It's Official :: I'm off to Roma!

[Cowperson]

Strange question but give me some comments on mode of dress . . . . .

I'm normally pretty laid back on vacations, t-shirts and shorts and runners for the most part with dockers (maybe jeans) and a button up shirt or golf shirt as necessary . . . and I know the latter would be required at certain religious sites.

The vibe I'm getting from my reading though is that I should dress my age in Rome, dockers and normal shirts, to fit in with the locals if nothing else.

That's not a problem but just thought I'd ask. Does that also apply to the rest of Italy?

Comments?

Cowperson

[4X4]

Italian dress code...

No matter how hot it is, taking off your shirt is not cool. Chicks are dressed to the nines pretty much always. They wont leave the house without getting dolled up (in Rome).

Men wear shirts and just open more buttons as needed (the top 3 are rarely buttoned). And most italian men wear pants. Rarely do you see an italian man wearing shorts.

Men my age (25-35) usually wear an untucked collared shirt and nice jeans or pants with nice shoes.
I pretty much always wore flip flops, a collared (long sleeve, but cuffs folded back 1-2-3x) shirt and jeans.

If you don't want to look like a tourist, men your age (35-45ish) usually wear the same, but will tuck in the shirt.

Anything you'd wear on a golf course in Calgary screams tourist in Rome.

Nice jeans, button up shirt and decent shoes will help you blend in and likely reduce any tourist rage your italian server may have that day.

Churches demand covered knees and shoulders. And no beer. Gotta leave that at the door.
Chicks dressed like sluts will not get in by batting their eyes. This is not a cop with a radar gun, this is a priest.

It does get very hot in Rome, and it may sound stupid that they wear so much clothes, but you'll discover that the italians have perfected the art of walking in the shade and strolling very leisurely so as not to break a sweat.



Oh, and siesta. Siesta is usually from 12/1 - 2/3/4. It varys. And try not to go for lunch between 1&2. Thats when italians are eating and you'll be relegated to the 'back of the bus' until they are all finished.

[La Flames Fan]

A friend of mine who went to Roma and Florence, dressed really nicely there. I had heard that. I think that will be my M.O., dress nice everyday no matter what.

This information is so great, I can't wait to go!

Did you ever have any problems with people while you were there 4x4?

Originally Posted by 4X4

Italian dress code...

No matter how hot it is, taking off your shirt is not cool. Chicks are dressed to the nines pretty much always. They wont leave the house without getting dolled up (in Rome).

Men wear shirts and just open more buttons as needed (the top 3 are rarely buttoned). And most italian men wear pants. Rarely do you see an italian man wearing shorts.

Men my age (25-35) usually wear an untucked collared shirt and nice jeans or pants with nice shoes.
I pretty much always wore flip flops, a collared (long sleeve, but cuffs folded back 1-2-3x) shirt and jeans.

If you don't want to look like a tourist, men your age (35-45ish) usually wear the same, but will tuck in the shirt.

Anything you'd wear on a golf course in Calgary screams tourist in Rome.

Nice jeans, button up shirt and decent shoes will help you blend in and likely reduce any tourist rage your italian server may have that day.

Churches demand covered knees and shoulders. And no beer. Gotta leave that at the door.
Chicks dressed like sluts will not get in by batting their eyes. This is not a cop with a radar gun, this is a priest.

It does get very hot in Rome, and it may sound stupid that they wear so much clothes, but you'll discover that the italians have perfected the art of walking in the shade and strolling very leisurely so as not to break a sweat.



Oh, and siesta. Siesta is usually from 12/1 - 2/3/4. It varys. And try not to go for lunch between 1&2. Thats when italians are eating and you'll be relegated to the 'back of the bus' until they are all finished.

[Cowperson]

Another question . . . . . I'll be staying near the Vatican on Via Rienzo . . . . are there any places a fella can run in Rome, parks, pathways, etc that are fairly near there?

Cowperson

[4X4]

Originally Posted by La Flames Fan

A friend of mine who went to Roma and Florence, dressed really nicely there. I had heard that. I think that will be my M.O., dress nice everyday no matter what.

This information is so great, I can't wait to go!

Did you ever have any problems with people while you were there 4x4?

Yep, dress nice. When in Rome, do as the Romans.


Problems with people? OK, please don't give money to gypsies, "pregnant" women, people on their knees in a praying position on the sidewalk, people with pictures of children, or people carrying kids. These are scams.

If you're going to give your change away, give it to the guy with no legs that rides a skateboard around campo de fiori and pushes himself with a boot on his hand. Don't mind the fact that his mobile phone is probably nicer than yours.

Feel free to give money to accordian guys. I love those guys, it makes the meal just that much more authentic.

You'll have no problems with crime unless you are hanging around Termini at night. You can get jacked over there, but I never had any problems. Then again, I look the part more or less.

Chicks are ok to be out alone at night, but they need to watch their drinks (gay guys too). The only crime you're likely to encounter is pickpocketing and backpack theft. It's terrible.

Watch for the scam where they come up to your table and show you something and swipe your phone or whatever off the table while you're looking at their wares. You say no thanks, they're surprisingly easy to get rid of, your phone is gone.


Cow, you're going with your wife, right? Be prepared to be accosted my many a flower vendor. And if you think that buying one will keep the others away, you're wrong. A woman with a flower is a sign that the guy want to buy cheap toys and useless items. Vendors gravitate toward people like that.

Piazzas at night are filled with these guys. Just say no and don't look at the item. If you look they think you're interested. If they get it in your hand, they wont take it back, they'll just keep asking for money. You'll laugh at how stupid some of the things are.

If you actually like something, never pay more than half of what they're asking.


la flames fan, how old are you? I can advise on where to go at night.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

Another question . . . . . I'll be staying near the Vatican on Via Rienzo . . . . are there any places a fella can run in Rome, parks, pathways, etc that are fairly near there?

Cowperson

You can run down by the river unless it's still flooded, which it probably will be until late june.
Rome is not very jogger friendly. Cobblestone everywhere, unless you're on a sidewalk by a busy (smoggy) street. Blech.

edit** watch for dog crap on the sidewalks. And you may consider venturing over to gianicolo for a jog, but it's a good 20 minute walk to get there. You'll probably find that most of your roman excursion will be spent on foot, so you'll get your exersize that way.


**edit again Villa Borghese is great for jogging, but you'll have to take a short ride on the metro to get there from Vatican. It's about a 30 min walk.



If you're staying by vatican, walk down the street that heads directly east out of piazza risorgimento. There are a few street vendor shops that sell really nice collared shirts for 15-30 euro. My closet is full of them.

[4X4]

I just noticed that you're going in November. THE perfect time to go. Won't be hot, wont be cold, wont be too busy, wont be too expensive.

[4X4]

Cow, when you get to Rome, look for the free newspaper. In there there'll be info on free concerts and events. May to September has lots of them. I saw Billy Joel and Bryan Adams for free at the colosseo last August. It was awesome.

[4X4]

Actually, now that I think about it, Via Reinzo is the street with the shirt vendors. I think. You should be able to see Piazza del Popolo off in the distance.

[La Flames Fan]

That would be GREAT 4x4.

I'm 27.

[4X4]

If you stay in a party type hostel, they'll probably be pimping a pub crawl. The only pub crawl that is worth the $$ is the Spanish Steps pub crawl. Trust me on this.

If you're an independant type, just head downtown and hit Campo de Fiori. There's tons of bars there and one bar in particular called the drunken ship that is always filled with american students studying at john cabot uni. You'll meet plenty of drunk chicks there.

My personal fave is a place called Scholars Lounge. I give major props to this pub because I befriended the owner and he actually let me stay there after hours to watch the playoffs last year. I was also pretty good friends (really good friends) with a couple of the waitresses. This place rocks. Say hi to Declan for me if you go here. He is the owner (irish guy).

The nags head is also pretty good and on the same street as scholars lounge (they're both just a 30 second walk from piazza venezia).


Now, if you really want to have fun (and have $$), spend a night partying your a$$ of in Testaccio. It is a hardcore european style electric ave. The bars there are expensive and you'll get dissed if you're not dressed well or are really unfortunate looking. Note the hot chicks. I swear it's like hollywood. Nary an ugly person in sight. (I know that sounds bad, but it's true).
Grease the palm of the bouncer and don't forget to attempt to greet them in Italian. You'll be fine.

I've had more fun in Testaccio in one summer than I had in my whole life. Really, very worth it. But as a point of reference, for myself and a lady, I bought two shots of southern comfort and two glasses of water and it was 26 euro. A can of red bull was around 15 euro and draft beer is about 10 euro. It's really expensive.
Oh, if you don't dance, just don't go to Testaccio. Any girl you meet here is here to dance.

In the side streets between piazza navona and the pantheon and around the pantheon there are quite a few good bars too. You may want to go on the pub crawl the first or second night and then the next few nights just go by yourself.

Campo de Fiori - good pubs/bars, cost efficient
Pantheon (piazza della rotonda) - same as campo
piazza navona side streets - same as campo, but restaurants here are fairly pricey
Testaccio - expensive as hell, but man oh man, well, let's just say that I have MANY fond memories from Testaccio.

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by 4X4

You can run down by the river unless it's still flooded, which it probably will be until late june.
Rome is not very jogger friendly. Cobblestone everywhere, unless you're on a sidewalk by a busy (smoggy) street. Blech.

edit** watch for dog crap on the sidewalks. And you may consider venturing over to gianicolo for a jog, but it's a good 20 minute walk to get there. You'll probably find that most of your roman excursion will be spent on foot, so you'll get your exersize that way..

Something interesting . . . . . sight jogging programs and routes in Rome.

http://www.sightjogging.it/index_eng.html

St. Peter's Basilica, Janiculum Hill and Travestere are among the routes.

EDIT: Now this is funny . . . . I just found out my hotel in Rome has a jogging track.

Another question . . . . . how are the official taxi's marked?

Cowperson

[4X4]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

Something interesting . . . . . sight jogging programs and routes in Rome.

http://www.sightjogging.it/index_eng.html

St. Peter's Basilica, Janiculum Hill and Travestere are among the routes.

EDIT: Now this is funny . . . . I just found out my hotel in Rome has a jogging track.

Another question . . . . . how are the official taxi's marked?

Cowperson

What you call janiculum, I called Gianicolo. There is no J in the italian alphabet. It is replaced by 'gi' or 'ge'. And I guess 'um' is often replaced with 'o' (like colosseum and colosseo).

Trastevere is a terrible place to jog. It is all cobblestone. Hell, most of Rome is cobblestone, but especially Trastevere. Trastevere is an awesome place to walk. Wander. Peruse. Explore. Slowly, casually, strolling.

In fact, it's a must for anyone that spends more than 4 days in Roma. Spend an afternoon in Trastevere. Eat, drink and be merry.




Official Taxis are white with orange and black logos, and a radio number. Oh yeah, and the light thingy on the roof.

If the "taxi" is a black or silver full sized benz, it's an illegal cab. Though sometimes this is an alright way to go. On the other hand, I don't recommend this to anyone that doesn't know the city.

Cow, if you're staying by Vatican, a cab from Termini SHOULDN'T COST MORE THAN 25 Euro! Unless your wife has 13 suitcases.

If you cab it from an airport (fuimicino(leonardo da vinci) or ciampino), there are flat rates. IIRC, 50 euro from fuimicino and 40 euro from ciampino. This is a good deal. The alternative is taking the train from the airport to Termini (11 euro each), then a taxi (25 euro). Inbetween, watch your bags at Termini. You wouldn't believe how good those gypsies are at the old 'divert and snatch'.
I worked the station for a year. Almost daily I saw some poor sucker frantically looking for his suitcase. Or laptop. Or wallet. Or passport. Or hamburger. Truuuuust me!

[4X4]

ps, you're gonna feel mighty dorky jogging around Vatican. Dodging tourists, ducking cameras...

You'll get plenty of exercise walking. You'll pretty much walk everywhere, once you've ditched your bags.

[Eric Vail]

When I lived in Rome, I had a buddy who frequently went running around the Castel Sant Angelo. It is very close to the Vatican.

Don't keep your wallet in your back pocket - paticularly on a bus or the metro or any crowded area. Keep it in your front pocket, as it is more difficult to slide out.

[Cowperson]

In London and New York, I'd go for a run for an hour or so (Central Park and Hyde Park) and then walk all day with the missus . . . . . very enjoyable. Both were great cities for running believe it or not. I loved London for St. James Park, Regents Park and Hyde Park.

I don't feel like NOT running for weeks on end so I'll be looking for parks.

You'll get plenty of exercise walking.

Honestly, not the same thing. The peculiar thing is that I can run for a few hours without stopping but Mrs. Cowperson, who isn't a runner, will eventually walk me into the ground. Must be all the practice she gets in the malls.

I'll be cabbing from the airport to the hotel . . . but later cabbing to Termini to take the train to Florence. I'll be looking for the official cabs.

Here's another peculiar but probably obvious question . . . . . how do you take your baggage on the train? Do you check it at security and pick it up at your destination or do you simply lug it onto the train and throw it into the overhead bins. We'll have one larger case and two smaller bags . . . . travelling fairly light. We took a day trip on a train from London to Leeds but obvioiusly had no baggage so didn't run into the question. Comments?

Cowperson

[Aeneas]

Hadn't looked in a while and have some comments.

Cowperson: I've always stowed baggage above my head in the train compartment. If there is another option, i don't know of it.

The clothing issue: I remember reading in some guidebook or other that Europeans in general view wearing shorts as the province of the very young, or of imbeciles. Liked that. My last trip I wore nice shoes (but still comfortable) and long pants in the cities, and reserved my shorts and sandals for the Cinque Terre hiking, and wandering about Umbria. Tried to fit in I guess.

Trastevere: 4x4, I made a point of spending a few hours here, and intended to eat at a place much like you describe. I was enjoying it, here was real medieval Roma to wander about. However the lady friend with whom I was traveling, felt unsafe. She made it quite clear she had no intention of eating there. Sure it is quite rundown and old; but I just found it charming. I like very old areas, and authentic sites. I like meeting locals rather than people who cater to tourists. I have been to places like Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, but would rather poke about in a desolate ruin somewhere, for example. So, I guess maybe it was more up my alley than hers, so to speak. I'm certainly not trying to put anyone off going there, it's worth a visit.

[socalwingfan]

My wife and I spent 5 days in Rome and stayed at a great hotel in Trastevere. The restaurants were amazing and although the area is a little sketchy, we never felt afraid or anything and we walked through the area at all times during the night.

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by Eric Vail

When I lived in Rome, I had a buddy who frequently went running around the Castel Sant Angelo. It is very close to the Vatican.

Don't keep your wallet in your back pocket - paticularly on a bus or the metro or any crowded area. Keep it in your front pocket, as it is more difficult to slide out.

It appears Castel Sant Angelo is about two blocks from my hotel. Thanks.

I'm one of those peculiar people who doesn't use a wallet. Never have. Even when they've been gifted to me. I always carry stuff in the front pocket.

Cowperson

[4X4]

Well, if you're a runner, then your vacation wouldn't be a vacation without doing what you enjoy.

I highly recommend running in Villa Borghese or Gianicolo. I never really considered Castel St. Angelo. It's not a bad suggestion. You could do laps around it I suppose.

Running in the streets is not recommended because the streets are narrow and busy. Running may be kinda dangerous as Romans have a tendancy to just come flying through blind intersections (especially on motos).
To be clear, alot of streets have no sidewalk, so you really do walk in streets alot of the time in Rome.

I think you can check bags when travelling by train, but if you're travelling light, just keep your stuff in your posession as much as possible. There is plenty of overhead storage on trains.

As far as suitcases go, I highly recommend a GOOD quality rolling suitcase. Cheap stuff will break on cobblestones.

I really never considered Trastevere sketchy. Youth like to hang aroun in the area, especially in the Santa Maria in Trastevere Piazza. I wouldn't say it's sketchy. Termini is sketchy. Trastevere, not so much.

And what aeneas said about shorts is very true in Rome.