Rome is a city you live in, not a museum you visit. You'll cut through a 2,000-year-old piazza on your way to grab a coffee, eat better than you ever have for under €15, and figure out that the metro is useless so you just walk everywhere. Base yourself in or near Trastevere if you can — it's where the students are, where the best food is, and where the nights end. Here's how to actually do a semester here.
See & Do
The big monuments are right out in the open and a lot of the best stuff is free — every church is worth a peek, every fountain is a meeting spot. Buy a combined Colosseum/Forum/Palatine ticket online in advance to skip the line, do the Vatican early in the morning, and save the Borghese for a calm afternoon (it requires a timed reservation, so book ahead).
Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill — One combined ticket covers all three and they're next to each other — do them together in a morning. Book online to skip the brutal line.
Vatican City, St Peter's & the Sistine Chapel — Set aside a full half-day. Get there at opening to beat the crowds, climb the dome of St Peter's for the view, and don't rush the Sistine Chapel.
Pantheon — Free to enter (reserve a slot online on weekends) and genuinely jaw-dropping — a perfect 2,000-year-old dome with a hole open to the sky. Piazza della Rotonda.
Trevi Fountain — Go late at night when the crowd thins out. Toss a coin over your shoulder so you come back to Rome — it's cheesy and you'll do it anyway.
Borghese Gallery & Villa Borghese — The Bernini sculptures will ruin you for other museums. Timed entry, book ahead. After, rent a bike or just nap in the gardens — Rome's big central park.
Piazza Navona & Campo de' Fiori — Navona for the Bernini fountains and overpriced gelato; Campo for the morning produce market that turns into the nightlife hub after dark.
Spanish Steps — Sit, people-watch, and window-shop the designer streets that fan out below (Via dei Condotti). A good central landmark to orient yourself.
Trastevere — The cobblestoned neighbourhood you'll fall in love with — ivy, tiny piazzas, and the densest concentration of good restaurants and bars in the city.
Castel Sant'Angelo & Jewish Ghetto — The riverside fortress has the best sunset rooftop view of the dome. The Ghetto next door is one of the oldest, most atmospheric corners of Rome — and where the fried-artichoke magic happens.
Where to Eat
This is the whole reason you'll fall for Rome. Stick to neighbourhood trattorias over anything near a monument, learn the four Roman pasta classics (carbonara, cacio e pepe, amatriciana, gricia), and never order a cappuccino after 11am if you don't want to be made. Most of these are in or around Trastevere and the Ghetto — book ahead for the popular ones, especially on weekends.
Osteria di Fortunata — Students who studied here call it their single best meal in Rome. Watch the nonnas hand-roll pasta in the window, then eat it. Go early or expect a wait — no reservations.
Dar Poeta (Trastevere) — The pizza everyone sends you to. Thin, blistered, perfect — and finish with the legendary ricotta-and-Nutella calzone. Go for lunch or a casual dinner.
Felice a Testaccio — The cacio e pepe that ruins all other cacio e pepe — they finish it tableside. In the Testaccio neighbourhood; reserve, it's a destination.
La Carbonara (Campo de' Fiori) — Exactly what it sounds like — get the carbonara, eat it on the square. A reliable Campo classic for a proper Roman dinner.
Trattoria Da Buccatino — Old-school, generous, no-frills Roman cooking that students keep going back to. The kind of place you take your visiting parents.
Da Francesco & Taverna Trilussa — Da Francesco (near Piazza Navona) for great pizza and antipasti; Taverna Trilussa (Trastevere) is a pricier splurge that's genuinely worth it — they serve the pasta in the pan.
Ba Ghetto (Jewish Ghetto) — Roman-Jewish cooking in the Ghetto — order the carciofi alla giudia (deep-fried whole artichoke) and eat outside on the historic street.
Maccheroni, Cul de Sac & Aristocampo — Maccheroni near the Pantheon for handmade pasta; Cul de Sac by Piazza Navona is a wine bar perfect for a long lunch; Aristocampo (Trastevere) for build-your-own panini on the go.
Casetta di Trastevere, Antico Arco, Baccanale & Tony's — Trastevere depth chart: Casetta is reasonable and great, Baccanale is the cosy go-to, Tony's (Hostaria del Moro da Tony) is the weekly regular, and Antico Arco does the best bread in the area.
Pinsere (lunch) + Gelateria Frigidarium (gelato) — Pinsere for a €5 Roman-style pinsa slice between classes; Frigidarium near Piazza Navona for the best gelato — get it dipped in chocolate.
Bars & Nightlife
Roman nights start late and start cheap. Campo de' Fiori is the loud, packed, very-American student hub — fun, a little chaotic, full of people from your program. Trastevere is for cheaper drinks and spilling out into the piazzas. The clubs near the centre have a dress code and a cover, so look decent and go in a group. Always sort your walk or taxi home before you head out.
The Drunken Ship (Campo de' Fiori) — The study-abroad headquarters. Loud, packed, half your program is here every weekend. Power hour and beer pong — embrace it once, then find your own spots.
Sloppy Sam's (Campo de' Fiori) — Right next to the Drunken Ship and the same energy — the two Campo bars you'll bounce between. Great cheap pre-game before a club.
Scholars & Abbey Theatre (Irish pubs) — Irish pubs near the centre for a chiller night, big sports screenings, and beer that isn't a tiny aperitivo glass. Easy group hang.
Art Cafe — The polished, see-and-be-seen club in the Villa Borghese area — dress up, expect a guestlist/cover, and go later. The big night out.
Shari Vari — Central, multi-room club near the Pantheon that pulls a mixed Roman/international crowd. A reliable Thursday-or-weekend option.
Gilda & G Bar — The dressed-up, slightly fancier club scene near the Spanish Steps. Higher cover, stricter door — save it for a night you want to feel glam.
Aperitivo, anywhere — The move before dinner: order a spritz or a glass of wine around 7 and the free snack spread basically counts as a first course. Trastevere's piazzas are best for it.
Day Trips
Rome is the perfect launchpad — fast trains in every direction and an ancient world an hour away — and Florence 90 minutes up the fast line. Bank a couple of these on weekends you're not flying somewhere, and book regional trains a few days ahead for the cheaper fares.
Ostia Antica — Rome's own Pompeii, 30 minutes on a regional train and dirt cheap. A whole ancient port city you can wander with almost no crowds — easy half-day.
Naples & Pompeii — Take the fast train to Naples (~70 min), then the local Circumvesuviana to Pompeii. Eat the original pizza in Naples on the way. Doable in a long day, better as an overnight.
Florence — Just 90 minutes on the high-speed train — close enough for a day trip but worth a weekend. The Duomo, the Uffizi, and the best leather in Italy.
Tivoli — An hour east: Villa d'Este's fountains and gardens plus Hadrian's sprawling villa. A pretty, low-effort escape from the city.
Orvieto — A dramatic hilltop town on the train line toward Florence — stunning cathedral, underground caves, and great white wine. Easy half-day stop.
The coast (Sperlonga / Santa Marinella) — When it's hot, locals train it to the beach. Sperlonga is the prettier one; Santa Marinella is the closest. Pack a towel and go.
Practical Info
Budget: €55–80/day living like a student: trattoria dinners (€12–18 for pasta and wine), €1 espresso standing at the bar, and aperitivo instead of a pricey dinner. Club covers (€10–20) and bottle service are what blow the budget.
Best time: April–June and September–October for warm days without the brutal August heat (when half the city closes). Summer is sweltering and crowded; winter is mild, cheap, and underrated.
Getting there: Most flights land at Fiumicino (Da Vinci), about 40 minutes from the centre — take the Leonardo Express train or the cheaper regional train into the city rather than a taxi, which costs far more (and more at night). For an early flight, consider staying near the airport the night before. Once in town, the metro is limited, so plan to walk and use buses.
The metro barely covers the centre — Rome is a walking city, so wear real shoes and just go on foot.
Drink your espresso standing at the bar (al banco). Sitting down at a table can triple the price.
Carry a refillable bottle — the nasoni (public drinking fountains) all over the city pour cold, clean, free water.
Tap water and bread aren't always free at restaurants, and a small coperto (cover charge) per person is normal, not a scam.
Validate regional train tickets in the green/yellow machines before boarding or you can be fined.
Campo de' Fiori bars are wall-to-wall with your program — fun, but venture into Trastevere for cheaper drinks and a more local night.
Always go out in a group and have your route home sorted before you leave.