go elsewhere
by mogtribe
my advice. DON'T SPEND NEW YEARS IN ROME!
I spent new years 06/07in Rome and to tell you the truth, i would have rather spent it at home. Sorry i wont be too negative or you'l stop reading.
bad things about rome/rome in new years:
- its incredibly expensive eg 8- 10 euro beers as a standard price at most bars.
- not much of a party atmosphere
- not much of a cultural experience
i know it doesn't sound that bad, have you been to rome before? i travelled throughout most of northern italy and found Rome pretty dirt with very rude people. i also found the food in room overpriced (for italian standards) and of very poor quality.
if you are going go, there are lost of cheap hotels/hostels around the main train station (termini) might cost you around 70-90 euro per night for hotel and maybe 30 for hostel. this is a pretty unsafe area with lots of people loitering and lots of gypsies. however i'm assuming they have increased prices for new year period. This area however is not very close to the centre of the city, and will take a 10 minute bus ride to get there. (you can walk, but it'l prob take 30-60 mins- which we werre forced to do to get home). It's prob best if you get a hotel close to the centre of the old town. this will cost more, but it means you'l be able to ignore to dirtyier side of rome. while i was there i stayed at a B&B about 10 mins away from the termini (bad idea, too far away)
There are a few pub crawls in rome which is what we did. there is the colosseum pub crawl and 1 or 2 other. they cost about 30 euro. you start off with drinks outside the colosseum (pretty cool) then they take you to overpriced bars. didn't end up finding out where most of the nightclubs in rome are......
if you want to have fun and are on a budget, id suggest somewhere like budapest, ljubljana, even prague. probably more of a party scene for you, more of a cultural experience and much much much cheaper. if you're intent on spending it in italy maybe try a different city.
hope this doesn't confuse you.
Can this phone number be right?
by Lacristina
In Italy, a phone number can be any number of digits!
This can be confusing to those of us who expect an area code of exactly three digits, and a telephone number of exactly seven.
When in Italy, you must always dial the area code first, even if you're in the same city. So for example, for any Rome phone number, you must dial 06 first. For any Florence number, you must dial 055 first. (Italian cell phones have their own 3-digit "area codes.")
If you're calling from the US to Italy, remember to dial 011 (for international calls) then 39 for the Italy country code.
If you are in Italy and want to make a call back to the US, you need to dial 00 for an international call, then 1 for the US country code. Then simply dial the area code and number.
Overlooking Lake Bracciano....
by Krystynn
The virtual castle tour continues!
The beautiful Castello Odescalchi di Bracciano overlooks Lake Bracciano, a lake with volcanic origins. I guess that explains it's kewl circular shape! The Castle is surrounded by forests, olive groves and gardens.
Another noteworthy Room in this castle is that of the Orsinis. The Hall of Arms with its vast and impressive collection of medieval arms is another must-see. The 3rd Room, too, takes its name from an illustrious guest who stayed here in 1900: King Umberto I.
Clamber up to the top of the (6) towers of the Castle for a magnificent view of the Secret Garden.
Fiumicino to Termini in 1hr or your pizza is free
by jmhenry1123
Save yourself the 50 euro cab ride and get the 9 euro train that takes you directly from Fiumicino to Termini station in a 1/2 hour. The train runs every 1/2 hour. You can also take trains from there to other parts around Rome, like Trastevere etc.
Well, depending what you want...
by Angel_Dust
Well, depending what you want to eat (Pizza..Pasta etc.) we visited quite a few. But if you're looking for a relatively cheap but cute restaurant, I recommend 'da Olimpio.'
Very cute decor, and they serve wine in a little flowered jar.... I had Pasta...the one with Spinach....and Cheese!!