Trevi fountain charge and reservation soon

Very interesting. I have no problem with charging a fee to see the fountain. It can certainly get extremely crowded and the site needs to be protected. The article states they’re going to limit the number of folks going and charge a fee in November while restoration work is being done. It remains to be seen what the process will be in the future.
I’m not sure how I feel about a glass walkway being built over the area being restored. My initial thought is that it would greatly detract from the experience of seeing it.

Sad that overtouristing has meant so many experiences are not longer possible. I took my mother about 30 years ago to the fountain at dawn with take out cappuccino and had the place to ourselves except for a very young Japanese bride and her groom getting pictures. She was dressed in an outfit that looked right out of Cinderella -- I expected to see birds tying the bows.

My initial thought is that it would greatly detract from the experience of seeing it.

How right you are, but shoulder-to-shoulder sightseers sitting and standing all around it, not even looking at it or looking at it through their phone's camera, jabbering, posing, have already spoiled the experience. I first saw it at night in 1971. We were alone at the fountain.

1 euro isn't much a deterrent, and it's reported to be just to access the area below street level as they can't really block access to the piazza, the businesses around it, and the 3-4 streets traveling through it. There's already dense crowding of the street level of the piazza of folks vying for a look at the thing, and I don't see the fee as easing that particular issue. It may, in fact, make it worse but that's just a guess.

Katie Parla seems to agree:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/romes-trevi-fountain-will-get-a-much-needed-cleaning-and-a-controversial-new-entry-fee-180985243/#:~:text=To%20prepare%20for%20the%20Vatican's,entry%20fee%20will%20be%20introduced.

Note the plan for cleaning and restoration spruce-up for Jubilee; doesn't look like there's any water in it today so it may have started early.

https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/lazio/roma/fontana-di-trevi.html

I've read in a few places that one of the best ways to avoid the crowds is to enter the Benetton store directly across from the Trevi Fountain, go to the children's clothing section on the First Floor and look out the window. The elevated view will put you above the crowds and you can still see the whole thing which is massive. Might be a good option in 2025 especially.

If the "restricted access" means reserving a time slot with fewer people, I'm all for it. At 5'1" it was impossible for me to view the Trevi Fountain years ago which was 15-people deep! It was frustrating.
Btw, I've added the recommendation to go to the Benetton Store for a great view! Thank you for that. It reminds of how the best way to view Edinburgh Castle @ 37 years ago was to go upstairs at the Wimpy's!

Currently no water in the Trevi Fountain but still a very congested area.

The Trevi Fountain was "supposed" to be completed on December 8th. Does anyone have an update? I've found no news beyond early November.

I feel so lucky to have seen many of these sites before it became so crowded. I once sat with my mother with take out cappucinno and a pastry early one morning at the Trevi Fountain and the only other people there were a young Japanese Bridal couple in a dress that looked like it came from Cinderella's closet.

We spent two weeks in Florence this fall and all of our favorite places are now so jammed with people that it was quite disappointing. I will never stand in line for 45 minutes for an ice cream cone.

time to start branching out and finding new places less discovered.

Lindy…they started disassembling the walkway over the fountain this past Monday. You can see the progress on the SkyCam…
https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/lazio/roma/fontana-di-trevi.html

Jane…we just spent 8 days in Rome the end of November/early December…hardly any crowds anywhere…Vatican Museums, Coliseum, Trevi Fountain. The weather was sunny and mild…it is the perfect time to visit! We usually visit Italy in October, but after last year’s October visit with the crowds and unusually warm weather, we switched to late November this year. It will be November visits for us from now on!

Thanks, Jconsol. I'll be following the webcam. Maybe the fountain will actually have water in it by the end of December.

We were just there very early last Saturday morning. Still under refurbishment, panels around the site, no water. I took some photos through a gap in the panels.

But very much deserted at 6:00 am!!

I land in Rome at 0830 on 1/1/25, had planned to walk straight to Trevi then poke around the city. lol before the parade. A few online sources say the fee-and-reservation system is in effect, but I cannot find a site on which to do that; does anybody know for certain?

A few online sources say the fee-and-reservation system is in effect, but I cannot find a site on which to do that; does anybody know for certain?

Here is a recent article that explains things:
https://www.romeing.it/the-trevi-fountain-reopens-with-limited-access/

To address overcrowding, the city has introduced a limit of 400 visitors at a time within the fountain’s perimeter. Mayor Roberto Gualtieri commented, “We are experimenting with a new access system, involving queues to allow both tourists and locals to enjoy the fountain in a more civil manner.”

The regulated access schedule is as follows:

Daily: Open from 9 am to 9pm, with last entry at 8:30 pm.

Mondays and Fridays: Opens at 11 am to accommodate coin collection.

Every other Monday: Opens at 2 pm to allow for cleaning and emptying of the basin.

Evenings: From 9 pm access is unrestricted.

Dedicated staff will be present at the entrance, exit, and within the site to manage security and welcome visitors.

The possibility of introducing an entrance ticket is still under consideration, but for now, access remains free.

We visited the Trevi Fountain December 27th or 28th (can't remember). It was open and actually easy to access! We did not need tickets or reservations, just stood in a short line. We moved right up in front of the fountain and enjoyed it greatly.

Been to see the fountain twice, over 30 years ago. Not sure that I would pay to see it.

We were there on New Year’s Day. There was a big crowd and nobody knew where to buy the ticket so we just admired it from the upper level and moved on.