Rome

Places to Stay

Practical Information

Be careful on the buses. Watch out for pickpockets, especially the children. If you see a child coming at you with a newspaper or a piece of cardboard run.

Weather in the summer: very dry, very hot, very dusty - be prepared

The Infrastructure is frustrating compared to most of Western Europe. The public transport works on this "optional pay" system where you buy your ticket from a newsagent/grocer and supposedly pay by getting it stamped on the bus/train, but many people don't bother paying. Be prepared to see free-flowing water spickets on at all hours of the day on the streets. Purpose? Je ne sais pas.

Stay away from: Roma Termini, the train station and the area surrounding it. People (men esp) hang out there FOR FUN.

The people are very colorful, loud, sometimes pushy, if you're female don't go ANYWHERE by yourself.

As far as safety goes, I had no trouble with pickpockets and nothing got stolen. That said, everyone else on my shuttle bus to the airport did. The key seems to be never, ever ever sit anything down in the train station. Hold on to it, no matter how tired your arms or your back are. I walked by myself at night (but only in crowded areas) and had no problems other than some 40-something year old businessmen who overestimated their sex appeal.

Things to Do

Rome needs at least a week. 3 days just isn't enough. You need at least a day at the Vatican to see St. Peter's and the Sistine Chapel and the museums. The Colloseum is cool and worth going in. The Spanish Steps are usually crowded but beautiful at night.

The Pantheon is really is a holy place both literally and spiritually. Tthe Forum is enjoyable too, but the Pantheon is a special place.

The Ecstasy of St Theresa in Santa Maria della Vittoria is quite something to see along with that spooky bone-filled catacomb type place on via Veneto. Doing the evening passeggiata thing, walking the piazza, stopping for dinner, is enchanting and relaxing. Walk through the centro storico, Piazza Navona, you get the idea.

Walk the ancient roman road, the appian way, which is out in the suburbs. its an authentic roman road, (you know, all roads lead to rome?) that you read so much about. you pass ruins of gravesites, old roman farms, later roman christian churches, and you get to see a little green countryside too!

Trevi Fountain is beautiful, highly recommended, very crowded so go early in the day.

The Spanish Steps are phenomenal, great views, wonderful just to sit there and people-watch

Roman Forum/Coliseum is Dusty and hot, but mind-boggling when you think that they're the remnants of an ancient civilization.

St. Peter's Cathedral - absolutely astounding. GO GO GO

Vatican Museums/Sistine Chapel - best advice you can get is that it will take you at least 45 minutes to walk through the Vatican Museum before getting to the Sistine Chapel (last part). If someone had told me this, I would have enjoyed the museum art more instead of wanting to hurry ahead to the chapel. You see about 20 signs with an arrow saying "a cappella sistina". Patience in this instance will be rewarded.

The Vatican is also worth the wait in all the lines - enjoy the scenery along the way to the Sistine Chapel for sure.

Villa Borghese park is very nice. It has several museums including Galleria Borghese (get reservations), National Gallery of Modern Art, and the Etruscan museum.

There is a 3-layered church at the very bottom, a long way underground, that was an ancient Mithraic Temple. Above that, also underground, was a 4th Century Christian church. The differences in how they painted and represented Christ are really interesting. On top was a modest but beautiful modern Christian church.

The city is amazing at night. All of the Roman ruins and town square are lit up. It's amazing to turn around and see the Colosseum bathed in yellow light.

Where to Eat

Favorite thing to do: Buy GELATO every night and sit in a piazza - my fave was Piazza Novena - and watch everyone stroll by. Heavenly. Have a competition on who can try the most flavors.

Food: Everything is really pricey in Rome and vendors will try to rip you off, particularly on stuff like Coca-Cola (costs about $2.00). Stand your ground when bargaining. Same goes for restaurants. Remember that pasta is the first dish and the meat dish is second. Full-course meals are good value there.

Trastevere is a great neighborhood to find good food!

Find little hole-in-the-wall restaurants with no English menu. They rock.

Day Trips

Good day trip: Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli. Fascinating history and a beautiful, peaceful respite from the hustle and bustle of Rome. It's nice retreat on a hot day with fascinating ruins Try to see Villa d'Este in Tivoli too with lovely gardens.

Take a daytrip to Pompeii, which is fascinating. There are snackbars, a bakery and a whorehouse all perfectly preserved. Some of the paintings in the houses look like they've been done yesterday. If you don't have a similar fascination, it might not be worth the 3-hour train trip.

Ostia Antica is ancient seaport that's worth checking out.