Is Rome a dirty city?

Have you heard rumors about Rome being a dirty city? Are you just curious before arrival in order to set your expectations right? So, what is the truth? Is Rome a dirty city giving you streets packed with litter, or will this be a city to remember, not only because of its history and amazing buildings but also because of its clean streets?

If you do a quick search on Google or in Bing (or use Ecosia to plant some trees while surfing) to find out whether or not Rome is a dirty city, you will find all sorts of answers. But, to be honest, the majority of search results will conclude with the fact that Rome is a dirty city. How come? It is pure logic. How many people search the Internet for information about whether or not Rome is a clean city? Not many! So, when they search for information related to whether it is a dirty city or not, they will find search results from articles and forum posts in which they focus on the fact that Rome is a dirty city. So, there is a negative curve, showing negative results, based on a negative search inquiry. But, if so many people have written and complained about graffiti everywhere, dog poop on the street, and litter here and there… hasn’t there got to be some truth to it?

Is Rome really a dirty city?
A picture of Rome – including waste and graffiti

What is the truth about Rome?

When you speak with people who have been to Rome, you will often hear two widely different opinions. One will say that it was beautiful from start till end, while the other person found it to be amazing, just awful because of the waste, dog-poop, and cigarette waste. It is hard to find the truth in this, but there are some realities you better be aware of before your arrival in Rome.

There is a lot of graffiti in Rome

Many people will leave Rome without really thinking about this. But, if you first open your eyes looking for graffiti, you will for sure find it. You can see it on the metro stations and on the metro wagons, on buildings, on doors, and mostly everywhere. Of course, the old historical buildings are protected from this, but the buildings that nobody really cares about, they are often suffering.

A graffiti metro in Rome
Source: Shutterstock

What is the conclusion then? If you look for it, you will for sure find it. And if you let it disturb you, it can mostly take the joy away from your day. There is little that you can do about this, so the best thing you do is simply to forget about it. Truth be told, most tourists don’t even notice the graffiti… they are to busy taking pictures and having a good time. It isn’t your fault if you notice details and graffiti, but you are better off if you forget about it.

The buildings of Rome

The beautiful buildings of Rome remain beautiful and intact. They are not disturbed by graffiti, but they can suffer from pollution coming from a big number of cars. The city has a population of around 2,8 million people, and there are hundreds of thousands of tourists visiting the city every single day. Just considering the fact that all of these are in need of traveling from the airport to their hotel (and back), from the train station to their hotel, or the fact that they all arrive with a car in some way makes up a big amount of traffic.

However, there is constant work taking place to keep the buildings nice. So, you will once again see a combination of polluted (black) buildings with newly renovated buildings shining in their former glory.

Litter on the streets (dog-poop, cigarettes)

Maybe it doesn’t disturb you much if there is graffiti on a wall. But, if you keep getting dog-poop under your shoe, that can be very annoying. If you don’t notice, you might think Rome smells bad, only to discover later that your shoe was to blame.

As you walk the main streets of Rome, the tourist area, you do not normally bump into lots of dog-poop. But, if you start walking in areas mostly used by the local population and those walking their dogs along the river, you might have to look more downwards than upwards.

The same can be said when it comes to litter. During larger events, a lot of litter is thrown to the streets of Rome, but the city center is quite quickly cleaned up, making it look nice for the locals and for the tourists visiting the city. You might return home being incredibly happy about the look of the city, but if you are unlucky, you might visit Rome on a day when the garbage cans are full, and the litter is floating on the street next to the garbage cans.

Rome is beautiful, but is it dirty?

So, is Rome a dirty city or not?

Many people say that women see a black spot on a white wall, while the men see a white wall with a black spot on it (if they see the spot at all). Well, when it comes to Rome, the best is to be like a man and see the beauties, and not always those dirty details. If you are lucky, they might not even be there, but they do exist, and many people do notice them.

Rome is a fairly dirty city, but at the same time, it isn’t worse than other cities you will visit around in Europe. We have recently written a similar article about Prague, so if you want to know more about whether or not Prague is a dirty city, click the link!

Have you been to Rome yourself? Did you find Rome to be a dirty city or a clean city? We would love to hear your thoughts!

Traveling with train from Rome to Bologna

Have you already gotten your plane ticket to Rome in order, but you are looking for more places to visit outside Rome? Maybe you have read our article on how to travel from Rome to Firenze already, and now you consider visiting another city, for example, Bologna. But, how can you travel by train from Rome to Bologna? How much time will it take? What is the price of the different train tickets?

If you want to travel from Rome to Bologna with train, there are a couple of things worth knowing. The main train station in Rome is the Termini station, and you should plan on leaving Rome from this station to make things as efficient as possible. As you arrive to Bologna, make sure to arrive to Bologna Centrale, a central station in Bologna from which you can easily invade the city!

Visit Piazza Maggiore in Bologna on a day-trip from Rome
Visit Piazza Maggiore in Bologna on a day-trip from Rome

The normal travel time between the two cities are around 2 hours if you use the fast trains. That isn’t very much, making it easy to do a day trip to Bologna from Roma, and return back in the evening.

How much does the train ticket cost between Rome and Bologna?

It is quite amazing that the train time is only two hours, considering that it covers a distance of almost 400km. So, if you would do the same distance by car, it would take much more time. And that is also why the tickets can be quite expensive, at least if you buy only a few days before the actual travel.

For example, if I would buy a train ticket that connects Rome with Bologna right now, the price would be 60 Euro (for a ticket in one of the upcoming days). But, if I plan ahead and buy the ticket a couple of weeks in advance or more, I can easily find tickets costing only 30 Euro or less. So, if you can, prepare your travel and buy your tickets early.

Where to buy the train tickets?

If you want to buy a train ticket online for the ride between Rome and Bologna, the best place to do so is at www.trenitalia.com. This site is available in both English and Italian, making it easy to go ahead with the booking process, and also to get an overview of the different trains and the prices.

How to get from the railway station in Bologna to the city center?

The distance between the railway station in Bologna and the main square in the city (Piazza Maggiore) is 1,5km. This can be done in an easy way on foot and shouldn’t take you more than 20 minutes. But, if you start visiting stores along the way like Zara, you will for sure spend more time before you end up at the main square on Bologna.

Two suggested walking paths from Bologna Stazione to Piazza Maggiore in Bologna.
Two suggested walking paths from Bologna Stazione to Piazza Maggiore in Bologna.

I hope by now you will be better prepared for your day-trip from Rome to Bologna. If you have any further questions, use the comment field beneath.

Increased security in Rome

Rome is the eternal city, and without a doubt, one of the most beautiful cities on earth. Here you can walk and enjoy the sight of some of the most famous historical buildings in the world. But, with great treasures comes great responsibility!

I recently spoke with someone who visited Rome some 10-15 years ago. He was amazed by the big changes in town. Last time he visited Rome, he could enter and leave the churches and the famous sights as he wished. Now he had to stand in line for several minutes (and maybe much more) just to pass through the security line to enter into just any church in Rome. And of course, as he wanted to visit the St. Peter’s Church, he had to wait for even more time. He was amazed, and a bit annoyed by all the security controls. Is it really necessary?

Watching out for the beautiful buildings!
The security in Rome is there to keep you safe – Source: Pixabay

The security in Rome

It is really unfortunate that there are so many security controls in Rome. If anyone finds this to be disturbing and annoying, it is us working and walking the streets of Rome regularly. But, there is a price you have to pay if you want to keep the city as amazing as it is today… and that is the price of the security. Unfortunately, there have been several terror attacks worldwide on popular locations and around tourist attractions. In Rome such an attack wouldn’t just be an attack on the people in the area, it would also mean the destruction of some of the most beautiful historical buildings and areas we have left in history. In other words, the security in Rome isn’t only there to protect the people, it is also there to protect the buildings the people visit.

It might be hard to understand this and cope with it, especially as you have to wait for a long time out in the sun on a warm summer day, but the fear of not having a building to visit at all is even worse.

In other words, try to keep your spirit high, and rather be grateful that you have the chance to visit such historical buildings and areas at all! Be grateful for having the money to fly to Rome, to order an airport transfer, and to live in a nice hotel. And later, go home and watch a movie about Rome in the old days, and see the buildings and areas you have visited during the daytime come alive on the screen in the evening.

Take care of your own safety

If we first write about safety and security, make sure to watch out for your belongings and your own security while in Rome. The city is packed with police, so you shouldn’t have to fear for your own health, but your wealth might suffer if someone steals your wallet or credit cards. In other words, watch out for your wallet and important documents. Keep them safe, and do not be an easy prey to anyone looking for a tourist to fool.

Another thing to watch out for is your confidential information and pictures on your laptop and mobile devices. If you connect to the Internet using open WiFi connections in the hotel or in a restaurant, it is very easy to steal data, pictures, and passwords if you do not watch out. A way to solve the problem is to not connect to the Internet using open WiFi networks, to only use your 3G/4G connection, or to use a VPN that will encrypt your online data and keep you safe, also when using a free open WiFi network. You can read more about some good VPN providers in the VPN reviews section in the IP Address Guide.

Are you ready for Rome?

Rome is waiting for you, and even though all this information might be hard to digest, you have a lot to look forward to. Do not come to Rome fearing the worst, but be prepared, and have a wonderful time in the eternal city. It is better to take care and get home safely than to mess around and suffer the consequences!

Thank you for reading, and if you have anything you would like to add, please write a comment and let me know whatever is on your heart!