Solo travel · Rome · Italy
Solo travel in Rome
How to enjoy Rome at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: LuisaV72, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Rome suits solo travellers: eating alone at a bar counter or wine bar is normal, the centre is walkable day and night, and free churches and piazzas make easy unplanned stops. Hostels cluster around Termini. Many solo travellers base themselves in Trastevere.
Key facts
- Base
- Trastevere
- Getting around
- Walking
- Emergency number
- 112 (European emergency number)
- Language
- Italian
Solo travel tips
- Join a free walking tour or a small-group Colosseum or Vatican tour to meet others and skip the planning.
- Eat at wine bars (enoteche) with counter seating, where ordering a glass and a plate of cheese is normal.
- Stay in Monti or Trastevere for atmosphere, or near Termini for budget beds and transport links.
- Keep valuables in a front pocket on buses 40 and 64 and on Metro line A.
- Use official white taxis or ride-hailing apps at night rather than unlicensed drivers outside Termini.
Where to stay
$$$ · Best for couples, nightlife, food lovers and solo travellers
Trastevere
Across the river from the centre, Trastevere's ochre houses and cobbled lanes surround the 12th-century basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere and its golden mosaics. It is the city's most atmospheric area for dinner and evening drinks, especially around Piazza di Santa Maria and Via della Lungaretta, and the Janiculum Hill above gives a sweeping view over the domes.
- Good
- Lively evenings and good food; Village atmosphere by day; Walk across the river to the centre
- Watch out
- Noisy on weekend nights; No Metro; trams and buses only; Crowded at dinner time
- Nearby
- Santa Maria in Trastevere, Janiculum Hill, Porta Portese, Villa Farnesina
Great on your own
Historic site · Colosseo
Colosseum
Book the first slot of the morning or a late-afternoon slot, and visit the Forum and Palatine at a different time of day on the same ticket to spread the walking.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours (half a day with the Forum)
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Kids
- Architecture
Historic site · Colosseo
Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
Climb to the Farnese Gardens on the Palatine for the best overview of the Forum, and carry water — shade is scarce.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Iconic
- Views
- Outdoors
Museum · Vatican City
Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
Book the first entry slot of the day and move briskly to the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel before tour groups catch up.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
Religious site · Vatican City
St Peter's Basilica
Arrive early to beat the security queue, and cover shoulders and knees or you will be turned away.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours with the dome
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Architecture
- Views
- History
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Historic site · Centro Storico
Pantheon
Visit during a shower to watch rain fall through the oculus onto the marble floor, which has drainage holes beneath.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
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Landmark · Tridente
Spanish Steps
Walk up the steps and continue along to the Pincio terrace above Piazza del Popolo for a sunset view over the domes.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Views
- Shopping
Meeting people
- Lunch at the Mercato di Testaccio — Testaccio's covered market mixes fruit, cheese and butcher stalls with counters selling sandwiches, fried snacks and pasta; it is where locals grab a weekday lunch.
- Aperitivo — From early evening, bars in Monti, Trastevere and Prati serve a spritz or glass of wine with snacks, and some lay out a buffet for the price of a drink.
- Trastevere — Wine bars, craft-beer pubs and crowds spilling into Piazza di Santa Maria and Piazza Trilussa until late.
- Monti — Low-key wine bars and the fountain steps of Piazza della Madonna dei Monti, a favourite meeting point.
Sensible precautions
Rome is generally safe, but pickpocketing is common on crowded buses, Metro line A and at major sights such as the Trevi Fountain and the Colosseum. Costumed 'gladiators' and people offering bracelets or roses expect payment for photos or 'gifts'.
- Emergency number
- 112 (European emergency number)
- Staying connected
- EU roaming applies to European SIMs; eSIMs and Italian prepaid SIMs work well for other visitors, and many cafés offer Wi-Fi.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Rome good for solo travellers?
Rome suits solo travellers: eating alone at a bar counter or wine bar is normal, the centre is walkable day and night, and free churches and piazzas make easy unplanned stops. Hostels cluster around Termini.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Rome?
Trastevere: Ivy-covered lanes, trattorias and evening crowds across the Tiber.