Travel Mistakes to Avoid in Rome

Rome is, by far, one of the most beautiful places I have traveled to. So far, it outweighs the romance of Paris, the paradise in the Caribbean, and the coziness of the UK. Rome has so much history, luxury, love, and warmth packed into a single city. Though now I am a seasoned traveler to the eternal city, my first trip had quite a few ups and downs. Despite a nearly perfectly planned trip, I found myself often overcharged, scammed, and nearly kidnapped! To ensure your trip to Rome goes smoothly and danger-free, let’s go over the travel mistakes to avoid in Rome!

Getting Into Unmarked Taxis

This is one of the biggest and scariest travel mistakes to avoid in Rome. Getting into unmarked taxis. This is the worst of all travel mistakes, even worse than getting scammed. What is worse is that I am guilty of making this mistake.

To paint the picture, my family and I just stepped out of the airport in Rome. We follow the signs to the pickup section. Once we get outside we see a line of taxis and groups of people standing outside. Very quickly, a tall man hustles up to us and asks how many? Confused by all the hustle and bustle we answer that there are four of us. He grabs one of our bags and says, “Follow me.” So, we follow. Obviously, he is taking us to one of the taxis lined up, right? So excitedly we walk down the row when suddenly, we pass the last taxi. 

He keeps walking across the street, way ahead of us, with one of our bags in his hand, and waves for us to continue. Eventually, we find ourselves in a dark and shady parking lot of the airport with no one around. Terrified for our lives and confused, we simply laugh nervously and continue to follow until we reach his Sprinter van. Luckily, he did take us to our hotel, but the price was a lot more than the price of taxis throughout the trip. 

Don’t do this, don’t let anyone take your bag and guide you anywhere, though we were lucky to only be overcharged, it struck a great amount of fear in us and we really could have been kidnapped following this random man to his van in a dark garage in a foreign country. Taxi drivers will not walk up to you looking for business. Only use taxis with a green light above the car or call an Uber. 

Ignoring Dress Code

The next travel mistake you want to avoid in Rome is ignoring the dress code. Rome is not like most urban cities in America. Nor is it like the place you are from. If you are traveling in the summer, you may think it is fine to wear your shortest shorts and no strap shirt but think again. Though it may be hot, it is customary to be modest in Rome. 

Most specifically, you must dress modestly in the Vatican City. What you may get away with in Rome, you’ll get side-eyed and alerted for in the Vatican City. Don’t wear tight and short shorts. Refrain from wearing tight revealing T-shirts. If you packed a spaghetti strap top, simply wear a shawl over it. Be sure to read up on the dress code for any stops in your itinerary, such as any churches, museums, or basilicas. 

Not Booking Attractions in Advance

Then your next travel mistake to avoid is Rome is not booking attractions in advance. This is one mistake I also made, specifically in the Vatican City. Picture Rome as a world-famous restaurant. If you don’t have your reservation you will have to wait in hour-long lines or not be able to go at all. You must book in advance for all attractions and museums in Rome, every single one.

As an example, I booked my Colosseum tour online weeks in advance. Once I arrived at the historical monument, all I had to do was wait for the rest of my group and head straight into the tour. It took 10 minutes maximum. However, as I walked in and passed by those waiting in line, all I heard were disappointed comments about how tours were all booked or had a 4-hour wait. That simply is not worth it at all. To waste an entire day in Rome waiting in line when you instead could be inside the Colosseum or eating some delicious pasta is a day horribly spent. 

This is one of the reasons I missed out on climbing the steps to the top of St. Peter’s Basilica. I did not know I had to book in advance for this and as a result, the line was all the way down the entire street of the Vatican. Book in advance, it is a mistake that can really eat into your itinerary of your trip. 

Here are a few of the most popular experiences in Rome you’ll want to book now!

Not Exercising Before Your Trip 

The next of the travel mistakes you want to avoid in Rome is not walking or exercising before your trip. Listen there is a reason Europeans are so healthy, though they eat tons of delicious food. This is because they are walking, walking, walking. Rome is a walkable city. It is something we are not used to in the United States where we have to drive to get anywhere. In Rome, you are expected to be able to walk down long streets, hills, and grounds. On top of this, You are expected to climb long and towering steps, especially if you are visiting the Roman Colosseum.

Though you never see pictures inside and don’t know what to expect, I can tell you now that there are thick, tall stone stairs you have to climb through to get around inside the Colosseum, even our tour guide was huffing and puffing from it. It is even worse if you want to climb the 528 steps up to St. Peter’s dome. If none of this interests you, do still know that you will have to walk and climb a bunch, it is best to prepare yourself for it so your body doesn’t hurt and so you don’t feel embarrassed. For a month before your trip, get the family involved in a daily one-hour walk. That should condition your body just enough to be able to take on Rome.  

Not Being Aware of Scams

Then the last of travel mistakes to avoid in Rome is not being aware of scams. Just like any other crowded tourist location, there is a high chance of falling victim to a crime. Don’t get me wrong, Rome is a generally safe and beautiful place to travel, but as we know from my first tip, you can find yourself in shady, uncomfortable, and expensive situations.

If you are in a crowded tourist area, for example, in front of Trevi Fountain, be aware of scammers and pickpocketers looking to take your money, wallet, or jewelry. Be aware of those offering something, immediately charging you once you take it, and making an uncomfortable scene. Be aware of nonofficial business practices and side-of-the-road pagodas charging you a lot more than what you should be paying for. 

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Looking for more Rome travel tips? Check out the best time to visit Rome!