Colosseum and Roman Forum are two essential places to visit during your first trip to Rome. However, as every tourist has the same idea, you will probably find an almost infinite queue at the entrance! To avoid wasting too much of your precious time, you can buy your ticket online on the attraction’s official website. This way, you can directly head to the entrance gate and skip the main line. If you haven’t booked your ticket in advance, don’t worry: have a look at the other ticket offices situated on the sides. In Largo della Salara Vecchia 5/6 (close to via dei Fori Imperiali), via dei Verbiti (close to the Colosseum) and via San Gregorio there are some “hidden” ticket offices with significantly shorter lines than the ones you can find in front of the Colosseum’s main entrance. Each ticket is valid for a single access to the Colosseum and another single access to the Roman Forum.

Another very long queue you will probably have to face is the one you’ll see at the entrance of the Vatican Museums. That’s the price to pay to be able to admire the famous Sistine Chapel, destination of real “pilgrimages” from art lovers worldwide. But don’t worry: you can still buy your ticket online on their official website to skip the line

A visit to the Baths of Caracalla should not be missed! These ancient baths are a rare example of imperial building showing the everyday life and habits of ancient Romans. At that time, public baths were popular spots where people could come together, do sporting activities, have long walks, study and spend their leisure time. Don’t miss the visit with a 3d viewer, for a real journey back in time!

One of the most picturesque but less known areas of the city is called Quartiere Coppedè. This district is located close to Buenos Aires square and it derives its name from the architect that designed all its Liberty and Art Déco buildings. He also added gothic and baroque decorations that give these streets their peculiar atmosphere. If you love art and architecture, don’t miss this area of the city to admire the buildings, the Frogs’ Fountain and the Fairies’ Cottage with its unusual and charming combination of materials and styles.

If you are fond of ancient history and archeology, visit the catacombs of Saint Callisto, that is the first burial site of the first Christians in city of Rome. Here you will find yourselves in a spiritual and sacred atmosphere, walking past 4 levels of catacombs. This visit is not suitable for people suffering from claustrophobia, due to narrow spaces and deep underground corridors.

Via Piccolomini offers a beautiful view of Saint Peter’s dome. From here you can take amazing pictures also because the dome appears bigger from a distance, thanks to a particular optical effect

If you get thirsty during your walks in Rome, don’t buy expensive bottled water in a bar, but search for a public fountain called “nasone” instead. Drinking water is fresh and free and you can find it at almost 300 nasoni scattered throughout the city.

If you plan to visit several monuments in a short time, Roma Pass might be the thing for you! It is a prepaid card including entry tickets for various attractions and access to the local public transports at a very discounted price. This way you will also be able to skip the lines and save both time and money. It is the perfect solution for short stays (72 or 48 hours). For more information visit romapass.it.

If you want to experience Rome’s nightlife, the right place is Trastevere: it is a picturesque district loved by every tourist thanks to its many restaurants and bars situated in fascinating corners. Young people will also love Campo de’ Fiori district and San Lorenzo (university area).

Rome has a long gastronomic tradition and one of its most representative local dishes is pasta cacio e pepe. It is a peasant dish, made with just pasta, pecorino cheese and black pepper. You can find different variations of this recipe, which is included in the menu of every local “trattoria” (simple restaurant), especially in Testaccio district.

To taste the authentic local atmosphere of a place, markets are always a good choice! If you are in Rome, take a walk around Testaccio market, in Beniamino Franklin street. Here you will also find typical street food (pizza, focaccia, taralli, fried artichokes, cannoli and sfogliatelle).

But if you prefer an atmosphere of luxury, have a walk in via Condotti instead! It is one of the most central and famous streets of Rome and it connects via del Corso to Piazza di Spagna. It has shops and boutiques selling the most renowned brands (Dior, Gucci, Armani and so on)

To walk around the city, choose comfortable shoes, both day and night! It is essential to approach the particular surface of the city center streets, which are paved with the “sampietrini” (small flint tiles typical of several ancient Italian streets). These streets are beautiful to see, but they are often neglected and full of potholes that make it difficult to walk on heels or to run through by bike.

If you want to call a taxi, you can download Mytaxi app (download: Apple App Store or Google Play Store ), to directly pay by credit card and enjoy a fast ride. It is a cheaper alternative to Uber, especially made for licensed taxi drivers.

A relatively cheap way of moving around Rome is using public Atac buses. There are urban and suburban buses that serve all major tourist attractions. Due to the high volume of traffic and to various delays, it is difficult to predict the exact passing times, but you can check the real-time travel of your chosen bus on atac.roma.it.

An ecological and cheap way of visiting Rome consists of renting a bike: it costs 4 euros per hour and you can find many rental points scattered throughout the city.

Rome’s main train station is Stazione Termini: from here you can go everywhere in Italy! Beware of its surroundings, which have a really bad reputation and can get dangerous at night. For this reason, it is best to avoid this area after 9 p.m.