Apps to download

GoogleMaps, with the “Transit” Map details option selected, really helped me figure out the bus system. Looking at the map of Rome, zoom in approximately to where you are (or will be when you want to get on a bus), touch on the bus icon indicating a nearby stop, and the App gives you the bus numbers that serve it. Type in where you want to go, and it’ll tell you what bus to take, when the next one’s arriving, how long to the stop you need to get off to either transfer to an additional bus, or when you’ve reached the final destination.

If you’re going to be using Rick Steves’ audio tour of museums or other sights (very helpful), download whichever tours you want off of his Website (the one you’re on now). From the Homepage menu, select Watch, Read, Listen, then select Listen, then Audio Tours. There are 11 audio tours for Roman locations: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/audio-tours/italy

I like City Mapper App. It works in most major cities.

Trenitalia - assuming trains are in the transportation mix.
Google Translate - assuming your Italian needs some help.
Whats App - helpful for contacting hosts and uses WiFi not text.

Also potentially helpful:
Your bank app
App for airline you're using
There are several taxi apps - ask which ones are best in the various places you stay
Yelp - not perfect but can still be a help in foreign cities when you really need something specific

+Tod

Taxi app:
https://www.ittaxi.it/app
https://www.free-now.com/

Bus app
https://www.atac.roma.it/en/tickets-and-passes/request-and-charge-online/ticketappy

Rome museums app:
https://www.museiincomuneroma.it/en/musei_digitali/le_app_dei_mic

Rome touring itineraries:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/rome-guida-verde-touring/id450157803

As mentioned above WhatsApp is the most important app to communicate for free with Italians or also with your friends and relatives at home. Italians (all Europeans) use it more than any other text messaging system because many European mobile phone providers charge for sending regular text messages, whereas data is super cheap in all European phone plans and WhatsApp uses wifi data. Make sure you have all your contacts on WhatsApp. It is the must have app when traveling abroad.

Thank you so much for the info!

We like using TripIt to keep all of our travel details organized. It's free and easy to use overall. https://www.tripit.com/web