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Pro
More history, art, archeology, architecture, culture, music and better food and wine than can be absorbed in a hundred visits. The cradle of Western Civilization - - Welcome Home!
Con
At some tourist spots, just too many tourists.But who can blame them. Rome has so much beauty!
In a nutshell
Rome defies the nutshell. The energy, the history, the noise, the grime... it pours through every crack and cranny.
488 Reviews There is probably no edifice more symbolic of Rome than the Colosseum. An engineering marvel in a culture that was routinely outstanding in works of great civil engineering. The Colloseum, also known as the Flavian amphitheater, was started under Vespasian in 72AD and was finished 8 years later...
328 Reviews This is the Grandaddy of Roman Fountains: the biggest, the most ornate, most photographed and the one everyone just has to see. Completed in 1762, the watery, Baroque-style wonder was designed by Nicola Salvi from an earlier plan by Bernini. The central figure on the seashell is Neptune, and his...
5 Reviews and 1448 Opinions The Pantheon is my favorite building in Rome and might be my favorite building in the world. The...
5 Reviews and 896 Opinions It has been completely renovated but still with a very traditional elegant decor. I am not sure if...
L'Archetto di Fontana di Trevi
7 Reviews This was our first trip to Rome and while there Hubby and I would be celebrating our 28th wedding anniversary. So we wanted to a nice place to eat for our special day. We aren’t the types to dress up fancy (heels just don’t work on the streets of Rome!), but we wanted a place that we could be...
39 Reviews Great club to go for raving. It took us a little while to get in, since there were lot of people lining up, but after getting inside, it was all good, loads of people, several different rooms with DJs and bars.
13 Reviews This pub crawl was a blast! Great way to meet new people, get an hour of free drinks and even a free t-shirt also cover to the big nightclub. There were people from all over the world, and were all up for having a good laugh with each other! If your want to meet some great people, get very drunk and...
221 Reviews The Romapass is very convenient if you are planning on visiting lots of sites and museums and planning to use the bus and metro services for 3 or more days. With unlimited travel on the buses and metros for 3 days, a map of the city and the sites, two sites where you can get in for free and...
133 Reviews We flew into Rome from Frankfurt, an easy nonstop flight that was relaxing as we did some final reading up on all the things we planned to see while in Rome. As we approached the airport, it was exciting to see the city from above with the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica clearly identifiable from...
47 Reviews This is one of the very few boutiques selling nearly new ladies designer wear and accessories. A glimpse in the window and you would believe that all is new. In fact it has a wide range of labels and the quality is great. The staff and the owner make it a wonderful experience. Prices are also very...
34 Reviews Tacky tchochke shops, like the one above, clutter up every street and every corner around the tourist hot spots and they all carry the same junk: ‘David' key chains; glow-in-the-dark Virgins; plastic Pietas; lurid, mass-produced Venetian masks (wrong city, folks); Colosseum ashtrays; the Pope...
152 Reviews Because I'm covering multiple locations in The Boot, I found it easier to group my insights about travel in Italy under a general heading. This way I can add/update as needed without having to go into the customs pages for each place unless it's unique to that particular city or town. So if you're...
Signs, Signals & Superstitions
35 Reviews More of images of the Virgin Mary that can be seen on almost every street in the Eternal City. I am always astonished at the variety of styles and conditions of these works of art. Photo #5, shows a corner devotional plaque, from 1860, depicting Pentecost. The Virgin is at the center and she is...
Pickpockets and Purse-Snatchers
163 Reviews Pickpockets are everywhere, especially where tourists like to hang out – so take common sense precautions as you travel in Rome. - Don’t flash your valuables around – expensive camera equipment, lots of cash, etc. - Hide your passport, credit cards, and extra money in a money belt that fits under...
91 Reviews If it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is… The old adage is a good one to remember when in Rome and dealing with some of the shadier people that prey on naïve tourists. Hubby and I have heard many tales of tourist woes and several friends have had things stolen in Rome. So mentally we...
40 Reviews As you walk along outside of the Colosseum, you will see many methods used to take your money – horses wait patiently with their carriages for their next fare, hawkers selling sunglasses, toys, and other trinkets, tour guides, and gladiators. Yes, gladiators! They still exist, only from my...
29 Reviews If you go down the long road in front of St Peter, direction Catel Sant'Angelo, (via della conciliazione) there is a restaurant called Don chichote was Universal bar) (but you cannot see the name from the street) that is just legal theft. At noon, we had (we were 4) 2 salads, one 1/2 chicken, 1...
132 Reviews See the Villa d'Este and the terraced gardens there built in the 16. century by Cardinal d'Este and the Villa Adriana the country retreat of Emperor Hadrian. Buses go to Tivoli from Rome, Ponte Mammolo metro station with a stop near Villa d'Este and Villa Adriana, there are also trains but you have...
87 Reviews I've passed through Termini station many, many times on my visits to Rome but it was only on this last visit that I spotted a *huge* chunk of Roman wall standing near the bus station area. I originally made this tip thinking the chunk was part of the Aurelian Walls ( built between 271 and 275AD,...
10 Reviews This huge stadium is both home to AS Roma and SS Lazio, and is all seater with a capacity of 82,000. I've been here twice now, once for AS Roma v Man Utd and the for the Champions League Final 2009, FC Barcelona v Man Utd. Unfortunately I haven't seen United win yet. If playing AS Roma then be...
Tourist & Practical info, Rome pass.
111 Reviews 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...
79 Reviews Hi everybody, remember that, if you arrive at the entrance of the Vatican Museums around 1.00 pm you will find no lines at all...usually :-) Moreover, when you leave the Sistine Chapel it's quite better to choose the righ exit, in that way you can enter the Basilica without doing any line. Good Bye
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Coming to bella Roma? B R A V O !! A grand lady - she is. Overwhelming - she can be.......... Know a little about her and you will not SEE her - you will EXPERIENCE her - she will be yours. Open...
TO THE SOURCES OF MY CULTURE AND HISTORY.
On each of my visits to Rome I have the same feeling of cultural, historical abundance and plenitude. The abundance of monuments is unequalled. The famous Guide Michelin proposes a visit program of...
Without a doubt, Rome is my favourite city in this world. There is little to dislike about Rome, and too much to love for a short introductory paragraph. Even listing random non-descriptive positives...
Rome is huge, beautiful, full of attraction by very very dirthy town! Yes, it is the very first thing one can noticed when strolling around. Is it so because of huge number of tourists or perhaps...
Hubby and I celebrated our 28th anniversary in Rome – a place neither of us had been to before but always near the top of our bucket list. What an experience! Everything cooperated for us, including...
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Comments (37)
The "Secret Garden" in the middle of the Vatican Museums are now open for Spring for visitors of the Museums to walk through. See The "Secret Garden" in the middle of the Vatican Museums are now open for Spring for visitors of the Museums to walk through. See mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_... . Please enjoy this area; it is a treat that visitors from many years ago could only look at through the windows of the Museums...
Bill McCalpin
Vatican City Travel Editor
Note: The Roma Pass has a new feature: limited health assistance for card holders
"Travel Health Call Center
www.travelhealth.it
A team of Doctors and health operators at your disposal for information and orientation regarding both public and private health care throughout the city.
Multilingual Tourist medical doctors, special medical examinations, diagnostics, dentists, home health care, ambulance, emergency recovery and legal service in case of accident are available upon request to the multilingual Call Center.+39 06 43236291, open 24 hours every day (local call fee. Give your Roma Pass Serial Number in order to receive up to 30% discount on health services.
The call center is free of charge for RomaPass holders; Health performance is reduced up to a maximum of 30%."
romapass.it/p.aspx?l=en&tid=...
This new feature may, for some, justify the increased cost of the card (scheduled to go up to 34 euro on May 1 2013).
Bill McCalpin
Rome Travel Editor
The Roma Pass and the Roma & Piu' Pass had been suspended for a while but are both now back in business. Currently, the Roma Pass is 30.00 euro and the Roma & Piu' Pass is 32.00 euro. NOTE: the Roma Pass' price will increase to 34.00 euro on May 1, 2013. There is no word yet on the Roma & Piu' Pass having a similar increase.
Bill McCalpin
Rome Travel Editor
Pope Francis caused consternation for the Vatican security services yesterday when, after Mass at the parish Church of St. Anne inside Vatican City, he stepped out to shake hands with parishioners like any parish priest...only he did it at the Porta Sant'Anna entrance to Vatican City where hundreds of startled visitors crowded around and took photos.
See the AP photo at news.yahoo.com/pope-wades-cr... This photo was taken from inside Vatican City outwards into Borgo Pio, the little neighborhood next to the Vatican full of religious shops and stuff.
You can see a recent photo of Porta Sant'Anna facing from outside the Vatican in at "Use German with the Swiss Guards" - Vatican City Local Custom Tip by mccalpin . The parish church of St. Anne is immediately behind the metal gate on the right
A somewhat more distant photo is the third photo at "A Drive Through Vatican City" - Vatican City Travelogue by mccalpin . This is an old photo of the Porta Sant'Anna back when the piazza in front of it was still open to cars. However, this photo gives you a good view of the gate. Immediately behind the gate on the right is the entrance to the church (where the Swiss Guard is standing). The Pope came out this door to the church, greeted the Mass attendees, then walk the few feet to the gate itself to greet the amazed public who were standing in the now pedestrian-only square.
This gate is the gate just north of the colonnades through the wall; it is the employee entrance to the Vatican, and the entrance I used to use each week as I visited the Vatican bank...
Bill McCalpin
Vatican City Travel Editor
Sorry, two of the three links didn't come out...The recent photo of Posta Sant'Anna can be found at "Use German with the Swiss Guards" - Vatican City Local Custom Tip by mccalpin . The older photo of the gate can be found as the 3rd photo in "A Drive Through Vatican City" - Vatican City Travelogue by mccalpin
Bill
Updates on the Pope's week as it affects visitors:
On Sunday, March 17th at 12 noon, Pope Francis will do the weekly "Angelus" from his apartment window over looking St. Peter's Square. No tickets are needed, just bring yourself and up to 100,000 of your closest friends.
On Tuesday, March 19th, the Papal installation Mass will be held in St. Peter's Square beginning at 9:30 a.m. The Square will open to visitors at 6:30 a.m. There are no tickets required for most of the Square. Parts of the Square will be blocked off for VIPs from around the world, and there is no ticket that will get you in those areas anyway. Expect huge crowds around the Square and streets blocked off for the morning. It is highly unlikely that the Basilica will be open Tuesday morning.
On Sunday, March 24, at 9:30 a.m., the Pope will celebrate Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square. No mention yet of tickets; presumably, you and 150,000 of your closest friends will be able to flood the Square. Also, at 12 noon, the Pope will say the Angelus from the window of his apartment over the Square as usual.
Bill McCalpin
Vatican City Travel Editor
I went to the Palm Sunday Mass on my first Rome visit. You're right that unless you have a seat (they largely seemed to be reserved for the religious great and good) you just stand with all the others. We saw the Popemobile bumping up some steps and then John Paul being wheeled out (literally) to deliver the Mass. It wasn't uncomfortably crowded, to be honest, but I bet there will be more people this time round.
The Installation Mass for Pope Francis will be on Tuesday, March 19, at 9:30 AM in St. Peter's Square. This means that access to the Basilica will be stopped Tuesday until after Mass has ended.
Also note that there will be many representatives of foreign governments there for the Mass (for example, Vice President Joe Biden will represent the US), so security will be stepped up, and roads may be arbitrarily closed all morning.
Bill McCalpin
Vatican City Travel Editor
The Vatican Museums will reopen the Sistine Chapel as part of the Museums tour at 9 a.m. on Monday, March 18th. In addition, the Borgia Apartment and the Collection of Modern Religious Art will open at the same time.
Thanks to VTer ianbaz for the heads-up!
Bill McCalpin
Vatican City Travel Editor
Whoa! White smoke spotted at the Vatican!
Yep, we're watching Vatican TV via CNN...it's taking a while to suit the new Pope up (it's been an hour now, I think)...
Yup, CNN for me too - it's taking forever!
On a personal note, the election of a new Pope will allow all the cable channels in the US to stop forcing us to watch reruns of the film "Angels & Demons"...the film left me bruised as my wife kept punching me every time I laughed at yet another inaccuracy inside the Vatican ;-)
Bill McCalpin
Vatican City Travel Editor
Father Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office, noted today that there are more people in St. Peter's Square awaiting the "fumata" than he had expected. He recalled the day of the announcement of Pope Benedict XVI a few years ago, and how all of Rome came to a halt as Romans and visitors from all over town raced to Vatican City to see the new Pope (he normally appears at the balcony over the front of the Basilica about 30 minutes after election).
Since the election could happen at any time - heads up!
Bill McCalpin
Vatican City Travel Editor