Tourist & Practical info, Rome pass., Rome

Favorite thing: These three sites should be visited on the same day as they're in the same area and covered by one ticket price. To avoid the frustratingly long lines at the Colosseum, buy your combo ticket at the Palatine Hill ticket office (probably the shortest line) on Via di S. Gregorio 30. You can then choose to visit the sites in any order you wish. As many visitors only want to see the Colosseum, having a ticket in hand will allow you, after a brief security check, to skip the long ticket queue and go to the shorter one (to the left of the long line). Quicker entry is also an option with the Roma Pass or Archaeological Card.

Your ticket is good for two days should some nasty weather cut your visit short or you simply run out of time to see it all.

If wanting to know what you're looking at, you'll need to either sign up for a tour or bring a good guidebook as you don't receive any info with your ticket and there's no signage explaining what a particular ruin is or why it's significant. Audioguides are also available for rent.

Bring water and sunscreen and wear the most sturdy, comfortable shoes you own as you'll be covering a lot of uneven ground and climbing steps. We did the Palatine first, then the Forums and then the Colosseum as the latter afforded a little shade during the hottest part of the afternoon.

Finish up the day by limping up the street to my favorite little outdoor bar in Parco Colle Oppio for a sit-down and an adult beverage.

See the website for hours, ticket and tour prices, and other good stuff to know:

http://www.060608.it/en/cultura-e-svago/beni-culturali/beni-archeologici/colosseo-anfiteatro-flavio.html

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Favorite thing: Rome can be a pricey place to visit, but there are lots of places you can visit and still see some fantastic historical sites and view amazing art by masters, thus saving you money that you can use to splurge on the must-see sites that charge.

For starters, most every church in town is free to enter. Inside many of these are art treasures that could take you days to view. How about

~Michelangelo’s Moses in San Pietro in Vincoli or his famous Pieta in St. Peter’s Basilica;
~Caravaggio’s three paintings of St. Matthew in San Luigi dei Francesi, his Madonna of the Pilgrims in Sant’ Agostino, or his pair of paintings of St. Peter and St. Paul in Santa Maria del Popolo;
~Bernini’s works are all over Rome, starting with St. Peter’s Square and the Four Rivers Fountain in Piazza Navona. Don’t forget his elephant statue in front of Santa Maria sopra Minerva and his St. Teresa in Ecstasy in Santa Maria della Vittoria.

If you are interested in ancient Roman history and don’t want to spend the money to enter the Roman Forum,

~you can stand behind the Capitoline Museum for a wonderful overlook of the Forum on one side and on the other side of the museum you can get a close up of one of the Arch of Septimius Severus;
~walk around the Colosseum and get a close up of the Arch of Constantine for free;
~visit the Porticus of Octavia and Theatre of Marcellus near the Jewish Ghetto;
~Trajan’s Column can easily be seen from the sidewalks beside the Imperial Forum;
~walk around the Piazza Argentina and look at the current excavations of four temples and the site of Julius Caesar’s murder.

Some of the most visited attractions in Rome are free:

~the Trevi Fountain
~the Pantheon
~the Spanish Steps, and the
~Vittorio Emanuele II Monument.

Rome is an expensive city but you don’t need to break the bank to enjoy some of the great treasures the city has to offer.

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Favorite thing: Here you will find some very interesting web sites that can be a great source of information about the Eternal City:

www.comune.roma.it (local government)
www.romaturismo.com (events, concerts, exhibitions, maps, etc..)
www.vaticanstate.va (Vatican)
www.beniculturali.it (art & culture)
www.atac.roma.it (public transportation)
www.museionline.it (museums)
www.trenitalia.it (trains)
www.opera.roma.it (opera theatre)
www.santacecilia.it (classical Music)
www.ticketone.it (tickets on internet)
www.catacombe.roma.it(catacombs info)
www.adr.it (airports in Rome)
www.mappy.com (maps)
www.galleriaborghese.it (Borgehse Gallery)
www.grandigiardini.it (gardens)
www.wantedinrome.com (local news, events, ads)
www.colosseo.org
www.capitolium.org (devoted to the forum with live web cams)
www.enit.it (official site of the Italian State Tourism Board)
www.pierreci.it (online tickets)
www.whatsoninrome.com

Favorite thing: There are plenty of maps of Rome available - the city's own tourist information kiosks actually offer a decent one for free, but you have to insist to get the best one.

They have two maps - why, I don't know. If you ask for a map, they'll tear one off a tablet and give it to you - it's about 13 by 18 1/2 inches, and the type is so small as to be not terribly useful. They have a larger version (already folded) which is 18 1/2 by 26 inches. Much easier to read! But you may have to insist to get them to give you this one.

The last time I was in Rome, even though I speak Italian and asked for the larger map, they tried to tell me it was the same as the smaller one. Then they tried to tell me they only had it in Japanese! So keep insisting!

And of course, every guide book on earth has a map or series of maps. The cut-away maps of small neighborhoods in the Eyewitness Guide are great - but the book weighs a ton!

Still, my favorite is the Rough Guide's Map of Rome. Just detailed enough to keep you from losing your way in the tiny vincoli (alleys) that make the city so enjoyable. And made out of that wonderful, untearable, waterproof fabric that allows you to fold it again and again, in any way you like, in any way that's convenient for your current location. I love it.

Whatever map you choose - do this one little check. Look for Piazza Paradiso. Find Piazza Venezia (just north of the Roman Forum and Piazza Campidoglio). Then follow Corso Vittorio Emanuele to the west until you come to the Church of San Andrea delle Valle (which should be on the south side of the street.)

Ok, now find Campo dei Fiori, just to the southwest, and draw a line between it and the church. If you don't find Piazza del Paradiso just about in the middle, then the map isn?t detailed enough.

Fondest memory: Actually, maybe it's getting lost and not caring one bit!

Favorite thing: HOLIDAYS

On national holidays you may find information offices closed, museums open for shorter hours and public transport running a limited service. Be forewarned by checking the dates of your vacation against the list below.

(Note that Easter Monday is a mobile feast-day, and changes every year, while all the other holidays keep to the same date.)

January 1: New Year's Day**
January 6: Epiphany
April 17: Easter Monday (in 2006)
April 25: Liberation Day
May 1: Labor Day**
June 2: Anniversary of the Founding of the Republic
August 15: Feast of the Assumption (also known as Ferragosto)
November 1: All Saints
December 8: Feast of the Immaculate Conception
December 25: Christmas Day**
December 26: St. Stephen's Day (Boxing Day)
(The dates marked ** are particularly difficult: practically all museums and monuments are shut and many restaurants too.)

As well as the above national holidays, each town celebrates the feast-day of its patron saint, which differs from town to town.

Dates for the major cities are as follows:

Rome: June 29 (Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul)
Florence: June 24 (Feast of St. John the Baptist)
Venice: April 25 (Feast of St. Mark - but also Liberation Day and a holiday anyway)
Naples: September 19 (San Gennaro)

Favorite thing: One of the hardest things to figure out in Rome is your budget. How much should you budget a day? It all depends on your likes and dislikes. If you want a simple, quick coffee and roll for breakfast (and it doesn't come with the hotelroom), it will cost about 2 euros. If you want a full sit down breakfast, it will cost about 10 euros. If you want a slice of pizza and a soda to go, about 3 or 4 euros. A sit down, two course lunch, about 10 to 20 euros. A quick pasta and wine for dinner, about 25 euros. A nice sit down, full waiter service, four or five course meal with wine 60 to 75 euros. Remember, you will pay more to sit down. If you are at a pizza joint, just fold your pizza in half and take it to go. Stand outside and people watch or take it to a monument and have a seat. Also, don't forget about gelatos and sodas or water for the day. Gelatos cost anywhere from 2-4 euros depending on the size. You can buy a soda at a convenience store for about 1.2 euros. Water is about the same price but you can refill your water bottle from any fountain in Rome as long as there is no sign saying not to (have never seen one of those).
As far as entrance fees are concerned, if you budget 10 euros a sight, you will be okay. Some are more, most are less. Just figure out what you want to see and budget accordingly. Most sights in Rome are free. However, some things do require a fee. All museums, the colosseum, baths of caracalla, and the Borghese gallery all require a fee.
Souveniers are trickier. Rome is not a terribly expensive souvenier city. You can get some bargains. If you are looking for clothing, you can usually find the same thing for less back in the states. Same thing with good quality leather. Buy it before you go or after you get back. Any other type of souveniers, bargain for. Offer a reasonable price and you should be able to get it.

Fondest memory: If you want to take a day trip to Pompeii, the train will cost between 17 and 23 euros for a second class ticket each way. The circumvesuviana train is less than 5 euros. The entrance to pompeii is about 12 euros. You can buy food on the train or at the station outside of the ruins for a few euros. This is an all day trip, so bring some extra cash. You might want to do a guided tour of the site. ( not sure of the price for this but I would budget about 25 euros).
You can do Rome for 50 or less per day and have a great time or you can spend more and have a great time. I guess it all depends on where your comfort level is.

Favorite thing: Rome is a wonderful city to walk in. The sights are nestled close enough together to making walking the best way to go. If you are at the colosseum and want to see the closest sights, they are the forum, capitoline hill, Santa Maria in aracoeli, trajans markets, Santa Maria in Cosmedin (mouth of truth), circus maximus, baths of caracalla, and the palatne hill. These sights literally lead you into one another and will take you on a circular route. The picture to the side shows the circus maximus with the palatine hill to the right and the bell tower to santa maria in cosmedin on the left. A five minute walk behind you is the baths of caracalla. Depending on where your hotel is you can take a metro to either the colosseum or the circus maximus station. The picture was taken just outside the circus station.
When you are looking at the maps of rome that you see in guidebooks, realize that the scale is very deceiving. The sights may look to be spread out and you may think that you need a cab to get around but that is not the case. Plan your day around a particular area and see everything in that area. Believe me, you won't run out of things to see.
In the area of the Pantheon is Santa Maria Sopra Minerva (around the corner), Piazza Navona (about a 10 minute walk), and Castel San Angelo (another 10 minutes)..
The Trevi fountain is a 10 minute walk from the palazzo Barbarini, then about 10 minutes to the spanish steps (don't forget the Trinita dei Monti) and another 15 minutes to piazza del popolo ( don't forget the twin churches). Just up the hill is the Pincio gardens.
These times depend on how fast you walk. I would suggest you take your time and enjoy all the sights, not just the major ones. There are beautiful, historic remnants around every corner in Rome. Just take your time to notice them. You will be amazed and enjoy your trip even more.

Favorite thing: One of the best deals in Rome is the "Roma Pass." It is a 20 Euro investment but well worth it if you plan to be in Rome at least 3 days. It covers admission to two museum/sights and unlimited metro/bus transportation for 3 days. We used ours on the Coliseum (11 Euro) and the Borghese Gallery (13 Euro). Then, with the number of times we used the metro and bus, we saved at least 10 Euro by getting the card. We bought our Roma Pass at the Palatine Hill ticket booth, but they are sold in Tobacco shops and other various locations as well.

Favorite thing: Help for tourists in Rome - 0636004399
A call center with operators speaking Italian, English, French, German and Spanish.
Open 7 days a week 9:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Offers information on events, shows, hotels, restaurants, shopping and transportation.

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Favorite thing: YES, do yourself a favor and buy the Rome Pass 23 Euro. If you will be here for 3 days and plan a day trip, buy the Roma Piu pass 25 Euro (piu means "more") that covers the entire Lazio Region with transportation on CoTral tour bus in addition to the ATAC Rome metro/bus. If you plan a day trip to Ostia or Tivoli, transportation is free.

If you have arranged to tour Rome with me ("Nonna in Roma") I will have your passes for you at Fiumicino.

They do NOT cover transportation to/from Fiumicino on the F1 or the Leonardo Express which is now 12 Euro.

These passes provide entrance to public transportation and two museums + discounts on other museums for 3 days.

If you use the passes for the Galleria Borghese and the Roman Forum/Coloseum (both on one ticket now) as your first two museums, then the pass almost pays for itself.

More detail on my Transportation tip. But please - go to this English website to see all info & check for the most current info as changes are frequent in Rome:
http://www.romapass.it/p.aspx?l=en&tid=2