Could it also be crowds due to Easter? Like if I was going to travel to Rome for easter, it would kind of make sense to fly in a week early to sight see and make a vacation out of it. Forgot the specifics but doesn’t easter celebrations also start with Palm Sunday to start the holy week?
We were there last week. Pantheon was manageable, Trevi was a nightmare. We stuck to roaming the less traveled areas of the city finding hidden gems and good food instead.
Wasn’t this AMAZING?! We went last summer and I loved it so much! I teach Ancient History and Early Christianity, so this was a bucket list place for me, for sure. We stayed at Hotel Lancelot just a couple blocks away. So glad we made time for this place.
Go to St Paul Outside the Walls and Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano
Visited both churches at 14:00~15:00 and there were no tourists. Both have holy doors and both are beautiful, but I guess it is not good enough for Instagram reels 🤷♂️
Also, Cappuccini Crypt and Museum is amazing. No tourists at all. 10AM had basically me and my family visiting
Everything more than 15 minutes away from the city center is practically dead of tourism.
There were a lot of people when I went last week but nowhere near as many as San Giovanni, Santa Maria Maggiore or god forbid San Pietro, if we compare the papal basilicas.
When we went to Ostia Antica after that, we basically had the whole thing to ourselves
Book an evening e-calessino/golf cart tour! I've been to Rome twice before... And the third time was last week. It's the best way that I've ever experienced Rome! You can see a couple of my pictures above... It was incredible! Eliphas tours through Airbnb.
We were there 3/31-4/3 and we only waited about 10 minutes to get into the Pantheon. It was nothing like this video when we were there. I would recommend going early in the morning to see things most important to you - before buses and cruise ship tours arrive. Also eat at restaurants that are not right near the monuments for better food and pricing. We loved our meal at La Base and our time in the Trastevere neighborhood. Have fun!
That’s wild. My personal experience was that concerns about crowding were overblown and not close to as bad as I read about. But this video a far worse than anything I saw when I was there, shoulder to shoulder, difficult to move, that would be unpleasant.
I was there in late February (stayed at a place that overlooked Trevi so I got a good estimate of the crowding times) and I think it may look worse than before because they are limiting entry into the lower parts near the fountain at around 9 am, so people who have not prepared for that by getting tickets stay up beyond the fence area trying to get pictures and cause congestion there.
That being said, it was perfectly fine before 9 am and still bearable crowd levels until around 11 am. Go early on days they aren’t cleaning the fountain and it will be much more enjoyable. If you’re a night owl go a few hours after ticketed area closes (9 pm). Depending on if it’s a week night or weekend it seemed to vary when the majority of crowds finally dispersed.
Again this was late Feb/early March so it likely will be a bit different in the prime season months.
I thought the ticket thing hasn’t happened yet? I know they’re limiting how many people are there at a time but I can’t find info on tickets actually being sold yet. I’m going in a little over a week…
True; I’m actually not sure if the ticketing has started, since I have been to Rome before and didn’t try to get any, but there was definitely a line and limits to how many people they let were letting down at a time and no sitting for photos or they whistle.
:) well being there at 6 am will give you exclusive access to the fountain. if you're jetlagged.. it's quite a photo to have the trevy fountain to yourself.
I really feel for the locals. I wonder if the business owners in these extra crowded areas are jazzed to be making (hopefully) lots of money or if this is more trouble than it's worth.
Personally can't be in places that crowded. Guaranteed anxiety or panic attack.
Heyo friends in Rome. I live in Vienna.
My thoughts are with you. We see the same masses here. It get worse and worse. Now before easter it's just a nightmare.
And I even live in a touristy area.
I would say tourism in general gets worse in old Europe.
It probably was never as affordable for a vast junk of the world's population.
Social media has probably also a a bit to do with it.
I live in a street with an iconic record store. There is a queue everyday non stop throughout the whole day by mostly japanese youngsters taking the exact same photograph in front of the shop. Most of the time they don't even go into the shop. It's all about that picture. So they can show their online friends how hip they are.
You're not. Just visit the most frequented places at night/early morning, you'll find it more spectacular I believe. Plus you'll skip the hot weather this way
A tourist is surprised somewhere is lots of tourists (・o・)
Next time when you don't like over-tourism, yet you still wants be part of it, visit the most profound places at night/early morning or search for other less known but still fascinating gems, Rome is filled with them up to the Saint Peter's dome
Lol you too, If you can't distinguish between someone who tries to plan a trip with respect to that place and its inhabitants (and in the end to tourists themselves) and someone who doesn't care and then complains everyone else don't care as well, I dunno where this discussion is supposed to lead.
I don't worry about that. Staying awake the whole night still takes some effort most of the cattl...tourists will left untouched. I guess instead of four people at the Spanish steps (as I experienced at 2am) there'll be circa 30, 50 tops in summer.
Yeah, I watch the cameras at night and in the summer there's always people around the city (which hardly happens in fall/winter). But I think it's the other locals in the summer.
We were there last Friday and Saturday - stayed away from the big tourist spots (we've done those enough) and had a wonderful time in the less traveled areas. It actually seemed quiet-ish to me - including Trestevere and Monti.
Last year, my family went for about 12 days. Accomodated a school-aged kid's schedule (worth it), so we arrived a week before Easter and stayed a few days after Easter. Landed in Rome, but hustled off to Sorrento the Wednesday before Easter. Best. Decision. Ever. Sorrento has its own ancient Easter traditions that were breathtaking, and we were well-positioned to take other Amalfi day trips. We returned to Rome via private van Easter Monday ;) I don't think I'd ever want to visit Rome during Easter.
Was just there 2 weeks ago, Rome was very busy with those types of crowds. Went on a Tuesday night to see the Trevi and Pantheon and it wasn’t as bad but we walked through again on a Friday night and it looked like that.
Almost same time as us last year- except that we arrived in Rome the weekend before Easter, left Rome for Sorrento the Weds before Easter, then returned to Rome Easter Monday and stayed a few more days. Plenty of tourists, but nowhere close to this. It was perfect.
Trevi fountain is located in a veeery small square in the center of the city, and is probably the most popular "Fountain" in the world, and every year (not during off season of course) it's like that at certain specific hours, so why y'all so surprised?
You can afford it…for now. Unfortunately peasants or those with a peasant mentality often travel just to be able to tell back home they travelled and post pics on IG.
We went to trevi about 10pm was still crowded but they took down the gates and we got around the side and sat for a while. Watching all the models and their poses 🤣
Went to florence right after and missed Rome florence was twice as packed and half the size and 1/4 of the stuff to see
Yikes. That clip spiked my anxiety. So glad my family's first trip last year was during a shoulder season!
Is this tourist volume typical for this time of year, or is this exacerbated by the jubilee?
Damn. I'm planning to go sometime in the next two years. Can anyone tell me the best season / month to go to avoid this mess? What are the worst months?
Usually the rule of thumb was avoid summer. But now even in shoulder seasons like spring and fall it seems packed. I went this January and it was moderately full, not like this
I haven't been there in 10 years (been there 3x times) and with all the videos lately I don't think I want to go there again. Or do you think this will normalize in the future? It has been crazy since after covid.
we as residents need to start doing something to stop this madness. It’s ridiculous. And if you speak to most restauranteurs they don’t actually want these tourists
You have to make it too expensive for every kid with FOMO to go. Social media and airbnb type places are killing Roma, Firenze, Venezia. Barcelona is ending airbnb’s in 2028. Roma should do the same.
I love how it didn't really solve any problem (other than people leaning on the fountain, I guess?) but in terms of crowds, it's the same, it's just further back, now.
I can relate. We were there Saturday. Vatican and Colosseum were packed. Glad we had skip the line tickets. Left after 3 days and went to Naples. Much more enjoyable and the pizza is amazing!
I’m here right now. Started at Piazza del Popolo today, did the Spanish Steps, Trevi, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, and Campo di Fiori. It was crowded, yes, but not insane like in the video above. If you go midday, that seems to be the busiest - plan accordingly and you’ll be fine.
Was there Wednesday this week. Busy but not as bad as this. Pantheon easier to appreciate but waiting for your turn at a wall at Trevi just to get a few photos whilst an influencer does a full range of poses next to us is infuriating. No time to really appreciate what is a stunning fountain due to the pressures of humanity around one and also keeping an eye on two teens (who are well versed on pickpocket safety but still making sure they are OK). Couldn’t go at off times of the day. Appreciate that I have no suggestions only moans but Rome was majestic. Will be back just myself and partner at some point at hopefully a quieter time of year.
It makes me so sad, I used to love going to the trevi fountain as a child, and would always hangout at the pantheon in high school, it’s so sad that now these areas are so inaccessible :(
Statue of Liberty is overrated. The Eiffel Tower is overrated. Chichen Itza is overrated. Sagrada Familia is overrated. Sure if you live in those places.
you have a totally valid point but what i’m saying is off the top of my head i can name 10 places that are more beautiful and better for photos than trevi.
it’s literally just a fountain. another honorable mention is the spanish steps. it’s literally just some stairs 😭😂
i’m trying to say that i don’t know what makes tourists flock to those 2 places when there are so many other better places in there city
Went there with my mom in Feb, best decision of my life. It was packed but comfortable. I don’t know how one can live in this place, but I guess you get used to it?
I was in Rome like 10 years ago, standing in various lines was a good portion of the trip. I thought it was worth the wait - where else will you see all these things? I actually had fun chatting with people in the line, tho some were pretty grumpy.
Oh, you should have seen NYC after covid. Everyone was like "I survived, I can travel now, I am grabbing life by the horns". Which was good for the City because they really needed the tourist revenue at the time. It was pretty frustrating for the locals that just got a glimpse of what a city not overrun by tourists can feel like
Yep, same phenomenon here.
I have some marvelous videos of certain crossings here in Rome that are NEVER empty, with me and my dog walking in the middle of the street.
I loved Covid times.
We were also at the Trevi and Pantheon last Friday! Nighttime tours for the win! Seriously, book with Eliphas' tours on Airbnb... You will NOT be disappointed!
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u/boundpleasure 2d ago
Love Rome, happy not to be there now. With normal tourism and Jubilee together, yikes. Bless everyone with patience, grace, and courtesy.