One coin for return, two for love, three for marriage.
If you’ve ever ventured into the Trevi district in the centre of Rome, you’ve likely seen tourists throwing coins into the water of the Trevi Fountain.
The tradition started with the 1954 film Three Coins in the Fountain, with legend stating you should use your right hand to throw the coin over your left shoulder, with your back to the fountain, to make your wish come true.
According to some sources, around £2,600 is collected from the fountain every day, totalling more than £880,000 yearly, which is donated to a Catholic charity that helps the needy in Rome.
But with more than 5.3 million people descending on the landmark in the first half of 2025, many visitors have recalled overcrowding, long queues and pickpockets targeting tourists.
From January, two separate entrances are to be set up – one for Romans and one for tourists.
This week, Italy’s most-read newspaper, Corriere della Sera, reported that tourists would have to purchase a two-euro ticket to visit the Trevi Fountain in Rome from January 7.
It was said that the measure would generate revenue of around 20million euros for the city administration; however, this was denied by Rome’s city council.
A visit to the Trevi Fountain in Rome could cost you a pretty penny
With more than 5.3million people descending on the landmark in the first half of 2025, many visitors have recalled overcrowding, long queues and pickpockets targeting tourists
According to some sources, around £2,600 is collected from the fountain every day
Rome’s city council said on Tuesday afternoon that it was considering introducing an entrance fee for the Trevi Fountain.
However, there is no official decision and no date for the start of charging an entrance fee.
The late Baroque Trevi Fountain is described as ‘the most beautiful in Rome’ and was built by Nicola Salvi and completed in 1762.
Measuring 20 meters in width by 26 meters in height, it is the largest fountain in the city and won the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best award in 2025.
Though the site has an overall TripAdvisor rating of 4.4 stars based on more than 100,000 reviews, there are a host of one and two-star reviews from the summer.
One wrote: ‘The fountain is beautiful but the area is dominated by paddlers, scammers and businesses that will rip you off.’
‘This is certainly a must-see landmark in Rome. Therefore, it is thronged with people. Definitely not recommended for people with claustrophobia. The push and shove spoils the whole experience,’ wrote a third.
In response to overcrowding, the city has been forced to implement crowd control measures to balance access with preservation for this iconic landmark.
Though the site has an overall TripAdvisor rating of 4.4 stars based on more than 100,000 reviews, there are a host of one and two-star reviews
Since last year, the number of visitors to the fountain has been limited to a maximum of 400 people.
A new queuing system has been installed to prevent large crowds massing near the landmark. But this has been met with criticism for long wait times.
One TripAdvisor review reads: ‘Hours of waiting, I felt sorry for the young people who had to wait for hours in the sun.’
Another wrote: ‘Crowds were crazy busy and the queuing system was chaotic. There was guards but they didn’t do much other than tell people not to sit.’
While it’s unclear whether a ticket fee will curb the crowds, the surge in tourism in Rome shows no sign of slowing down.
