You might think that since Rome is so touristy, you just need to walk around and you will see everything. Nothing is more wrong. The city is so packed with things to see and do, with restaurants and museums, and so crowded, that having a detailed Rome itinerary is becoming more important every day.
Planning your itinerary before landing will help you manage your time, keep track of your budget, and better enjoy your stay. With an itinerary in hand, in fact, you will have a list of your must-sees and once on the road, you can easily add new ones as they come.
Read on to discover all the reasons why I suggest having an accurate and detailed Rome itinerary to refer to once you are here.
You will be more relaxed
Think of landing in Rome and heading to the historic center without proper planning. You will be so overwhelmed by the amount of things to see and do around every corner that you will be afraid of missing important landmarks.
Your first move will be to try to see them all and believe me when I say that this is impossible. Even in the sole Centro Storico, there are so many places, monuments, palaces, squares, ancient ruins, and landmarks that you can’t see them all in a day or two.
This is why arriving with a ready itinerary will be very handy. You should design before departure so that you have the time to decide what best fits your interest, what’s unmissable to visit if it’s your first time, how long each landmark will take, and how to get from one place to another.
If you don’t know the city, it’s pretty hard, and that’s why I’m preparing an ebook that includes four full itineraries in four different neighborhoods covering different themes and landmarks. These will be able to give a
Daily Rome itineraries will give your trip a quality boost
When you have a detailed itinerary, you know what you will be visiting and a list of places to explore. If you don’t really have specific monuments in mind and prefer to just wander aimlessly, then you won’t need a pre-planned itinerary.
In Rome’s historic center, for example, there is so much to see between churches, palaces, squares, fountains, monuments, and bridges, that if you don’t have a list of must-sees, that’s fine to just wander and enjoy the art, history, and beauty surrounding you.
But in neighborhoods such as Testaccio and Ostiense, having a plan helps tremendously to stay on track and avoid wasting a day out. Testaccio, for example, offers ancient and modern history and is particularly attractive for its traditional vibe and authentic culinary offer. But unless you join one of the many tours that combine local food and culture, it’s better to have a proper itinerary.
Check out my “4 Self-Guided Walks in Rome” ebook!
An itinerary makes it easier to avoid touristy restaurants
When writing your itinerary, you absolutely need to research some good restaurants in the area you are exploring. Especially if you are writing an itinerary for the city center where it’s harder to find authentic meals.
In Roman neighborhoods like Testaccio, Nomentano/Trieste, and Prati, restaurants are usually a guarantee for quality. In fact, I’ve never had a bad experience every time I ate in any of these aforementioned districts.
Trastevere, Centro Storico, and the Jewish Quarter, however, are very touristy and the food offer reflects that with the presence of too many tourist menus.
You will know where to go
Ideally, your itinerary will include addresses and street directions so you know exactly where to go and how long the transfers will take. This way, you can better plan your visits, meals, and some breaks without feeling guilty.
You will be able to add more landmarks on the way
Contrary to what you might think, having an itinerary doesn’t mean you can’t be spontaneous. You will have a structured plan and you can take a detour whenever something unexpected catches your eye. This is how you discover hidden gems and make the most of your trip.
The more detailed your itinerary, the easier will be to get back on track if you take a detour. But since you already have everything planned, I even encourage you to go off track, you will love discovering the wonders hidden around every corner in Rome!
You won’t risk missing a must-see monument
There is no other way around it. If you don’t have a list, you will miss some landmarks for sure. With all the sights that you will find in Rome, all the buildings, fountains, and squares, it’s very easy to get distracted and go off-road. And if you have a well-planned itinerary, that’s not a problem because you can quickly find your way.
However, if you don’t have an itinerary ready, you will get lost and you will risk missing the monuments that you originally wanted to see simply because you took a detour and can’t find your way, forgot where you were going, or the day is over!
An itinerary helps you manage your time
This is really one of the main reasons. Rome has long queues, large crowds, and crazy traffic. Between landmarks’ opening times and peak hours, properly managing your schedule is crucial.
A well-planned itinerary should also have a rough estimation of distances and visit duration to help get more things done.
You will better manage your budget
An itinerary also helps you keep track of your expenses. By planning out your days, you can avoid unexpected costs, including transportation. By grouping nearby attractions together, in fact, you can walk more and use public transport less.
Also when it comes to eating, when you are designing your itinerary, you can add a few budget restaurant options as well as some fancy ones so you will have a rough idea of how much you can expect to spend.
Read more about my ebook here!
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Great advice, thank you
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