Rome Holidays

Rome packs more named landmarks into a square mile than anywhere else in Europe, The Colosseum, The Forum, The Trevi fountain. Once the centre of western civilization, it's a city everyone should visit (and when in Rome...)

What to expect from a holiday to Rome (including the Highlights)

• Closer than you think - Flights to Rome Ciampino run two and a half - three hours. Time difference is just one hour ahead. You can wake up in Manchester and be at the Colosseum by lunchtime.

• Walkable history - Rome's centre is genuinely compact. The classic head-spinning sites (Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon, Trevi, Piazza Navona, Spanish Steps) sit inside an area you can cross on foot in 45 minutes.

• Roman cooking, not "Italian" - The four pillars of Roman pasta are carbonara, cacio e pepe, amatriciana and gricia. Try all four. Pizza romana comes thin and crisp. Supplì (fried rice balls with a melted mozzarella centre) cost a couple of euros and are everywhere.

• Neighbourhoods that feel different - Trastevere for cobbled streets and dinner. Monti for vintage shopping and aperitivi. Testaccio for the city's best food market and proper Roman dining. Prati for the Vatican.

• What your money buys - A weekend for two (flights, three-star central hotel, breakfast, daily lunches and dinners, two big paid sights) comes in around £500-£650 / €600-€780 per person in shoulder season. Off-season (November to March, skipping Christmas and Easter) can land under £400 / €480 per person.

Good to Know - Holidays to Rome 2026

• 💷 Money - The euro (€). Cards work almost everywhere; small cash for the morning espresso, the supplì stall, and any market shopping. Tipping is appreciated but not expected.

• 🏨 Tourist tax - Rome charges a per-person, per-night tax on hotel stays: about £3.50/€4.20 a night in a three-star, £6/€7 in a four-star, £9/€11 in a five-star. Capped at 10 consecutive nights. Under-10s exempt. Paid in cash at the hotel.

• 🍝 One pricing rule that catches everyone - Sitting down to eat costs more than standing. A cappuccino at the bar is around £1.50/€1.80; the same cappuccino at a table can be £4/€5. There's no scam, it's the law.

• ⛲ The new Trevi rule - Since February 2026 there's a £1.50/€2 access ticket to enter the Trevi Fountain basin area (09:00 to 22:00, residents free, 400-person cap). The square around the fountain stays free.

• 📚 A fun fact - Roman concrete is self-healing. Modern concrete cracks in decades; the Pantheon's dome is the largest unreinforced concrete dome on Earth and has been standing for nearly 2,000 years. MIT researchers worked out why in 2023: chunks of unmixed lime react with water to seal cracks as they appear. The ancient Romans were wise beyond their time.

What are the best sights to see on your holidays to Rome?

When in Rome… you do everything! This ancient city is basically one giant open-air museum, sprinkled with espresso bars, gelato stands, and gladiator selfies waiting to happen. Whether you’re here to toss a coin in the Trevi or channel your inner Russell Crowe, these sights are a must-see on your city break to Rome.

• The Colosseum – the big one, the icon, the “I came, I saw, I took 300 photos” landmark. Once home to gladiators and emperors, it’s now one of the most jaw-dropping historical sites on the planet. Bonus tip: book a skip-the-line ticket unless you really fancy queuing in the Italian sun.

• The Vatican City – technically its own country, but we’ll let that slide. Home to St Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and enough art to make your camera battery weep. Even if you’re not into art, that ceiling is worth the neck ache.

• Trevi Fountain – grab a gelato, make a wish and toss a coin (right hand over left shoulder, of course). Legend says one coin means a return to Rome, two means love, and three… means you’re moving there. Ciao, bella!

• Pantheon – it’s over 2,000 years old and still standing strong - not bad, right? This temple-turned-church has one of the largest domes in the world and a hole in the roof (on purpose), so if it rains, you’re in for a magical moment.

• Piazza Navona – a lively square filled with street performers, fountains, and that Italian energy that makes you want to linger with a spritz in hand. Perfect for people-watching and soaking up la dolce vita.

🏖️ Where to Stay on your Rome Holidays 2026/2027

💑 For couples

Trastevere is the classic romantic choice, cobbled lanes, ivy-covered facades, dinner spots that spill out under fairy lights. For something grander and more centre-of-everything, the Spanish Steps area puts you a short walk from the Trevi Fountain, designer shopping on Via Condotti, and the rooftop bars overlooking the rooftops.

👨‍👩‍👧 For families

Prati is the family-friendly favourite, a calmer, leafier grid of streets that's still close to the Vatican and a short metro hop from the centre. Vatican area itself works for families who want to walk to St Peter's in pyjamas, and Aurelio gives you bigger rooms for less money with a 10-minute bus ride into town.

👬 For groups

The area around Termini station is where to base a group, best transport links to the airports, cheapest taxi rides at 1am, the most late-night food and bars within stumbling distance, and the broadest range of room types if some of you want a twin and some of you want a king.

💰 For value

Termini and Via Veneto are where the value picks cluster. Termini puts you on top of the airport train and metro lines; Via Veneto gives you a more elegant base for not much more money, with a 20-minute walk down to the Spanish Steps and the Trevi.

💎 For luxury

Villa Borghese is Rome's smartest postcode, five-star hotels with proper gardens, walking distance to the Galleria Borghese and Via Veneto, a quiet end to the day after the centre. Spanish Steps gives you central luxury with shopping on the doorstep.

🗣️ Local Lingo

English gets you through almost any tourist encounter in Rome, but throwing a few Italian words around earns you a smile and sometimes a slightly better seat.

• Ciao, chow, Hi / bye (casual)

• Salve, SAHL-veh, Hello (polite, used Rome-wide where other cities use buongiorno)

• Per favore, pair fah-VOR-eh, Please

• Grazie, GRAH-tsee-eh, Thank you

• Un caffè, oon kah-FEH, An espresso (just "caffè", never "espresso" at the bar)

• Il conto, per favore, eel KON-toh pair fah-VOR-eh, The bill, please

🏨 Rome Hotels 2026/2027

💑 For couples

• Hotel Diana Roof Garden Rome sits six minutes' walk from the Trevi Fountain, with rooftop dining and the Vatican visible on the skyline. Quiet street despite the central location.

• The Building is the Spanish Steps boutique pick: three minutes from the steps themselves, smaller and more design-led than the chain four-stars nearby.

• Trevi Palace Luxury Inn puts you two minutes from the fountain in a small, dark-wood property that stays quiet despite the postcode. Strong reviews on intimacy and service.

👨‍👩‍👧 For families

• Quality Hotel Nova Domus near the Vatican has the outdoor pool families want after a hot sightseeing day, plus family rooms and a 15-minute walk to St Peter's.

• Orange Hotel in Prati has a rooftop pool with Vatican views, cots available on request, and the leafy residential streets that make returning from sightseeing feel like a holiday rather than a slog.

• TH Roma – Carpegna Palace in Aurelio gives families bigger rooms than central Rome offers, with an on-site restaurant for the evenings you can't face heading back out, and a short bus into town for the days you can.

👬 For groups

• Residenza Cellini is five-star comfort right by Termini station. Just eight rooms in the whole property, so a group can effectively take over and have the place to themselves.

• Authentic Sweet Home does apartment-style rooms with kitchens and shared living space, the answer for groups who'd rather share than book three separate doubles.

• Best Western Hotel Piccadilly is the reliable mid-range option near the Colosseum, with rooms that sleep three or four and 12 minutes' walk to the main sights.

💰 For value

• Villa San Lorenzo gives you three-star prices for a four-star location near the Colosseum, with breakfast included.

• Authentic Sweet Home's apartment-style stays in Aurelio start well under city-centre rates and suit travellers who don't mind a 10-minute bus to the Forum.

• TH Roma – Carpegna Palace prices like a central three-star but delivers four-star facilities, with a 10-minute bus into town.

💎 For luxury

• Parco dei Principi Grand Hotel & Spa overlooks the Borghese gardens with a pool, spa and properly-grown trees. A quiet evening after a noisy day in the centre.

• Rome Marriott Grand Hotel Flora sits at the top of Via Veneto with views down to the Spanish Steps. The most-central five-star on this list.

• Radisson Blu Ghr Hotel Rome has the rooftop pool with the biggest skyline view of any Rome five-star, and the largest rooms in town for the price. Worth knowing the Rome North area is a 10-minute taxi from the centre rather than walkable.

👉 See all Rome hotels

🗺️ Rome Holidays 2026/2027 - Travel Guide

👨‍👩‍👧 For families

• Explora Children's Museum in Flaminio is genuinely good for under-10s. Hands-on exhibits over four rooms, advance booking essential because they run timed sessions.

• Borghese Gardens above the Spanish Steps have rowing boats on the lake, a small zoo (Bioparco), and bike hire that takes you through pine-shaded paths away from traffic.

• Colosseum queue-skipping is easy if you book the timed combined ticket online ahead of time. Children under 18 are free but still need a (free) reservation.

• Giolitti near the Pantheon is the gelato benchmark. Three generations old, dozens of flavours, takeaway only at the counter inside (the table service costs more).

• Time Elevator Roma does a 45-minute 5D film through Rome's history that lands well with school-age kids who've already done their Romans topic.

• Vatican Museums can work with kids if you book the first 08:00 slot and head straight to the Sistine Chapel before the school groups arrive. Otherwise, reader be warned, it's often 90 minutes of slow shuffling to get in.

💑 For couples

• Sunset from the Aventine is the most romantic free thing in Rome. The orange garden (Giardino degli Aranci) faces west over the Tiber, and the Aventine Keyhole next door frames St Peter's dome through a literal keyhole.

• Dinner at Roscioli on Via dei Giubbonari 21 is the foodie benchmark. Wine bar, deli and trattoria across three rooms, in the 2026 Michelin Guide, two weeks' notice for a table.

• The walk from Piazza Navona to Trevi via the Pantheon is six minutes if you rush it and an hour if you stop for an Aperol at every piazza. Do it slowly.

• Galleria Borghese holds two hours of the best art per square metre in Europe (Bernini sculptures, Caravaggio paintings), but timed slots sell out two weeks ahead.

• Opera at the Baths of Caracalla runs July and August. The Rome opera company does outdoor productions inside the ancient ruins. Tickets from around €36.

• Lunch in Trastevere on a weekday is the perfect long-afternoon plan. Sundays and weekend evenings are packed.

👬 For groups

• Campo de' Fiori in the late afternoon is where you start. Cheap wine and standing-room aperitivi before dinner.

• Trapizzino does the best Roman street food for groups. Folded pizza pockets stuffed with traditional fillings, takeaway or stand-up only, three to five euros each.

• Testaccio food market (Mon-Sat mornings) is where Romans shop. Buy lunch from a dozen stalls and eat it at the communal tables, a feast for a tenner each.

• Nightlife by neighbourhood: head to Pigneto for grungy bars and live music, Monti for craft cocktails, or stay in Trastevere for the all-rounder option.

• Vespa tours work well if there are four or fewer of you. Half a day, guided rides through neighbourhoods you wouldn't otherwise reach, sunset version is worth the extra.

• Stadio Olimpico for a Roma or Lazio match is the best group night out going. Derby days are intense, regular fixtures are family-friendly. Tickets from €24 through the club websites.

🌍 More Italy

• Italy - from the Amalfi Coast to the lakes, la dolce vita at its finest

• Sardinia - white sand beaches, turquoise water and rugged mountain scenery on Italy's second-largest island

• Sicily - ancient Greek temples, Mount Etna, arancini and some of the best food in the Mediterranean

• Sorrento & Amalfi Coast - lemon groves, clifftop villages, Vesuvius views and ferries to Capri and Pompeii

• Lake Garda - Italy's biggest lake with mountain-backed towns like Sirmione, Gardaland theme park and day trips to Verona

• Lake Como - elegant villas, mountain backdrops and ferry-hopping between Como and Bellagio

• Tuscany - rolling vineyards, medieval hilltop towns, Florence's Renaissance art and the Leaning Tower of Pisa

• Venice - canals, gondolas, St Mark's Square and one of the most unique cities on earth

• Naples - the birthplace of pizza, gateway to Pompeii and Vesuvius, and proper chaotic Italian charm

• Puglia - trulli houses, olive groves, Lecce's baroque architecture and Italy's best value beach holidays

• Milan - fashion capital, the Duomo, the Last Supper and aperitivo in the Navigli district