When to visit Rome?
It is probably better to turn the question around: When is not a good time for tourists to visit rome? Several travel guides, even big international guides like Lonely Planet, recommend against visiting rome in August. The reason? In August Rome would be too crowded and it would be too difficult to find comfortable, central and cheap accommodation. Lonely Planet and other travel guides that come up with this and similar bits of wisdom ought to be ashamed of themselves. In August Rome is usually so hot that tourists stay away and it is very easy to find cheap bed and breakfasts, hostels en hotels. The bed and breakfast Little Italy Rome en Hostel Chaplin are both about 30 percent cheaper than in spring and autumn.
Summer
There are of course reasons to leave Rome be in August, such as the aforementioned high temperatures, but also that it is the traditional holiday month for the Romans themselves and many restaurants and trattorias will be closed. Until about 15 years ago even museums would shut their doors, but luckily that has changed. On the contrary, under the banner “Roma Estate” several festivals, concerts and exhibitions are held in August for those that stay behind. One more advantage is that August is the only time of the year that you will be able to walk from the B&B to the Colosseum, to name an attraction, without having to fear to be run over by a crazy driver.
Winter
During the winter months, from the second week of November till the end of Febraury, hotel and bed and breakfast rates in Rome drop and you will be often able to get a B&B room at the price of a hostel. The weather will of course be less agreeable and fewer events are organized. On the upside, the lines at the Vatican Museums, the Colosseum and other major tourist attractions will be far shorter. The trip to Rome itself will also be a lot cheaper, especially if you book early enough on one of the budget airlines, like RyanAir or Easyjet .
Spring and autumn
As far as the weather goes,the best months to visit the Eternal City are the spring and autumn months, from March until June and from September until Oktober. The Romans are back from their holidays, the tourists come to Rome en masse, and the buses and metros are packed with people. The queues for getting into tourist attractions like the vatican Museums and the Colosseum can take 2 or 3 hours. Staying in Rome is not cheap (At the moment, as far as accommodation is concerned, Rome is the 7th most expensive city in the world, and the average price of a hotel room is slightly more than 150 Euros per night). Bed & Breakfast Chaplin Rome and Hostel Little Italy are of course way cheaper than that.