Traveling in Rome

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Posted by Lisa | Posted in General Travel | Posted on 25-07-2009

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Flights to Rome

About Rome

Rome is the capital of Italy today, but its history started more than 2500 years ago as a small Italian village. Rome’s glorious monumentality and architectural heirlooms makes it one of the major tourist destinations of the world. It is a contemporary metropolis but also reflects all the periods of its long history, from Ancient times, Middle Ages, and the Renaissance. Everywhere you go in Rome, you will be surrounded by the past, each building or church with its own tale to tell.

Rome’s weather

Rome has a typical Mediterranean climate.

Winter – December to February
You’ll find moderate temperatures of about 10°C to 15°C in Rome during their winter months, starting in December and ending in February. The two wettest months in Rome are usually November and December.

Spring – March to June and Autumn – September to November
If you prefer mild temperatures and clear blue skies you should visit Rome during Spring or early Autumn (September and October).

Summer – June to September
Summer in Rome starts June and ends in September with very high humidity in July and August. Summers are dry and hot with maximum temperatures of about 37°C. 

The best time of the year to visit Rome

“La settimana dei beni culturali” is an Italian week in the middle of May. For these 7 to 10 days they make their landmarks accessible to everyone by not charging any admittance to all publicly owned historical and archaeological sites, museums and landmarks (including the Colosseum, Quirinale palace and gardens and all of the ancient Forum).

For a less overcrowded vacation in Rome you should visit Rome in August. Shop-owners close down their shops  and other amenities during August for two weeks, going on vacation themselves. Signs with the words “Chiuso per ferie” are very common during this time, telling you that thay are closed for holidays.

Money Matters in Rome

The Euro
Rome is part of the euro zone and the euro notes come in denominations of €500, €200, €100, €50, €20, €10 and €5 with euro coins in denominations of €2 and €1, and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.

Changing money
Its easy to exchange money in Rome because there are many places to do so, including:  banks, post offices, exchange booths at the airports or in the center of the city as well as exchange offices (cambios).

Cash withdrawals
In Rome you will easily find several ATMs, called a “bancomat” . The daily limit for cash withdrawals are €250 and most ATMs will accept Visa, MasterCard, Cirrus and Maestro cards.

Credit cards
The bigger shops, hotels and restaurants will accept credit cards but some of the smaller shops, pizzerias or guesthouses might only accept cash. If you have a Visa, MasterCard, Eurocard, Eurocheques or Cirrus you will be fine because they are widely accepted all over Rome.

Travelers cheques
You will be charged hefty commissions by the banks to exchange American Express, Travelex or Visa cheques, even if it is in  US Dollars or British pounds.{Banks charge hefty commissions for cashing travelers cheques, even if it is in US Dollars or British pounds but they accept American Express, Travelex and Visa cheques.} Remember to take your passport when you want to cash a travelers cheque as  you will need it for identification.

Taxes, Refunds and Receipts
Rome has a value-added tax of around 20%, known as IVA, on almost anything you purchase.If you are not a resident of Europe you are allowed to claim a refund on any purchase of more than €155 when you leave the country. These refunds only apply if you purchased the goods from retail outlets that display a “Tax Free for Tourists”-sign.

You are legally required to get a receipt for any purchase you make by the Italian tax law. You will get a €155 fine if an officer ask you for your receipt as you leave a shop and you are unable to show it.

Costs in Rome

Accommodation and meals
One of your biggest outlays in Rome will probably be your accommodation, costing you between €80 and €300 for a double room in a 3-star hotel excluding full meals. If you are looking for the less expensive hotels, you’ll find them near the Stazione Termini and should stay away from the more expensive hotels in the historic centre.

Admission to museums and public transport
Although some museums have free entry, others will charge an admission of between €8 and €13. Fortunately you won’t pay that much for public transport as a day pass will only cost you €4.

Getting to Rome

South African visitors can book a flight to Rome at BestFlights.co.za

Rome’s Public Transport System

The city is served by many direct flights from across the world and has a comprehensive public transport system, making it pretty easy to get around and about Rome. Local transport include the following:

Taxis
Licensed taxis will be your safest option. You will find these taxis easily when you look for a yellow or white taxi with the letters SPQR on the front door. You should phone and book a taxi or wait at a taxi rank because hailing a passing taxi will not work in Rome.The better option would be to go for the metered fare and not an arranged fare but note that the meter is switched on when they receive the call and you pay from wherever the driver receives the call.

Buses & Trams
You will find limited bus services on some routes throughout the night in Rome, with buses running from 5:30am until midnight. Night bus stops are marked with a blue owl symbol and the buses with a N after the number, departing every 30  minutes through the night.

Motorcycles & Scooters
You will pay about €95 for a 500cc motorcycle and €50 for a 125cc scooter for rental per day.

Bicycles
Although Rome has many cycle paths, the center of the city has many steep hills and the traffic is terrible. On Sundays the city center is usually closed to traffic and the best time to pedal around town is weekdays after 9pm and Sundays. You can rent a bicycle from various places, costing you around €3 for an hour and €10 for a day.

Events & Festivals

The Estate Romana Festival (Roman Summer Festival)
The Roman Summer Festival is a festival of events, sports, childrens entertainment, films and theaters. It takes place from late June to early September every year.

The Whight Night (Notte Bianca).
This festival offers various events with plus shops, museums and restaurants staying open while the Roman Notte Bianca stages music, theater and dance events from early to mid-September.

Languages

Correct Italian and Romanesco are the two languages that most of Rome’s population speak, with Romanesco being an Italian slang. Romanesco is even harder to understand than the Italian language but most Roman people will use the correct Italian dialect if they know you are a foreigner. People working in the tourism business will usually be able to speak English.

Dining and Wining in Rome

Rome is known for its good food but many of the good restaurants are not that easy to find. You should ask the Italians what they recommend and where they eat, you’ll surely find the best places through them. You’ll be paying between €15-20 for a lunch or dinner consisting of a set menu or a pasta dish and a meat with a coffee. A pizza will also be around €20 at a good pizzeria. For lighter meals you could buy something at a local supermarket because they have some good fresh food available at affordable prices.

Their specialties include:

Pizzas
Although pizzas are an Italian specialty you must avoid the pizzas sold at the tourist areas because they are often very expensive and not the real deal, you’ll pay a lot of money for a reheated frozen pizza. Rather spend your money at a real Pizzeria in Rome that serve real Italian Pizzas and offer a great atmosphere as well. Pizzas are mostly only served at night at the real pizzerias, but it is worth the wait.

Italian Ice Cream
In Rome you will find many ice cream / gelato shops. The big “G” sign indicates that they sell good quality gelato. Other signs to look out for include:  “Produzione Propria” (homemade), “Nostra Produzione” (our production), “Produzione Artigianale” (production by craftsmen).

Coffee
All over Rome you will find many good Italian cafes that serve a great variety of the best coffees, from Espressos to Cappucinos and Americanos, a blend that tastes like filter coffee.

Wines
Most trattorie serve very good regional wines that are drinkable and affordable as well. You can expect to pay around €4 or €5 per bottle, but be aware of the places in the tourist area, they will overcharge you.

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