A Smarter Roman Holiday: Five Ways To Beat the Crowds
Already full-to-bursting during summer, Rome is expected to see record tourist numbers this year thanks to the Catholic ‘Jubilee’ celebrations. The swell of visitors is likely to make the Eternal City’s blockbuster sites (the Vatican, Colosseum and Roman Forum) somewhere between irritatingly busy and utterly unbearable.
It would be easy to write off a trip to Rome this year as more hassle than it’s worth but that would be a mistake. After seventeen years of regular visits, I’ve found asking locals (barmen, waitresses, taxi drivers) “Where do you go for carbornara/gelato/an evening passiegata…?” a fast-track route to unlock the city’s secrets. The answers are universally historic, beautiful or delicious, depending on the question!
Here are my five tips to have a smarter Roman holiday without losing the will to live in the Vatican queue.
Go Deeper with Your History
Rome’s story goes significantly beyond gladiators and popes, yet 90% of tourists gravitate towards the blockbuster sites of the Colosseum and Vatican museums.
For something quieter but no less jaw-dropping, head to the superb National Roman Museum (Museo Nazionale Romano), (open Tue-Sun 10:30am-7:45pm, €12), close to Termini station. Highlights include the famous Discus Thrower and Boxer At Rest statues and the vibrant frescoes from the Villa of Livia. The interior is cool and spacious and full-to-bursting with historic artefacts and intricate mosaics.
If you prefer your history a little darker, the Capuchin Crypt (Museo e Cripta dei Cappucini), (open 9am-6:30pm, €10) will stun you into silence. Decorated with the bones of over 4,000 friars, the crypt is a memento mori (‘reminder of death’) on steroids. Each room is meticulously arranged with chandeliers, arches, and even an hourglass made entirely of human vertebrae. Imagine Changing Rooms with an RIP theme.
Take to the Water
Just 40 minutes from central Rome, Lago Albano offers a calm, cool contrast to the heat and noise of the city. This volcanic lake, known locally as “the Pope’s Lake” due to the summer residence in nearby Castel Gandolfo, is a local favourite for swimming, kayaking or just flopping under a parasol.
We opted for a two-hour kayaking tour via Viator (€45) – open from April to October, which included a guide, water and the obligatory slice of pizza when we stopped. The views of the Alban Hills from the water are a delight and the whole experience feels a world away from the crowds. To get there, take Metro Line A to Anagnina (€2.10), then a 10-minute taxi to the lake.
Flex Your Meal Times and Locations
Obvious truth: it’s hard to eat badly in Rome. But you’ll have a much easier time of it if you’re flexible with when and where.
A number of Rome’s classics, like Roscioli (Via dei Giubbonari, 21) – a regular entrant in the ‘Best Carbonara in Rome’ debate – do not take bookings for small groups. Experience has taught me that arriving before 7pm on a busy evening gives you a great chance of grabbing a table immediately. Turn up an hour later and you’ll need a couple of Aperols to fill the wait. Worse things have happened.
For location, avoid places in direct view of the big sights (especially the Trevi Fountain), anywhere with menus in either six languages or offering faded pictures of the dishes. Walk five minutes in any direction and tune in for Italian being spoken – you’ll rarely go wrong. Better still, head to Testaccio, a neighbourhood known for its seasonal menus. The food’s superb, you’ll avoid the laminated tourist menus entirely and you’ll be dining with locals who have very high standards for their dinner.
Beat The Heat and Dodge the Lines
At 8am, Rome is a delight – cool, quiet and delightfully strollable. You can get a seat at any café for breakfast and even snap a photo at the Trevi Fountain without being photobombed by a thousand elbows.
If it’s your first visit and you must see the Vatican Museums (opens 8am Mon–Sat, 9am Sun) or Colosseum (opens 8:30am), book ahead and aim for the earliest time slot available. You’ll dodge the worst of the queues and the rising heat. By 2pm, both locations resemble Dante’s Seventh Circle of Hell. That’s a good moment for a gelato or a nap. If you opt for the former, head to Gelateria La Romana, near Piazza Navona. Order the pistachio, it’s life-affirming!
If you’re happy to admire from the outside, visit in the evening. St Peter’s Square empties out at sunset, and the walk from the Forum to the Colosseum after dark is a moment worth savouring. The crowds are less manic, the air is cooler, and the street musicians make you feel like you’ve wandered into the final scene of an Audrey Hepburn film. Yes, the gelato here will cost a small fortune but you’ll still be smiling.
Get Out of Town
If you have multiple days in Rome, take some time to explore the wider region. The train system is fast and reliable – use the Trenitalia app (available in English) for easy booking and up-to-date times.
The hilltop Umbrian city of Orvieto is my favourite excursion. The cathedral rivals anything in Florence for opulence and its compact size makes it ideal for a day-trip. Everything is walkable, from the quiet, cobbled lanes to underground tunnels carved by the Etruscans. The local white wine, Orvieto Classico, is crisp, dry, and very easy to drink when sitting in a sun-drenched piazza with a plate of wild boar ragu.
The town is just over an hour from Rome, with the hilltop sites directly connected by funicular from the station.
Other popular day-trips include Tivoli (40 minutes by train) for Hadrian’s Villa’s ancient grandeur, and Villa d’Este for its sublime Renaissance fountains and Ostia Antica (80 minutes by train and bus), Rome’s ancient port city, frozen in time. Think Pompeii without the crowd control.
Rome is a city which rewards curiosity and timing in equal measure. Dodge the peak-time chaos, eat like a local and trade queues for quiet piazzas and out-of-town wonders and you’ll love it even more. You’ll get the history, the beauty and the carbs but without the meltdown.
Buon viaggio!
Words By Phil Thomas, Travel Blogger Someone Else’s Country (Instagram @exploresomeoneelsescountry)
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