We had a great trip to Rome. Was it perfect? Not at all. Was it worth it? Yes! Do I wish we’d done a few things differently? For sure. So, I was inspired to write this post to help my fellow first-timers to Rome and Vatican City. Here are my true confessions of things we could have done better. And now, you can make the trip without making the same mistakes!

Not having skip-the-line tickets to the Colosseum

This might shock some people: The problem wasn’t the line to the ticket counter. Because we knew we’d be jet lagged, and that days with a five-month-old can be unpredictable even at home, we decided not to buy advance tickets to the Colosseum, and instead we planned to go first thing (for us) on our first full day and deal with the consequences of standing in line. It was the only thing we planned to do that day, so we were prepared to spend an hour or two in line, as all the blogs warned. While we would have preferred to go with a guide who could really bring the Colosseum to life for us and answer our questions, we opted to download the official MyColosseum app, which is FREE and includes an audio guide in English. It seemed like the best option for our particular situation.

Fortunately, we waited less than 10 minutes in line, since we visited in mid-December, which is not at all the high season. Unfortunately, the app was down, and there were no other options: No significant signage, no hand-held audio guides to pay extra for, no tour guides waiting around to be hired. We walked around the #1 site in Rome with only the information we Googled in real time. Not the best way to start our trip! It was super frustrating, and I wish we had just gone for the advance ticket with a tour guide at a committed time. Whoops! Don’t make our mistake. Check out the highly recommended The Roman Guy.

More here: What to Know Before Your First Trip to Rome

Adding a Meal to our Vatican Museums Ticket

Full disclosure: My Italian Lady Friend recommended NOT doing this, but I knew we’d be spending the majority of the day here, and I wanted to make sure we ate! But not only was it totally unnecessary, this honestly messed up our entire time at the Vatican Museums. We had to choose a time in advance, so we were bound to that and shorted ourselves some time at the museums because of it. And not only that, it was just a cafeteria, and the food wasn’t that great! In reality, there are several dining options at the Vatican Museums, including a pizza place, cafe, and a nicer restaurant (which is actually what I thought I was making a reservation for).

If I had it to do over again, I would have planned to wait until we were hungry and get a sandwich at the cafe on the ground level, near the carriage museum. We would have had more time to see and do what we wanted instead of rushing through to get to lunch on time!

Try these instead: The Best Places to Eat in Rome

Not Planning Well

You may have already gathered this about our trip. I’m usually such an avid planner. I’m not one to fill every second of every day, but I definitely do my research about the most efficient way to see and do what we want, with plenty of downtime so we don’t stress about rushing from one place to the next. But with a new baby and with this being our first trip abroad, I just dropped the ball on planning. I thought, “Hey, we’re professionals, Rome is a major tourism city, we can wing it!” Um, no. Do some research, make a list of the things you want to see and do, and don’t get caught up in thinking you can wing it.

Also helpful: The Top 10 Things to Do Outdoors in Rome

Not Trying Harder to Get Over Jet Lag

Hindsight is 20/20! In the moment, I was really struggling to get out of bed each day due to a combination of jet lag and being up multiple times a night with our daughter. Normally, I would just turn on the lights, make myself get out of bed, and get some movement to signal to my body that it’s time to be awake. But I “gave myself some grace” and slept in almost every day instead. While that’s the dream for many, it’s not what works for me, and I know it. The couple of days that I did get myself up and moving, I had much better days. The days I slept in, I felt like I was starting behind and couldn’t catch up.

Even worse? I missed out on morning walks with my husband and our baby girl! Plus, early morning is the best time to get photos of the most iconic Rome sites like the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain with the fewest people milling about. Golden opportunity: Missed.

This is a personal choice, as some people don’t mind starting their day later. I actually get very down if I sleep in and skip my morning movement. So, if you’re like me and know that you’ll have a better time if you just get up and at it, listen to your gut.

Read on: How to Use Jet Lag As Your Secret Travel Weapon

Wearing Shoes that Hurt My Feet

In an effort not to look like a target for pickpockets, and to keep my feet dry on drizzly days, I chose to walk around for several days in my duck boots, which have no give and don’t fit me perfectly. This was so not the right choice! I finally broke down and wore my running shoes, which were neon yellow but also far more comfortable. That’s what I should have been wearing the whole time! No doubt about it: Comfort is key when you’re walking 24,000+ steps on cobblestones and uneven surfaces, y’all.

More here: The Ultimate Guide to Travel and Your Feet (according to my podiatrist)

One Thing We Did Right: Staying Downtown

This is my non-negotiable: When we travel, we stay in the thick of it! Staying outside the city is cheaper, but for us, the convenience plus the fact that we don’t have to pay to commute into the city is always well worth the extra cost per night. Especially with a baby in tow, it was great to be able to go back to the hotel in the middle of the day, or whenever we wanted to. We could walk anywhere–from the Colosseum to the Vatican to the the Villa Borghese and beyond.

Rome is more spread out than many old cities, but it’s all very walkable if you’re staying downtown. We recommend choosing an accommodation on the east side of the river, in the Parione, Pigna, Sant’Angelo, or Campitelli neighborhoods. We stayed at the Hotel Damaso in the Parione area, and it was a great choice for us!

Must read: The 7 Best Tips to Avoid Pickpockets in Rome

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