Visiting Rome

Rome, Italy

Okay, guys.  A few people are going to Rome this weekend so I'm throwing this information up to help facilitate their trip.  I will come back and make it all pretty and neat later, so please excuse the mess!

Rome (Roma in Italian), located in the Lazio region, is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated municipality.

Its history spans over two and a half thousand years. It was the capital city of the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, which was a major political and cultural influence in the lands bordering the Mediterranean Sea for over seven hundred years from the 1st Century BC until the 7th Century AD. Since the 2nd Century AD Rome has been the seat of the Papacy and, after the end of Byzantine domination, in the eighth century it became the capital of the Papal States, which lasted until 1870. In 1871 Rome became the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, and in 1946 that of the Italian Republic. Since 1929 it is also the site of the Vatican City, an independent city-state presided over by the Pope.

Rome has been nicknamed "Caput Mundi" (Latin for "Capital of the World")[10] and "The Eternal City".[11] The city is, in addition, an important centre of pilgrimage in the Christian, notably the Roman Catholic Church,[12] and St Peter's Basilica, found in the Holy See, is often called "the greatest of all churches of Christendom".

Its historic centre is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.[33] Monuments and museums such as the Vatican Museums and the Colosseum are amongst the world's 50 most visited tourist destinations (the Vatican Museums receiving 4.2 million tourists and the Colosseum receiving 4 million tourists every year).

Major labels such as Chanel, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Armani and Versace have luxury boutiques along Rome’s prestigious and upscale Via dei Condotti.

Sistine Chapel - the official residence of the Pope in Vatican City. It is famous for its architecture, evocative of Solomon's Temple of the Old Testament, and its decoration which has been frescoed throughout by the greatest Renaissance artists including Michelangelo, Raphael, Bernini, and Sandro Botticelli.

Vatican City – (Stato della Città del Vaticano in Italian) - is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome. It has an area of approximately 44 hectares (110 acres), and a population of just over 800. Vatican City was established in 1929. It is distinct from the Holy See, which dates back to early Christianity and is the main episcopal see of 1.166 billion Latin and Eastern Catholic adherents around the globe.

The Pope is ex officio head of state and head of government of Vatican City, functions dependent on his primordial function as bishop of the diocese of Rome. The term Holy See refers not to the Vatican state but to the Pope's spiritual and pastoral governance, largely exercised through the Roman Curia.[21] His official title with regard to Vatican City is Sovereign of the State of the Vatican City.

Holy See - is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. Although it is often referred to by the ambiguous term "the Vatican", the Holy See is not the same entity as the Vatican City State. Ambassadors are officially accredited not to the Vatican City State but to "the Holy See", and papal representatives to states and international organizations are recognized as representing the Holy See, not the Vatican City State. While all episcopal sees are "holy", the expression "the Holy See" (without further specification) is normally used in international relations, as a metonym, (as well as in the canon law of the Catholic Church)[2] to refer to the See of Rome viewed as the central government of the Catholic Church. The Holy See as legal person bears many similarities with the crown in the secular Christian monarchies.

Getting to and around

Roma Pass

If you'll be staying in Rome for at least 3 days, consider purchasing the Roma Pass [17]. The cost is €25 and entitles holders to free admission to the first two museums and/or archaeological sites visited, full access to the public transport system, reduced tickets and discounts for any other following museums and sites visited, as well as exhibitions, music events, theatrical and dance performances and all other tourist services.

By foot

Once you're in the center, you are best off on foot. What could be more romantic than strolling through Rome on foot holding hands? That is hard to beat!

Crossing a street in Rome can be a bit challenging. There are crosswalks, but they are rarely located at signaled intersections. Traffic can be intimidating, but if you are at a crosswalk just start walking and cars will let you cross the street. While crossing watch out for the thousands of mopeds. As in many European cities, even if the cars and trucks are stationary due to a jam or for another legal reason, mopeds and bikes will be trying to squeeze through the gaps and may be ignoring the reason why everyone else has stopped. This means that even if the traffic seems stationary you need to pause and look around into the gaps.

By public transport (ATAC)

Tickets must be bought (from a 'Tabacchi' - look for the big 'T' sign, these shops are plentiful, or from a kiosk selling newspapers), before you board the bus, Metro, or tram. Metro stations have automated ticket kiosks, and major Metro stations have clerked ticket windows. Some of the rare trams have single ticket machines as well. Tickets for regular ATAC buses, Metro, and trams are the same fares and are compatible with each other. Options as of March 2010 were the following:

a single ticket ride ('Biglietto') - €1 - you can change buses or into and out of the metro on one journey (valid for 75 minutes)

Integrated Daily Ticket ('Biglietto Giornaliero') - €4 (Valid until midnight).

Integrated Tourist Ticket ('Biglietto Turistico') (3-day) - €11

Integrated Weekly Ticket ('Carta Integrata Settimanale') (7-day) - €16

Monthly Pass ('Abbonamento Mensile') - €30

Annual Pass ('Abbonamento Annuale') - €230

When you board the bus or metro you should validate the ticket ('convalidare') in the little yellow machine. The last four types of ticket on the list above must be validated the first time you use them only. On the whole, the integrated passes are not economical. Unless you take many rides spread all over the day, the single ticket ride option is preferable. Calculating if a pass is worth it is easy since a single ticket ride costs €1. For example, for a daily ticket (€4) to be worth it, you would have to make 5 or more trips at intervals greater than 75 minutes apart on a single day. Many visitors just walk through the city in one direction and take a single ride back.

Bus

Roman buses are reliable but crowded. They are the best way to get around the city (except walking). Free maps of the bus system are available. Others can be purchased(€3.5 at Termini). Signs at the bus stop list the stops for each route. Ask for assistance. (In Rome, there is always somebody nearby who speaks English).

Some bus lines have arrivals every ten minutes or so. Less popular routes may arrive every half hour or less. If heading outside the center beware that bus schedules can be seriously disrupted by heavy traffic. Quite often trips just get cancelled.

One of the most popular and useful lines is the 40, which arches from the Termini station through the historic center and then up to the Castel Sant'Angelo, near the Vatican. It is considered an express route, so its stops are spaced about 1/2 mile (2/3 km) apart; but it is also very frequent, very convenient for most places that the Metro does not go to, and very fast moving, especially compared to other routes.

The 64 also goes from Termini to the Vatican. Beware, it is a favourite with pickpockets.

The 116 and 117 are little electric buses which wind through the Centro Storico.

Night buses could be useful due to the closing of the Metro stations at 23:30 and the stopping of regular lines of buses and trams at midnight. During the summer (until 23rd September) and on Fridays and Saturdays, the frequency of the rides is halved, which can vary among 10, 15, 30 and 35 minutes depending on the line. In any case they are much more punctual than during the day, as traffic is much less jammed. This makes the drivers drive at high speeds, allowing passengers to experience a strange mixture of adrenaline and (the city's) classical views. Hubs of the night buses are Termini and Piazza Venezia.

Hop on / Hop off Buses

A popular alternative to city and pre-planned tour buses are the hop-on/hop-off buses. In the last few years there has been a veritable explosion in the number of such buses, and at the last count there were seven different companies. An all-day ticket runs about 18-20 Euros, can be purchased as you board at any stop, and provides unlimited access to available seats (upper deck highly preferable in good weather) and earbud headphones to plug into outlets for running commentary on approaching sights. Commentary is offered in nearly every European language. Most companies follow more or less the same route, starting is sight of Termini station but there are also two different tours of "Christian Rome" and the Archeobus, which will take you to the catacombs and along the Appian Way.

One good tactic for first-time visitors is to ride a complete Ho-Ho loop, making notes of what interests you. Then stay on until you arrive at each point/area you wish to visit, do so, then hop back on another bus (for that bus line) for the next point/area of interest. Even with a prompt morning start, seeing/doing all that's available with some thoroughness can easily consume the whole day. If you're there more than one day and like the approach, on subsequent days look for different bus lines that take different routes, e.g., most of the same points/areas but in different order.

For example:

City-sightseeing
Adult: €18.00
Child (5-15yrs): €10.00
Family (2 Adult + up to 3 Children): €51.00

Green Line Tours
Open-decker panoramic tour cost just € 20.00 for 24 hrs
Open-decker panoramic tour cost just € 30.00 for 48 hrs
Open Tour + Lunch Hard Rock € 31

Metro

There are two lines, crossing at Termini station. Line A (red line) runs northwest past the Vatican, and southeast. Line B (Blue Line) runs southwest past the Colosseum and northeast. Line A usually stops running at 11PM. On Fridays and Saturdays the last trains of Line B leave from the stations at 1:30AM and the line closes at 2AM to re-open at 5.00. The Metro is the most punctual form of public transportation in Rome, but it can get extremely crowded during rush hour.

Click here for a layout of Rome

How to find your train - this is a very useful link

Metro map

Where to stay

Rome Hotel search