rome
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According to legend, throwing a coin into Rome’s Trevi Fountain guarantees you a return trip to the Eternal City. Two coins that pledge your love with an Italian. Third, marry an Italian.
But as of February 2nd, making these wishes come true comes at a price. Currently, visitors must purchase a 2 euro (just over $2) ticket to approach the fountain and throw a coin into the water.
Rome’s city government has introduced a new ticketing system for non-residents as part of its latest efforts to manage crowds at one of the capital’s busiest landmarks. Tickets are required Monday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and all other days from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. After 10 p.m., the fence will open and everyone will be able to enter for free.
On the first day of the new regime, not everyone was satisfied. A group of Spanish tourists, not willing to pay, stood outside the fence and threw coins into the fountain from above, some of whom ran out of water completely. In the photo below, a paying visitor crouched down as coins rained down on him. City officials said patrols would eventually be introduced to prevent injuries from errant throws.
The Trevi Fountain, immortalized in the film La Dolce Vita, has become a flashpoint for Rome’s overtourism problem, especially during peak summer. The small square is crowded shoulder to shoulder with visitors, many clutching gelato to melt or bottles to refill water from the fountain.
In 2024, the city tested a barrier system to restrict access to the fountain’s rim to assess whether crowd control would be possible. As a result, the number of people lining up to get an up-close look at the 18th-century Baroque masterpiece that marks the end of the ancient aqueduct has plummeted.
Still, demand remains high. Rome’s mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, said more than 10 million people would line up to access the fountain in 2025, with daily visitor numbers peaking at around 70,000 during the busiest period.
City officials estimate the new tickets could bring in between 6.5 million and 20 million euros a year, or about $7.7 million to $23 million.
Ticket holders will not be allowed to eat or drink near the fountain, which officials say will also protect them from pickpockets who often prey on distracted tourists in the crowded plaza.
Alessandro Onorato, Rome’s councilor for major events, tourism, sport and fashion, said the fee is primarily designed to curb overtourism, with proceeds going toward maintenance costs and staffing.
“If the Trevi Fountain were in New York City, it would cost $100 to enter,” Onorato said at the inauguration Monday morning.
Some visitors didn’t seem to mind the price. Raul, a tourist from Argentina, told CNN he was willing to pay two euros to see the fountain up close for the first time, but skipped the price on Monday because he had been there before.
“It’s okay to pay two euros to see something like this up close,” he said. “More than that, maybe not.” After a while, he tossed a coin from outside the fence.
The Trevi Fountain tickets follow a growing number of measures in Italy aimed at regulating tourism, including peak-time entry fees for day-trippers in Venice and new restrictions on social media-famous sites such as Verona’s Juliet’s Balcony and Santa Maddalena Church in the foothills of northern Italy’s Dolomites mountains.
The coins collected from the fountain (approximately 1.5 million euros per year) will be donated to the Catholic charity Caritas, which will continue to fund programs for the poor.
Tickets can be purchased online or via the QR code displayed on the site. Children under 5, people with disabilities and Rome residents are exempt.
