Tourists hoping to get that classic close-up photo at Rome’s Trevi Fountain will soon need more than a tossed coin and a bit of luck.

From early 2026, the Eternal City plans to introduce a small entrance fee for access to the lower terrace by the water’s edge, transforming how millions of visitors experience one of the world’s most famous fountains and signaling a new phase in Italy’s battle with overtourism.

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New Ticket Rules at Rome’s Most Famous Fountain

Rome’s city government has confirmed that from 1 February 2026, tourists will be charged a 2 euro fee to descend the steps to the basin area in front of the Trevi Fountain.

That recessed platform is where crowds traditionally jostle for selfies and where visitors line up to toss a coin into the turquoise water, a ritual said to guarantee a return trip to Rome.

The fee applies only to the close-up zone known locally as the “catino,” the sunken terrace bordering the basin. Viewing the late Baroque masterpiece from the surrounding square will remain entirely free.

Officials stress that there will be no walls or opaque barriers blocking the view of the fountain from the piazza; instead, the paid area will be controlled by cordons and staff regulating entry.

According to city estimates presented at a press conference in Rome on 19 December 2025, the Trevi Fountain saw around 9 million close-up visitors between January and early December this year, with peak days bringing as many as 70,000 people through the controlled access path that has been tested over the past year.

The new ticketing scheme is designed to formalize that system and add a modest revenue stream for upkeep.

Access to the basin area will be ticketed during prime daylight and evening hours, broadly from 9 a.m. to 9 or 10 p.m., depending on final regulations.

Outside of those hours, the lower terrace will revert to free access, meaning night owls and early risers will still be able to approach the water without paying.

Why Rome Is Putting a Price on Proximity

Rome officials describe the move not primarily as a money-maker but as a tool to manage crowds and restore dignity to a monument that has struggled under the weight of mass tourism.

The Trevi Fountain, completed in 1762, occupies a relatively small square in the dense historic center. In high season, the narrow streets leading into Piazza di Trevi become a crush of tour groups, street vendors and selfie-hunters pressed against the balustrades.

City tourism councillor Alessandro Onorato has been floating variations of a ticket plan since 2024, arguing that the crush of people at the fountain has created a chaotic, sometimes unsafe environment, rife with pickpocketing and petty vandalism.

Officials say they also want to stop visitors from using the monument as an impromptu picnic spot or climbing on the stonework for photos, behaviors that have repeatedly made headlines and angered locals.

Mayor Roberto Gualtieri has framed the new fee as part of a broader strategy for “sustainable tourism.”

Limiting numbers at the edge of the water is intended to make visits calmer and more respectful, while keeping the square itself open and free preserves the idea of the fountain as a public work of art integrated into the urban fabric.

The city expects the fee, together with similar charges for five lesser-known archaeological and cultural sites, to raise around 6.5 million euros per year.

Officials say that money will be earmarked for maintenance, security and improvements to visitor services across the civic heritage network, not just at Trevi.

How the Paid Zone Will Work for Visitors

Details released so far suggest that access to the basin will follow the controlled system tested during the last year of crowd-management experiments and recent maintenance works.

Visitors will line up at designated entry points, pass through staff-controlled cordons and follow a one-way route that brings them to the stone ledge in front of the fountain before exiting on the opposite side.

The 2 euro ticket will grant one-time access to the lower terrace during the paid hours of the day. City documents and tourism briefings describe it as an “open” ticket, not tied to a specific time slot, meaning travelers will not have to choose a fixed hour in advance.

That flexibility is intended to prevent the kind of frustration seen at other attractions with tightly timed entry, though on very busy days it could still translate into queues.

Tickets are expected to be available through multiple channels: at on-site payment points by the fountain, through the city’s official tourism website and apps, and at municipal tourist information offices and museum ticket desks.

Authorities say hotels and licensed tour operators will also be able to sell tickets as part of packages, making it easy for visitors to arrive with their access already arranged.

Security personnel and custodians stationed around the basin will continue to enforce long-standing rules, including bans on wading in the water, sitting on the edge of the basin, climbing onto sculptures, or consuming food and drink on the stonework.

Violations can carry fines that far exceed the cost of the ticket, a point local authorities emphasize in their messaging to deter bad behavior.

Who Will Pay and Who Is Exempt

The 2 euro fee will apply to non-resident visitors seeking close-up access, but Rome has built in a set of exemptions to protect locals and vulnerable travelers.

Residents of the city and the wider metropolitan area will be able to access the basin for free, provided they can show proof of residence. Holders of the MIC card, Rome’s annual pass for civic museums, are also reported to be exempt from the Trevi charge.

Children up to the age of five will not be required to pay, and people with disabilities plus one accompanying person will have free entry, in line with Italian and European practices at many cultural sites.

City officials say the aim is to keep the policy socially inclusive while still sending a signal to mass tourism operators and day trippers that managing pressure on the historic center carries a cost.

The new Trevi fee sits alongside additional 5 euro charges for five other sites managed by the city. These include spots that are less famous internationally but historically significant, such as the Villa of Maxentius on the Appian Way.

By spreading visitors and revenue around several locations, Rome hopes to encourage travelers to explore beyond the main postcard monuments.

Romans will continue to enjoy an expanding menu of free cultural offers, from civic museums to neighborhood heritage sites, a political trade-off designed to counter the perception that the city is monetizing public space purely at residents’ expense.

A New Front in Europe’s Overtourism Debate

The Trevi Fountain fee is only the latest example of European destinations turning to price signals to curb overcrowding at flagship attractions.

Venice has begun testing a day-tripper tax on visitors entering the historic center on selected busy days. Florence and Milan have adopted stricter rules and enforcement against unlicensed tour groups.

Across the Alps and the islands, regional governments have launched campaigns pressing for limits on short-term rentals.

Italy has already experimented with admission fees at iconic religious and historic sites that were previously free to enter. In Rome, a 5 euro charge was introduced at the Pantheon in 2023, with takings split between the culture ministry and the local diocese to fund maintenance.

In Verona, visitors to the balcony associated with Shakespeare’s Juliet now pay a dedicated fee, while other cities have begun charging for entry into historic town centers during festivals.

Supporters argue that small but symbolic charges can both fund preservation and change visitor behavior, encouraging people to plan ahead, travel off-peak or expand their itineraries.

Critics counter that creeping paywalls around public monuments risk eroding the open, civic character of European cities and disproportionately affect lower-budget travelers and locals who live near major sights.

In Rome’s case, officials stress that the square itself remains free and open, and that the 2 euro sum is lower than most single bus or metro tickets.

Still, the psychological shift from a fountain that anyone could walk down to at any hour to a semi-ticketed monument will likely fuel debate as the start date approaches.

What This Means for Future Trevi Visits

For travelers planning 2026 trips to Rome, the new rules make timing and budgeting around a Trevi visit more important.

Those who want the classic experience of standing by the water, turning their back and tossing a coin over their shoulder should factor in the small fee and the possibility of waiting in line during busy periods.

One important nuance is that access to the basin will remain free outside the paid window in the late evening and early morning. Visitors comfortable with a nocturnal stroll may find that a nighttime visit delivers both savings and a more atmospheric experience, with the fountain illuminated and the crowds thinner.

However, families with small children and large tour groups are likely to continue targeting daytime hours, when the fee applies.

Travel planners and tour operators are already beginning to adjust their itineraries.

Some are bundling the Trevi fee into guided walking tours of the historic center, while others are advising clients to view the fountain from the square and prioritize paid entry for sites with higher ticket prices but deeper interpretive content, such as the Colosseum or the Vatican Museums.

For independent travelers, the main takeaway is that the Trevi Fountain remains a public space you can admire freely from the piazza at any time. The new cost only comes into play if you want to cross the cordon to the very edge of the water.

Whether that intimate proximity is worth 2 euros is now a matter of personal travel priorities.

Impact on Local Life and the Surrounding Neighborhood

Piazza di Trevi and the surrounding streets have long been a flashpoint in the relationship between mass tourism and local life.

Residents complain about constant crowding, noise late into the night, and the transformation of traditional shops into souvenir outlets, gelaterie and fast-food stands aimed at transient visitors.

City hall is betting that a better-managed flow of people at the fountain itself will have ripple effects in the neighborhood.

Smoother access and shorter peak-time bottlenecks could ease congestion in the narrow lanes feeding into the square, potentially reducing the wall of bodies that sometimes makes it difficult for locals simply to get home or reach nearby businesses.

At the same time, some shopkeepers and tour vendors worry that any friction in visiting the fountain could translate into fewer impulse purchases or shorter stops, especially from day-trippers who sample several sights in a single afternoon.

Much will depend on how swiftly ticket checks move and whether information about the new system is clearly communicated before visitors arrive.

For Rome, which is preparing for increased pilgrimage flows following the Catholic Holy Year celebrations and continued record tourism figures, the Trevi fee is one piece of a broader attempt to balance economic benefits with quality of life for residents in the historic center.

FAQ

Q1. When will tourists have to start paying to get close to the Trevi Fountain?
The paid access to the basin area is scheduled to begin on 1 February 2026, during designated daytime and evening hours.

Q2. How much will it cost to access the lower terrace by the water?
The ticket for non-resident visitors will cost 2 euros per person for one-time access to the basin area in front of the fountain.

Q3. Is the view of the Trevi Fountain still free from the square?
Yes. Viewing the fountain from the surrounding piazza remains completely free. Only the close-up zone at the water’s edge will require a paid ticket during set hours.

Q4. Will there be physical barriers blocking the fountain?
Authorities say there will be no permanent walls or opaque structures. Access will be controlled using cordons and staff, so the fountain can still be seen clearly from the square.

Q5. Who is exempt from paying the Trevi Fountain fee?
Residents of Rome and the surrounding metropolitan area, children up to five years old, people with disabilities and one companion, and holders of certain local culture passes are expected to be exempt, provided they show valid documentation.

Q6. How can visitors buy tickets for close-up access?
Tickets will be available at on-site payment points near the fountain, through official city websites and apps, and at municipal tourist information offices and some museum ticket desks. Many hotels and tour operators are also expected to sell them.

Q7. Will access ever be free for everyone during the day?
During the main operating window, access to the basin will generally require a ticket. However, outside the paid hours, usually late at night and early in the morning, entry to the lower terrace is expected to be free for all visitors.

Q8. Can I still toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain?
Yes. The tradition of tossing a coin from the basin terrace will continue for those who enter the controlled area. City staff will enforce rules to ensure that coins are thrown safely without climbing or leaning dangerously over the edge.

Q9. Is the Trevi Fountain fee part of a wider plan in Rome?
Yes. The charge is one element in a larger strategy to manage overtourism, which also includes entry fees at several other city-run heritage sites and measures to improve crowd control across the historic center.

Q10. How should travelers adjust their plans in light of the new policy?
Travelers should budget a small amount for the Trevi ticket if they want a close-up visit, allow extra time for possible queues, consider off-peak or nighttime visits, and keep an eye on official city information channels for any updates before their trip.