🏛️ Rome
"Two thousand years of chaos. Worth every second."
Rome is a city that has been consuming tourists for millennia and has developed sophisticated systems for extracting money from people who don't know what they're doing. Here's how to not be those people.
Where to stay
Trastevere, Pigneto, Testaccio, Prati
Near the Vatican, near the Colosseum
What to eat
Pizza al taglio
By the slice, by weight. Eaten standing. €3–5 for lunch.
Cacio e pepe
Pecorino cheese and black pepper pasta. Deceptively simple, often ruined by tourists.
Supplì
Fried rice balls with tomato and mozzarella. Street food. Non-negotiable.
Testaccio market
Offal sandwiches and local produce. This is where Romans actually shop.
What to actually do
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Book the Colosseum online — 2-3 days minimum. The queue without a reservation is 2+ hours.
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Go to the Aventine Hill at sunset. Orange garden, keyhole view of St. Peter's dome. Free.
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Walk across the Ponte Sisto into Trastevere at aperitivo time (7pm).
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Day trip to Ostia Antica — better preserved than Pompeii, 30 minutes by train, no crowds.
What to skip
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Restaurants near any major landmark. Walk 10 minutes in any direction.
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The Spanish Steps (there's nothing to do there except sit on steps).
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Hop-on hop-off buses.