New Year's in Rome?

You are correct about Piazza del Popolo: it can be very dangerous although there are supposed to be "official" fireworks, too. But I hear it is always a madhouse and out-of-control. Official fireworks have been at the Colosseo. This site lists a lot of possibilities.
New Year's Eve in Rome

Lots of people go out to dinner on NYE: it is expensive and they dress up a bit. Even a neighborhood restaurants will increase prices 20% or more on the regular menu, and many places offer a fixed-price experience well over €100 per person. If you do not have a hotel room it is getting very late to secure one, so make that a priority.

Transportation is interesting. The buses shut down at 21:00 because they cannot get thru the streets safely. The Metro runs until 2:30 AM on 1/1/2015. Cabs are very busy and the wait can be long.

You might check these two websites for inspiration, also both in English

Holiday Events in Rome

Rome Guide

This one is in Italian only Capodanna 2015 but states that "obviously" there will be fireworks at the Colosseo.

Thank you so much Laurel!

Yes, our hotel is booked- we will be at the NH Leonardo Da Vinci. Ordinarily I love its proximity to the Piazza del Popolo and the Borghese, but I think I have decided to avoid Piazza del Popolo at all costs for New Years eve. Thank you for confirming what I had heard- a video my co-worker showed me was seriously scary.

Thinking of alternatives. Frequently from the NH Leonardo da Vinci we have taken the Metro from the Lepanto station to the Collosseo station. But I find it hard to imagine one can simply stroll off the train at Colosseo into that crowd at the foot of the Collosseum. I wouldn't be surprised if the station even prohibits disembarking there after a certain time due to crowding.

Might we see fireworks if we went off toward St. Peters instead? Or from the Piazza Rotonda in front of the Pantheon? I suppose we could try to make our way to just anywhere along the Via dei Fori Imperiali if we weren't wanting to get too close?

I'm told also that street vendors selling bottles of Prosecco are plentiful- is that generally true?

Please forgive all the questions- but the insights of a local are far more valuable than anything I've been able to find from the "expert" websites that mostly seem to be just selling hotel rooms.

Mille Grazie Laurel!

Dave

Dave,
I am afraid I have to tell you that while I know about what is supposed to go on here, I have not gone to the big crowded celebrations, preferring a quieter (relatively speaking) neighborhood experience, which is dinner within walking distance of the house. People shoot of fireworks all over Rome and from our piazza we can see quite far north and dozens of unofficial "events" including the guy across the street who had a 45 minute show from his terrace.

Maybe Quirite will chime in with what he has done and seen over the years. Friends told me to stay away from Piazza del Popolo, but I am sure you can see a lot from Piazzale Napoleone. There should only be a few thousand people in the park. :-0

There is always a free pop concert either at Piazza Venezia or in front of the Colosseum. There is a free classical concert in front of Quirinale Palace. Unfortunately locals lighting off their own firecrackers is common. I will never forget seeing two little kids wrestling over a Roman candle while it was shooting off while their parents looked on doing nothing. I guess I'm getting old or just hyper cautious but I don't enjoy these chaotic scenes on NYE. 99.5% of the people will have a great time without injury but it just makes me uneasy.

Thanks so much everyone!

I've tried to search the web and ATAC site to find out if the Colosseo Metro station will be open for arrivals and departures all New Years Eve, but either they haven't said or my Italian isn't up to the task. Does anyone recall if it typically closes at some point prior to the fireworks- at least for arrivals?

Mille Grazie!

Dave

It is too early to know the hours of the metro stations for NYE. There is a chance that the Colosseo stop will be closed depending on events but you could always use the Cavour or Circo Massimo stop. There hasn't been an official announcement of any events in the squares and there probably won't be until about 2 weeks in advance. Italy is all about learning to go with the flow and making alternate plans when things don't go as expected.

Thanks again everyone! Alternately, does anyone know of a hotel that hosts a rooftop or terrace New Year's celebration that would afford some nice Rome views for the midnight celebration? Yes, of course I know of the Eden or the Minerva, but thinking something that mere mortals can afford! ;)

Thanks so much!

Dave

Just wanted to post the after-report!

NEW YEARS IN ROME WAS FANTASTIC!

We finished dinner around 10pm and headed to Piazza Venizia (we had already decided to avoid Piazza del Popolo). The night was perhaps a record cold for the date, with the temperature below freezing and a brisk wind from the north. But the skies were absolutely clear, and most importantly, we had packed for the cold with long coats, scarves, hats, and gloves.

There were two music stages set up- near Piazza Venizia and another about halfway down the Fori Imperiali toward the Colloseum. With chilled Prosecco in our backpack, it was a lively scene despite the cold. The best part though is the viewpoint we found to watch the fireworks over the Colosseum. We walked up to the Capitoline Museum and followed a narrow path to a viewpoint perched above the Forum and with a breathtaking view. The fireworks were perhaps the best we've even seen and lasted for almost 40 minutes!

Afterward we walked back to the stage nearest the Piazza Venizia and danced to the performance band Swing Circus until about 2am. There was no sign of the party ending when we finally left- afterall we had only landed from the US that morning and we were exhausted but very happy!

Somehow though we managed to make it to St. Peters later that day for Pope Francis's New Year's Angelus message at noon. After that, we slept for about 16 hours! Fortunately our reservations for the Borghese Gallery weren't until the next day.

New Years in Rome- our new favorite! Thanks to everyone here who helped with our planning!

Happy New Year!

Dave and Susanne

Dave,

What a great first day you had! Yes it was brisk that night! We were safe in bed by midnight after our dinner near Piazza Navona. Buon Anno to you and hope your travels continue to be so exhilarating.

Dave, how great of you to come back here with a follow up on what actually happened. Sounds like you now have some memories that will last a lifetime. I envy you! (I know the exact vantage point you're talking about. Good job!)

Dave,

Thanks for sharing your New Year's experience in Rome, it sounds like so much fun!

It's truly remarkable that you were able to stay up till 2AM, especially since you were jet-lagged!!!

Happy New Year to you & yours!

I know that viewing spot, too, it's fantastic! Happy new year!