Planning Ahead
Strict dress codes are enforced at St. Peter's and other major religious sites. Be sure to bring along a change of relatively modest, unrevealing clothing it you're planning on visiting these.Rome in general is quite nonchalant about maintaining strict visiting hours. Not only do hours vary seasonally, they can change from day to day as custodians see fit. It's best to consider the hours listed here as approximate.
The frenzied traffic of main streets, like the Corso or Via Emanuele or Via Trastevere, can be avoided by scenic detours through historic areas where traffic is restricted, so get a good map. Use official crosswalks if you expect Roman drivers to notice you. Beware of cars traveling in reverse. Know that Romans do not curb their dogs.
Binoculars can be essential for viewing ceiling mosaics and frescoes as well as reliefs carved high on triumphal arches and columns.
When To Go
Rome's climate permits tourism year-round; however, July averages 31<124>C (88Ç F) for a high, and 24° C (75° F) for a low, and August can be debilitatingly hot, if conveniently without much rain; and freezing temperatures are not impossible in January, with an average high of 12° C (54° F) and an average low of 8° C (46° F) and February. On the whole, Rome is not especially wet, but the rains in November and December sometimes are persistent enough to interrupt the pleasure of your sightseeing. As usual in Italy, the spring and fall offer the best weather; especially May, with average high temperatures of 23° C (73° F), and average lows of 13° C (55° F), and October with an average high of 23° C (73° F) and an average low of 18° C (64° F). The surrounding hills of Latium, particularly the Apennine foothills to the east, are known for their cooling summer breezes. The Tyrrhenian Sea, only 32 kilometers (20 miles) east of Rome, has a moderating influence on the weather of the region.