Put on Your Game Face and other Rome, Italy Warning Or Danger Tips

We had been warned about begging, aggresive vendors and pickpockets in crowded tourist areas. For some reason we didn't run into a problem. Maybe because my husband is in law enforcement and has that "look" about him. Or maybe because we live in a big city and by habit keep an eye out for anything suspicious.

We stayed near the Spanish Steps and sat out every night watching the activity. We were only approached once. My tip is just don't make eye contact and if they approach you as your walking by, just step around them. You don't have to be rude but once you acknowledge them, even with a "no thanks" they know they've got your attention and go in for the sell. We watched this happen many, many times with other people.

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After reading all the tips on pickpockets and theives we were very aware of our belongings and the people around us. Just use a little common sense and pay attention to what's going on around you. If someone makes you feel uneasy, trust your intuition. The only time we were uncomfortable was at the Roma Termini metro stop. We took the Spagna metro to Cipro and had to change trains at Roma Termini. The Termini station wasn't that crowded at first but as we waited for the train it became packed with people. I watched two men who appeared to be together walk up to the platform and then separate as if they didn't know each other. I watched them watch the other people and was uncomfortable enough to move away. One of them got in the same car as us, the other on the car in front. And at the next stop they both got off talking to each other again. Weird.

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I had one too many while on vacation. They were everywhere! I thought, "Hey, I'm on vacation. I deserve to treat myself." Oh well (sigh) off to the treadmill...

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While we were in Italy there were a few strikes. Nothing serious just a little inconvenient. Each one lasted a day. In Rome the was some type of worker's strike that didn't affect us at all. In Venice there was a ferry strike. We couldn't go to Murano that day. And in Florence there was a bus strike on our last day and another day we had reservations at the Uffizi and Accademia. When we arrived there was a notice on the door that the museum wouldn't open until 11am due to a meeting, our reservations were for 9:30am. It was the same at both museums. Several people told me that the "meeting" was actually a strike. I don't know if that was true. Just be prepared to be flexible.

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