Some quick tips:
HOTELS: I do not get into hotel recommendations. I will always say to stay near the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Campo dei Fiori, Jewish Quarter...especially if you have kids. Beyond that, I do not have any advice. Stay near Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps if you like high-end shopping and high-end restaurants. Elegant. Hotels near Saint Peters/Vatican tends to be cheaper, but it is too far from everything (this is why it is cheaper). Also cheap but not advised - hotels near Termini train station. Use Booking.com and try to find something near the sites I mention.
TICKETS: Do not delay, tickets sell out the day they go on sale. and your entire tour will be cheaper if you get legit tix asap. After that I can try my trusted brokers. What you see on the ‘net is usually fake, bait and switch.
Free days - usually on the first Sunday of the month (but not only) sound good but actually means long lines. We avoid like the plague. Better to have a ticket in hand and skip the long lines. Good news: As bad as Rome tix situation is, Florence, Venice, Pompei etc still seem somewhat normal.
EVENING - The riverside and island in the Tiber are open in the summer with a carnival atmosphere. Shopping, eats, open air cinema, people watching - Even if the food is not of the same quality as at traditional restaurants, you should definitely plan to stroll there one of your nights
This website is VERY useful for everything that is happening in Rome https://www.turismoroma.it/en/. You can also try http://www.060608.it/en and or https://www.wantedinrome.com/whatson
Our main cultural events can be found here, http://www.auditorium.com and here
http://www.operaroma.it/en/ including Opera outdoors at the Baths of Caracalla
The Colosseum offers NIGHT tours, including the underground, also in English, on Thursday nights in high season. (this might expand in 2025). It is a group tour, and not with my guides, but if seeing the underground is crucial, and I cannot get for you in the daytime, this might be a way.
Caesar’s Forum and hopefully also Forum of Augustus this year (TBD) usually have sound and light shows. All languages. Timetables here http://www.viaggioneifori.it/en/
Think siesta! Or at least an activity that gets you out of the sun for the heart of the day! Do your sightseeing in the early morning with one of my guides or late afternoon. (Don’t worry, we will have enough time) :-) Related, we eat dinner late here!
Many sites are NOT air conditioned. But churches and catacombs are a great escape from the heat!
Aside from the ubiquitous gelato, in the summer there is “grattachecca,” our version of shaved ice or (for those from Baltimore!), snowballs. Perfect for cooling off - you must try
We also have the beach (not the sexiest part of the Mediterranean, but better than nothing) only 30 minutes away by train. There are some hotels with pools but not many.
Don’t forget sunscreen, lightly colored cotton clothes, comfy shoes, water bottles, mineral salts (gatorade), sunglasses, hats & visors
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-Enjoy your Roman Holiday!
Laura
ps During COVID I conducted live lectures from Rome! Now we are back to live tours, but private lectures are still available, as recordings to rent or as custom Zoom lectures to book for your friends, family, culture club, church, synagogue, museum or University.
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