Termini Station

We had heard a number of "warnings" about the Termini station (the con men, thieves etc), so much so that we almost decided to cancel our train trip into Rome. But we went ahead as planned, and it was a good thing we did because we enjoyed the experience. It's important that you don't go out of your way to look like a tourist (ie an "American" tourist), so don't gawk around, pull out your maps or leave your luggage unattended. We stayed nearby, and my wife and I actually made a point of having our cappuccino and coronetta at the Express coffee stand located there. This is actually a great train station, and although I wouldn't recommend traveling there alone, that goes for any large city anywhere.

Be very careful at night especially if your a women travelling alone try to avoid the outside of the station, i had a bad experience with a group of 4 unsavoury characters to say the least and thankfully i got saved by a very nice passer by before things got too hairy thank god, it is fine in the day but just be cautious at night, try to appear confident and like you are going somewhere and avoid getting the map out or appearing lost if you are abit lost go into the station or a shop and ask instead of running the risk of looking like an easy target!

Termini is the main metro and train station in Rome, and it will likely be your first glimpse of the loud swarming chaos that characterizes Rome. Trains leave here regularly for Fiumicino airport and it also is the transfer point for the two-line metro system. Be careful with pickpockets and thieves here, especially if you are lugging around lots of luggage, as the crowds can get thick.

If you are coming here to catch a train, I'd recommend getting here a bit early, as the station is large and a bit confusing to navigate through. There are machines on the main level where you can buy point-to-point tickets for most destinations, and if they are working this is the fastest and easiest way to grab a train ticket. The machines have "English" display options and also take credit card. To save even more time, you can book your ticket via www.trenitalia.com and simply print out your tickets from these machines when you arrive. If you are trying to book an international train, you probably need to buy your ticket at the International ticket office, and should plan to spend at least 3 hours trying to do so.

If you are planning to ride the metro, look for yellow machines scattered around the station. Unfortunately, there seem to be only 3 machines total in the large station, and they are broken 95% of the time, so your best alternative is to go to a newstand or tabacchi store (look for the white "T" sign against a black background) and buy your ticket there.

If you are homesick, there is also a McDonald's within the station and another one directly across the street from the side entrance. Most of the food within and directly around Termini isn't too great, so this is a cheap and reliable option before your trip.