Many great guides are available to tell you the important sites, sumptuous restaurants and comfortable hotels of Rome. But only here will you learn the top 10 key nuggets of traveling wisdom that might make the difference between a pleasant trip and something worth forgetting. (This compendium is designed for Americans, but should apply equally well to other non-Italians.)
1. If you fly on Alitalia, get there early and expect to leave late. If you wonder why you need to get there early if you’ll leave late, it is because they might shock the world and leave on time once. In any event, the folks at Alitalia are really nice, but everything is slow and rather complicated. From the time you arrive at the terminal until you get on the plane, you will have your ticket and passport examined a minimum of four times, each time the agents appearing to do what every other agent did. Like I said, get there early.
2. St. Peter’s, both inside and outside, is about 10 times as big as you expect it to be. You will walk around staring in every direction and potentially bumping into other folks. Don’t worry, they are doing the same thing and won’t be offended.
3. I have heard all sorts of horror stories about pickpockets, dishonest clerks, stolen luggage and evil cabbies. In numerous visits, I have encountered none of these. The people are warm and friendly, especially waiters, who seem to be happy to serve you. (This last statement doesn’t universally apply on Alitalia flights.)
4. There are several types of police in Rome. For the most part, the more impressive the uniform, the less important the cop. The guys with the automatic weapons don’t have the most stylish uniforms, but they are important. The exceptions are the Swiss Guards, who are important and have the most stylish uniforms in the history of mankind.
5. Visit the Vatican Museums. Get there early and if there is a long wait, bring a book. Plan to spend an entire day. You will be amazed. Wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to walk great distances to see great sights.
6. What Americans call cappuccino (at places like the one with the picture of the half-naked mermaid) is not really cappuccino. What you get in Rome is cappuccino. It is smooth and savory. You’ll never again be satisfied by the mermaid.
7. For young adults in Italy, the primary activities are smoking, talking on cell phones and driving motor scooters. Men sometimes do two of these at once; women do all three.
8. When you are out and about and encounter a clean washroom (aka toilet in Rome), try your best to use it. You never know when another will present itself.
9. The food is wonderful. I’m from Chicago, where the more popular pizza parlors have fans with the passion of Latin American soccer clubs. But the pizza is better in Rome. Trust me on this one. The gelato is to our ice cream as cream is to skimmed milk.
10. If you are an American like most Americans (unilingual) you will get along fine. Lots of people speak English, although less so the further you get away from the city center and major religious and tourist areas. But even when people can’t speak English, they don’t make you feel guilty about not speaking Italian (or at least they are reserved in their disdain.)
There you have it. With these tips and a good travel guide, you can go native.
My advice is: go to Roma in late January or February before the tourists arrive; when I did it a few years ago there were no lines at any church (I did not do the Vatican Museums, mea culpa) including Saint Peter’s, and the prices were very reasonable everywhere.