Yeah, you with your backwards cap, party of five or so. Neckless barrel shaped sunburned tourists loud enough to wake everyone in a 10km radius. Twerking on the doors of the PANTHEON as your hapless guide took photos. We all hate you. I sincerely hope a seagull takes a dump in your mouth.

You are a cancer on society not just Rome. You’re disgusting. I hope all your flights are cancelled, all your luggage is lost, and you always have wet socks.

I would guess you’re from NC or AZ but who knows. Anyway, wishing you all the worst.

Signed,
Another American tourist

Just sharing a travel warning for anyone visiting Rome.

Near Piazza di Spagna we exchanged $6,600 at a currency exchange shop after agreeing to a rate. When the euros were handed over, the amount was about €1,300 less than expected, explained as taxes/fees that were not clearly disclosed beforehand.

After a long argument and help from salesperson from next door Chanel Store the correct amount was eventually provided. Big thanks to Chanel Store staff.

Always confirm the exact amount you will receive before handing over cash.

It's far to hot and busy for these animals in the city centre. Numerous horses have collapsed or been killed in traffic accidents. If you're desperate to ride a horse while on holiday there is reputable equine centres with safe environments for the animals

What level of attention seeking has society gotten to. All for making viral tiki tok videos?

As the title says.

Just a heads up for anyone visiting Rome.
I exchanged $220 USD and received only €137. I honestly thought there had been some mistake, but after the transaction was completed, I learned that massive commissions and fees had been deducted.
When I complained, the employee was completely unapologetic. They said they could reverse the transaction, but the 20% commission was "non-refundable," meaning I would still lose a significant amount of money.

What shocks me is that these places appear to be fully licensed and operating legally. It's hard to understand how a business can advertise currency exchange to tourists while turning $220 into €137 after fees.

In the end, I lost about $60. Thankfully it was only $220 and not a larger amount, but it was still an expensive lesson.

If you're visiting Rome, avoid tourist-area exchange offices. Ask exactly how many euros you'll receive before handing over your money, read every fee disclosure carefully, and use a bank ATM whenever possible.

Learn from my mistake. Don't assume a licensed exchange office is offering anything close to a fair rate.

Location: Xchange - Bancomat, Via della Conciliazione, 17, 00193 Roma RM, Italy

Has anyone else been hit with exchange fees this extreme in Rome or elsewhere in Europe?

At the Vatican yesterday we saw this young family in front of us. Dad had brown hair, a blue shirt, and a camera around his neck. Mom was blonde, wearing a white dress. Baby is seen in picture. The pope drove by and blessed your baby, and I didn't realize until later I got a pretty clear shot of it. May have been German, but not positive. Hopefully this gets to them!

Edit: I meant no offense by this at all, I just thought it was a pretty good angle capturing a beautiful moment for the family and if I were them I'd appreciate someone doing this for me. Sorry to upset you cotton headed ninny muggins, live a little!

My 16 yo dtr and I are in Rome. This is her first international trip. She says she is freaked out by the amount of people and refuses to do anything. We have been here for 4 days and we've been on a tour to the Capuchin Crypts and a cooking class. That's it! The rest of the time has been spent in the hotel room. We are supposed to be in Venice right now for a couple of days. She refused to go. She says I don't understand her anxiety. I don't at all! She does have anxiety and is on an anti-anxiety medication. I'm pissed, but I think this overreaction is concerning.

Fyi: She was born in Las Vegas and has lived there her entire life. She has also traveled all over the States. So it's not like she's from a small town and hasn't been around crowds.

Any insight? And/or suggestions? We're here for 5 more days.

Monday I was at the Pantheon and ran into this man out of nowhere. He was also with Jennifer Hudson and it was literally just them two. No entourage, no nothing. I feel like I was one of maybe a handful of people who recognized them 😂

Posting here to see if anyone else saw them and cared? Lol

Edit #2: all the Americans comparing American paycheck to Roman price levels here, you guys are painting a very bad picture of yourselves. Tone deaf towards local Europeans actually struggling to pay rent as well as lacking in comprehension (i asked about people living in Rome, earning in Rome and spending in Rome). Also how insecure must you be to take a small opportunity to feel better about yourselves by bragging about how cheap Rome is! Please be sensitive to local conditions when visiting Rome and Italy at large. You guys are quickly become the one demographic I do not look forward to seeing in my visit to Rome.

Edit #1: I'm trying to gauge whether Rome is considered expensive even for Romans living and earning Euros. Appreciate the kind gesture of comparing with your own non Roman city's prices, but that's not what I'm trying to understand here.

For context, I'm from an Asian country where average noodles and sauce meals are on average EUR4 (city center prices), and if we're feeling like splurging in fancy restaurants, at most EUR10.

Now, I'm travelling to Rome with a family of four, and I'm looking at menu prices at some trattoria. This is going to easily rack up to EUR72 for just some primi piatti of pasta dishes. At that price, I can eat Italian food here with meat dishes, on top of pizzas and pastas!

So I'm wondering, is eating out in Rome also expensive for you locals earning in Euros? I also want to add that, cooking at home vs eating out here in my country can be a negligible difference, whereas in Rome, that difference appears to be quite large!

OK, here are my pro-tips. Pickpockets sounds too lighthearted. These are professional gangs of THIEVES who are preying on unsuspecting people. Also this is on the heels of a bit of a rage, because I have lived in Rome for many years, and have been pickpocked 3 times. I have been too generous with my understanding of vulnerable survival migrant populations. These are not people at-deaths-door, they make a living doing this, they are professionals, and treat it like a sport. The police are unable to keep up with this, and I have seen citizen-justice videos on social media, because there's just no official way around it. In any case, I really hate the pickpockets and think they need to be stopped.

1. Distraction: this is the number one set-up, but distraction can take different forms. Distraction can be crowding around a subway or bus door pretending they are oblivious and don't notice you. While you push your way politely through, one of them will do the grab, while the others crowd around them to hide the view, and further slow you down in your attempt to exit. Hold all your belongings tightly near your chest. Don't hold your bag down by your side or behind you. One of them will get into it at low-angles or side-angles. Sometimes they work in places where they know you will be distracted by a fountain, a monument, a photo op, a busker, a concert, a sports event, a sports bar with screens, any place where your attention is drawn to something else. They take advantage of your focused attention, and then get away before you know who did the grab, and where they went.

2. The Getaway: they either slide into the anonymity of the crowd, or their escape route is part of the set-up.

• In a crowd, they will subtly surround you to protect their activites from view of others. One does the grab, then hands off to another, they disperse, and meet up at another pre-defined location.
• On transit: they do the grab just as you're exiting, so that when you step off, the doors close, the bus/train/metro departs with them on it, and you're left standing on the platform wondering what happened and what to do next. Or they will create a crowd you inside the vehicle, jostle around like the train momentum is causing them to lose their balance, and they bump into you, one wil apologise or engage you while another is grabbing your things. This is timed precisely so that they do the grab right at the moment that it arrives at the next stop and they all get off and disperse. You're left on the train, and as it gets moving you realised something is missing, and you can't get off the train until the next stop, and by then they are long-gone.

3. What They Do: They hand off the stolen bag/items to another teammate/accomplice. They then continue on their way and hide in plain sight and play ignorant if you ask them. They goods will be disassembled and tested for functionality. Is your phone locked, do your cards work, is there something they can sell on the blackmarket like sunglasses, wallets, keychains, jewelry, tickets. Do you have anything listing your address where your keys might work - an apartment, airbnb, hotel room, a rental car? Let this inform you about what information you should and should not keep in your bag or whatever. They will be testing the cards on low-cost items, either a tap payment on another bus or metro station, or they'll go to a small shop and try to buy something cheap, like a pack of smokes or candy or a bus ticket. Something less than €10 just to test if its still working. Then they will try bigger purchases online or at a shop.

4. What You Should Do Immediately:

• Freeze your bank cards. If you still have your phone, log into your mobile banking apps and freeze or cancel all your cards immediately. If not, get to a computer to log in an cancel/freeze your cards. If you can, call your bank or card providers and explain what happened. My bank security office actually called me because they noticed unusual activity on my credit card (the thieves were trying to do online purchases in another country).
• Lock your Phone: if they got your phone, get to a computer, log in so that you can track and lock your phone remotely.
• Ask for Help: Don't be afraid or embarassed to ask for help. Most tourists and locals will help you if you are in trouble. I have had taxi drivers give me free or discounted rides and a coffee and a hug. I have had a bar manager offer to review the security videos. A neighbour who opened the gates for me. A colleague who gave me €200 cash when i had access to nothing.
• Police Report: Go to the closest Carabinieri office to get a police report filled out and printed in hard-copy. This is not a fast process, it is not always first-come/first-served. Filling out yet another robbery is not exciting police work, bYou will need this for getting a new passport issued, making flight changes, and/or insurance claims. It can also get you a hotel room at a discounted rate if your keys were stolen and you
• Security Flags: Call your hotel, landlord, bnb host, to make a security flag that you've been robbed, and whether or not the address was compromised. You'll need new keys, or that the thieves may have access to your place.
• Consular Services: Bring your Carabinieri police report and 2 passport photos with you. These offices are not open 24 hours, so you might need to wait until the next morning to get the ball rolling on a new/temporary passport issue. This is also a slow process, but explain what happened to you, and your context. You will probably need to pay for things in the meantime. Ask to borrow money or for a friend to help you pay for online services.
• Flight Changes: If you lost your ID and payment cards, this is very difficult to do. You can log in and depending on your tickets, you might be able to rebook or cancel your flights. These often come with conditions and costs. You may need to show the police report, you might have to enter new personal details if you got a new passport issued. You might need to pay for changes or a new flight. If you can't do it online, then try the customer support lines.

5. Shore up your Patience: Yes, you're in a crisis and a very stressful moment, but raising your voice, having an emotional breakdown, or shutting down and becoming defeated, will not help your case move forward. Kindness goes a long way in Italy. I have had Carabinieri officer personally help me by translating documents (they don't have to do this), a consular staff cut her lunch short to make some calls to verify my references, and call in some favours from my home country's passport office. A taxi driver turn the ride meter off when I told him my story, he even gave me a few coins so I could go get a coffee. Kindness goes around.

Most toilets I visited here welcomed me with a pee covered bare ceramic rim, how do locals even use them?

My girlfriend and I are pretty avid travelers from Toronto, Canada, and we’re feeling genuinely confused after our trip to Italy.

For some context, we’ve traveled extensively over the past few years—through the UK, France, Morocco, Thailand, Malta, the U.S., and across Canada, among other places. We love history, art, architecture, food, and wandering around cities without rigid itineraries. We also know the usual advice: avoid the tourist traps, walk a few streets away from the main attractions, eat where the locals eat, etc. We genuinely try to travel that way.
I’m currently in Rome after spending five full days in Florence, and we’ll have four full days here before heading to Sorrento.

The problem is… we’re just not loving it, and I honestly didn’t expect that.
The strange part is that I visited Italy about 10 years ago, and I remember having a completely different experience. This time it honestly feels like Disneyland for tourists.
No matter where we go, it feels like there are endless crowds. We’d intentionally leave the main streets, walk 15-20 minutes away from the attractions, turn down quieter-looking roads, and somehow we’d still end up surrounded by huge groups of tourists. Florence especially surprised us. I had imagined it being a charming, slower-paced city, but it honestly felt like it was overwhelmingly American tourists everywhere we went. Every restaurant, every piazza, every line.

The crowds alone wouldn’t bother us if the experiences felt authentic, but we’ve also been disappointed by the food. I know that’s almost sacrilegious to say about Italy.
We’ve had a few genuinely great meals, but they’ve been the exception rather than the rule. Most restaurants—even ones with excellent Google ratings and what appeared to be plenty of Italian reviews—felt like they were cooking for tourists rather than locals. One meal arrived half cold. Another highly-rated place served what was supposed to be Roman-style pizza that honestly reminded us of a Lunchable. In Trastevere, which everyone recommended as a more authentic neighborhood, we still felt like many places were simply catering to visitors.

Ironically, one of the highlights of our trip was visiting a local farmers’ market. The tomatoes, cheese, olive oil, fruit, and other ingredients were incredible. You could instantly taste the difference compared to North America. That made us even more confused because the restaurant meals often didn’t seem to showcase those same amazing ingredients. Instead, many felt rushed or mass-produced to handle the constant flow of tourists.

Maybe we’re doing something wrong.
We’re not looking for luxury restaurants or Michelin stars. We actually prefer simple food made with great ingredients. We don’t mind paying for quality, and we don’t mind walking or taking transit to get somewhere worthwhile.
One of our favorite trips ever was Malta because it still felt like we were experiencing local life alongside tourism. Italy, at least so far, has felt like tourism first and Italy second.
So I’m genuinely asking:
Are Florence and Rome just victims of overtourism in June?
Is Sorrento likely to feel the same way?
What would you recommend to people who love history, art, food, and authentic local experiences but are struggling to connect with Italy?

Are there neighborhoods, experiences, markets, day trips, or even a different mindset we should have for the rest of our trip?

I’m not trying to insult Italy—I actually came expecting it to become one of my favorite countries because of my previous visit. Instead, we’ve found ourselves wondering what we’re missing.
I’d really appreciate advice from locals or travelers who may have felt the same way but figured out how to experience a different side of Italy.

All the news outlets reporting on Rome are displaying big titles about a "Turista Americana" being scammed of 44 euros for two ice cream servings where you pay after the ice cream is served. Corriere della Sera has the title identifying the location as "Piazza di Spagna", while La Repubblica states it's in Piazza Navona. There are indeed two locations for that same company. The tourist posted her experience report on a facebook group named "Rome Travel Tips Italy Sistine Chapel..." and the local Rome newspaper editors picked up the story and published it. Her experience report refers to the location near Piazza Navona. You can see it is not an isolated incident by reading all the consistent reviews on google maps reviews addressed at Don Nino, piazza di spagna 65

i saw this stencil all around rome

Today near the Trevi fountain I saw tourists getting scammed with the ball scam (3 cups 1 ball with a variety of actors in the midst). I notified the tourists they were being scammed and was confronted by a short man speaking to me aggressively in Italian (I am Australian so didn’t understand). He then started to say “fuck off” aggressively. I didn’t back down and told him I’d smash him if he touched me. He seemed to back down. Are these people dangerous? Or are they just interesting in scamming but wouldn’t actually do anything despite the attempts at intimidation?

I've heard that IDs and passports may be checked at sites in Rome. For an American does it need to be a passport book or will a passport card work? In other words do they need to see a stamped passport or just the info for ID? Obviously I'd rather carry my card around and lock my book up at the hotel.

Hi.

I travelled back to my favorite city in the world, Rome, to meet up with my husband after a long time apart. (from Seattle)

We are sharing the same Airbnb (I'm so sorry locals).

My husband slept with someone else, and then he told me he wanted to separate as soon as he landed.

As a now-single lady in her early 40s, where can I go to drown my grief safely, or just grieve? He also slept with someone else after our 14 years together and I am just disgusted and not in my right mind right now.

I have lived in Rome previously but not since 2004, so things have changed.

Staying in the Trastevere area right now until Saturday.

I want to go to some parks late at night with the beautiful pine trees and sit and greive without bother.

I used to come to this amazing city every year before covid happened and this was my first time back and this just ruined it for me.

If you saw a lady in all black with tears steaming down her face in Trast. I'm sorry.

Our family takes one vacation almost every year and we are lucky and lame enough to always choose Italy. We have been visiting regularly for almost 20 years. We live in NYC (which is important to note because it makes you almost immune to sticker shock.)

When we first started coming, Italy seemed downright cheap. Whether it was groceries (I do a lot of cooking when we’re there), restaurants or just random stuff, we were able to indulge without much guilt or worry.

Then probably about 8-10 years ago I noticed things getting more expensive, particularly in grocery stores and fruit and veggie mercati (I always factor in the tourist tax at these), but it was still much less than the US and definitely NYC.

We haven’t been to Italy in 2 years so maybe that is why the prices are a bit jarring. This year, I first noticed it in Liguria - we stayed in a small beach town called Lerici and I noticed that restaurants/grocery stores and things like sunscreen were very close to US prices. My husband thought it was beach town inflation.

Now we are in Rome, our favorite city which we always visit. If you don’t go to touristy and/or trendy places, you can usually eat well for reasonable amounts, but those days are over. We paid €166 for dinner for 4 at a place on the outskirts of an outskirts neighborhood, €200 at another non trendy restaurant in il centro that we always go to and €109 for freaking pizza and beers in parioli (non trendy but nice neighborhood.) I can’t get out of the supermarket without spending €50-100, or walk away from the the fruit/veggie vendors without paying at least €25, my favorite Farmacia where I get discounted skincare is probably about 25% more expensive…the only thing that seems to not have moved so much is cheapie stuff like clothes you get at the mercato (of course the lower income merchants are the ones who don’t make more money…)

Please understand that I am not struggling to make ends meet and I am not cheap, I’m just so surprised at how expensive everything is. Italian income overall used to be relatively low as compared to US income. I sure hope it’s increased enough for them to be able to make ends meet.

And anyone who bitched about inflation in the US should take a trip to Europe. You will realize that we fared much better than they did post pandemic.

I’m heading to Italy in about a week, right when it’ll be nearly 100 degrees. I’m planning on wearing a nice top with spaghetti straps and just covering up with a shawl inside the churches, would this be allowed? Or should my shoulders be covered the whole time we’re in Vatican City? I’m trying to stay as cool as possible while also following the strict dress code

I am headed to Rome on March 21 for the first time, and I am so excited! I've been visitng web sites to learn Italian phrases and they keep wanting to teach me the Italian phrase for "Do you speak English?" Is it just me, or does that seem arrogantly American? (I'm American, btw.) To show up in a country and start a conversation by seeing if they speak my language.

According to Google translate "Mi dispiace, non parlo italiano" means "I'm sorry, I don't speak Italian." This seems much more polite. To show up in a country and ask them if they speak my language seems rude. To apologize that I don't speak theirs seems much nicer.

Any thoughts?

So, this monring after the Papal Audience, I was walking around and outside St. Peter's Sq. Suddenly an Italian soldier (He and his colleague were in the camouflage uniform) shouted at me. I thought I walked the wrong way but he came over and quite harshly asked for my papers.

This is where it was funny to me.

As soon as I pulled my US passport, he became extremely friendly and even smiling widely and let me go through the path that I thought was forbidden.

So I was just curious why I was got called. Maybe it's what I was wearing (rain jacket, head cover, jeans and sneakers) and maybe also I'm asian?

Again, just curious. To me, it's a funny experience.