The City Code · Italy
Rome
Grandeur at every turn, and a city that eats late and slowly.
Arriving
A fixed-fare car from Fiumicino. Inside the walls, walk — the historic centre is smaller than it looks on a map.
Book this first
The Vatican or Borghese slot, which is timed-entry and sells out weeks ahead, then dinner at nine.
What is worn
Shoulders and knees covered for the basilicas, always; elegant and uncreased everywhere else.
Money & manners
A couple of euros per person is generous. Coperto on the bill is bread and cover, not service.
The golden hour
Seven in the morning at the Pantheon, alone in the rain of light through the oculus.
The usual mistake
Eating within sight of a monument. Walk three streets away and the cooking changes entirely.
From the collection
The stay, the table, the morning
While you are there
What moves the city
Public holiday · 29 Mar to 6 Apr
Holy Week and Easter
Papal ceremonies at the Vatican draw enormous crowds. The centro storico closes to traffic in stretches; long queues near St Peter's.
Closures · 13 Aug to 18 Aug
Ferragosto
Romans leave the city for the coast. Many restaurants and shops close for the week; heat is at its worst.
Go deeper
The rest of Rome on Velori
Elsewhere
Other city codes
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