First ever overseas trip to Rome in Nov.

Welcome and congratulations! How exciting! I'm glad your dream has come true. You will have a blast!

I know you have a million questions and concerns. First, practice good situational awareness and you'll be fine. Read Ricks advice on packing, especially since you'll be on a tour. My wife and I pack light. We spent 10 days in Scotland with just a Rick Steves carryon backpack and one personal item each.

What time do you have to meet up for the tour? If you land between 7 and 8 in the morning you'll have plenty of time to make a tour starting around lunchtime or later. Is the hotel accommodations part of the tour?

There are different thoughts on overcoming jet lag. We prefer to jump right in on arrival, to instantly adopt to the new time zone. We find we recover quickly this way. You need to get out in the sun and walk around when you arrive.

November will be nice. We spent our last trip to Italy in Tuscany two weeks before Christmas. We had a little frost a couple of mornings but most days it warmed up to the upper '50s or even mid '60s. The only potential problem is that October and November are the rainiest months, but Rome doesn't get much rainfall. Average monthly rainfall is 4"inches, which is exactly the same as Atlanta.

I have traveled many times as a solo female. Just follow Rick's advice on safety and you'll be fine.

I would add just one thing. Never let anyone on the street approach you and get in your "personal space" for change, a cigarette, signing a petition, etc. Politeness is not required, and you don't owe anyone an answer. Just walk away or use a loud and firm "No!" if that's not possible.

Definitely recommend staying awake that first day. Drop your bags at the hotel, get outside, and drink lots of water. You'll be tired, but ready to go the next day!

Thank you both for the replies. As far as i know (i haven't booked the trip yet), it seems as if we meet at the hotel around 3pm? I am basing that off the general itinerary here on the site for the Rome Tour. I did figure I can drop my bags off and go explore. There's a couple things I wanted to see that the tour doesn't touch on. Yes hotel accommodation is part of the tour. I guess i should have made clear I am taking the Best of Rome in 7 days tour RS has here on the website. So besides flights, some dinners, and some shopping, everything seems to be covered? I just want to make sure i am as prepares as possible. I have the guidebooks, the maps, and plan to order the luggage as well(carry on and shoulder bag). I guess i am being a nervous nelly over going alone. I picked a tour because I wont really ever be alone once it gets going. I also plan to fly home the day the tour ends (arrive home the next day). And i am rambling haha.

Andie, you will be fine. Yes it is a little confusing if you've never been, but things work over there pretty much like they do here, just in another language. If you haven't flown that far before, be aware of jet lag and its impact on the first couple of days. Most people recommend you don't take a nap when you first get there, because that will throw off your body clock which is trying to adjust to new daylight hours. If you have any delays and cant get there on time for the first meeting, just contact the guide and let them know. They've dealt with everything before. Ask them any questions you have. Lots of great tips available here on the forum and on the whole website.

Welcome Adriana! You're going to get lots of excellent advice and ideas here - enjoy these as part of your trip planning. Rome is safe, if you pay attention. Just like you would anywhere else.
My flights always arrive very early in the morning (coming from Philadelphia). By the time I get my luggage and get through customs and passport control, I am more and more aware that I'm in ROME! Somehow the thought of sleeping at the very beginning of my vacation is unacceptable. If you can check into your hotel early, take a shower, unpack, get dressed and head out for a walk. Gelato is my favorite way to start the experience. It isn't ice cream - it's gelato. November should still be warm enough to find outdoor seating at a cafe for lunch (you want to get the taste of airline food out of your mind and mouth). People watch. Don't speak Italian? No problem, most of Rome is quite good helping tourists out. Meander some more - you don't need a 'to do' list on your first afternoon. It's Rome. It looks different, it sounds different, it is different than your home city. Think of it as 'attitude adjustment.'
Hmmm, when does the 'tour' actually start? That might help you decide about the evening hours. Early evening is marvelous in Rome. Gelato is a good companion then too. I'd hold of on the wine until dinner though. Maybe an early dinner? Say, 8 or 9 o'clock? (yes, that is 'early'). Go back to your hotel and get a good night's sleep. I bet that in the morning you'll feel refreshed and excited to continue discovering a city and country that all of us love. BTW, on the plane going home you can start planning your next visit!

Congratulations on making this choice to go on an adventure! I know you will enjoy your time.

A Rick Steves tour is a great way to start learning the travel skills you will use over and over again during your lifetime. The tours are a combination of group touring and independent free time so there will be times when you might be "on your own", but they are nothing to worry about. Do have options for free time thought about in advance and then make your final decisions there. Another group member may say, "I'm headed to (fill in the blank) anyone else interested? I have travelled solo on 4 RS tours and have enjoyed myself each time.

Flights that arrive at 7/8 am are the norm and actually a good idea. It builds in a "cushion" in case of flight delays. In the best of situations, I would encourage you to arrive the day before the tour begins, but you have already mentioned that this is not a possibility.

Budget: You will need to pay for transport to and from the airport. I would encourage you to splurge and take a taxi (fixed at 50 euros?) each way. You will be tired and finding your way around a new city with luggage can be a bit of a challenge the first day. There is a good chance that you will be able to share the cost of a taxi with other tour members on the way back at the end of the tour. The guide will help arrange this.

You will have lunches and half your dinners to pay for I find the RS dinners have lots of delicious food. So, I tend to picnic for the 1/2 that I am responsible for. In Rome, grabbing some pizza is so easy and cheap. For me, if I budget 25 euros/day for lunch and dinner and gelato, that is plenty. Once you are situated, you will learn how to take the bus or subway around Rome. Your guide will teach you this or there are quite a few You Tube videos on the subject. I'd budget 8 euros a day for transport.

The additional costs are really up to you. Admissions? Shopping? Rent a bike?

Safety: I have never felt unsafe in Rome as a woman when traveling alone. I use the same situational awareness that I would use anywhere in the US.

Have fun and be sure to come back and tell us how the trip turns out.

More thanks for the replies!

I do plan to learn some Italian. I speak a little German, ok more than a little, so I know I can handle learning a language. I also know someone fluent in Italian that can help. I will make a note NOT to nap when I get there. Maybe depending on the hotel, I can find my way to the Spanish Steps and people watch? I do know that they say not to sit on the steps, so I will make sure to find a bench close by! Gelato sounds wonderful as well! I also like the idea of picnicking when I can. Pizza in Rome is the dream!

Thank you all for the great advice. Now its onto saving the $$ and booking the trip, getting a passport, etc etc. Lots of saving to do!!!

I guess i am being a nervous nelly over going alone.

Nervous Nelly or cautious? Either way it never hurts to have too much information. Our first European adventure was to Rome in 2014 and I couldn't absorb enough information. I'm the type that likes to know every detail of where it is, how to get there and how to behave in a new place. There's a lot of value in the smallest details in the Rick Steves guides. I remember one of the first things that stuck with me was his advice on how to cross a street in Rome. Back then, I was thinking the book was a bit too detailed, but I had an aha moment the first time I came to a busy street.

Like others have said, I wouldn't advise on sleeping the day away. I'd tough it out and try to adjust your body clock to the new time. We sometimes take a 1 hour nap in mid-afternoon, but usually try and stay awake until 9 or 10. If you're anything like me, you'll probably be so wired, that adrenaline will keep you awake and exploring until you meet your group.

Both, nervous and cautious. I also am the type to research everything. I have tons of notes already. I wrote this post and i don't have anything booked yet, or even the time off approved. I have 4 guidebooks already! I'm binge watching anything on RS youtube i think MIGHT be helpful lol.

The crossing the street bit stuck out to me too. I got the Best of Europe as a Xmas gift and noticed that in the Rome section!

While we haven't been on an RS tour, from what I know and read you've made an excellent choice to get your feet wet with European travel! Also, Rome is a great city to visit first.

We also love to research and plan. RS tours are a good mix of having the big decisions made for you while there's enough independent time to practice making your own plans. I suggest you don't plan every minute of your free time. Some of our best memories are of unexpected discoveries we've made.

I just read the itinerary of the tour and it's a great introduction to Rome. There's a big advantage of doing this as your first tour, there's no moving from one hotel to another. That will maximize your time there. Also be aware of the physical requirements. It won't be a problem if you are in normal shape, but if you do some regular walking between now and then it will help. We are twice your age and when traveling independently, we average walking 8-12 miles a day. Invest in good walking shoes!

Andie, this is an exciting decision you've made - congratulations! I did my first travel outside the US when I was 38 and usually travel solo. I haven't done any of the RS tours so will let others chime in on that but there are a couple of small things that were helpful to me in Rome.

1) Do splurge for the taxi upon arrival. Make sure you walk past anyone trying to offer a ride and go straight to the official taxi stand.

2) Have the name and address of your hotel on an index card to show the driver. Keep it with you during the week so if you find yourself too tired to walk back, you can easily use it for future taxi rides.

3) Another post mentions being firm when street vendors approach you. Leave your Midwest sense of politeness in the Midwest. When my mom has traveled with me, she has been shocked to hear me say no with force and raise my hand as I walk away from pesky sellers. But she has also seen the difference in how persistent they are with her vs. me.

4) Don't let the annoying street vendors overwhelm your preparations. They exist but you can be firm with them while enjoying some really lovely Romans all in the same space.

5) Enjoy your time - if something is important to you to see or do, do it. I really wanted to see a place during my first visit but got pressured into having lunch with a fellow guest from the convent where I was staying. I missed the sight before it closed for the winter and was so disappointed. When I returned for a second visit, it was one of the first things I did but at the time I wasn't sure when or if I would get back. All that being said - stay flexible and open minded to seeing unexpected offerings as well. I hadn't much interest in the Scala Santa but we needed to pivot our plans one day and made a visit. It was lovely and I'm glad to have seen them.

I'm excited for your big adventure and the research ahead of you - it's as much fun as the trip itself for me and it sounds like you may be similar. Enjoy!!

As you are researching/preparing, check out the Rick Steves tour scrapbooks to whet your appetite.
https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/scrapbooks/tour-alum-scrapbooks

You have gotten good advice.

I'll add yes, get good walking shoes now and break them in.
We've been to Rome 4 times and never get tired of it. RS often uses Hotel Lancelot for the 7 Day Rome Tour. It's a very nice hotel with a great breakfast and rooms. Location is very close to the Colosseum. Desk people are very nice and it has an elevator.

On our first trip to Rome (independent travel) I booked the Hotel Lancelot and was very pleased when 2 years later we signed up for the 7 Day Rome Tour and found out that's where we were staying. Hotel staff had recommended a restaurant for dinner on our first trip and it is still our favorite of all in Rome. Walking distance from Lancelot and Colosseum. Hostaria da Nerone

You will have dinner with the guide and tour mates after the first meeting and the orientation walk. Stay awake after you arrive that morning , and I agree that it's worth taking a taxi from the taxi stand at the airport.

We have now taken 7 RS tours and have always had some solo travelers in our group and they have had a great time. One tour had a Honeymoon couple!

November is our favorite time in Rome. I have a Scottevest jacket with zip off sleeves that I use as a vest if it's warm some days. Scottevest jackets have interior pockets (quite a few) that each have a zipper. My husband ordered one after he saw mine. I don't carry a purse or crossbody, I like hands free. Going through security all I have to do is take the jacket off and put it through with my carryon suitcase. We never check a bag going to Europe. I do use a neck wallet for my passport, credit card and ATM card after I arrive. Don't forget to call your CC company and Bank for the ATM card to give them the dates and location of your travels before you leave.

RS sells an English to Italian/Italian to English language book with phonetic pronunciations which is pocket size, comes in very handy. Order it as soon as you book your trip and practice it with a friend.

I hope you can arrange the time off to make this trip happen and have a Great Time! Please post a trip report after you come home. We love to read them.