Holidays in Rome

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Rome is an open-air museum able to please everyone. The weather is generally nice and sunny and there is such a blue sky! Cozy ''trattorias' serve excellent local food at a reasonable price. Do you need more for a perfect holiday?

Worth to visit Visit the Old Roman Forum, the Coliseum, and the Palatine Hill. You need just one ticket which is valid for 2 days. Then head for the Vatican and be prepared to queue to enter St Peter's Basilica and to climb the Dome which offers a magnificent view of the city. You might even catch a glimpse of Pope Francis! Marvel at the wonders of Michelangelo, the 'Pietà'  which is in the Basilic and the 'Last Judgment' in the Sistine Chapel. Enjoy a visit of the fabulous Galleria Doria Pamphilj and Galleria Borghese to see the works of Raffaello, Tintoretto and many more. Admire the baroque palaces and the Bernini 'Four River" fountain in Piazza Navona. Make a wish at the Trevi Fountain and sit on the Spanish Steps.  Visit the spooky catacombs and take a bike tour along the ancient Appian way  'Appia Antica', where the sheep still graze among the ancient monuments. Then go to 'Ostia Antica' which was the port of the city at the time of Romans. Do not miss the beautiful villas in Tivoli, which are among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Accommodation You can live like a local when you stay in a cozy bed and breakfast or in a small boutique hotel in Rome (avoid the big hotels that are the same everywhere!). The bed and breakfast (or better 'luxury guesthouses') are normally hosted in beautiful apartments and have been completely renovated and furnished with design and antique pieces. They can have a maximum of 6 rooms and are located in the very center of the city. The majority are run by the owners that are keen to share with you their best places to visit; their favorite restaurants where you can eat the mouth-watering local cuisine; their tips about how to buy tickets, avoid the queues and survive in the city!  Staying in a bed and breakfast in Rome or in a small boutique hotel is like having a local friend to guide you anytime!

Food and Wine Food in Rome is earthy. The local pasta dish is 'bucatini all'amatriciana', a thick, hollow spaghetti served with bacon, tomato sauce, pecorino cheese, and black pepper. Offal is still a popular dish, while if one vegetable deserves to be a citizen of Rome, it's the artichoke and it plays center stage in 'carciofi alla giudea', cooked in the Jewish style. Try the delicious 'supplì', a rice croquette with a heart of mozzarella cheese. Do not forget the local wood-oven pizza, different from the one you eat in Naples as the dough is very thin. The best places where to find cheap and delicious 'trattorie' and 'pizzerie' are Trastevere and Testaccio. The best ice-cream of the capital is made by 'Giolitti' while for the best coffee go to 'Bar Sant'Eustachio, both are near the Pantheon.

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