knock them out if I get them.
so true :)
love it
You can book Roman Forum/Colosseum package ahead of time on line and basically walk right in.
Well worth it. Look for rooms on Via Cavore , right in the center of things. Hotel Solis is great
Rome is the most amazing place in the world
@tessacate Was in Australia a lifetime ago :) and spent a lot of time in South America. We are heading to the America in the fall for new adventures there. Will have more US travel and South American videos for the next year. But Asia is on the travel schedule for 2012-2013. So its coming, but we have to save a bit for that one ;)
I'm loving your vids. My family is travelling US this year but your videos make me even more eager to travel Europe which I hope to in a year or so. Have you travelled the Pacific, Asia or Australia yet?
Hi! I am Italian from Rome, now living in Ireland since 5 years. You make me feel so happy and make me miss my city! Thank you about your nice review about Rome. And I think would be nice and useful if Rome' major would get your feedback about the 5 things you hated about our city. Thanks again!!!
This is a wonderful video! How are you able to do so much traveling?
I went to Rome for the first time the other week and about these long lines there are so many easier ways of cutting all queues. For example, me and my Mother were in Vatican City and around the vicinity were English speaking tourist companies who charged us €46 per person to get a guided tour of the Vatican museum, Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica. I thought this to be such a good deal and it saved us waiting in those lines that moved at glacial pace.
@5Language Thank you. We get to do it with a lot of luck and cheap flights in Europe with Easyjet... or whoever :)
very nice
Really like your videos! I'm going to be studying abroad in Rome this semester! I plan on visiting a few cities in Europe while I'm over there, right now I'm thinking Barcelona and Munich. Any suggestions for a city to visit for a weekend for a college student? Thanks!
+MrGabe305 Aachen is beautiful and cheap, it was the capital city of Charlemagne (Carl the Great) It's also close by to The Netherlands and Belgium if you feel like visiting those countries. Amsterdam is also great
I am going to visit Europe in one month. Rome is one of my stops & I will be there for about 3 days. This video has made me even more excited to visit. Thanks for your advice.
+Topher Glass 3 days? Wow! I was there for 2 weeks and haven't checked off even half of the places from my list :). Next time, take your time.
I stayed for 1 and a half weeks. It was awesome
I was fortunate enough to not experience most of the negative points. I went in January and yes it was cold and sometimes rainy, some things may be covered for renovation, but I still had an amazing time and absolutely loved rome! I saw all I wanted to see. No lines! The colosseum, Vatican City, etc. it was almost empty in January! No wait whatsoever! I recommend going off season if you don't mind 40 or 50 degree weather. My hometown was below zero when I left so rome was plenty warm for me.
I love hearing foreigners talking about Rome in such a beautiful way!
That's true that there are some bad and annoying things but Rome is fantastic!
I envy the tourist that can enjoy Rome like this.. I don't even look at the Colosseum anymore when I pass there! but I love my city!
I Love the fact that there are fountains in every corner of the city, so theres no need to worry about water.
One more plus to rome is the weather, summer may be pretty warm but it's not miserable like upper 80s and sunny that nice mediterranean climate.
@uur8 but still an awesome place regardless of the problesm :) thanks for watching and commenting!
I was staying at a hostel that let me on the roof. It was so great a night, I could see the Vatican, the round angel castle, all the amazing church towers and the island in the Tiber, Great personal Rome moment. Best city I ever visited, surely gonna come back at some point
Rome is such an amazing city, I've been there twice and I'd go back again tomorrow.
bokeflo me too my friend. me too :)
woltersworld
:-)
Thanks for the heads up on the toilets. And I do agree with you, I feel 100000 times safer in Rome than I do in any US big city.
Thanks for watching and commenting! I really appreciate it!
Oh thank you very much! And sorry for disturbing :)
Oh thank you! And is there a lot of tourists in May? And what about the weather?
I know. our 6 year old has spent three summers in a row drinking from them and he loves it. as do we. thanks for watching and commenting! we really appreciate it!
That Roman moment... a moment to die for
glad i can help megan. hope you will like and subscribe!
nice
In May the tourist season is just starting and I'm sure you can enjoy Rome with touristic places reasonable crowded. About the weather it is supposed be a warm spring season and normally it is but who knows...
I've been to Rome twice, stayed a week both times, and with my mother both times. The second time we rented an apartment to stay in. I highly recommend doing this. There are many, many apartments to chose from in great locations. The company we rented from had fabulous service. I emailed them many times w/questions months prior to our arrival and they always answered all my questions promptly. If I am blessed enough to go again, I will again rent an apartment.
insane seems like a "nice" word to describe the lines :) yeah, it is crazy there. We have been to rome probably 10 or 12 times and only went inside 3 times because the line was just nuts :) thanks for watching and commenting and WE LOVE ROME AND THE ROMAN PEOPLE. THEY ARE AWESOME!!! :) and yes that was all caps because we really do love rome and the people of rome, such a great town with amazing people. best big city people on hte planet
If you would like to see the seconds biggest Colosseum you must go to Tunis. Hardly any tourist there.
But I have never been to Rome but I love to. Maybe with school next year.
In1998able yeah that one is insane big. I liked el gem too.
Thank you! Great comment! Hope you will subscribe!
I have a question I hope you will see and can answer. I've seen most of your videos. I am taking my wife to Paris in July for 2 weeks. We arrive on a Monday and will leave the following Saturday, if that makes sense. Here is my dillemma. I already have flights to arrive in Paris and leave Paris. Plan to do a Sunday thru Wednesday somewhere. Would you suggest Rome, Florence, Amsterdam or somewhere else for a nice getaway from paris before we return to end our trip in paris before heading back to Houston? I've already put it out on Tripadvisor; but I'd love to hear your thoughts!
There are less people there in August; tourists + locals. But many shops and restaurants are closed aswell and it is rather hot.
I'm planning on going to Italy this summer with my 14yr old son.We are going to Rome, Pompei, Pisa and Venice. My biggest concern is security, i am very worried about pickpockets etc. What type of day bag would you recommend? I am planning on doing packed lunches to save a bit on costs so will need a large bag to carry that. Would it be better to have a small over body handbag for valuables e.g camera day money and then a backpack for picnics? or one large over body bag?
i like your video apart from the mini recaps, not really required as you explained what you loved + didnt like so well initially
One of the best things to do in the life is to admiring the sunshine from the Gianicolo (one of the seven hills of Rome).
For many reasons:
It's the best Rome view. In the quiet atmosphere of the Gianicolo park you can see the marmoles of the main monuments at sunshine light becoming orange/ going on fire and you see in front of you like a big history book at open air.
The perfect place is the terrace of the Anita Garibaldi monument
yeah, I have cut out the recaps in the newer videos. thanks for watching and commenting! have a great day!
Love the city of Rome even with all the tourist hordes. I usually tend to avoid the tourist traps and go where the Romans go. The cheap places are in the little back streets. And I agree if I were offered a job i would move from Australia. I love Rome and the Romans
@CDKJS Well, this was our last Euro-trip for awhile. Wolters World is moving to America in August, so the travels will be North and South America based for the next few years... But we may have a few Europe travel videos here in their to keep you happy :)
Thanks for watching and commenting!
there will always be crowds but I studied abroad from March to July and I'd say the least crowded month was March.
Nice :-)
Rico thanks rico!
I went to Rome in late September, still too crowded and too hot!! Next time I'm going late in November or December, yes when it's raining, foggy, etc. I don't care about the weather so long as it's not hot, and I don't like crowds. Ibid for other cities in Italy. Avoid the crowds by traveling when fewer people want to. As for the rooms, you can get inexpensive lodging through airbnb.com. Trust me on that one.
Just want to add to the pickpocket point. Thieves are mainly gypsies and Romanians (not romans - don't want to give a bad name to awesome Italians) , so watch out for guys that stands out. I was a target of one at Termin station, but knowing what to watch out for was able to stop it right away... Jumper with an inner pocket is the best place for your wallet. And keep any expensive watch at home ;)
that if really good to know I'm planning on going to Rome later this year and the pick pocket situation if a concern for us
"Let me make a video outside when it's windy as fuck"
have a backpack that has a hidden pocket inside so you can keep your stuff in there, and don't take it off unless you are sitting on it. you will want a normal backpack that is comfortable with nice straps. you won't look like the coolest tourist ever but you will be able to carry your stuff and not worry about pickpockets. you may want to just use a money belt for the money and passports then you wont be worrying as much about the backpack with the food in it.
I Visited Rome 3 times. I Love Rome. Rome the eternal city. histiry, food, arcquitecture, art...etc.I´m From Portugal.
I'm heading to Rome tomorrow @ 9:15. I'm soooooo excited . I'm going for a movie. Gonna be gone for 3 yrs
I live in Rome and April, May and June is the best even for romans.
I'm sorry you took me seriously. I was just joking-trying to be funny. I intended no disrespect. And I actually appreciate how well you Italians, and other Europeans as well, do speak English. I mean, you're communicating with me in English. I could not do so in Italian. Thank you. Ciao.and warm regards :)
Is there a slow season to see the Vatican? or is it a year round disney world pretty much with the wait line?
TheMrJinglesWorld year round Disney. we were there early January and the line was still nuts.
When I was there in October 2013 the line was not particularly long for either the Coliseum or to get into the Vatican. But it also depends on the day of the week and time of day.
I was in Rome recently, and I have found this city a very nice place to have a good time, specially if you are looking for both architecture and landscape. But, oh my God, this is a very very expensive city, and the food is no 'fantastic' as many people might think. It's just OK but defenitely no something awesome. If you consider 20 to 30 euros a dish something cheap in a trattoria so... My reccommendation: bring good money and be patient queuing.
Can you give me advice for a good cheap safe hostel in rome close to termini station? and i will be there for exactly 1 day in end of may.... Can you give me suggestions of affordable places to eat ? Pizza etc? and If i walk by feet around the city will there be a less chance of me being pick pocketed? or is metro really ok to still take if i get a day pass? Also do hostels have a service that will take me to the airport?
Lillian K you can walk the ancient parts of rome and the Vatican it is a long walk but we do it all the time as there is just so much. I don't know the hostels by termini (the station) but we usually stay by the station at aplace called hotel montreal. they usually had good rates
Hotel des artistes!
Mark I love your videos and have used tons of your vids as guides for all the places I've traveled in Europe (Berlin, Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, Salzburg, Prague, Rome). You said in many of your vids that Rome is in your top 3 cities in Europe. For the life of me I cannot understand how, for such a seasoned and knowledgable traveler such as yourself, Rome could possibly be your favorite place in Europe.
I've been here 2 weeks with 4 more to go. Rome is without a doubt the most overrated city I've ever been to in Europe. Before arriving here, people painted a picture of Rome as this majestic beautiful utopia of society...it is anything but.
Before I go further let me say that I don't hate Rome...it's worth visiting...and its certainly not the worst city in Europe, just by far the most overrated.
DISLIKES
Garbage, litter, cigarette butts, graffiti and dog shit pollute the streets EVERYWHERE in this city...not just some parts....ALL PARTS. Every dumpster and or trash can you pass is completely full and overflowing with garbage. Did I mention graffiti...it's everywhere, and it's not street art graffiti, it's ugly scribble.
Without a doubt Rome has the absolute WORST public transport of any city in Europe I've been to. Busses take 30 plus minutes on a regular basis (a lot of times they just never show up at all) and trams will just sit for 10 plus minutes once you board. The metro is ok, but completely filthy and disgusting.
The public parks are nothing more then unkept overgrown patches of weeds.
The sites and churches are beautiful, however the other buildings are ugly and deteriorated....seriously, compared to places like vienna, budapest, prague, and paris the architecture is absolutely nothing to look at.
The traffic is horrendous and the drivers are wreck-less....traffic laws essentially don't exist here...and it seems like police also don't exist here.
It's so overcrowded with tourists that the main sites are hard to enjoy. Along with the hoards of tourists are endless foreign (non-italian) scammers, beggars, and hustlers... it's beyond obnoxious...you can't even look at the vatican or coliseum without some gypsy shoving a selfie stick or some other worthless junk in your face every ten feet. I know all popular places will have unsavory characters like this, but Rome is on a completely different level. Every major site has been so exploited to make money off tourism that they don't even feel special to me.
LIKES:
I'm living in an authentic neighborhood 30 min north of the city and I really like it here (minus the litter, graffiti, and dog shit).
I will say the food here is awesome, BUT....if you're in the city center 50% of the restaurants are tourist traps selling overpriced shitty food. Where I'm staying, everything is great. They have amazing espresso and gelato and its only 1 euro....can't beat that.
The Italian people are actually very nice and a lot more friendly than other places in I've been in Europe (besides Austria :)).
The weather is awesome.
Thieves are also very active around the Colosseum. Suggest buying one of those wallets on a lanyard. Lanyard goes around your neck and the wallet under your clothes. I bought one after getting my wallet stolen in Naples - which has a bigger problem with pickpockets than Rome. All that being said, Rome is amazing and worth dealing with the downsides - many of which you run into in any major western city.
Rent an apartment and stay at least a week. Rome is incredible. We went to 2010. We were supposed to be there a week and got stuck when the volcano is Iceland grounded air traffic going north. We stayed over two weeks before flying out and still didn't see everything I'd like to. I'd go back tomorrow if I could. Bathroom tip. Go to any bar. Buy something to eat or drink. After you're done, ask for the bathroom.
went to Florence, Rome and Pisa in 2011. Rome is confusing city to learn. The food is great. Being Italian, had no problem.
And yes, watch yourself on the metro. I've never been pick pocketed but I'm from Boston and very city savvy. Try not to look lost or obvious, that helps. I walk everywhere or take taxis (expensive). But worth it for me. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes for walking but don't wear US/UK sports shirts, white sneakers, fanny packs(!!) or base ball hats and carry some cash/id in a shirt or tight pant pocket NOT bulky wallet or open purse hanging out & gypsy kids can pickpocket you more than adults
Hi Mark,
Just wanted to know, if its all fine to travel to Italy during early December?
Cause just worried if places will be closed or we may not have fun during winters - like we possibly cab have during Summer.
Aakash Srivastava I can answer this for you: don't worry, in december places will be closed only the 25th, the 26th and, I think, the 8th. There are other festivities but those happen on sunday, so many places would be closed anyway(yes, in Italy offices, shops, schools and other places close on sunday). Cheers from Rome
So does that mean the restaurants and cafes are closed earlier than normal?
So does this mean restaurants and cafes are closed earlier than normal?
Aakash Srivastava
most restaurants are open on sunday, about cafes it depends, some will be open, some will be closed all day.
+Andrea Tomassini the 6th December. ;-)
But most of the restaurants are open. Maybe the bars not but you can always find someone that it's open. Over all in the cities with much tourists.
First impression - everybody‘s talking about everything with anybody all the time.
LOL! No problem. We're friends now!
What about going in May?
The hotel i stayed in Rome was the cheapest I have ever stayed. Waiting in Line for Colossium was 20 minutes max so was not anything next to waiting in line for Eiffel Tower for 3 hours in a very cold weather. And I think thieves were like everywhere in Paris whereas I did not feel uncomfortable about the same while in Rome.
Anotherdarknight what was the place you stayed at?
^^^ Also to add on to the other comment, when did you visit??
i always read about everyone going to europe in winter or summer, im going in spring, april-may, why does no one ever go then??