Rome on Easter weekend, how busy?

City at its busiest time. Do not take a trip as usually transportation works on a reduced schedule. As long as you reserve in time a restaurant and - maybe - avoid the Vatican where the religious celebrations gather many people, you could survive the day. Traditionally, the Monday after Easter is reserved to family day trips out of town, so roads become clogged especially in late evening.

Don't fret! Easter services at the Vatican are probably out of reach unless you know a Cardinal, but the rest of the city is fine. Day trips are possible too but the transportation might be overwhelmed. .

Decide what you might want to do then check the web to ensure the site is open. For example, many of the museums (Borghese) are open as they are closed Monday. Just check to be certain. Or take a nice walk: the Appian Way, Parco degli Acquedotti, the Janiculum Hill for a view over Rome, etc. There's lost to see just by walking the city. Villa d'Este at Tivoli is an hour's train ride away and if the weather is good, worth doing. I am pretty sure it was open last Easter Sunday, but again, check the web.

It really all depends on what your attitude is! I WANTED to be in Rome for Easter, don't know a Cardinal, but got tickets (2) through my local Parish, went to Easter Mass at St. Peters -- Experience of a Lifetime! Actually I've been to many masses in Rome and it doesn't really matter -- ALL of the Churches are lovely.

I did plan ahead, went to the Internet to find restaurants near my hotel (also called hotel) and made sure we had dinner reservations two weeks before for Easter and Easter Monday. Public Transportation was fine, The pizzerias were open. Had no problem.

I thoroughly enjoyed being there for Easter. I'd just relax and enjoy! Plan ahead for your dinners, or you can have pizzas!

We were in Rome over Easter this spring but not by design. The calendar I was using for planning actually had Easter on the wrong date but we were already in for the long haul. Hotels costs were higher. I don't recall exactly what we did on Easter Sunday. Perhaps we visted a museum, but I do know that we aborted an attempt to ride the metro from Termini...the station was absolutely mobbed that morning. We had thought it would be best to leave Rome on Sunday, but train tickets to Naples (our escape strategy) were too costly for us. We spent a very nice Easter Day in Rome walking around and taking in some sights. I do remember being surprised by how many shops and restuarants were open that day and felt the decision to remain in Rome was a good one for us. We had heard from several sources that the Romans like to "leave the walls" and travel on Easter Monday. We opted to avoid travel that day. I suppose it was crowded, but it didn't bother us. It's a big city with lots of people already, and its the epicenter of Christendom that week so hard to complain, I think. We spent the week preceding Easter in Rome and left the Tuesday after the holiday. It was a nice time all the way around. Safe travels.

I was in Rome this year during Easter - which was more crazy than usual as it was Pope Francis' first, and the canonization of two popes was the following week. It is a busy time there, but it was an amazing experience. I actually was able to secure tickets to every mass I requested them for - I faxed and mailed requests to http://www.vatican.va/various/prefettura/index_en.html (you should contact them ASAP). I second the advice to make reservations for Easter Sunday meals - more places are open than I had anticipated. Some include All’Oro, Cesare al Casaletto, La Gensola, Flavio Velavevodetto and La Torricella.

On the week leading up to Easter Sunday, and the days after, the tourist sites will be very crowded. It will be smart to buy advanced tickets for those sites that allow it. You'll just need your patience. Also, venture out to neighborhoods like Testaccio, which has a great market and tourists don't go there as often as the others.