Your Own Personal Pantheon: Winter in Rome
The normally absolutely nut nuts Piazza di Trevi is as quiet as a mouse in the winter. (Relatively speaking.)
Summer 2023 is officially here, and it’s looking to be a record-setter when it comes to tourism. Like most people, I’ve done most of my travel in the late spring, summer, and early fall. School schedules, weather, and longer daylight hours make this the obvious, if not only, choice. But it also means huge crowds, long lines, stifling (if not dangerous) heat, and peak-season prices. In contrast, traveling off-season has a lot going for it, and if your schedule allows it can make a refreshing contrast to the usual summer buzz.
I had the chance to visit Rome in January of this year, so I could finally experience one of my favorite cities in the off season, and I would gladly do it again! The normally oppressive heat of summer was gone, as were most of the crowds (student groups can fill some sites at times, but it’s nothing like the typical tourist numbers).
Much of the city remains open throughout the year; fortunately, many places that don’t stay open are the tourist traps you’d want to avoid anyway. Restaurants sport heated, screened-in outdoor seating, often with blankets, so you can still enjoy a cozy dinner or lunch on the piazza. The smell of roasting chestnuts fills the air, and the crowds clear out as the early twilight settles in. The restaurants and bars fill with locals enjoying each other’s company, rather than the exhausted or pushy tourists seen the rest of the year. Street vendors, artists, and Pink Floyd-playing buskers are still around in the main tourist areas, but you can also get through dinner without someone trying to sell you a rose or cheap trinket.
You can almost feel the relieved sighs of thousands of Roman ghosts in the deserted Piazza della Rotunda.
Despite the laid-back feel in the winter, you’ll still want to make a reservation (un prenotazione) for most tourist sites and restaurants; there are fewer tourists around but there are also fewer open establishments to serve everyone. Many can be booked online, but some will want a local telephone number to confirm. While you may be able to get by without one, it ensures that you won’t be chasing down a disappointing bite to eat on an unexpectedly busy night. Always plan ahead and be flexible. I like to stock my room with a few quick bites soon after arrival; it can be a lifesaver if you strike out on dinner plans or nap through mealtime, and it’s a great excuse to familiarize yourself with a local grocer or two! I like to grab a couple of local cheeses, bread, water, a bottle of juice, a couple of beers and some fun potato chips.
How do you say, “yes I’ll take an All’Antica Vinaio sandwich and keep ‘em coming, please,” in Italian?
The quiet of winter opens space for exploration as well. You could be walking back from dinner, round a corner, and find yourself alone in the crisp night air of the Piazza della Rotunda, looking up at the Pantheon with nothing but the gulls for company. You may be returning from a mid-morning stroll, trying to decide what to do for lunch, and look up to notice the Insta-famous All’Antico Vinaio. You think to yourself “It must not be open yet, or there would be a line down the block.” But it is open and there’s no line at all. It becomes your regular stop (I highly recommend the Tartufo #4, the San Marco, and the Paradiso! Each sandwich was easily 2 meals for me).
There are a few things I would keep in mind when traveling in winter, though. Days are shorter, which can make jet lag a bit tougher to manage. Wintertime presents challenges for those of us who like to pack light, as well. Temperatures dropped to freezing every night, and despite having a few extra layers I was uncomfortably cold on a few occasions (it made a good excuse to pick up a new wool coat and scarf, though!).
Overall, winter—if you can swing it—is where it’s at in Rome if you are not a fan of crowds, heat, and tourist-weary Romans.
