Rome for a rookie solo traveler -- recommendations?

Honestly any of the tours would be great for a solo traveler - I have traveled on my own for a number of years and the tours are an easy way to connect with other travelers, see new places and learn so much. My suggestion is think about where you're most interested in going to and what you hope to see and then find a tour that fits your interests, budget and timing. You can easily tack on extra days on your own to any of the tours since many of them start or end in cities.

Oh gosh, yes. While I've not done the Rome 7-day tour I have done the Paris one and it was a wonderful introduction to independent travel in a big city! I have been to Rome on 3 other RS tours, and they were excellent experiences!

For any tour, I recommend you arrive a day or two ahead of time. This gives you some flex in case of travel hiccups plus time to get over travel tiredness. I generally try to stay at the tour hotel just so I don't have to move. There is PLENTY to do in Rome that is not covered on your tour!

I also recommend ANY Rick Steves tours for a solo traveler, especially one new to solo travel. I've done 12 RS tours, a few with family members but most on my own.

And PS...who wants to be sensible, hahaha!! If Rome catches your interest go for it! If another location seems more interesting go for that too!

This tour is a great intro to Italy. Learned how to use the metro and buses; how to cope with the traffic - crossing the road etc. which can be intimidating! A good way to dip your toes into solo travel.

What a fun new adventure for you. Tours are so great for a combination of being solo and having others around. Rome is a LOT and also just amazing, so this is perfect. I second the suggestion to arrive a day or two ahead of time, to work through jet lag and ease into a whole new world. Also, read everything you can about your trip, door to door. It is truly amazing to see, in person, the things you read about. Have a fabulous time!

Rome is very easy for a solo traveler to navigate. I was there in September for 5 nights, 2nd visit but 1st solo visit. Rome was my last stop on a 4 week trip. I did the RS Village Italy tour in the middle of the independent trip. I am doing my 5th RS tour in July, 4th as solo. Not only will you have a great group of people to travel with, you will learn hints how to navigate on you own. There's no downside to taking an RS tour as a solo. Enjoy!!

Forgot to add a recommendation for the Rome tour - as suggested above arrive a couple of days before tour begins and sign up for a food tour - I did the Eating Europe Testaccio tour, great food in an interesting, less touristed part of Rome.

Go for it. So much to experience in Roma.

Welcome to the world of solo travel!

You will find any of the RS tours welcoming and supportive. I do have a few tips from the perspective of a female solo traveler.

1. Do some research about where you might be interested in going during your free time and how to get there by public transportation in advance. This means you have options. You can always say something like, “I’m thinking of going to see (fill in the blank). Is anyone else interested?”
2. Speak up if you would like to join others for a meal. Let them know you are interested, but be willing to go off cheerfully in your own if people have other plans. About 80% of the time someone else will be interested in sharing a meal with others.
3. Have the name and address of your hotel on your person. If you find yourself lost, tired, or feeling uneasy- pay for a cab or Uber to get you back. The City Mapper App helps me navigate almost every major city.
4. Plan ahead for layovers when flying to or from your trip. Long or overnight layovers can become problematic for a solo female. My approach is utilizing the priority pass feature that comes with my credit card for free lounge access where I feel a bit more secure. I have utilized the Yotel in Amsterdam for a longer layover and loved being able to go in a private room with my things, lock the door, sleep for a bit and take a shower.
   1. Be willing to pay, when you need to pay. Sometimes you just need to pay out for your own well being. I am a bargain traveler, but I have learned never to scrimp on issues relating to security or health.

“There's no downside to taking an RS tour as a solo.”

Wellllll…the only downside is that you will not be able to stop traveling! I had not really liked Paris much in prior trips but after the Best of Paris I can’t stay away! You will feel so at home in Rome after this!!

You won’t be solo if on the tour. Usually there are other solo travelers & RS office should be willing to tell you if other solo people are on your tour.
I have always enjoyed the solo travelers on our tours. They seem very willing to meet new people. When we did the Rome tour it was very fast paced and a great way to get your feet wet on traveling solo. Enjoy

Absolutely! The Rome tour was my second solo adventure, in October 2024. Between the RS Rome guidebook and this forum I roughed out my pre-tour days and possible activities for free time before I booked my flights so I'd know how many days early to arrive.

I arrived on a Friday mid-day and found my room available for checkin (yes, I stayed at the same hotel the tour would be using). It was near the Colosseum so I wandered around the Imperial Fora that afternoon. Saturday I had plans for places the tour didn't expressly cover (Domus Aurea, National Roman Museum-Palazzo Massimo), Sunday I wandered around the Pantheon area without going in and visited San Clemente. I didn't make any hard-and-fast plans for the free afternoons during the tour as I knew from my first adventure that it's possible to pair up with other solo travelers and that the guide will have suggestions.

Take reasonable pickpocket precautions (I used a crossbody bag and kept my passport and spare credit card in a waistpouch under my clothes, wore my phone on a lanyard) and you will be fine. Learn a few basic phrases in Italian if you can. Have fun!

Hi Izzy, if you’re able to add a few more days, consider the Venice, Florence, Rome tour. Mainly because it’s new to you, and the three cities may give you more variety that you end up liking. And as Pam said, you will be wanting to travel more.

I’ve been on tours and now mainly travel independently. The Rick Steves were an excellent way to learn so much about how to travel, maximizing time, being sensitive to the culture & country you’re visiting, etc. plus just a lot of fun!