Things to avoid in Rome

Travel Tips Jul-19-2018 by Preetam Banerjee

There are cultural expectations and traditions you are expected to follow anywhere you travel and Italy may have even more rules than usual. When it comes to dining, behavior in public, and transportation in the city, it helps if you do research to ensure you have a smooth and enjoyable visit to the city of Rome. Curious about how much to tip? Hoping to avoid making the faux pas? Read on to discover things you should avoid doing on a trip to Rome.

Dont eat and walk:

Mealtimes are sacred in Italy and Italians are infamous for lingering over long meals, both at lunch and dinner. Although street food is a popular concept that has to pop up all over the city, youre still expected to pull up a seat at a stool in the informal establishment, perch up at the bar while you eat, or take away your order to go and find a seat on a bench in a nearby park. Italians dont eat or consume beverages while walking in the streets and neither should you. Gelato is excluded from this rule.

Dont order a cappuccino during the afternoon:

This is arguably the most famous Italian food rule: dont order a cappuccino in the afternoon. Cappuccinos are considered a breakfast coffee and are often consumed as the first thing in the morning with a sweet pastry. After lunch, the high proportion of milk is thought to impede digestion and Italians are highly concerned about digestion. Digestion is of utmost importance and they believe drinking it on a full stomach will be too heavy. If you need a splash of milk in your coffee, a Cafe macchiato is acceptable at any hour of the day.

Dont wait to eat :

That being said, when youre seated at a restaurant, it's a common practice to begin eating as soon as your dish arrives, even if youre the first one served. You can politely tell your dining guests that youll wait for them but this is just for the sake of demonstrating your good manners. Romans will always tell you to go ahead and start before it gets cold: eating food is a truly important social and cultural ritual and is meant to be enjoyed, so its best eaten fresh from the kitchen.

Skip the Vatican Museums :

Unless you want to wake up at the crack of dawn to avoid the crowds, that is. Go to the Capitoline Museums and Galleria Borghese instead. At the former, youll see marble sculptures from Antiquity, statues by Bernini, paintings by the likes of Caravaggio, and a breathtaking view of the Roman Forum. The latter is a must-visit museum to see masterpieces by Canova, Rafael, Bellini, and Titian. Afterward, go for a stroll in the gardens of Villa Borghese, where you can take a rowboat on the lake and discover a replica of Lo.If youve ever spent any time in Rome, you know that the city functions in a sort of organized chaos, with its own set of unspoken rules and customs. To make the most of a trip to the Eternal City, the key is to strategize and do as the Romans do and always remember these tips!