Rome

The center of the scene is the so-called Gay Street around Via San Giovanni in Laterano. It sits right in the shadow of the Colosseum, and on warm evenings this street of bars fills with people having their drinks outdoors. You are in the middle of the historic center here, and the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain are all within walking distance.

A fixture on Gay Street is Coming Out, which has been hosting karaoke Tuesdays and drag Sundays since 2001. Right next door, My Bar draws a more laid-back crowd. For big club nights there is the legendary Muccassassina party series at Qube, a mainstay of Roman nightlife since 1990. The high point of the queer calendar comes in mid-June with Roma Pride, when the parade passes the Colosseum, winds through the historic center and brings hundreds of thousands of people onto the streets.

Roman summers are hot and humid, which makes sightseeing in July and August hard work. Spring, from April to June, and early fall, from September to October, are more pleasant, with mild temperatures. If you want to catch Roma Pride, plan your trip for mid-June.

Flights from London take about two and a half hours, and from New York about nine. Rome has two airports: Fiumicino (FCO), the main hub to the west, and the smaller Ciampino (CIA) to the southeast, used mostly by low-cost airlines. From Fiumicino, the Leonardo Express gets you to Termini, the main station, in just over 30 minutes. Around town, the metro, buses and above all your own feet work well, since many sights and Gay Street are close together. US and UK citizens can visit Italy without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period under the Schengen rules; passports are now registered in the EU Entry/Exit System (EES), while ETIAS is not yet required, so check the current rules before you travel.

Since 2016, same-sex couples in Italy have been able to enter a civil union, but full marriage equality has not arrived yet. In Rome you can be open in the central and tourist neighborhoods, and certainly around Gay Street and during Pride. As in any big city, it makes sense to be a little more reserved away from the well-known scene spots, and to watch out for pickpockets at crowded sights.