Rome on the weekends?

Question

We will be arriving in Rome on Saturday and will start our visit with two weekend days. Are the businesses, museums and restarants generally open on the weekend (mid October)?

Answer 1

Saturdays in Rome are great -- very crowded, very busy and everything is open. On Sunday? Just the opposite. Everything is closed pretty much. I remember going to the Coliseum on Sunday, just because it was open. But Sundays are very quiet and so are Mondays in terms of museums, etc.

Answer 2

Rome is more crowded on the weekends than during the week. No worries, you'll still have a good time. The Vatican Museum (Sistine Chapel) is closed on Sundays, except for the last Sunday of the month. The free day is a nightmare of a mob scene - I wouldn't go near the place on that day.

The Vatican Museum closes early on Saturdays so you may not be able to squeeze this in on the weekend. You can still visit St Peter's Basilica on Sunday. When the Pope is in town he gives a blessing at noon to the crowd in St Peter's Square.

The area of Ancient Rome (Coliseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill) is great to visit on Sundays. The main road is closed to cars. It's fun to explore this area on foot or you can rent bikes.

Many retail stores are closed on Sunday. About half the stores on the main shopping streets - Via del Corso & Via Nazionale will be open.

Most restaurants are closed one day a week. Some choose Sunday. You are in Rome, a big city. You will still find plenty of options open on Sunday.

Have a great time!

Answer 3

Yes, surely, they are all open