12 Useful Things To Know Before Traveling To Rome, Italy

Before coming to Rome, you should probably know some basic information and these are the most common questions about Rome and Italy according to Google Search.

Everything You Need To Know About Rome

Does Rome Have Uber or Lyft?

• Lyft does not currently operate in Rome and while Uber is legal and available, it is limited to Uber’s limo services Black, Lux and Van. The powerful taxi unions limit the competition of rideshare services like Uber. There are taxis available all over Rome, more so than most cities except for New York, there are taxi stands all over the city and you can order a taxi by phone. Most of these are cash only, so be prepared for that.

Does Rome Have A Starbucks?

• After years of ruining the Italian coffee culture in the US, Starbucks opened their first store in Italy in 2018 in Milan. One story I like is when Starbucks announced in 2015 it will open a store in Milan, the company tried to generate positive press by planting 42 palm trees to beautify the famous Piazza del Duomo. How did it go? An angry citizen set them on fire. There is a Starbucks in Rome, but I’m happy to learn that it is nowhere near the historical center, and to be more specific it is even outside the Ring Road (GRA or Grande Raccordo Anulare). There are others in Florence, Turin, Bergamo and others around Milan.

Does Rome Have Earthquakes ?

• Yes, Rome does experience earthquakes, with a 3.4 tremor felt as recently as April 2022. Rome typically isn’t the center of the earthquakes in Italy as there are fault lines that run along the entire length of the peninsula, but they are contained to the Apennine Mountains. Usually these earthquakes aren’t too dangerous, as our own experience was to wake up during one only to see the light fixture swinging from the ceiling. There are exceptions, of course, and in 2016 an earthquake measuring 6 on the Richter scale destroyed almost the entire town of Amatrice in 142 seconds. It killed 299, with another four victims dying later. 

Does Rome Have Hard Water?

• Yes, Rome in particular and Italy in general have water that has a high mineral content (i.e. Hard Water) but keep in mind that hard drinking water may have moderate health benefits. The city of Rome receives 97% of its drinking water from springs and 3% from wells. The tap water is supplied by ACEA and is considered of very high quality. The water is chlorinated and moderately hard (higher mineral content) but I can attest that it typically tastes good. Water tests are done daily and reports are available from ACEAs website.

Does Rome Have A Red-Light District?

• There are really two answers to this question. First, is there a real red-light district, like in Amsterdam, with a government controlled area, police presence and all the protections afforded a legal business? The answer to this is: No, there is no designated area for sex-workers in Rome. The other version of this question can be restated as: “Are there areas with illegal prostitution in Rome?” and the answer to that is: Yes. Most people cite EUR as the city’s center of illegal sex-workers. There was a discussion back in 2015 about creating an Amsterdam-like district in EUR, but it went nowhere.

Does Rome Have Mosquitos?

• Yes, oh man there certainly are mosquitoes in Rome. The season in Italy generally starts from the first warm day in the spring until the first cold days of winter. My first-hand experience started mid-season last year, but I can say it never got below freezing in Rome and I kept seeing the little buggers all the way into Winter. We’re in June now and I’m beginning to see them, but not as bad as later in the season. I’ve read that it lasts from March through to the end of November, but that might not be the experience here in Rome. 

Does Rome Have Trams?

• Yes, there are trams in Rome and they are part of the larger public transportation system in the city. There are 6 different lines that can bring you all over the city, and they also share the stops with the buses making transfers easy. Historically, the trams were the dominant mode of public transportation in the city, but the footprint has gradually shrunk from 59 lines along 140 km of track.

Does Rome Have Any Other Names?

• The most famous nickname for Rome is, of course, the Eternal City. It is a reference to the longevity of the city and was first used by the Roman poet Tibullus. Less popularly, Rome is known as the City of Seven Hills: Aventine, Caelian, Capitoline, Esquiline, Palatine, Quirinal, and Vimina.

Things To Know Before Traveling To Italy

Does Italy Have A President?

• Yes but it is a little different from the President in the US. The position is officially named the President of the Italian Republic (Presidente della Repubblica Italiana) and it is the head of state of Italy. Currently the President is Sergio Mattarella, who is elected by an electoral college of about 1,000 members. It is made up of both chambers of the Italian Parliament, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Republic, meeting in joint session. I wrote previously about “How Does The Italian Government Work? It’s Not A Mystery” and you might want to check it out.

Does Italy Have A King?

• I recently wrote about this, so for more details, please take a look at the link below. Currently, Italy is a Republic and not a Monarchy, so it does not have a King, or any other type of royalty to be concerned with. Italy does have a long history of monarchies, not as a single country, but as a collection of city-states which included members of the Houses of Bonaparte, Hapsburg, Luxembourg and ultimately Savoy. There were also Crowned Republics in Venice and Genoa where a Doge was elected as the head of state.

Does Italy Have Free Healthcare?

• Of course Healthcare is never free and this is something that is called out whenever there is a discussion about Universal Healthcare in US political circles. The system is supported by taxes, so when you pay any tax (including VAT/IVA) when you come to Italy, those taxes are supporting the healthcare system. Also, when and what you pay is dependent on a number of factors. Generally, your appointments with your Primary Care Physician (medico di base) are free. Tests, for example blood tests or scans, have a small fee equivalent to a copay in the US. If this seems like a lot to you, keep in mind there isn’t a monthly insurance premium to go along with it. These fees can be exempted for a number of reasons, like being on public assistance or having a pre-existing condition.

Does Italy Have Nuclear Weapons Or Power Plants?

• Italy does not produce or possess nuclear weapons but takes part in the NATO nuclear sharing program, hosting B61 nuclear bombers at the Aviano and Ghedi Air Bases. Regarding power plants, Italy started to produce nuclear energy in the early 1960s, but all plants were closed by 1990. There was an attempt to change this in 2008, however, the 2011 Japanese nuclear accidents caused the Italian government to put a one-year moratorium on plans to revive nuclear power.