110 Open Bus - the best out there!
by monica71
You will see a lot of bus tours that take you to the major attractions of the city. I think the best one of all is the 110 Open Bus. The ticket is valid 24 hours after the time of your purchase and you pay a reduced rate if you also have a Roma Card (full price is 16 Euros per person; reduced rate with Roma Card is 13 Euros per person). You can hop on and hop off the bus as much as you like during the 24 hours your ticket is valid.
The bus runs every 20 minutes from 8:30am to 8:30pm and it comes with a free audioguide in 8 languages (you select the language you want) and free earphones. A full route takes 2 hours to complete and it is a fun way to see Rome and spot things you did not have a chance to while wandering on the streets. The best way to purchase the tickets is on board of the bus.
If you decide to take the 110 Open Bus, make sure you purchase your ticket on the 3rd day your Roma Card is valid, preferably late in the afternoon (so you get an extra day of free transportation to the main sites and attractions in Rome).
I have included a list of the stops below, just in case you want to see them before making up your mind: Termini (main stop), Piazza Barberini, Via Veneto, Piazzale Flaminio, Piazza del Popolo, Piazza Cavour, Piazza San Pietro, Piazza San Pantaleo, Piazza Venezia, Colosseo, Via Nazionale
You can also find more information on this on the official web site: http://www.trambusopen.com/
Villa Borghese
by Gloke
After visiting the Vatican city and after a few days of walking around in busy busy Rome we wanted to go and walk around somewhere where it was more quiet then the centre itself. We found Villa Borghese on our map and saw that there was a nice park next to it. The weather was nice and there were lots of people just walking around in the park. It's not a place most tourists go as we did not see too many of them, just young couples strolling in the park and some joggers and elderly people. If you want to get out of the city for a few hours, do go there as it was a beautifull spot. There also is a place where you can have a drink or something to eat in the middle of the park.
F*cked up, fancy or alternative
by AndreSTGT about Monte Testaccio
Ok, so this pic is not from Monte Testaccio, but it's the only 'rome by night' pic i took.
Anyway, when it comes to nightlife Testaccio is THE happening place in Rome. It's a rather dilapitated neighborhood in the southern part of town (around the old abbatoire) which gives the area a slightly Bohemian feel, but Testaccio offers options for all tastes and wallets. From ultra chic music bars with nasty bouncers to alternative open-air clubs, from fancy eateries to 'world music'-cafés. Dress to impress!!!
Pizza and Pasta
by chelley
Pizza and Pasta prices are around 7 - 9 euro for a course at the moment (July 2006). If you go a little further down side streets the price drops to around 5 euro. Dn't be afraid to ask for one pizza and two plates - we found the pizzerias quite accommodating!
Colosseum
by WheninRome
I don't need to describe the Colosseum to you. You either already know it from school or movies, or have read one of the other dozens of tips for it.
However, a couple tips from our visit regarding this marvel and monument to the ancient Romans:
Buy a ticket in advance or buy a Roma Pass and use this as one of your 2 free entries. DO NOT WAIT IN LINE TO BUY YOUR TICKET. I am guessing the ticket line would have taken 2 hours to get through when we were there (late morning). We used one of our free Roma Pass entries for the Colosseum. There are no signs, but if you look you will notice ropes with 2 different entry lines. One (on the right) will be full of people buying tickets. The other (on the left) was empty and that was where group tours, Roma Pass holders and those with pre-purchased tickets walked through. Security took about 10 minutes to get through and we were inside in less than 20 minutes! Unless you enjoy standing in line, I cannot stress this enough.
Beware Tour Group Salesmen. During the day, it is impossible to walk around the Colosseum without being accosted by someone trying to sell you a Colosseum Tour. I am sure some of these tour operators are reputable, but how do you now which ones? My advice would be to avoid them all or to pre-book a tour through a company such as Rome Walks (recommended by Rick Steves in his books).
Gladiators. Outside the Colosseum and in its vicinity are men dressed in gladiator costumes trying to get you to take their pictures or your picture with them for money. Rick Steves warned of them in his book. From inside the Colosseum we watched these charlatans at work and took the picture below. It is amazing how many people paid to have their pictures taken and some appeared to be surprised by the price after they were done with their pictures.
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A General, Hall of Busts, Vatican Museums, 05/07
Palazzo Venezia
Palazzo Spada, facade detail, Roma, May 2007
Replica of the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes
