 |
 |
 |
|
About RomeRome is the capital of Italy and of its Latium region. It is located on the Tiber and Aniene rivers, near the Mediterranean Sea. The Vatican, a sovereign enclave within Rome, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Church and the home of the Pope.
Travellers booking flights to Rome will discover that a lifetime is not enough to enjoy everything that the Italian capital has to offer. The city of the seven hills on the River Tiber is ancient; every stick and stone of it sing out of glorious times past. It is where the gladiators fought in the Colosseum, where the devout prayed in the Pantheon, where Michaelangelo painted the ceilings of the Sistine Chapel and where millions of visitors have tossed a coin or two into the Trevi Fountain in hopes of their wishes coming true.
Attractions Rome’s peak tourist season begins just before Easter (when the greatest number of visitors step off their flights to Rome) and runs through October. June to the beginning of September is usually the most expensive and crowded time to travel to Rome. Many visitors come in the summer despite the warmer weather. It’s recommended that you don’t travel in Italy in August. Most of the population is on holiday for the month of August, especially the last two weeks of August. Even hotels, restaurants, and shops are closed as all the Romans go on holiday.
Restaurants & barsAh, bella Italia... land of culinary delights! Food and drink abound in Rome , but it's important to know where to go to sample different things and spend different quantities of the new €.
Bars
These ubiquitous establishments are known almost everywhere else in the world as "cafes." This is where you go to get your caffè (espresso) and cappuccino. Snacks and sandwiches may be available, but really, you come here for the caffeine. Caffè is usually € 0.70; cappuccino € 0.90.
Some bars in the hip areas of the historic center become trendy hang-outs at night (you can spot them by all the unseasonably tanned people milling around outside), and € 7 concoctions with vaguely Latin-American-sounding names replace coffee as the beverage of choice. Fun people-watching!
Trattoria, Ristorante, Hostaria
(antipasti),pasta dishes (primi piatti), meat or fish dishes (secondi piatti), and side dishes (contorni). If you order one course plus house wine, you can sometimes pay as little as €10 per person, but €15 is more realistic. A decent-sized meal, including house wine, will cost about € 20 - € 30. A five-course extravaganza, with all the trimmings, will set you back at least € 40. As a general rule, try to avoid restaurants where the menu is available in more than five languages or, worse yet, where the menu has photographs of all the different dishes.
NightlifeRome has a wealth of nightlife raging from cozy bars to hip Italian clubs which stay open well into the early hours.
It can get crowded and noisy as the evening progresses, but if that's what you're after, then Campo dei Fiori. The principle clubbing area is Testaccio, to the south of the centre.
Smoking is not allowed in enclosed public spaces in Rome. Smokers tend to congregate just outside the bars with their drinks, which can make for a fantastic social atmosphere, but tends to annoy the neighbours. Many nightclubs and bars have outdoor areas where you can smoke.
Shopping If you're on the hunt for bargains, steer clear of the Via dei Condotti and visit Via del Governo Vechhio and Porta Portese, the weekend market in the Trastevere district. Both are boutiquey and trendy and have second-hand clothes, knick-knacks and junk at reasonable prices.
Other things you should know Winter is typically cool with December and January temperatures in the single digits and low teens (Celsius) and most of the yearly rainfall. Spring and autumn are Rome’s best weather seasons. April usually starts in the teens and temperatures reach the mid-20s in June. Summer can be very hot and dry with July and August temperatures in the high-20s.
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
