Donatellos. Italiano. Ampthill

19/06/2026

Rome 2026: The Travel Changes Most Tourists Don't Know

Rome changed this year, quietly, in ways that cost you time and money if nobody warns you first. Here's what's actually different in 2026.

➊ The border is biometric now
Since April, when you land at Fiumicino from outside Europe — from the US, the UK, anywhere non-EU — there's no passport stamp anymore. They take your fingerprints and a photo of your face and log you electronically. The first time through is slower, so don't book a tight connection. There's an optional EU app that lets you load your passport and photo before you fly, which speeds the desk up. And ETIAS — the thing everyone's anxious about — is not required yet. If a website is charging you for an "ETIAS" to enter Italy right now, it's a scam. You don't need one in 2026.

➋ The Trevi Fountain costs money now
Since February there's a €2 fee to go down to the basin — the edge where you toss your coin — between 9am and 10pm. You book a slot online, they scan a QR code, they cap it at a few hundred people at a time. But here's what they don't put on the sign: after 10pm it's free. Same edge, same coin toss, floodlights on, a fraction of the crowd, no ticket. Come at eleven at night and you get the better version for nothing. And don't sit on the marble or dip your hand in the water — that's a fine of up to €450, and they enforce it.

➌ The city tax isn't in your hotel price
Whatever you paid for the room online, that's not the final number. Rome adds a tourist tax per person, per night, on top — around €10 a night in a five-star, €7.50 in a four-star, a flat €6 in an apartment rental. It runs for your first ten nights, and they usually collect it in cash at check-out, which is where people get caught. Two of you, five nights, four-star: that's €75 nobody mentioned at booking. Have the cash ready.

➍ The free Rome is shrinking
Things that were free for decades now have a turnstile. The Pantheon costs €5 to walk into. Several other monuments that used to be open and free started charging this year too. None of it is much on its own, but it stacks up across a few days — set aside a little extra for the places that used to cost nothing, so you're not surprised at the gate halfway through the trip.

➎ The metro reaches the Colosseum now
Since December you can take the metro almost to the Colosseum's front door. The new Line C extension opened a station right between the Colosseum and the Forum, with a connection to Line B, so you're no longer stuck with one overcrowded line and a long walk. And the station is a small free museum in itself — they hit Roman wells, a house, and frescoes while digging it, and the finds are on display in the entrance hall, no ticket needed. Two minutes well spent on your way past.

➏ The airport taxi is a fixed €55 — but only the right one
From Fiumicino, the official taxi into the centre is a flat €55. Any number of passengers, any amount of luggage, to anywhere inside the old Aurelian walls. Don't let a driver run the meter on you. The catch: official Rome cabs are white and say "Roma Capitale" on the door — those honour the €55. The ones plated "Comune di Fiumicino" will meter the same ride and charge you more. And by law they must take cards, so if the machine is suddenly "broken," walk to the next cab.

➐ The crowds aren't what they were last year
2025 was a Jubilee year — record numbers, pilgrims everywhere, half the monuments behind scaffolding for the clean-up. That ended in January. The scaffolding is largely down, the city's had a fresh scrub, and 2026 is noticeably calmer than the year before. So the horror stories friends told you about last spring don't all apply now — you're arriving in a better-looking, less mobbed Rome than the one in their photos.

None of this makes Rome worse. The biometric line moves, the fountain is calmer, the metro is faster, the money is small. But it's the difference between walking in knowing, and standing at a ticket booth at noon wondering why everything you remembered being free suddenly isn't.

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Many Truths are spoken here

10/06/2026

Why Your First Coffee in Italy Can Confuse You

Your first coffee in Italy sounds like it should be simple.

You walk into a bar, ask for coffee, drink it, and continue your day.

But then you arrive at the counter and suddenly you hear words like ristretto, lungo, macchiato, marocchino, al vetro, schiumato, shakerato, corretto, freddo…

And before you understand what any of them mean, the barista is already waiting.

This is where many tourists get confused. Italian coffee is not complicated once you understand it, but Italians are very precise about small differences. A little more water, a little less water, warm milk, cold milk, glass cup, cocoa, foam, ice, alcohol — each one has its own name.

So here is the simple guide.

1. Caffè

In Italy, if you ask for “un caffè,” you usually get an espresso.

Not a big mug.
Not an American coffee.
Not something you walk around with for twenty minutes.

It is small, strong, fast, and usually finished in two sips at the counter.

2. Caffè ristretto

This is a shorter espresso, made with less water.

It is smaller than a normal espresso and usually stronger in taste. If you like intense coffee, this is for you.

3. Caffè lungo

This is a slightly longer espresso, made with more water passing through the coffee.

But be careful: lungo does not mean a large coffee. It is still a small Italian coffee, just a little longer than normal.

4. Caffè americano

This is the closest thing to a longer coffee in many Italian bars.

It is usually an espresso with hot water added. It is not exactly the same as filter coffee, but it is what many tourists should ask for if they want something less tiny.

5. Caffè macchiato

Macchiato means “stained.”

So caffè macchiato is an espresso with a small amount of milk.

You can ask for:

6. Macchiato caldo

Espresso with a little warm milk.

7. Macchiato freddo

Espresso with a little cold milk.

This is useful if you want milk in your coffee, but you do not want a cappuccino.

8. Cappuccino

Espresso with steamed milk and foam.

In Italy, cappuccino is mostly a breakfast drink. You can order it later if you want, but after lunch or dinner most Italians usually order espresso instead.

9. Caffè latte

This is coffee with a lot of milk.

But do not just ask for “latte,” because latte in Italian means milk. If you say only “latte,” you may get a glass of milk.

Say caffè latte.

10. Latte macchiato

This is mostly milk with a little coffee.

It is different from caffè macchiato. Caffè macchiato is coffee with a little milk. Latte macchiato is milk with a little coffee.

Small difference in words, big difference in the cup.

11. Marocchino

This is one of the best little Italian coffee drinks tourists often do not know.

It is usually served in a small glass with espresso, milk foam, and cocoa powder. Think of it as a tiny, elegant cousin of cappuccino.

12. Caffè al vetro

This means coffee served in a small glass instead of a ceramic cup.

Some Italians prefer it this way because the glass changes the feeling of the coffee and lets you see the crema.

13. Caffè schiumato

Schiuma means foam.

A caffè schiumato is an espresso with a little milk foam on top. It is similar to a macchiato, but the focus is more on the foam.

14. Caffè freddo

Cold coffee.

In summer, many Italian bars serve chilled coffee already prepared and kept cold. It is usually sweetened, so ask before if you do not like sugar.

15. Caffè shakerato

This is espresso shaken with ice, usually served cold and foamy.

It is not an iced latte. It is sharper, more elegant, and very Italian in summer.

16. Caffè con panna

Espresso with whipped cream on top.

Not something most Italians drink every morning, but you may see it in some bars.

17. Caffè corretto

Corretto means “corrected.”

This is espresso with a small splash of alcohol, usually grappa, sambuca, or brandy.

Not exactly your normal breakfast before visiting a museum, but it exists.

18. Decaffeinato

Decaf coffee.

You can say: “Un decaffeinato, per favore.”

19. Orzo

This is not coffee, but you will see it in Italian bars.

Orzo is a roasted barley drink. It looks a bit like coffee, but it has no caffeine.

20. Ginseng

Another common bar option in Italy.

It is sweet, creamy, and not really traditional espresso, but many Italians drink it as an alternative.

And then there is the part that confuses tourists even more: how to order.

In some Italian bars, you pay first at the cashier, take the receipt, and then order at the counter.

In other places, you order first and pay after.

If you sit at a table, especially in a famous piazza, the same coffee can cost more because you are paying for table service. That is not always a scam. It is just how many Italian bars work.

The easiest trick is simple: before ordering, watch what the locals do for ten seconds.

Are they paying first?
Are they ordering directly?
Are they standing at the counter?
Are they sitting and waiting for service?

Italy becomes much easier when you observe the rhythm first.

So if your first coffee in Italy feels confusing, don’t worry. You are not stupid. You have just entered a country where a tiny cup of coffee has twenty different personalities.

Start with “un caffè.”

Then try a marocchino.

In summer, try a shakerato.

And if you want to feel a little more local, order it al vetro.

09/06/2026

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