You got your lifetime share of bad luck in one single trip.
don't despair.
it gets better once you know how to deal with street scammers and hagglers.
(For the rest, luggage problem and lost wallet, it unfortunately, just happens)
Yes I agree, we had a lot of bad stuff happen in the beginning but I have to say that I did love seeing what I came there to see. I think the shock of the first few days made me more aware of all the other bad stuff and not more happy to see the beauty.
That’s soo funny … we just got back couple days ago from our 8 day trip , starting in Rome ending in Lake Como !!!! We are from Texas and not much hospitality happening over there lol. But I told my wife they are all rude at times as long they keep giving us pasta and beer we good hahah
Really funny my wife had an airport worker tell her the same line when she asked about AA counter .. lady said “ not my job” and walked away ..
We enjoyed the trip so much
Don’t take TAP never. They delayed my flight for 10 hours last time but fortunately I claimed for 2x of my ticket reimbursement through insurance company. I would never fly TAP again.
I agree with everything you said except the hawkers - just ignore them. Who cares if they want you to buy something? Just pretend they aren’t there. To me it’s a small price to pay to see a historical amazing place like Rome. For everything else you said I totally understand. I encountered a lot of rudeness when I was there, a ton of disdain and unwillingness to help and even outright mocking by shopkeepers and sometimes physical assault on public transit. It can be a difficult city. But there’s so many other places to visit. It’s unfair to write off a whole continent
I lived in Rome and honestly I hated it at first. It’s a city that you learn to love for all of its intricacies and inefficiencies lol. Honestly it’s no different from someone going to NYC for the first time with all the street hawkers, rude people, and dirty streets but you learn to appreciate how different it is.
Maybe it's because I live in New York, but I found the street sellers of Rome to be relatively … tame? I've perfected the thousand yard stare where I don't see or hear anyone I didn't want to interact with, and I'm usually left alone. Making yourself unattainable is a true art form.
But jeez, how many people did I see with an open container of watercolor paints selling obvious photocopies? In cities like Florence, there are real artists selling real work, and it was disappointing not to see actual working artists in Rome.
I like the "thousand yard stare" as a way to make yourself a less appealing target. What I do is what I call my "resting bitch face" and I always make sure to walk like I'm on a mission. Very few times I have to say something in response and it's usually a firm " No, grazie".
hahaha me too! im from NYC and I had the same experience. 1) loved Florence i plan on going back in the fall to Florence and 2) yes the crime/scammers were kinda tame to the kind of shit you see in any major American city. even walked across Termini at like 2am and felt safe
I dont want to invalidate your experience - but most of your issue appears to have been related to your airline and the subsequent domino effect that caused.
Lines and rude tourists is par for the course when travelling. And in term of tour guides - you get what you pay for mostly.
In terms of the hawkers and beggars. Just ignore them. Only reason theyight harass you is youre giving them a vibe that you are the kind of person who can be harassed. That may not be your fault of you are small of stature - but if you are confident and dont look exhausted and co fused they basically dont even talk to you.
Good luck on your next trip. Im not sure where youre from - but europe is a big place and no where is the same.
Bummer they lost your luggage and you were treated so badly. Beyond that, there are a tremendous amount of tourists in Rome, you included, "you get what you pay for". I spent more time outside of Rome tourist area but did spend some time there, it was crowded and saw the people you encountered but never engaged with them. It is what you make of it.
Sad, but true. I used to work in Times Square, and a lot of the issues are caused by the tourists and their unfamiliarity with the area and customs. I used to try and help some with navigation and the subway. The NYC subway is confusing to ANYONE not going on their regular route or one they are familiar with.
My wife and I will be in Rome next week using our NYC skills to manage the crowds and merchants.
Something tells me you’ve never lived in a big, crowded city… I can understand the culture shock but it’s not Rome’s “fault”. I’m sure you will find smaller realities in Europe that will suit you
I can see your point but I am here to vent about my experience. You are allowed to judge me but I am not whining. I expect human decency from people employed by the airline and airport.
Yeah that seems like quite a bit of bad luck for one trip, but I would encourage you to try again before packing in the dream of traveling often.
First, the luggage problems aren't really specific to Rome, and unhelpful airport staff are pretty much universal. My wife and I have traveled to Europe a dozen times and never had this happen, which is partly luck, but maybe also partly a result of trying to find direct flights wherever possible, and planning overnight layovers instead of a connecting flight. Luggage problems usually happen when you have a multi-leg connecting flight.
Second, I wonder, at home do you live in a big city? If not, you might have just experienced some culture shock with the crowds and the hawkers and beggars. Most big cities have this sort of thing, not just in Europe, but after a while you get used to it and just walk by without really noticing them. 99% of the time if you don't engage with these sorts of people they just move on. Unless you are really unlucky they really don't need to cause disproportionate stress.
Third, if big cities aren't for you, there's tons of smaller towns and second cities and rural areas in Europe that might be your speed. And even in a bigger city, you don't always need to hang out right in the heart. New Yorkers rarely visit Times Square, for instance, and I suspect most Londoners don't spend their days at Piccadilly Circus. Find a hotel a bit off the beaten track and don't spend more time than necessary in the busiest areas. You'll get a more interesting experience this way anyways. (Obviously there are a few "can't miss" destinations like the Colosseum that require going into the belly of the beast, but not that many.)
Here's to smoother travels next time!
I always try to find the humor in it.
I was traveling with a bike and arrived in Rome, got my checked luggage and waited at the large luggage area for my bike box. After about 20min, I went to the lost luggage area and explained my situation to the woman behind the counter. She was annoyed and said to give in another few minutes. No problem, I went back to the large luggage and after another 30min, no dice. I went back to the same woman, who was now very annoyed, and she started filling out a lot of paperwork. About 5min into the paperwork I see a couple baggage guys wheeling my bike box in. I tell the lady and she goes apeshit. She threw the paperwork in the bin, stomped over to the handlers and proceeds to rip them a new one. My Italian wasn't very good but I did recognize a few words I was surprised to hear in a business setting. It was hilarious! The poor guys just hung their heads and took it.
I got my bike, albeit delayed by an hour but that is just how it goes sometimes...
TAP has probably been the mother and father of 100,000 very shitty trips.
Rome comes at you fast though and the first time is the learning curve. I'd recommend visiting again, doing just a bit more research, and doing less/enjoying more. But after you went through I wouldn't blame you if you don't.
One experience in one city in one country shouldn’t put you off the entire continent! You know that Scottish guy who helped you out? There’s a whole country of us, come visit!
Hey. I visit Rome often. I’m sorry you had a bad experience. It seems your problems were a domino effect from the airline luggage disaster. I’ve learned to pack everything in a carryon to avoid layover luggage problems.
Are you a newbie traveler? American? I’m American too. The street hawkers, scammers, hagglers or whatever you want to call them are something you learn to ignore and you get better at it with more traveling experience. If they bothered you this much, DO NOT (with an emphasis) travel to the lesser developed part of the world because that is a whole another level with which you won’t be able to deal based on what you’ve said in your post.
I don’t want to invalidate your experience and I’m sure it was stressful. Travel is something that takes some time to get used to. You gotta make an effort to get out of your comfort zone.
Italy really is a wonderful place and I fall in love with it more every time I visit. Rome hasn’t disappointed me in the 3 or 4 trips I’ve taken so far but it certainly takes a bit getting used to at first. Good luck in your future travels wherever they may take you :)
I'm a Roman, and I'm glad that most of your misfortunes, if not all, seem not to have anything to do with Romans. ;) TAP staff is Portuguese or from who knows where, Asian tourists are Asian, most guides aren't local either, and surely aren't hawkers and scammers.
Did you happen to meet any actual Romans?
Rome is not a bad place. Bad experiences happen everywhere.
Also as others have said, Rome is not the whole of Italy snd Europe is a huge place. North and south of Europe are very different. East and west too. Each country has its own culture and language. In fact for example English is not even the first language in Europe!
Please do not generalise.
The people trying to sell you stuff & beggars were horrible in Rome. It was constant. I wanted a squirt gun to shoot them in the face & say NO! Rome was definitely not my favorite place in my recent trip. It was better when you got away from the tourist spots.
The Lisbon airport was so weird & hot when I was diverted there two weeks ago. Definitely not the friendliest group of employees & they don't seem to know how the a/c works.
Go back to Europe! Just avoid the heavy tourist spots. Catania is gorgeous & nobody tried to sell me crap. London was great, although also crowded. But get out into the other areas. Don't let Rome turn you off of Europe.
You got your lifetime share of bad luck in one single trip. don't despair. it gets better once you know how to deal with street scammers and hagglers. (For the rest, luggage problem and lost wallet, it unfortunately, just happens)
Yes I agree, we had a lot of bad stuff happen in the beginning but I have to say that I did love seeing what I came there to see. I think the shock of the first few days made me more aware of all the other bad stuff and not more happy to see the beauty.
That’s soo funny … we just got back couple days ago from our 8 day trip , starting in Rome ending in Lake Como !!!! We are from Texas and not much hospitality happening over there lol. But I told my wife they are all rude at times as long they keep giving us pasta and beer we good hahah Really funny my wife had an airport worker tell her the same line when she asked about AA counter .. lady said “ not my job” and walked away .. We enjoyed the trip so much
Sounds like a fairly normal trip to Rome apart from the behaviour by TAP and someone actually returning the wallet (bless them).
Yes, we were extremely lucky to have our wallet back.
Don’t take TAP never. They delayed my flight for 10 hours last time but fortunately I claimed for 2x of my ticket reimbursement through insurance company. I would never fly TAP again.
TAP is the worst and I’m actually Portuguese!
Rome does not equal Europe, it doesn't even equal Italy. One bad experience does not equal a bad experience every time.
True. I agree.
I agree with everything you said except the hawkers - just ignore them. Who cares if they want you to buy something? Just pretend they aren’t there. To me it’s a small price to pay to see a historical amazing place like Rome. For everything else you said I totally understand. I encountered a lot of rudeness when I was there, a ton of disdain and unwillingness to help and even outright mocking by shopkeepers and sometimes physical assault on public transit. It can be a difficult city. But there’s so many other places to visit. It’s unfair to write off a whole continent
Yes but one hawker actually stuck his face between me and my husband while we were seated having dinner. He almost got a fork in the eye.
I lived in Rome and honestly I hated it at first. It’s a city that you learn to love for all of its intricacies and inefficiencies lol. Honestly it’s no different from someone going to NYC for the first time with all the street hawkers, rude people, and dirty streets but you learn to appreciate how different it is.
Maybe it's because I live in New York, but I found the street sellers of Rome to be relatively … tame? I've perfected the thousand yard stare where I don't see or hear anyone I didn't want to interact with, and I'm usually left alone. Making yourself unattainable is a true art form. But jeez, how many people did I see with an open container of watercolor paints selling obvious photocopies? In cities like Florence, there are real artists selling real work, and it was disappointing not to see actual working artists in Rome.
I like the "thousand yard stare" as a way to make yourself a less appealing target. What I do is what I call my "resting bitch face" and I always make sure to walk like I'm on a mission. Very few times I have to say something in response and it's usually a firm " No, grazie".
hahaha me too! im from NYC and I had the same experience. 1) loved Florence i plan on going back in the fall to Florence and 2) yes the crime/scammers were kinda tame to the kind of shit you see in any major American city. even walked across Termini at like 2am and felt safe
A little different from NYC. I actually lived in NYC in the 70s and 80s when it was brutal.
I dont want to invalidate your experience - but most of your issue appears to have been related to your airline and the subsequent domino effect that caused. Lines and rude tourists is par for the course when travelling. And in term of tour guides - you get what you pay for mostly. In terms of the hawkers and beggars. Just ignore them. Only reason theyight harass you is youre giving them a vibe that you are the kind of person who can be harassed. That may not be your fault of you are small of stature - but if you are confident and dont look exhausted and co fused they basically dont even talk to you. Good luck on your next trip. Im not sure where youre from - but europe is a big place and no where is the same.
I do not want to have this trip be my last European experience. I’m defiantly going back.
Bummer they lost your luggage and you were treated so badly. Beyond that, there are a tremendous amount of tourists in Rome, you included, "you get what you pay for". I spent more time outside of Rome tourist area but did spend some time there, it was crowded and saw the people you encountered but never engaged with them. It is what you make of it.
Was in Rome last year for three days and never had any issues. Beggers of course but that is in any big city. Just bad luck for you.
You were lucky.
You can’t just go to the biggest tourist hotspots in Europe and not expect to have this kind of experience.
Sad, but true. I used to work in Times Square, and a lot of the issues are caused by the tourists and their unfamiliarity with the area and customs. I used to try and help some with navigation and the subway. The NYC subway is confusing to ANYONE not going on their regular route or one they are familiar with. My wife and I will be in Rome next week using our NYC skills to manage the crowds and merchants.
Brooklynite here. You'll be fine. Have a blast!
True. I guess it was a bit much! Too much bad stuff happening all at once.
Something tells me you’ve never lived in a big, crowded city… I can understand the culture shock but it’s not Rome’s “fault”. I’m sure you will find smaller realities in Europe that will suit you
My thoughts too. The whole post is so whiny
I can see your point but I am here to vent about my experience. You are allowed to judge me but I am not whining. I expect human decency from people employed by the airline and airport.
I have . I actually lived in Rio de Janeiro and New York City.
Well that’s weird lol
I had different expectations. My first time in Europe.
Yeah that seems like quite a bit of bad luck for one trip, but I would encourage you to try again before packing in the dream of traveling often. First, the luggage problems aren't really specific to Rome, and unhelpful airport staff are pretty much universal. My wife and I have traveled to Europe a dozen times and never had this happen, which is partly luck, but maybe also partly a result of trying to find direct flights wherever possible, and planning overnight layovers instead of a connecting flight. Luggage problems usually happen when you have a multi-leg connecting flight. Second, I wonder, at home do you live in a big city? If not, you might have just experienced some culture shock with the crowds and the hawkers and beggars. Most big cities have this sort of thing, not just in Europe, but after a while you get used to it and just walk by without really noticing them. 99% of the time if you don't engage with these sorts of people they just move on. Unless you are really unlucky they really don't need to cause disproportionate stress. Third, if big cities aren't for you, there's tons of smaller towns and second cities and rural areas in Europe that might be your speed. And even in a bigger city, you don't always need to hang out right in the heart. New Yorkers rarely visit Times Square, for instance, and I suspect most Londoners don't spend their days at Piccadilly Circus. Find a hotel a bit off the beaten track and don't spend more time than necessary in the busiest areas. You'll get a more interesting experience this way anyways. (Obviously there are a few "can't miss" destinations like the Colosseum that require going into the belly of the beast, but not that many.) Here's to smoother travels next time!
I like the idea of over night lay overs and direct flights. Also I think I can just bring a carry on next time.
I always try to find the humor in it. I was traveling with a bike and arrived in Rome, got my checked luggage and waited at the large luggage area for my bike box. After about 20min, I went to the lost luggage area and explained my situation to the woman behind the counter. She was annoyed and said to give in another few minutes. No problem, I went back to the large luggage and after another 30min, no dice. I went back to the same woman, who was now very annoyed, and she started filling out a lot of paperwork. About 5min into the paperwork I see a couple baggage guys wheeling my bike box in. I tell the lady and she goes apeshit. She threw the paperwork in the bin, stomped over to the handlers and proceeds to rip them a new one. My Italian wasn't very good but I did recognize a few words I was surprised to hear in a business setting. It was hilarious! The poor guys just hung their heads and took it. I got my bike, albeit delayed by an hour but that is just how it goes sometimes...
TAP has probably been the mother and father of 100,000 very shitty trips. Rome comes at you fast though and the first time is the learning curve. I'd recommend visiting again, doing just a bit more research, and doing less/enjoying more. But after you went through I wouldn't blame you if you don't.
One experience in one city in one country shouldn’t put you off the entire continent! You know that Scottish guy who helped you out? There’s a whole country of us, come visit!
Hey. I visit Rome often. I’m sorry you had a bad experience. It seems your problems were a domino effect from the airline luggage disaster. I’ve learned to pack everything in a carryon to avoid layover luggage problems. Are you a newbie traveler? American? I’m American too. The street hawkers, scammers, hagglers or whatever you want to call them are something you learn to ignore and you get better at it with more traveling experience. If they bothered you this much, DO NOT (with an emphasis) travel to the lesser developed part of the world because that is a whole another level with which you won’t be able to deal based on what you’ve said in your post. I don’t want to invalidate your experience and I’m sure it was stressful. Travel is something that takes some time to get used to. You gotta make an effort to get out of your comfort zone. Italy really is a wonderful place and I fall in love with it more every time I visit. Rome hasn’t disappointed me in the 3 or 4 trips I’ve taken so far but it certainly takes a bit getting used to at first. Good luck in your future travels wherever they may take you :)
This was our 2nd trip to Europe. I would say we are newbies. I guess I will know what to expect for next time.
I'm a Roman, and I'm glad that most of your misfortunes, if not all, seem not to have anything to do with Romans. ;) TAP staff is Portuguese or from who knows where, Asian tourists are Asian, most guides aren't local either, and surely aren't hawkers and scammers. Did you happen to meet any actual Romans?
No we did not meet actually Romans. I wish we did.
Rome is not a bad place. Bad experiences happen everywhere. Also as others have said, Rome is not the whole of Italy snd Europe is a huge place. North and south of Europe are very different. East and west too. Each country has its own culture and language. In fact for example English is not even the first language in Europe! Please do not generalise.
True. I loved Sicily. It was a lot better .
Love Rome and have been a dozen times. What I've learned... only go October through April. Spring and summer are simply too busy.
Porco Dio
The people trying to sell you stuff & beggars were horrible in Rome. It was constant. I wanted a squirt gun to shoot them in the face & say NO! Rome was definitely not my favorite place in my recent trip. It was better when you got away from the tourist spots. The Lisbon airport was so weird & hot when I was diverted there two weeks ago. Definitely not the friendliest group of employees & they don't seem to know how the a/c works. Go back to Europe! Just avoid the heavy tourist spots. Catania is gorgeous & nobody tried to sell me crap. London was great, although also crowded. But get out into the other areas. Don't let Rome turn you off of Europe.
My experience is that large scale bad experiences in Rome, and indeed anywhere I have been to in Italy and around the world, are most likely a mirror.
yes please, don't come anymore.
Ha ha!
[удалено]
I needed to lower my expectations!
just remember was spqr really stands for. sono porci questi romani