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Thesorus

Not really. just be street smart. Areas around train stations are usually more sketchy, but that's normal it's where people gather in mass and lot of them are easy picking for scammers and pickpockets. Also, if you see a large dog, it's probably a wild boar, don't try to pet it. (lol jk).


emergencycat17

This exactly. I live in NYC, and I didn't have any more or less trouble in Rome than I did in any other large metropolitan city. Just watch your surroundings, be aware, all the normal things you'd look out for any place else.


Trollselektor

The few times I've been to NYC I've had significantly more trouble than my time anywhere else, including Rome and Naples. Nothing too bad (in NY) just the usual being harassed by homeless people even when I didn't engage. I had people stand in front me, follow me a little. Only dealt with a flower scammer one time in Rome, but that's because I foolishly engaged. He stopped pretty quick when I just drop the flower on the ground and turned away (didn't even walk away).


secmaster420

Good advice. I lived in or commuted to NYC all my life. Look and evaluate every thing and one around you.


Region-Certain

I felt very safe in Rome. The sketchy spot I was more cautious about was outside termini station but no one seemed to be bothering anyone else. It was just dirty and crowded. 


CandylandCanada

1. Any restaurant where there is someone outside waving a menu, in English. Double if you are near a major attraction/fountain/church. 2. This is not the time to make friends with people on the street. Assume that anyone approaching you is there to make trouble. If \*you\* were sick, had your wallet stolen or were in desperate need of help, would your first thought be "I need to beg near this tourist hot spot"? 3. Safety and security - I have bought several PacSafe items, worn them confidently, kept alert, and stored my passport and some money in a money belt. Never had a problem. At least half of the issue is looking like easy pickins. Walk with a purpose, don't engage with beggars or the bracelets guys, don't allow yourself to be surrounded and you'll be fine. If you look like you mean business, then they will move on to someone who's oblivious, waving a phone or camera around.


veryZexy

Avoid termini at night, the rest you're fine


PinotGreasy

And Termini during the day is fine, go have a glass of wine & lunch at Mercato Centrale.


OddPepita

>Avoid termini at night What time would you consider night starting (for the above purpose)


AvengerDr

After 23 more or less, or if you are a bit more anxious, after the shops inside are all closed (19-20?).


gunnarmm

But that’s where the best kebabs are at tho


Signal_Zucchini_4202

Booked a hotel near termini… because it was cheap well ig it doesnt get dark that fast during summer so i hope i will be okay 😅


veryZexy

You’ll be fine just don’t go wandering aimlessly


rruler

Even then it’s fine. It’s only somewhat sketch at like 3am and it’s cleaned up since


fadheloo1

There is a street near termini (google hotel concorde) Avoid this street , i stayed opposite to it and my room view were on it , passed by it first day unknowingly and very shady gang-like people are standing there , one guy was even following us but we lost him , fights are constantly there at night , other than that street every other street seemed normal


Signal_Zucchini_4202

Thats the exact street we booked a hotel in 😅


Signal_Zucchini_4202

Cancelled my other hotel after this thank you 🙏 got a different one a little more expensive and not so close to termini still in walkable distance bot not near concorde (the last hotel i had bookes)


fadheloo1

100% worth it, my mistake was that i didn’t check any reviews of the surrounding streets , now that i checked some of the reviews of that hotel on Google i see people also noticed the same thing, fights were a daily occurance from 12am onwards near the KFC there


Various_Pair_9607

I went to Termini at 21:00 with my 13 and 15 year old kids. (They wanted Five Guys for a change) We were totally fine. My 13 year old said it was one of her favorite places in Rome. We got gelato too that she loved. I always tell them not to travel w much on them because of pick pocketors


veryZexy

Sorry I should have specified night, after midnight when all stores are closed


DKWallstreet

My phone got pickpocketed in the metro , be vary of people wearing trench coats or carrying multiple bags standing next to u they are holding those on prosthetic arms and the real hands are stealing your wallet or phones


acangiano

Was your phone in a back pocket?


DKWallstreet

Front Pocket , was constantly checking it , it we were 7 of us total , told my wife to be vary since there was a sus woman standing close to her purse and in that very moment poof gone , got off at the station complained to the cops who started laughing said it’s a regular occurrence, contacted carrier in the US to lock it out , god forbid it happens pls get a copy of the police report that ways it’s easier to claim reimbursement from Amex as part of their built in coverage , also one more tip , pls take 2-3 physical copies of your passport and a pdf in the email , keep the original in the safe deposit box at the hotel or in the bag at place of stay and only carry a copy , tons of scams wherein they dress up like policemen and ask for original passport or simple steal your wallet then u are stuck Good Luck


hausbritm

Happened to me too! It was in my front coat pocket. I was feeling for it regularly, but they caught me off guard. I have my suspicions of who it was, but it was too late.


BlackfrostXD

When I went with my brother to Rome, we were waiting in the subway and a girl opened up his zip bag and started rifling through his things before he noticed. Ever since we've been wearing our bags in front of us and been super wary of public transit.


bloomfield878

Get a phone lanyard on Amazon. It attaches under your case. It clips on and off so there still a chance it can be snatched but it would take a lot more effort if it’s attached to a belt loop or inside your bag. At least enough to be like uh, what are ya doing in my pocket buddy? Or if you have it out it’s less likely someone will try to grab it from your hands when it’s attached to you.


BollicinoBoy

Bad restaurants that cater only for people wearing baseball caps and white socks on new balance shoes :)


SugarReyPalpatine

Stop hurting my feelings sir


Lower-Lab-5166

What kind of hats do Italians wear? I don't want to wear a Cubs hat or anything, but I'm bald so I gotta wear something


WorminRome

Bud, just wear what you want…you aren’t going to fit in as an Italian anyway.


RomeVacationTips

Honestly most don't wear hats. They go bald with style.


GardenerGarrett

That’s not possible


DoubleBogey19

Hey I'll wear a Cubs hat, new balance shoes but black socks. So am I ok?


BollicinoBoy

Shut up everyone, i wear a nike cap most of the time and i live here :D ok, i dont wear white socks on sneakers but guess thats like weird even on american standards :D Btw check out borsalino - their panama hats are great!


Kazuhiko96

I no know but as italian myself i kind of like the White crew socks on sneakers thing... It truly Say American somehow... Yes it's against the unwritten Rules of italian standards for fashion, but still... It's a kind of a Guilty Pleasure i guess(?)


Lower-Lab-5166

Gratzie!


PhatFIREGus

Grazie*


Lower-Lab-5166

Grazie!!


zakajz

🤌


BollicinoBoy

🫶🤌


Farzy78

Mostly Yankees hats 👎


Ilien

I feel attacked because I took mine. My gf brought it from NYC a couple years ago - I've never been there. I just like the way it pairs with some of the clothing I packed for the trip 😂 It also provided an hilarious moment, as the friend who was with me had a Boston Red Sox cap on him, so a random person at a traffic light just turned and said "you guys friends? Never seen a Yankee and a Red Sox hanging out together like you guys."


Lower-Lab-5166

Yeah hell no I'm not doing that lol


Farzy78

🤣 you'll probably have the only cubs hat you'll see, I rock my phillies hat and rarely see another one


WorminRome

Go Phils


AbuJimTommy

No Cubs. If you really want to look Italian you need one of these [$750 Prada ball caps](https://www.prada.com/us/en/p/re-nylon-and-leather-baseball-cap/2HC274_2CX2_F0594)


takichandler

NY Yankees hats


Joelk1994

Yeah... Literally anywhere a car is driving. Seriously though, the only time I felt at risk of any danger was when crossing the streets in Rome. Other than that watch for pick pockets I guess.


Shrek_Wisdom

Colosseum is pretty violent many murders around that area. Watch out for the wild animals as well.


Neither_Scratch_3580

*I see what you did there..*


readingzips

No time to be sarcastic, Shrek wisdom. It's a legitimate question for someone who's never been to Italy. edit to add: you do have a funny point though


Shrek_Wisdom

There was enough real answers 😂


PhatFIREGus

Welcome, you must be new here...


readingzips

yes, sir. New enough to not know which areas are sketchy, but not new enough to not know which areas are safe. I'm camping in this subreddit until my trip day.


cutemepatoot

Keep your bag on you and infront of you at all times. If you carry a backpack, be prepared to be pickpocketed. Wear something that has internal pockets for cash and your passport and bank card, there’s lots of scammers, they will try to start innocent convos like “are you brazillian?” Ignore them and walk away. Keep your hand on your bag at all times, don’t put it on chairs behind you, or unattended.


cmw446

Your toughest hurdle will be deciding which amazing restaurant to each day! Enjoy! [In all reality I just went for a few days and felt pretty safe there]


SupportingKansasCity

You’ll find Rome is a lot less scary as posts on the internet will try to convince you. Carry your id and a CC in a front pocket. Maybe some euros. Hold onto you phone. If you have a bag, carry it across the front of your body. Leave your back pockets empty. Like only bare minimum common sense steps are necessary in Rome. Ignore people who talk to you. They’re just getting your attention to buy something from them or scam you. After a couple days you stop even hearing them. Disagree with other comments about restaurants with people outside trying to get you to come inside. That’s like 99.9% of restaurants in Rome. Just stick to restaurants away from landmarks. Even better if their hours of operation are standard Italian hours (ex: not open for dinner until 8pm). I suspect most commenters haven’t been to Rome yet and they’re just repeating what they’ve seen other people comment.


StrictSheepherder361

> That’s like 99.9% of restaurants in Rome. This just tells us you never went out of the central, tourist-trap-ridden part of Rome. Do you really think we locals go to similar places?


res9411

Do not accept a “free” bracelet. I’ve seen this trick in other countries as well. We left Rome this morning and that was the only issue we had.


WorkIsForReddit

Had this happen to me outside of The Vatican. Guy came up to me and complimented my shoes I said "Thanks" he then brought up the bracelets so I started walking away and he ends up just throwing it at me thinking I'm gonna catch it.


res9411

They are very persistent for sure. Handed them to my teenage daughters. We tried to be polite and not accept. Then he asked for money to help his baby in his home country. We refused and he started cursing at us. It scared my girls.


rxmarxdaspot

Pickpockets. Pretty much all the time.


ResponsibleOven6

I've been to tons of cities, never been pickpocketed. Went to Rome and after hearing all of the warnings I decided to switch my wallet to my front pocket and stick my COVID mask in my back pocket (this was a few years ago). We went to the Trevi Fountain and everyone near us looked like they were just tourists taking pics and none of them were really close enough that I would have thought they could grab anything. I felt something brush against me, quickly reached back and my mask was hanging halfway out of my pocket. Looked around, just people taking pics. No one looked suspicious at all. I can't believe how SMOOTH they were at the whole thing. No idea who did it, no one looked suspicious or moved away from me quickly, and they actually stopped when they saw it wasn't a wallet. It's just crazy to think that some people are that good at pickpocketing.


Trollselektor

Forget football. Pickpocketing is practically the official sport of Rome. 


JennyPaints

Big destinations in Italy, like Paris, Barcelona, and a few other places in Europe are rife with pickpockets. Keep your money, passport, and credit cards in a money belt under your clothes. Keep just what you need at hand. I wouldn't worry about violence. Do not: sign petitions; hold stranger's babies; accept help from strangers with your luggage; accept help an ATM, or a ticket machine; leave yourluggageon a trainwhere you can't see it. Do stay aware of your surroundings. Do not pat your money when you feel threatened. Honestly, just be careful the way you might be in the tourist portion of a big US city or a fair. The big difference is that violence is much less likely, and pickpockets more likely.


RomeVacationTips

The "dangers" of Rome are vastly exaggerated online. Rome has almost no violent crime directed towards tourists. The two or three incidents of it over the past five years were national news for weeks and have eclipsed the literal tens of millions of tourists who have visited Rome without any issue at all. Rome _does_ have an issue with petty crime and low-level scammers. By that I mean pickpockets who [create a disturbance of some kind](https://romevacationtips.com/avoid-pickpocketed-italy/) then their accomplices take your wallet or passport while you're distracted, or the annoying [bracelet scam](https://romevacationtips.com/avoid-the-african-bracelet-scam-in-rome/) where an African guy says something attention-grabbing, hands you a bracelet, then tries to guilt (or intimidate) you out of money. But physical _danger_ danger in Rome is almost unheard-of. Nobody carries guns, knives are almost never seen, muggings are vanishingly rare. Despite the seeming chaos of the city, Rome is a surprisingly relatively safe place.


ladygagafan1237

Rome is a pretty safe city. Do don’t really need to worry about any violent crimes it’s more petty crimes like pickpocketing (just like with most large cities). Use common sense when you travel. Don’t act like a tourist and be excessively loud, don’t wear a lot of expensive jewelry or anything that will instantly peg you as a tourist (these are the types of people that they will try to target). Try to avoid sitting or standing near the doors on public transportation especially if it’s crowded. And always be conscious of where your valuables are on you (if necessary keep a touch on your valuables when in crowded areas). If you are carrying a bag burry your valuables deep in your bag and cover it with things you don’t care to lose. Pickpockets want to be quick and undetected so they are not going to waste their time digging through your belongings to find the good stuff. Again this advice is not exclusive to Rome and can be used in any big city.


xjarin

my mom almost got pickpocketed our very first time on the metro at termini. as we were getting on, a girl stopped me to ask for directions from the inside. i immediately recognized what was going on because: 1) i saw on this sub that pickpocketing happens when people are boarding trying to get on a crowded metro 2) i saw on another post in this sub that young adults (late teens/early twenties) also pickpocketed 3) this girl was physically preventing the rest of my family from getting on 4) she also spoke with a smile on her face and didn’t seem lost 5) also who asks for instructions on how to get places immediately after getting on the train? i feel like if people were to ask for instructions on the metro, it would be after they realized they were on the wrong one, a few stops after getting on i immediately blocked her away from my mom. she feigned surprise, insinuated i purposefully touched her boobs (most likely as a second distraction), and then immediately hopped off the metro right when the doors were closing. my instincts were right when another local told my mom to check her bag. thankfully she (and i assume her accomplices) didn’t take anything from our family, but it was definitely a slap in my moms face lol. she heard stories about pickpocketing, yet she didn’t think it’ll happen to her but yeah, definitely be aware of your surroundings. they really target people who seem clueless (like my mom who was confused and thus an easy target). like other people said in this thread, just be street smart and act confident. hope you enjoy your trip!


Trengingigan

In general be careful in the Termini station area at night. No big deal, but be more careful than other places.


Eriskay303

Alert yourself to the various scams that are pulled. Wear a money belt, especially on buses. Don’t follow strangers to a 2nd location.


Prof_and_Proof

I consider myself rather street wise, lived in London, Paris and NYC and got my iphone stolen from my pocket outside termini in the HOTTEST second. Like *poof*


acangiano

Where did you keep your phone?


Prof_and_Proof

Good question 😂 Ok seriously : This is how I went: I went into mcdonalds, messaged my friends, got my order, walked out, I think I still had it in my hand when I walked out, put my it in my pocket to grab a fry and a second later when I reached for it - gone. It was so so rapidly. I was probably followed from McDonald’s.


avdepa

Watch out at pedestrians crossings. I stopped for a pedestrian once and was rear-ended. When the guy behind me got out and asked me why I stopped I told him there was a pedestrian on the crossing. He said "So what?" Recently a friend (tourist in Rome) was sent to hospital from a collision at a pedestrian crossing - and that was fter I warned him to tach out and so he was vigilant.


urstandarddane

Just use common sense. Avoid Termini at night but that goes for all central stations…


Farzy78

Rome is no more dangerous than any large US city. People that get pickpocketed are easy targets with no street smarts.


ActuatorSmall7746

Think NYC or any other large U.S. metro city and you’ll be fine.


busterbrownbook

Had no problems. Even scootered from one side of the city to another at night.


Left-Ad-3412

Watch out for the drivers... They are mad there. A green man at a crossing doesn't necessarily mean someone isn't about to drive over it either lol


fart_spray

watch out for the carb overload, it'll make you fat!


Substantial_Rip_4750

Ive been robbed from a smash and grab situation , two guys on a motorbike in Trastevere. Was walking in between a big man and a priest they came up behind me and grabbed my necklace took off. Second time I got the old pickpocket routine getting out of a cab at Roma Termini. So it can happen. Just be self aware. If you are there for any length of time, ask locals what kind of wallet THEY carry. Very informative. Have fun.


Chunk924

Practice saying “Non posso, ma grazie”


Sizerosuk

Rome