Welcome to GO PAC's Rome travel guide, what to see, what to wear (cobblestones and dress codes demand some thought), and what to pack for a city that rewards walkers and punishes anyone who wore the wrong shoes.
Quick answers: Rome for UK travellers
- Best time to visit: April to June and September to October (mild, manageable crowds).
- Currency: Euro (EUR). £1 ≈ €1.18 (May 2026).
- UK passport visa: Visa-free, 90 days in 180. ETIAS electronic authorisation required from 2026.
- Flight time from London: 2.5 hours.
- Daily budget: £50 to £80/day mid-range; £120+ for upmarket.
- Power plug: Types C and F (European two-pin). UK plugs need an adaptor.
- Best travel kit for Rome: See the GO PAC travel accessories guide.
Rome, before you go.
Rome is mild for most of the year and hot in July and August. Cold days are few and mostly fall in December and January, and most of the rain falls in November and February. Rome's tourist board rates spring and autumn as the best seasons and recommends sun protection from June to September.
August brings Ferragosto, the national holiday on 15 August. Some family-run shops and restaurants still close around it, though many now stay open, and the Vatican Museums close on the day.
Getting in: UK passport holders can spend up to 90 days in any 180 without a visa. Your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before you arrive and stay valid for three months after you leave the Schengen area. The EU Entry/Exit System is running, so expect fingerprints and a photo at the border.
From Fiumicino, the non-stop Leonardo Express reaches Roma Termini in 32 minutes.
The Roman schedule.
Two days minimum. Three is better. A week and you'll still be finding things.
Colosseum & Roman Forum
Book timed entry online, same-day queues can be two hours. Add the Palatine Hill to your ticket. Arrive at opening, go counterclockwise, and spend as long as you like on the Palatine at sunset.
The Great Gelato Crawl
A self-designed route: start at Fatamorgana (Prati) for unusual flavours, cross the river to Giolitti for the classics, finish at Della Palma near the Pantheon. Budget €12 and an afternoon. Gelato is a serious subject in Rome and you should treat it as one.
Evening Passeggiata
Join the evening walk, Romans dress up and stroll between 6pm and 9pm. Cross Ponte Sisto into Trastevere, find a table at a trattoria with no English menu, and order the house pasta. This is the most Roman thing you can do.
Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel
Book the first slot of the day online. Walk briskly through the map gallery (it's long) and slow down at the Raphael Rooms. The Sistine Chapel is overwhelming, sit, look up, say nothing for a while. Then go for lunch in Prati.
Two millennia in a weekend.
The Pantheon
The best-preserved ancient building in the world, free to enter. The oculus, the hole in the roof, means rain falls straight through during winter. On a sunny day, a beam of light moves across the interior like a clock. It's been doing this for 1,900 years.
Trevi Fountain at Dawn
Go before 7am, the cleaning crew leave around 6:30 and tourists don't arrive until 8. You'll have one of Rome's most spectacular sights almost to yourself. Throw a coin. Come back. It works.
Borghese Gallery
The gallery only admits 360 visitors every two hours, booking is mandatory and sells out weeks ahead. The Bernini sculptures alone justify the trip: Pluto and Persephone will stop you in your tracks.
Janiculum Hill at Sunset
The best panorama of Rome, from the medieval city to the dome of St Peter's. Local families picnic here on Sunday evenings. There's a cannon fired at noon every day, a tradition since 1847. Worth being nearby for.
The Rome Kit.
Comfortable shoes for the cobblestones, a smart layer for the evenings, and the tech kit for the Vatican WiFi password you'll never get.
What to pack for Rome
- Travel Plug Adapter, Italy uses Type L sockets, most UK plugs need one
- Collapsible Water Bottle, Rome has free drinking fountains on almost every piazza
- Keycode Luggage Lock (another brand's item, not GO PAC: see our Amazon travel picks), lockers at the Vatican, Colosseum and Borghese Gallery
- Travel Wallet, Rome is a pickpocket hotspot, keep documents close
- Satin Eye Mask, Trastevere at 2am is not quiet
- Noise-Cancelling Ear Plugs, ancient city, very much alive at 3am
- Travel Packing Cubes (other brands' cubes, not GO PAC: see our packing cubes guide), city break in a carry-on, no checked bag fee
- Portable Phone Charger, a full day of map-following will drain your battery
- Smart lightweight layer, churches require covered knees and shoulders
- Comfortable walking shoes, cobblestones are relentless
For the flight, compare five travel pillows in our best travel pillow UK guide.
Travelling from the UK: read our guides to ETIAS for UK travellers and EES border checks at Dover, St Pancras and UK airports.
Travel Plug Adapter
Italy uses Type L and Type F sockets. Ours has two USB-A ports, so a phone and earbuds charge off one socket.
£14.99 View the adapter →Free UK shipping · 30-day returns