It’s no secret that Rome is one of the great cities in the world – and a fantastic tourist magnet. But this year you may want to warn your clients that it’s going to be even more popular than ever. About 35 million visitors more popular.
That’s because all year, starting Christmas Eve 2024 and running right through to January 6, 2026, the capital is celebrating the Universal Jubilee. Held only once every 25 years, it’s a highly significant religious event drawing Catholics from all over the world.
Assuming many of these pilgrims are one-timers, and Rome has a typical year for visitors – in 2023 there were an estimated 30 million - that means there will be as many as 65 million visitors, to a beautiful but ancient city with a population of some 3 million.
Of course many of the events are centred on the Vatican, but assume that if Rome is shaped like a donut, the Vatican is the hole in the donut, right in the centre. So all of Rome will be impacted.
Not only will everything be way more crowded but I predict more expensive and difficult to get into. And your clients’ visitor experience may be diminished as a result.
Assuming they are insistent in visiting Rome in 2025, here are some suggestions:
- Try to book as off season as possible – e.g. now or late fall. While there are events throughout every month for the Jubilee, at least you can help your clients avoid the usual massive crowds Rome experiences in high season (including the thousands of cruise ship visitors deposited at the port of Civitavecchia for day trips into the city).
- Book everything for them in advance, from hotels (of course) to restaurant reservations and sightseeing tours, and including attractions with timed entrances such as the Colosseum. Plus super-fun activities like a cooking class.
- Good to know: In a normal year, organized sightseeing activities are more popular in the morning, so afternoons may see an easing off of the crowds.
- The streets, the Metro (subway) and the traffic are all sure to be even more crazy-busy than usual. I prefer staying near Termini (the massive, main railway station which has fast and frequent connections from FCO airport) and have had an enjoyable stay at the Mediterraneo. It’s an old-fashioned charmer, a bit frozen in the 1930s (think Grand Budapest Hotel). But it’s clean, comfortable and just a block from Termini. Bonus: it’s also within walking distance of many attractions such as the Colosseum and the Forum.
- Sadly, Rome and pickpockets go together like pasta and parmesan. Ensure clients are super-vigilant, using money belts or wearing their purses under their jackets. Suggest they leave their hotel with the minimum of cash and 1 credit card. Warn them of scammers who use ploys such as “accidentally” spilling an ice cream cone on them and trying to mop up the damage while an accomplice relieves them of their wallets and more.
On my last visit to Rome, I couldn’t even get near the Trevi Fountain. I remember walking past the Colosseum, being jostled as I tried to navigate along a sidewalk crammed with thousands of tourists and thinking “This is not fun.” And that was in early March, long before high season.
So. If you can, convince your clients to rethink a trip to Rome. Maybe fly into another Italian city and explore a different part of this wonderful country? They can always return to Rome another year. It is, after all, the Eternal City.
