Rome Tour Tips

Rome Tourist Map

Rome is a world; the museum of all the ages; the native land of the arts; the sanctuary of incomparable memorials: so long as our society stands, Rome will remain a Holy City, or rather it ivill remain the Urbs, the City of Cities, on which the annals of the human race are written.

A visitor, who comes here for the first time finds him. self at last where he has so often been before in fancy’s dream, standing in the streets of Rome!

The modern city has no lack of attractive objects: majestic basilicas, solemn churches, stately palaces and the noblest monuments of art. But it is the past which attracts him far more: the Rome of centuries ago irresistibly rises before his mind!

Everywhere he encounters some relic of the past: a mouldering pile, a ruined arch, a broken pillar, a mutilated statue. Into these stones have passed all the tempests of the human spirit, and in seeing them he feels, in heart and brain the immense effort it has cost the ages to create the modern spirit in which ive bresthe and live! By these stones he is reminded that here Empires have risen and fallen and he finds in Rome the greatest events in the history of the world, in the history of art, religion and humanity.

Three young friends tourists standing in front of colosseum in rome with backpacks sunglasses happy beautiful girl long hair. Lens flare.

If you are planning to travel to Europe, Rome should be your first choice.

Most of Rome’s historical tourist attractions are relatively close to each other. It is possible to walk to the tourist sites as they are clustered together in a fairly small area of Rome. Make sure you have a good and up-to-date Rome Tourist Map so that you can navigate yourself easily through the streets of Rome.

Below we have made a handy “Rome Tourist Map” (pdf and image format avaible) for your visit. Below you will find the details of the areas in the map.

Rome Tourist Map: Image Format (Image-Click to zoom)

Rome Tourist Map

Rome Tourist Map  – Winzip Format (High Resolution Image – Size:12 MB) – Click for download

Rome Tourist Map – PDF Format – Click for download

Rome Tourist Map: A Few Tips for When You are Visiting Rome

  • Book your accommodations in a centrally located place.
  • Service is included in hotels and restaurants, but 5-10% of the bill is expected as a tip (mancia). In bars and cafés, service is frequently not included. In such cases, tips are 10-15%. When taking a taxi, round up the amount due.
  • For visitors to Rome from the UK and Ireland, there is no quick alternative to flying. By train the best option is Eurostar from London to Paris and an overnight sleeper connection to Rome (booking online: www.raileurope.co.uk). The Euroline buses which connect many European cities have no direct link from London to Rome (the London to Milan route has a journey time of about 25 hours). Arrival by bus or train may be convenient for travellers who are moving on to Rome from other parts of continental Europe. Even then, the journey can take some time: for example, the average overland travel time from Munich to Rome is eleven hours.
  • Do not try to see all of Rome in one day. It is impossible to visit every landmark in one, five or even 14 days, plan ahead to make the most of your visit.
  • Do research on the time you plan on going on vacation as this will influence your time greatly. In June-July, you might have to deal with huge crowds, but in August you might find the heat unbearable and some stores even closed due to less tourists as well as the heat.
  • The centre of Rome is partially closed to private cars or only accessible with a special permit; access to hotels is an exception. Parking spots are in short supply everywhere. For security reasons it is best to leave cars in supervised car parks. Even though the Romans park chaotically, it is imperative to observe no parking signs, since vehicles are towed away.
  • Make sure you have enough sunscreen and water while you are walking around the landmarks and museums to avoid severe sunburn and dehydration.
  • The Italians are friendly people, if locals see you struggling with a map or even just looking lost, they would most probably stop to assist you.
  • Those who wish to bring pets (dogs, cats) to Italy require a new pet pass since 3 July 2004. Among other things, it contains an official veterinary statement of health (no more than 30 days old), a rabies vaccination certificate that is at least 20 days and no more than eleven months old, and a passport photo. In addition, the animal must have a microchip or tattoo. A muzzle and leash are required at all times for dogs.
  • You can wear casual clothes for the most part of your trip. Just make sure that you are decently dressed and covered up. Nobody wants unwanted and degrading attention. When you visit the churches, make sure that you, yet again, are dressed appropriately.
  • Electricity wise. The mains supply is 220 volts AC. Many travellers, e.g. those from North America and the UK, need an adapter. A standard European plug can only be used if it has narrow contacts.
  • For travellers from outside the EU, the following duty-free quantities apply: 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco; also 2 litres of wine and 2 litres of sparkling wine or 1 litre of spirits with an alcohol content of more than 22% vol.; 500g of coffee or 200g of coffee extracts, 100 g of tea or 4l)g of tea extract, 50ml of perfume or 0.25 litres of eau de toilette. Gifts up to a value of €175 are also duty-free.
  • You do not travel all the way to Rome without visiting the museums. As soon as you have picked the sights you want to see, find out what their opening and closing times are. Since the opening hours of museums in Italy change unusually often, Opening hours it is not possible to keep this information up-to-date even with the best of efforts. To avoid disappointment, ask locally about changes to the opening hours. Many museums are closed on Mondays. Last admission is usually half an hour before closing. Make sure you know which museums charge a fee and what the fees are so that you can budget accordingly. Some have different rates for children, students and seniors. Churches are free to visit and contain many works of art that you might love.
  • Rome offers its younger visitors such a variety of sights and recreational attractions that no child should get bored here. The city’s parks provide plenty of space to run and romp. Children’s theatre, pony rides, bicycles, boat trips etc. provide additional entertainment. Since the Romans like children they give them a lot of attention in restaurants and hotels. Many museums, such as the Museo Nazionale Preistorico with its permanent Africa exhibition and the Museo delle Navi Romane, are also interesting for children. The city of Rome publishes a museum guide with a 30-minute tape for the Capitoline Museums and for the Museo della Civiltà Romana, which is also available in English at the entrance. A visit to the zoo with its near-natural environments for the animals or to the botanical gardens on the Largo Cristina di Svezia 24 with over 3,500 species of plants is well worthwhile.
  • Since 2005 it has been illegal to smoke in bars and restaurants in Italy. The fine for disregarding the law, between 25 and 250 euros, is particularly expensive for smoking in the presence of children or pregnant women.
  • Bus route 110 is a convenient way to discover the 3,000-year history of Rome. The route takes in 80 places of interest. For those in a hurry, the non-stop ticket (approx. 9 euros) provides an overview in the space of two hours. The stop & go day ticket costs 13 euros. (Daily departures at 10.30am, 2pm, 3pm, 5pm and 6pm from Piazza dei Cinquecento in front of the Termini railway station, bus stop C.)

Rome Tours & Tickets for Your Visit:

Rome is the most important tourist destination in the world. Get your ticket in advance to avoid spending time in museum queues. Do not wait long queues to enter the Colosseum and the Vatican.

People waiting to enter the Vatican Museums

People waiting to enter the Vatican Museums

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