7 Rookie Mistakes to Avoid on
Your First Trip to Rome (2026 Guide)
Visiting Rome for the first time can feel a little overwhelming, with so many things to do and see. I have taken many groups through Rome now and seen a few mistakes happen over and over again, so here is exactly how you can avoid them and make the most of your time in Rome!
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The 7 Simple Mistakes I See First-Timers Make in Rome
1. Underestimating the walking
Out of all the cities in Europe, Rome is the one where my step count always skyrockets. Walking is just the best way to see all the ancient monuments and hidden, beautiful streets. Plus, the best food and kindest locals are usually down the less touristy areas you only find by walking.
Either way, I often see tourists bring cute shoes to wear for the photos in Rome and while I 100% get why, please make sure those shoes are also fit to walk 25k steps. The metro doesn’t go everywhere due to the many ancient monuments “blocking” the way, so you may end up walking a TON.
My favourites are honestly the Teva Sandals in the summer, they have some cute ones and they are the comfiest.
2. Not pre-booking the main sights
If your dream is to see the Colosseum, you HAVE to book it at least 2 weeks in advance. If you know when you’ll be there, book it as soon as you can (the official site opens bookings 30 days prior, ONLY book through the official site!!). I have seen one too many traveller disappointed because they couldn’t get last-minute tickets.
Other things you should pre-book are the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, Galleria Borghese, Vatican Gardens and any tours you’d like to do (especially Vatican ones sell out quick).
Please also be careful to only book through the official sites, I have seen a couple of scam ones that look almost identical. Check the domain extension (.org is often fake), don’t click on the first few sponsored sites and research how much a ticket should be before buying.
3. Getting fines for breaking laws you didn’t know about
Rome (and Italy) have a few basic laws that quite a few tourists don’t know about and commonly get fined for.
Here are some of the common ways I have seen people getting fined:
- Not carrying a passport (this is a legal requirement in Italy and fines are in the 1000s).
- Sitting on the Spanish Steps (up to 400€ fine if they feel like it, don’t do it just because other are).
- Swimming or even just putting feet, hands, etc in historical fountains (fines are HUGE and possibility of being arrested).
- Not Validating Train Tickets (make sure you know how to validate tickets and always have one, I once got off a bus at the Vatican and they caught like 10 people without tickets).
- Walking Around Shirtless or in Swimwear (this isn’t allowed in many city centres in Italy)
4. Falling for tourist-trap restaurants
If you are on one of the main streets between monuments in Rome, if there is a waiter out front trying to get you to eat there, if the menus are huge and in English, if you only see tourists there, then you are probably at a tourist-trap restaurant.
Prices there are inflated, the food quality isn’t up to standard and you’ll just get a much better experience if you walk a few streets away from any attraction and find a more local restaurant. If the carbonara has cream in it, run the opposite direction as fast as you can!
I would also be careful with stuff you have seen go viral on social media, the quality unfortunately often declines while prices soar.
5. Underestimating the summer weather
Believe me when I say Rome gets HOT. Like unbearably, “I cannot be outside right now” hot. The main months are July and August, and they are also peak visiting months for Rome.
Visiting during those months where temperatures often reach the high 30s°C, means you often can’t go outside from like 2-7pm and people even commonly faint from the heat.
If you can only visit during these months, make sure to plan ahead. Check out my full guide on surviving Rome in the summer here.
6. Not leave room in the itinerary to just wander
I know from experience that many Europe trips are jam-packed and you only have limited time in each place, but if you can, 1000% leave some spare time in Rome.
For that time, don’t plan anything. Don’t book anything. Simply give yourself time to wander. Wander off the main streets, explore more local neighbourhoods and find hidden gems and lookouts.
Some of my favourite moments in Rome where when I had time to just wander. The city’s monuments are beautiful, but so are its side streets and local areas!
7. Not bringing the right clothing for churches
For pretty much all churches and religious buildings in Italy, you have to cover your shoulders and knees. The knees are sometimes more relaxed if shorts go just above it, but I usually would say its not worth the risk. Especially for places like the Vatican.
If it’s very hot, I always recommend bringing a light scarf that you can tie around shoulders/waist to cover those areas. You can find ones in any second-hand shop in Europe for like 5€.
I’ve seen quite a few people being turned away from churches for not having the right clothing, so just come prepared! Even if no one checks, it’s considered the respectful thing to do locally, and we should always be respectful to local customs.
Where to stay in Rome?
Rome has many amazing hostels and hotels. Check out my full accommodation guide, from budget-friendly to fancy hotels, out here.
Some of my favourites are:
$$$ Maalot Roma
FAQ about Rome:
How much money do you need per day in Rome?
From my personal experience and leading backpacker groups through Rome, you can expect to spend around 100€ per day. That would mean budget-friendly hotels/hostels and Italian street food for lunch instead of two big meals.
Accommodation is minimum 40€ per person per night, activities around 20-30€ per day, food from 30€ per day (local restaurants and street food) and transport 3-8€ per day.
Do you need cash in Rome, or are credit cards accepted?
I’d say 95% of the time you do not need cash and credit cards are fine. I have seen a few stores who don’t accept American Express, but other cards are fine, but usually most stores in tourist areas accept any cards.
For smaller shops and markets, you can sometimes get a discount when paying cash as vendors have to pay high fees on card.
I’ve very rarely come across any place that does not take card, it’s usually street stalls or local shops.
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