Mistakes everyone makes in Rome

Rome's penalty for not knowing shows up as locked doors and money that didn't need to go. The six mistakes below repeat season after season — some cost a ticket, one a fine of up to €250.

The Colosseum with no booked ticket

Official tickets go on sale exactly 30 days before the date, in the morning Rome time, and the morning slots vanish the same day. The mistake is waiting to buy one 'once we're in the city' — by then only the resellers on the square outside are left, at double or triple €18. Instead: set an alarm for the date tickets go live, or take the Forum Pass SUPER (Forum, Palatine and Imperial Fora without the Colosseum) as a fallback if no slot is left.

3 daysWhere this entry sits in a three-day plan:Rome in 3 days →

The wrong day for the Vatican and the Borghese

The Vatican Museums are closed on Sundays (except the last of the month, free 9 to 14), the Borghese Gallery is closed on Mondays, and St Peter's Basilica shuts on Wednesday mornings for the papal audience. The mistake is booking without checking a calendar first — a plan built backwards from flight dates rarely dodges all three by chance. Instead: check which day falls on which date first, then arrange everything else around it.

MuseumsEvery one of the seven museums' closing days, in one place:Museums in Rome →

August with no plan for the shade

The Forum and Palatine have not a single tree for shade, and the Colosseum's stone still radiates heat after sunset; from July to September the middle of the day outdoors isn't a rest, it's a scheduling mistake. Instead: outdoor sites before eleven and after five, a museum or the hotel at midday, a bottle from a nasone fountain instead of one bought on every corner.

When to goWhich month avoids this mistake by default:The best time to visit Rome →

Sitting on the Spanish Steps

Since a 2019 city ordinance, sitting on the Spanish Steps has been banned, with a fine of up to €250; the municipal police whistle a warning first, then fine if nobody stands. The mistake is watching other tourists sit and assuming a warning is the only consequence. Instead: climb and photograph the steps on the move, and sit on the benches of Villa Borghese at the top, two minutes further.

Entering churches and the Vatican with bare shoulders

St Peter's Basilica and every Roman church, including lesser-known ones like San Clemente or Santa Maria in Trastevere, require covered shoulders and knees — the guards at the door turn people away without exception, regardless of the queue behind them. The mistake is wearing summer clothes with nothing to cover up in a bag. Instead: a light scarf or a long-sleeve top travels even in the worst heat, just for the door.

Where to stayWhat runs on Mondays and Sundays, and what doesn't, by neighbourhood:Where to stay in Rome →

Bathing in the fountains

The Trevi Fountain and the city's other fountains aren't pools — putting feet or hands in the water, let alone bathing, is an offence the municipal police actively enforce, with a fine that varies by case. The mistake is assuming it's just a tourist tradition nobody punishes. Instead: the coin goes over the shoulder, standing at the edge of the basin.

BudgetWhat these mistakes cost against a plan without them:What Rome costs →

FoodWhat to eat and where:What to eat in Rome →

Getting aroundGetting in and around:Getting around Rome →

Day tripsWhat lies beyond the city:Day trips from Rome →

Hidden gemsWhat the guides skip:Rome off the postcard: a keyhole and a cannon at noon →

AirportOne more mistake, made right at the airport — the wrong taxi:From the airport to Rome →