Italy

Rome: a free travel companion, and when to go and what flights really cost

Ancient ruins, churches and squares, close enough to walk between. About 2½ hours flying from the UK, direct (typical).

Rome is Italy's capital, where ancient ruins, grand churches and busy squares sit side by side. The historic centre is walkable, and Vatican City, with St Peter's and the Vatican Museums, is just across the river. Expect lots of walking, lots of history and simple, traditional food.

A 3-day plan

A flexible outline: swap days around, and do less if you like. Many museums and markets close one day a week (often Sunday or Monday), so check the day you plan to go.

Day 1: Ancient Rome

• Start at the Colosseum, then the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill next to it; allow a good few hours on uneven ground. Book a timed ticket on the official site (ticketing.colosseo.it) before you go.
• Last entry is earlier in winter (3:30pm from late October to February), and you can't re-enter the Forum and Palatine on the same ticket, so check the times on the day.
• If you still have energy, walk over the Capitoline Hill to Piazza Venezia.
• The top terrace of the Vittoriano, reached by a paid lift, gives a wide view over the city.

Day 2: The Vatican and the historic centre

• The Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel are open Monday to Saturday (last entry 6pm) and closed on Sundays, except the last Sunday of the month, when entry is free from 9am to 2pm (last entry 12:30pm) with long queues. Buy tickets only on tickets.museivaticani.va. If day 2 is a Sunday, swap it with another day.
• St Peter's Basilica is free to enter, but there are police security checks; no very short clothes, sleeveless tops or hats inside.
• Walk past Castel Sant'Angelo and over the river to Piazza Navona and the Pantheon (paid ticket, 9am to 7pm, last entry 6:30pm; the ticket office closes at 6pm, and hours change during services).
• Nearby Campo de' Fiori has a morning market from Monday to Saturday (Turismo Roma), so in the afternoon you will mostly see the square.
• Cross to Trastevere for the evening; its narrow streets are known for trattorias and nightlife.

Day 3: Testaccio, the Aventine and the Spanish Steps

• Start at Testaccio's covered market, a food market with an archaeological site underneath. It opens Monday to Saturday, 7am to 3:30pm, and is closed on Sundays, so on a Sunday skip it or swap days.
• Walk up the Aventine Hill to the Orange Garden (Parco Savello) for views over the river, then past the Circus Maximus.
• Take a bus or taxi across the centre to the Trevi Fountain rather than walking all the way. Looking from the square is free; visitors pay €2 to go down to the edge of the basin (9am to 10pm; check Turismo Roma for changes).
• Walk to the Spanish Steps; sitting on monument steps can bring a fine (FCDO).
• Climb to the Pincio terrace and Villa Borghese, one of the city's biggest parks at 80 hectares, for the view over Piazza del Popolo at sunset.

Free and cheap

• St Peter's Basilica is free to enter; the dome climb and the Treasury are paid.
• The Vatican Museums are free on the last Sunday of each month, 9am to 2pm (last entry 12:30pm); they are closed on other Sundays.
• Watching the Trevi Fountain from the square is free; only going down to the basin costs €2.
• Rome's public drinking fountains, known as nasoni, give free drinking water, so bring a refillable bottle.
• The Pincio terrace, the Janiculum Hill (Gianicolo) and the Orange Garden on the Aventine all have wide views over the city.
• Four city museums are always free for visitors, including the Museum of the Walls (Museo delle Mura) at Porta San Sebastiano.
• Under-18s get in free at Italian state museums and archaeological sites (Turismo Roma); this does not include the Vatican Museums, which are in a separate state.

If it rains

• The Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel can easily fill most of a day; they are closed on most Sundays, so book ahead for another day on the official site.
• The Pantheon is a short indoor visit with a paid ticket, open daily 9am to 7pm.
• St Peter's Basilica is free and indoors, though the security queue outside is not covered.
• Testaccio's market is covered, with food stalls and a bar (Monday to Saturday, 7am to 3:30pm).
• The Capitoline Museums are listed in Turismo Roma's Rome Accessible guide; check which areas are step-free before you go. Entry is paid.

Food and drink

Cheap

Pizza by the slice (pizza al taglio) is sold almost everywhere. Supplì, fried rice balls with mozzarella, make a cheap snack. Covered food markets such as Testaccio (closed Sundays, shuts mid-afternoon) have stalls and a bar.

Mid-range

Family-style trattorias serve Roman pasta and simple second courses. Places right next to the big sights can cost more; a few streets away, or in areas like Testaccio, is often better value.

Treat

For a special meal, book ahead and check the menu and prices online first; set tasting menus can be expensive.

Dishes to try

Carbonara, cacio e pepe and amatriciana pasta; supplì; pizza bianca (plain, oily flatbread, often filled with mortadella); fried courgette flowers; and, in summer, grattachecca (shaved ice with fruit syrup) from street kiosks.

Areas to explore

Historic centre (Pantheon, Navona, Campo de' Fiori)

The busy heart of Rome, with most sights in walking distance. Lively day and night, and can be noisy.

Monti

Next to the Colosseum, a lively maze of small streets with trattorias, wine bars, galleries and vintage shops. Handy for ancient Rome.

Trastevere

Across the river, with cobbled lanes and many trattorias; famous for its nightlife, so it can be busy late.

Testaccio

A down-to-earth local neighbourhood south of the centre, known for traditional Roman food and its market, with nightlife in the evenings. Fewer sightseers than the centre.

From the airport

Leonardo Express train

Non-stop from Fiumicino Airport to Roma Termini in about 32 minutes, every 15 minutes, from early morning until about 11:30pm. €14 per adult (4 tickets for €40 for small groups); children under 4 free, and one child aged 4 to 11 free with each paying adult. You can tap a contactless card at the Tap&Tap readers by the platforms (one card per person; adult fare only). Normal Rome bus and metro tickets are not valid on it. (source for Leonardo Express train (opens in a new tab))

FL1 regional train

Slower and cheaper; it does not go to Termini but stops at stations including Trastevere, Ostiense and Tiburtina (about 48 minutes to Tiburtina). Trains every 15 minutes on weekdays, every 30 minutes on Sundays and holidays. Children under 12 travel free with a paying adult. Check the fare on Trenitalia. (source for FL1 regional train (opens in a new tab))

Taxi (fixed fare)

The fixed fare from Fiumicino to central Rome inside the Aurelian Walls is €55, with surcharges included (Aeroporti di Roma). Hotels near the Vatican (Prati) are outside the walls, so the fixed fare does not apply there; ask the driver first. Use only licensed white taxis from the official ranks at Terminals 1 and 3 arrivals. (source for Taxi (fixed fare) (opens in a new tab))

Getting around

The historic centre is best seen on foot. ATAC says one BIT ticket (€1.50) lasts 100 minutes, and that if you tap a contactless card on board and at metro gates you will not pay more than €8.50 a day; each person needs their own card or phone. We could not confirm these figures on ATAC's own site, so check them before you travel. Validate your ticket when you board: travelling without a valid, validated ticket brings an on-the-spot fine (FCDO). ATAC says children up to 10 travel free with a paying adult.

Getting about with limited mobility

• ATAC says all metro stations are accessible except four central line A stops: Spagna, Barberini, Repubblica and Vittorio Emanuele. Lifts can be out of service; check ATAC before you travel.
• Many streets in the old centre and Trastevere are paved with small cobbles (sampietrini), which can be uneven and slippery when wet.
• Turismo Roma's Rome Accessible pages list step-free entrances, toilets and routes at sites such as the Colosseum park and the Vatican Museums.
• Leonardo Express trains have dedicated seating and accessible toilets (Trenitalia).

General notes from official sources, not a guarantee. Check step-free routes with the operators.

Rough local costs

• Public transport: €1.50 for a 100-minute ticket and €8.50 for 24 hours, according to ATAC; check ATAC's site before you travel, as a price rise has been proposed.
• An espresso at a bar in Rome averaged €1.19 in June 2026 (Altroconsumo, reported by Sky TG24).
• Vatican Museums: €20 full price, plus €5 to book online and skip the queue (Vatican Museums, checked 20 Oct 2026).
• Colosseum, Forum and Palatine: see the official price page (ticketing.colosseo.it) for the current ticket price.
• Hotels charge a city tourist tax per night, often in cash; ask for a receipt (FCDO). This is separate from your flight price.

Approximate, from the sources named, and separate from flight prices.

Official information

• Official tourist information (opens in a new tab)
• Public transport (ATAC) (opens in a new tab)
• Leonardo Express train (opens in a new tab)
• Rome Accessible (opens in a new tab)
• FCDO travel advice (opens in a new tab)

Real return flight prices to Rome

The cheapest return flight, per person, that travellers found for each month they would leave in, of any trip length (the small number is the nights). Lowest seen: £44 for 3 nights, from London, leaving 28 November 2026.

Swipe the table sideways for more cities →

From Travelpayouts: prices travellers found on flight sites in the last two weeks, asked 19 October 2026, 22:30 UTC. Not live seats: prices change, and bags are usually extra. A dash means we have no recent fare for that month, not that there are no flights. Flights only: hotels are separate, and you book and pay with the seller.

How hot is Rome?

Usually hot (26° or more) from June to September.

Typical highs, a rough guide typed in by hand, not a forecast.

Before you go

Check the UK government's travel advice for Italy: gov.uk foreign travel advice. It covers entry rules, safety and health.

Fly to Rome

See the cheapest month to fly from your airport, then today's price on Aviasales, a flight search site, where you book with the seller. See flights to Rome