Last Wednesday, my parents returned to the Netherlands after we had spent a wonderful holiday together in Rome and Frascati, a small town in the hills south of Rome. Although it was only the last week of May, the temperatures were already unusually high. Up to 35 degrees, which made it a real high-summer holiday. During these days, I experienced the city through their eyes. I noticed what they noticed, and I saw things that I myself don’t seem to be paying attention to anymore. Things that I consider normal, while tourists often do not. This inspired me to write this blog with ten somewhat unconventional recommendations for your (summer) trip to Rome. Things that no travel blogger ever tells you, but you would actually love to know. Recommendations that only a local can give you and will make your stay a lot easier and more relaxed.
Things that no travel blogger ever tells you, but you would actually love to know
And while some recommendations apply all year round, others are more focused on the summer season, which already starts in May nowadays. So here they are:
- Do less instead of more. While many travel bloggers will tell you how to see as much of Rome as possible in as short a time as possible, that is exactly what I would not recommend you to do. The truth is that there is so much to see in Rome that a whole month would not even be enough. Make a selection of the highlights you really want to see and take your time. Let go of the idea that you have missed something if you have not seen the Colosseum or the Vatican from the inside.
- Go to ugly restaurants. Although those red and white chequered tablecloths may look very authentic, the Italians know better. These tablecloths have become the symbol for ‘tourist restaurant’. Many of the best restaurants are not in the centre or Trastevere at all, and this especially applies to good pizzerias. I took my parents to La Gatta Magiona in Monteverde for one of the very best pizzas in town. With a tiled floor, bright lights and artworks of cats all over the place it may not score well on Instagram, but you will eat a divine pizza at a fair price in a place full of locals.
- Are you going to pay the restaurant bill by card and thought about raising the amount for it to be a tip? Don’t do it. This will only give the Italians a headache, because they will have to print out a new bill and therefore have to declare the higher amount to the tax authorities after all. Tipping in Italy is not necessarily a custom (after all, you already pay the coperto varying from 1 to 3 euro per person). If you do want to tip – which is undoubtedly very much appreciated – make sure that you have some cash.
- Don’t stay in Rome, but in Frascati instead. Wait what? A trip to Rome, without staying in Rome? Yes! It really isn’t that strange as it sounds. Frascati is a beautiful town with a great history (from the Romans to rich Popes to Napoleon Bonaparte’s sister who all lived there) and a perfect base. The train station is in the heart of the town with a number of hotels practically next door. A train ticket costs € 2.20 and within 25 minutes you’re at Termini, Rome’s main train station. This is a faster and more reliable connection than if you were to stay in Rome itself in a district slightly outside the centre. Moreover, you can choose to stay in Frascati in the evening, where there are lots of nice restaurants. Also, within five minutes you are in the middle of the vineyards with breath taking views and a serenity that you cannot easily find in Rome. The connection to both airports is very good too.
- Dine inside instead of outside. In summer?! Yes, especially in summer. Often, it’s much more comfortable, cosy and authentic. There is a reason why Italians often sit inside. With my parents, three out of four evenings in Rome we had dinner inside. One night, we joked with the waiters who were watching the exciting football match in the kitchen and another night we enjoyed great live music. Outside, you are often seated next to a busy road with many cars or in crowded streets where the passing people almost run over your table. However, if you follow my recommendation to stay in Frascati instead of Rome, I would recommend you to eat outside. There are restaurants with beautiful views over the green valley, and the most idyllic little squares.
- Check out the local news on the English language news site: www.wantedinrome.com. The truth is, there’s always something going on in Rome and every now and then, that involves closing of half the city centre. Football matches, celebrations of winning teams (this has happened twice already in the past year), the marathon, the free Labour Day concert on the first of May, celebrations on the 25th of April (Liberation Day), the 2nd of June (Republic Day), and I can still go on. There are also regular strikes of the public transport and works on the metro, which for months on end stopped running at nine o’clock in the evening instead of at midnight. As I said, there is always something going on.
- Do not use Google Maps or other public transport apps to plan your movements around the city too precisely. In Rome, the buses, trams and metros have no defined schedule. Google Maps may tell you that your bus will arrive in five minutes, but very often nothing will show up for another half hour. This can be very frustrating, so my advice is not to plan your journeys too tightly. Take your time. On a sidenote, every Roman swears by a different public transport app, but none of them seems to be able to really cope with the chaotic Roman traffic in which buses get hopelessly stuck.
- Look after your own trash. There are many stories going around about (southern) Italian cities and their problem with the trash. When arriving in Rome, many tourists see this story confirmed when they notice the many large bins on the street. However, something the average tourist does not know is that even before realising it, they themselves have become part of the problem. Waste separation is a big thing in Rome, so if you’re staying at an Airbnb, separate your waste and take it to the right bin. Most Romans are very much into this. Separate organic waste bins were already provided to every single house by the municipality years before many other European countries did.
- Do not buy water in plastic bottles on your strolls around the Eternal City. Bring your own water bottle or buy one if you don’t own one yet. They are available all over Rome, cost less than a tenner and it’s a great souvenir to take home. Fill your bottle all day with free, fresh water at the hundreds of fountains in the city. This way, you help reduce the litter of disposable plastic drastically.
- Embrace the city as it is and accept that Rome can also be ugly and far from perfect. On social media, it’s almost only photos of the ultimate dolce vita feeling which are shared, and that’s fine. However, it says a lot that the Italians usually do not understand that I, as a Dutch person, have chosen to leave what they consider to be a perfect functioning country as the Netherlands behind to go and live in Rome. The Romans know perfectly well what are the shortcomings of their city, and they do not mince their words when telling you about it.
That’s it! Ten recommendations from a local for your next summer trip to Rome that no one has ever told you before. Use them to your advantage, and don’t forget to relax and enjoy.
Great tips, Anne! Especially about Frascati. I’m going to look up that town. 🙂