Mistakes to avoid

What to avoid in Rome, and what to do instead?

Avoid city fines, denied entries and closure days. There are ten mistakes, and all can be avoided by knowing them in advance.

The table brings together the costliest mistakes, with the rule and what you risk. Below, section by section, the details and the exact wording of the rules.

What you should do instead is simple: book the Colosseum and Borghese, dress for churches when your itinerary includes them, check the day of the week before every museum.

How strict is the Sistine Chapel dress code?

Enough to keep you out. The Vatican Museums do not admit "sleeveless and/or low-cut clothing, shorts that do not cover to the knees, miniskirts and hats", and the rule also applies to the Sistine Chapel.

The official Vatican Museums text states that entry is "permitted only to visitors dressed in a decent manner". It does not mention shoulders, but "sleeveless" clothing: a tank top is not allowed, a short-sleeved T-shirt falls under the rule. For St Peter's Basilica the rule is similar: no clothing that is too short, tank tops or hats.

Tour listings often ask for more: long sleeves, long trousers, shoulders and knees covered. Follow them, because with a group an entry problem becomes everyone’s problem. The simplest trick is a light scarf in your bag, to put over your shoulders when you enter.

Inside the Sistine Chapel another rule applies: "photography and video recording with any type of electronic device is forbidden", and absolute silence is requested. Even your phone stays in your pocket.

Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St Peter's with a guide in three hours, entries already booked and an illustrated sheet of the Sistine Chapel. Security checks remain for everyone.

★ 4.6 · 3 hours · from $64

Discover the Vatican guided tour → Tour details

What not to wear in Rome as a tourist?

Outside churches you can dress as you like, jeans included, even for dinner. Swimwear is not allowed: according to the press, the city police regulations also ban walking around in swimwear.

Can you wear jeans in Rome? Yes, during the day and for dinner. The problem is not jeans, it is short shorts and tank tops when you enter the Vatican, St Peter's or a church. If your day’s itinerary mixes squares and churches, dress for the churches.

Shoes matter more than clothes. The tour listings, from the Colosseum to the historic centre, all ask for comfortable shoes, and the Roman Forum with the Palatine is walked for hours.

Then there are hats: they are not allowed in the Vatican and in St Peter's. In summer, hold them in your hand at the entrance.

What fines can you risk in Rome?

The most well-known, according to the press: €250 for anyone sitting on the Spanish Steps, €400 if you dirty or damage them, and €160 to €450 for anyone bathing in a fountain. Under law 99/2009, anyone buying counterfeit goods risks a fine of €100 to €7,000.

Since 2019, sitting on the Spanish Steps has been banned by the city police regulations: according to the press, the fine is €250 and rises to €400 if you dirty or damage the steps, for example by eating or drinking. The same regulations ban bathing in historic fountains: according to reports, fines range from €160 to €450, and at the Trevi Fountain tourists have been fined €450. You may also receive a DASPO urbano, an order to leave the area.

Throwing a coin into Trevi is not prohibited; collecting the coins is. According to Finestre sull'Arte, the money goes to Caritas Roma.

Then there is the rule that few people know: in Italy, buying counterfeit goods is also punishable, not just selling them. Under law 99/2009, the buyer risks a fine of €100 to €7,000. That fake bag from the street vendor is not a bargain.

Does the Trevi Fountain cost? The rules of the €2 ticket

Yes, from 2 February 2026: €2 for the area in front of the basin, from 9:00 to 22:00, for non-residents. The rest of the square is free.

The ticket is paid at the SmartPOS terminals at the entrance to the area, at the ticket offices of the Sistema Musei and at the Tourist Infopoint. It applies every day, including the first Sunday of the month. Residents of Roma Capitale and the Metropolitan City of Rome are exempt with ID, as are children up to 5 years old, people with disabilities and one companion.

The mistake is thinking the first Sunday is free for everyone, like in museums: it isn’t. And it’s not a ticket for all: Rome residents don’t pay.

If you want Trevi as part of a longer tour, the guided walk goes past Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon and Piazza Navona in two hours.

What are the most common tourist mistakes in Rome?

Not checking closing days, buying tickets from clone sites, putting the wrong name on the Colosseum ticket, and arriving late in winter when it closes at 16:30.

First is the calendar. Vatican Museums are closed on Sundays except the last one; Galleria Borghese, Castel Sant'Angelo and Appia Antica on Mondays; San Callisto catacombs on Wednesdays. Pick the wrong day and the visit is off.

Second are clone sites. Vatican Museums warn of domains similar to the official one that charge more: the official site is tickets.museivaticani.va, Colosseum’s is ticketing.colosseo.it. On GetYourGuide each listing shows the meeting point and what’s included.

Third is the name. At the Colosseum the ticket is named and they check ID at entry: if the name doesn’t match, you don’t enter and there’s no refund. For visits from 9 May 2026 the name can be changed once, until midnight 7 days before, in allowed cases. Guided tours also require full name and birth date for each participant.

Fourth is the winter clock: from 25 October to 28 February the last entry to the Colosseum is at 15:30. What not to do in Rome as an American, or foreigner in general? The same things, plus one: don’t assume tipping is mandatory. Service, if included, is already on the bill.

Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine with a guide and official ticket included: names are entered at booking, as required by the named ticket. Free cancellation up to 3 days before.

★ 4.8 · 2.5 hours · from $55

Discover the guided tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine → Tour details

Is it safe to go to Rome now?

Yes, with the usual precautions of a big city. The US State Department keeps Italy at level 2, «exercise increased caution», for terrorism risk, with the advisory reissued on 10 September 2026.

The latest update did not change the level. The same advisory notes that pickpocketing is common in tourist areas and on public transport, and that is the real risk in Rome.

Wear your backpack in front on crowded transport, don’t leave your phone on the café table, keep your wallet in a closed pocket. In the Vatican and St Peter’s, security checks apply to everyone, even with reserved entry: allow time, and leave knives and scissors at the hotel.

Travel light in museums. Tour listings exclude large suitcases and bags, and the Colosseum’s also bans glass, sprays and alcohol.

What to buy in Rome, and what to leave?

Buy from shops and boutiques, not from street vendors: buying counterfeit goods risks a fine. For food, Pecorino Romano DOP is the most Roman souvenir there is.

Rome has no single mandatory souvenir, but it has a rule on purchases that applies to all of Italy: fake bags or sunglasses sold on the street cost the buyer dearly: under law 99/2009, the buyer risks €100 to €7,000.

The best souvenirs are edible. Pecorino Romano DOP is the ingredient of cacio e pepe and carbonara, guanciale is the ingredient of three out of four pastas. The recipes are in the guide to what to eat.

Coins, on the other hand, leave them at the Trevi Fountain.

Frequently asked questions