Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TheftAlert:
Whileviolentcrimeisrareinthecitycenter,pettytheftisrampant.Withsweet-
talking con artists meeting you at the station, well-dressed pickpockets on buses, and
thieving gangs of children at the ancient sites, Rome is a gauntlet of rip-offs. Although
it's not as bad as it was a few years ago, and pickpockets don't want to hurt you—they
usuallyjustwantyourmoney—greenorsloppytouristswillbescammed.Thievesstrike
whenyou'redistracted.Don'ttrustkindstrangers.Keepnothingimportantinyourpock-
ets. Be most on guard while boarding and leaving buses and subways. Thieves crowd
the door, then stop and turn while others crowd and push from behind. You'll find less
crowding and commotion—and less risk—waiting for the end cars of a subway rather
thanthemiddlecars.Thesneakiestthievespretendtobewell-dressedbusinessmen(gen-
erallywithsomethingintheirhands),ortouristswearingfannypacksandtotingcameras
and even Rick Steves guidebooks.
Tips on Sightseeing in Rome
These tips can help you use your time and money efficiently, making the Eternal City
seem less eternal and more entertaining.
Passes
RomaPass:
Romeoffersseveralsightseeingpassestohelpyousavemoney.Formost
visitors, the Roma Pass (
www.romapass.it
)
is the clear winner. The Roma Pass costs
€30 and is valid for three days, covering public transportation and free or discounted
entrytoRomansights.Yougetfreeadmissiontoyourfirsttwosights(whereyoualso
get to skip the ticket line) and then a discount on the rest within the three-day win-
dow. Sights covered (or discounted) by the pass include the following: Colosseum/
Palatine Hill/Roman Forum, Borghese Gallery (though you still must make a reser-
vation), Capitoline Museums,Castel Sant'Angelo, Montemartini Museum,AraPacis,
Museum ofRoman Civilization, Etruscan Museum, Baths ofCaracalla, Trajan'sMar-
ket,andsomeoftheAppianWaysights.ThepassalsocoversfourbranchesoftheNa-
tional Museum of Rome, considered as a single “sight”: Palazzo Massimo (the most
important of the lot), Crypta Balbi (medieval art), Palazzo Altemps (sculpture collec-
tion), and Museum of the Bath (ancient inscriptions).
Ifyou'll bevisiting anytwoofthe major sights inathree-day period, get the pass.
It'ssoldatparticipatingsights,TIs,andmanytobaccoshopsornewsstands(lookfora
Roma Pass
sign; all should offer the same price). Try to buy it at a less crowded TI or
