Journal
Stories, tips, and secrets from the eternal city.
Three decisions shape a Vatican visit: the ticket, booked through the only official channel; the dress code, respected without improvisation; and the entry slot, chosen early. After the Jubilee year, all three are easier to get right than they have been since 2023 — here is how the tickets, the rules and the timing actually work in 2026.
The official Colosseum ticketing system lists nine ticket types, releases inventory 30 days ahead, locks every ticket to a name, and sells its premium tiers out in minutes. Almost nobody explains it plainly. Here is every ticket type that matters in 2026, what each one includes, and what to do when the date you need has already gone.
The 2025 Jubilee brought 33 million people to Rome and left behind a rebuilt city — then closed on January 6, 2026, and took the crowds with it. Vatican Museums attendance in the first months of 2026 ran roughly 30% below the year before, and the Jubilee-year hotel premium has gone. A calm, evidence-led guide to the best year in a decade to see Rome.
Thirty minutes from Termini by regional train, Frascati has been making white wine on volcanic soil since before Rome was an empire. A cultural guide to the town, its wine, and what a proper visit looks like.