• Get some tips for traveling in Rome (and Italy) this Jubilee Year
• Save and maximize your time by preparing in advance
• Sample some of my Rome favorites
• Make it sustainable and take it slow
• Explore with creativity and study the details

Visiting Rome during the Jubilee

Oh Rome! my country! city of the soul! Lord Byron

My love for Rome knows no bounds but visiting it, and Italy, are going to be tricky this year. I just returned from a whirlwind day and a half trip and put together some thoughts and notes so those coming over this Jubilee Year know what to expect.  Many of these suggestions also apply to other Italian cities and attractions that tend to be popular with crowds.

Where does one even begin when speaking about Rome? There are so many layers of history here, a plethora of invasions and invaders, culture, identity and era shifts: Ancient Rome, Renaissance Rome, Baroque Rome, papal and religious Rome, Fascist, modern and contemporary Rome. With these suggestions, I hope that no matter how long you stay, you will leave the Italian capital with a strong sense of the city’s unique energy, how Romans live today and how they lived in the past. You will be walking in some mighty footsteps and feel like you’re moving back in time. It’s awe-inspiring to be surrounded by so much beauty, color, light, life, and stories at every turn. Slow down, savor, and absorb.

Plan early (you should already be well into your planning)

I hadn’t been to Rome as a tourist in a few years and a lot has changed, in my opinion, for the better. I was very pleasantly surprised by just about everything. I found the city to be clean, public transportation and other forms of sustainable mobility were efficient and ubiquitous. We never had any problems getting a taxi and they were reasonably priced compared to far smaller Florence. It felt wonderful to be back; the food was supreme, the Romans as joyous and welcoming as always, and while there were crowds, everything felt manageable with a few deep breaths, flexibility and creativity.

If you are coming to Rome and Italy in the Jubilee Year, the best piece of advice I can give you, if you have not already done so, is to book as early as possible and reserve in advance everything on your to-do list. Our plans were very last minute and we could not get inside the Colosseum, St. Peter’s, or the Vatican Museums. It was what I have since dubbed the trifecta: the first Sunday of the month – when state museums are free – the day before and of the Epiphany, and the first week of the Jubilee.

As someone who has been going to Rome since the 1980s, it felt surreal to have to queue up at the Trevi Fountain so I personally didn’t do it because I’ve done it before. If you are going, however, and want to throw a coin in the fountain – which I totally get, because who doesn’t want to return to Rome?! – just be prepared to spend time on line. Evidently, the Mouth of Truth, a sweet and also frightening memory from both my and my daughter’s childhoods, has become a Tik Tok phenomenon, so if you would like to go there, you should allow for extra time. The lines to take selfies were long. I can’t promise anything, but I was able to make last minute reservations online and easily for The Pantheon, which just recently introduced a small entrance fee. It is obviously well worth the five euro.

The good news is that Rome never disappoints but you will be disappointed if you are counting on seeing something and can’t get in. This will be a challenge everywhere in Rome, especially at top attractions for pilgrims and tourists alike such as Saint Peter’s, the Vatican Museums, the Colosseum and places like the Galleria Borghese that have very limited capacity. This also holds true for major monuments and museums in cities like Florence, Venice, Milan, Naples, etc. Be sure to get those online tickets ahead of time, as soon as you are able!

So what happens if I can’t get reservations somewhere?

As hard as it is to accept, and trust me I totally feel your pain, you are in luck. There is never enough time to see everything in Rome, there’s even an Italian phrase for it, Roma non basta una vita – Rome, a lifetime is not enough. If you can’t get in somewhere, take advantage of Rome’s incredible outdoor masterpieces or pop into what seems like a minor church and be awed by what you find.  I always recommend the Caravaggio paintings in Rome’s churches, my favorites are at San Luigi dei Francesi. I also like to do spotlights on the great sculptor Bernini whose works can be found all over the city in churches, piazzas, fountains and museums. I am a big fan of The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa d’Avila at Santa Maria della Vittoria and his hyperrealistic, breathtaking Daphne and Apollo at the Borghese Gallery. Alternatively, why not book a Jewish Rome tour and learn about the history of Roman Judaism while sampling traditional delicacies, or take a trip to the Testaccio Market, one of the best places to sample Rome’s phenomenal street food?

When in Rome

Please, please only use official or vetted websites when making bookings. I have provided a very short list of resources and links at the end of this blog and have hyperlinked throughout the post, in the hope they are helpful as you plan. I also invite you to be patient. There will be crowds and that might be frustrating at times. Keep your cool and be aware and respectful of your surroundings, the city, its inhabitants, and fellow visitors and pilgrims. There are many moving parts and hard working people behind the scenes.

A final word on dining. It was no easy feat getting restaurant reservations, this because it was a Sunday -Monday – holiday combination, not everything was open, and we personally had time and scheduling constraints. That said, we had two very memorable, truly excellent Roman meals: dinner at Trattoria da Cesare al Pellegrino and a lunch at Salumeria Roscioli, conveniently located on Via dei Giubonnari one of my favorite shopping streets right near the charming Campo de’ Fiori square and Largo Argentina, an important archeological area and the site of Julius Caesar’s assassination.

Please remember that at most places, when you make restaurant reservations, you will be asked for your credit card information and will be charged a fee if you don’t cancel or fail to show up. This is becoming common practice all over Italy.

Finally, take the time to study the details and hold that Roman light, especially that at dusk, when everything is bathed in a dreamy orange glow, within you. If you take that back, and I am certain you will, it means that Rome has stolen your heart and will belong to you forever.

If you are feeling overwhelmed and need my help planning or just want to talk it out, get in touch, I’d love to help make your time in Rome and Italy unforgettable.

Rome Background Information & Useful Resources

• Ancient Rome
• Britannica’s Rome’s history and present
• Rome Today
• The Local, News from Rome
• 36 Hours in Rome
• Jhumpa Lahiri on Missing Rome
• Official website for Rome tourism
• Wanted in Rome – Italy’s news in English
• Museums in Rome
• Best current exhibitions in Rome
• Public Transportation in Rome
• Roma Pass – Highly recommended if you have not booked any guided visits.
• Romeing Magazine – Your Ultimate Guide to Rome