My Rome report...
I apologize that this may be a lengthy post..
My wife and I traveled to Rome on May 7th in preparation for a Mediterranean cruise that left out of Civitavecchia. We had "2" days to see Rome.
ESS at the airport was not as bad as I anticipated. The staff were helping direct people to open machines. The best advice I have is do not stick your passport all the way in. There is room for the edge of the next page of the passport to be on the glass. My wife had issues with the machine with this. Once it worked, the next issue was the finger prints. She has cold hands, so the machine had an issue picking up her prints. Leaving Rome the ESS was moving quickly, maybe a 10 minute wait at most. Maybe we were lucky to miss larger crowds.
Hotel: We stayed at Hotel Stendahl. we chose it because it had good reviews and was located close to Termini Rome and the points of interest we wanted to see. The hotel was nice, excellent service, and provided a free breakfast. We arrived and they held our luggage until the official check-in time.
Rome: Rome was great. We walked everywhere we wanted to go. The 2 points the greatest distance from the hotel were the Colosseum and the Vatican Museums. We purchased our tickets for each online. I cannot stress enough to buy those tickets from the official websites well in advance. The Colosseum tickets go on sale exactly 30 days to the minute (Rome time) ahead.
We walked the streets, never felt uneasy in any part. Our only concern was the scooters whizzing by in the narrow streets. By walking these streets we found those "hidden gems" that everyone asks about. We would pass by a restaurant that had no customers then 100ft away there was one that was packed. We ate at one called 433. Probably ate the best tasting pizza I ever had. Pro tip: Turn on "Avoid Hills" on your map app on your phone. I learned this the hard way after the giant hill I had to drag my luggage up and down.
We only saw 2 of the stereotypical pickpockets. Walking trip from the hotel to Termini. At 2 different bus stops were young girls, with the large bags, a coat draped over their arm and a map in their other hand. I have a friend who got pickpocketed earlier this year while on a bus. At breakfast I overheard a man saying he must have dropped his wallet while riding the subway, his traveling companions told him he was probably robbed. I used a travel vest for piece of mind, and my wife used a cross body bag. We avoided the bus and the subway for this reason. Also, walking the city allowed us to see more of the city.
Sites visited: Day one Colosseum and Trevi Fountain. Personally I can take or leave the fountain. Yes, it is beautiful, but you can't swing a dead cat without finding other beautiful statues and fountains in the numerous piazza's we passed through while walking.
Day two: Spanish Steps. Pantheon, buy your tickets at the cash only line on the left side. It was shorter and faster to gain entry. Then we walked to the Vatican. St. Peter's Basilica line was wrapped all the way around the square so we decided to skip trying to get in, so we strolled around until time for our Vatican Museum ticket. They will only let you in within a 15 minute window listed on your ticket. I saw numerous people turned away when they tried to get in over an hour early. Also, the dress code is enforced. I saw a young woman get reminded to cover her shoulders. We did not use a tour guide, and I feel like I got to see more of the exhibits. I witnessed tour groups blow by entire rooms, I entered those rooms and saw some of most amazing statures and artwork that they missed. I was in the Museum for nearly 3 hours. i could have probably spent 48 hours and still not seen everything. Floor to ceiling covered in priceless artworks.
The only public transport we used was the trains. We traveled to Civitavecchia from Rome by regional train, then after our cruise from Civitavecchia to FCO. Be prepared to get very close with other travelers. The trains were packed with other cruise passengers, then all the locals piled in to make their commutes. We had to switch trains from Civitavecchia to FCO at Roma Trastevere. The second train was less full. We actually got seats on that one.
Language. I used the a language learning app for 300 days and watched several Youtube videos to learn some Italian. I only had interaction with 1 store clerk in who didn't speak some English. My broken Italian was able to get my request across. So yes, learn some simple Italian words and phrases. It will help with navigation and interacting with Romans. I am keeping "permesso" in my daily language. That was very useful.
Lastly, what to wear.
I watched all the videos explaining what to wear while traveling in Rome. In reality it doesn't matter. I saw Italians wear baseball hats, shirts with logos, sneakers, etc. No one seemed to care. Rome is a tourist destination, everyone knows you are a tourist. Even I could spot a tourist. There is no way to "blend in". Wear what you have. It did rain on us on day 1. None was predicted on the weather app. Pack a small travel umbrella and bring it with you. I left mine in the luggage at the hotel. :(
I hope this helps others planning to visit. I enjoyed my time there, a truly amazing city.
Thanks for reading.