Whoever comes to Rome for a visit will find something to their liking. The entire historical center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and so are a number of other monuments in the city. The Vatican City, the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain and the Sistine Chapel are among the most famous tourist attractions in the world. There are beaches nearby and the food is of course excellent.
All about Rome
How to get there
Rome has two airports. The main international airport is called Leonardo Da Vinci. It is located in nearby Fiuimicino and can be reached by bus and train. The second airport is located in Ciampino, in the city’s outskirts and is mostly used by the budget airline RyanAir. Ciampino can only be reached by bus. For both airports there are fixed taxi rates from the center of Rome.
Rome has several railway stations, the most important one being Roma Termini. The other main train stations are Tiburtina and Ostiense. Tiburtina is also home to Flixbus, Europe’s main long distance bus company.
Cruise ships arrive in Civitavecchia, a small town north of Rome. There is a direct train line between Civitavecchia and Roma Termini.
Public transport inside Rome
Public transport inside Rome is run by the company ATAC. It consists of a metro system, bus and tram lines. There is one unified system for the tickets, which you can even use on some train lines. The company Co.Tra.L is responsible for most of the bus system to other cities in the province and several parts of Latium.
Accommodation in Rome
Booking.com has over 14,000 accommodation options in Rome, from the cheapest hostels, B&B’s and apartments to the most exclusive luxury hotels. Rules about the Rome tourist tax (contributo di soggiorno) and how much and when you have to pay can seem slightly murky.
Tourist information
There are several tourist information offices in Rome. They can be found at the airports, at the main railway station and near the most important attractions. Don’t expect a high standard of service. The Roma Pass is sold here, but the Omnia Card is not. Usually, but not always, you can get a free map here. Recently, some public toilets, called P-Stops have been opened. Here you can also get tourist information.
Museum passes
There are a number of museum passes, some of which also include pubic transport. The most famous ones are the Roma Pass and the Omnia Card. It is recommended to read up first, because they are expensive and not equally useful for everyone.
What to do in case of theft or illness
Though Rome is not a violent city, it does have a big problem with pickpockets. There are several things you need to in case important belongings (passports, credit cards, valuables) are stolen. In case you have an accident or a serious illness, you go to a Pronto Soccorso (“First Aid”) in one of the city’s hospitals. This is a completely free service, even for non-Italians.
Food
Even 20 years ago, there were very few supermarkets in the center of Rome, but nowadays each district has several. They usually stay open till around 8 PM. Each district also has a daily fruit and vegetable street market, open from 7AM till 2 PM (except on Sundays). Restaurants are generally open from around 1 PM till 4 PM and then again from 7 PM
Day trips from Rome
The most popular day trip in the province of Rome is probably Tivoli, with the Villa d’Este, Hadrian’s Villa and a cute historical center. Castel Gandolfo, Ariccia and Frascati are the most interesting ones of a group of hill towns known as the Castelli Romani.