Yes Hotel Rome Travel Blog: The Rome travel guide

Janiculum, or Gianicolo in Italian, is the second highest hill in the contemporary city of Rome and separate from the famous seven hills of Rome. The Aurelian wall made it’s way up the Janiculum hill in order to include inside the walls of the city the water mills that were used to grind corn and make bread.

Locals often come here for a walk as the park provides a welcome escape from the hectic streets of the city. There are also some activities for children to enjoy here like an authentic puppet theatre.

Many tourists head here just to see the magnificently beautiful view of Rome from the top of the hill, however there are other interesting things atop this hill…..

The largest monument on the janiculum is the Garibaldi monument, an enormous equestrian statue of Giuseppe Garibaldi, honouring the italian patriot’s heroics on this hill in 1849.

Another monument can be found here, a formal arched memorial with the inscription ‘Roma o Morte’ (Rome or Death), honouring the other Italian patriots who died in the Italian independence wars between 1848 and 1870.

And one more magnificent thing to see is the Fontana dell’Acqua Paola, a monumental baroque fountain built in the early 17^th century by pope Paul V.the fountain was built here to celebrate the reopening of an old roman acqeduct, originally created in 109 AD by emperor Trajan. The fountain was named after the pope.

This is one of the most beautiful and interesting places to visit in the eternal city and it is worth your time to take a look. To reach the Janiculum Hill from the center of the city, Hope you enjoy.

Our Blogger today: Liam

Our Blogger: Raul

There are some practical issues that are common to all tourists visiting the eternal city. Most of them are impossible to know if you haven’t been to Rome, so here we show you a couple of things you might like to know before arriving.

Be aware of pickpockets

Rome is not a violent city. The only real danger are pickpockets. Be ware of them on the subway, or generally, wherever you find yourself in a crowd. They might steal something from your bags or backpacks or try to rip your purse to get what’s inside.

Be aware of taxi drivers

In Rome you cannot wave a taxi. There are two ways to get one: either you catch one from a taxi parking place (they’re located strategically, but that doesn’t mean that you’re garanteed to have one near) or you call one. A couple of numbers to get a taxi in Rome are 063570 and 064994 (add 0039 if you’re using a cell phone with a non-italian SIM card), but since the automatic system that manages the calls is not bilingual, you might need to ask for help if you’re not fluent in Italian. By the way, once you get a cab be aware of the drivers! Make sure they use the meter to calculate the fare.

Get a Roma Pass

The Roma pass  is a special ticket that costs 20 euros and gives you access to the public transportation system for three days and to two museums you can choose from a list. The possibilities include some of the best museums in Rome, like the Museum in Villa Borghese, the Capitoline Museums and the Colosseum. In case you decide the Roma pass is not for you, there are other options (that include only transportation, though). The BIT is a ticket valid for 75 minutes, the Daily ticket costs 4 euros, the three-day ticket costs 11 euros, and the week-ticket 16 euros. Tickets can be bought in all the subway stations, newsstands, and Tobacco Shops.

A final word on airports

It might sound silly, but make sure you know the airport where your plane is departing from. There are two airports in Rome: Fiumicino (also known as Leonardo Da Vinci airport) and Ciampino. If you are staying in a hotel near Termini station, like hotel Des Artistes or Yes Hotel, arriving to any of them is not difficult at all: there’s a train called the  Leonardo Express  that goes to Fiumicino from Termini and leaves in the minutes 22 and 52 past the hour, starting at 5:52 with the last train at 22:52. For Ciampino, there are a couple of bus companies that will take you from the station to the airport. The ride takes half an hour, depending on the traffic, and the prices are 4,50 or 6,00 Euros.

Now, if you want to save a couple of euros after a shopping spree in Rome, you can take a train to  Fiumicino Airport from Tiburtina subway station. The ride takes twice as long, but the ticket costs half the price than that of the Leonardo express. Your cheap option for the Ciampino airport is a bus that will take you from Anagnina (the last station on the red subway line) to the airport. That option should cost 2.20 Euros altogether, but make sure you get the right departure times so you won’t have problems getting there on time!

Last, but not least, make sure to get a room in a well-located hotel, near the most famous attractions in the city, Hotel Des Artistes and Yes Hotel are two great options!

What to do in the most romantic city in the world?

 

A question that can be easily answered. Just walk down any Roman street and you will quickly see that Rome is the most romantic city in the world.  Everyday you will see couples hand in hand, staring into each others eyes, kissing a whispering “Ti amo” from dusk till dawn. Many come to Rome for romantic vacations, such as honeymoons, wedding proposals, and anniversaries. Between gorgeous lookouts, intimate piazzas, panoramic bars, and the general ardour of the natives, Rome is one sprawling romantic setting.
There are many romantic things you can do. You can take your lover for a gentle row around Villa Borghese’s idyllic lake, surrounded by trees and temples. Boats can be rented from 9:30am to sunset daily. Getting there is not difficult. Simply take Buses 116 and 490 from Termini station.

 

The Pincio is also worth a visit if you are on holiday with your special someone.The Pincio gardens have secluded corners, umbrella pine bowers, and spectacular stone balustrades overlooking the rooftops of the centre of the city and across to St. Peter’s. Recommended during the lingering glow of sunset, or at night. To get to the Pincio just take the metro line A in the direction of Battistini and get off at metro stop Flaminio.

 

 

Another place to go that can’t be left out would definetly be Ponte Milvio. Get hold of your padlock chain it to the bridge and throw the key away to make sure you will be together forever. 

 

Campidoglio hill is also definetly one of the most beautiful settings at night. With it’s beautiful intricate design imbedded in the piazza and overlooking Piazza Venezia and the Roman Forum you can’t go wrong with this one. After a Romantic day and a romantic day together, the best thing to do is come back to a beautiful hotel.

 

When most people get to Rome they usually want to take a day trip to Pompei. However Ostia is much closer, easier to get to and in a much better state of preservation. The mosaics and frescoes are in very good condition considereing the amount of time and centuries worth of weather they have had to contend with.

 

 

 

This port used to be extremely important to the the city of ancient Rome. It was used to ship many good essential to the city’s inhabitants like grain and other common foodstuffs. However another harbour was built at Fiumicino and yet another at Civitavecchia. This eventually lead to Ostia losing it’s importance as Rome’s only commercially important harbour.

Eventually the city was abandoned. The ancient structures that were left over were recycled and used again to construct other bulidings in Rome. The marble was also torn off and used to make quick lime.

 

 

 

The directions to Ostia aresimple and its relatively close to Rome. You can get there very easily by metro and then change over to a train. You take line B ,the blue line on the metro, and you get off at Piramide metro stop. From there you take the train going to Ostia Lido. The journey takes about 55 minutes and you can use a metro ticket for the trip. So a day pass or even a seventy five minute ticket for one euro will suffice. So a maximum of two euro there and back is very cheap.

The site is closed on Mondays and on the 1st of January, the 1st of May and December the 25th. At the moment the site is open from 9 in the morning till 6 in the evening and you have to be out by 7. Tickets cost 4 euro including entrance to the museum.

Go have a look around at some well preserved buildings and curiosities of ancient Rome and even if you don’t want to go see some old ruins at least you know how to get to the beach.

Rome Public Transport :Rome Airports, Rome Metro and Buses
In Rome Italy there are two international airports : “Ciampino� and “Fiumicino�.

Ciampino is where most low cost companies fly to and from.It is situated 20 kms south east of Rome along the Appian Way and close to Castelgandolfo. You will be able to get to Termini station and your discount hotel Yes Hotel Rome easily by shuttle bus that leaves every 40 mins after a flight landing.

Fiumicino, also known as Leonardo Da Vinci, is the main Rome airport and is located by the seaside 35 kms north west of the city centre, close to Ostia Antica. You will reach Rome city centre in 30 mins by direct train that leaves from inside the airport.
Metro (underground train)
In Rome the Metro is the fastest form of transportation around the city. The main Station in Rome for both Metro and Railway services is Termini. The railway platform has been in use since 1864.
The Termini Railway Station is situated in the centre of the city of Rome and is open from 4 am to 1 am
From termini station you are able to travel to any part of Italy.
To simplify things even more, there are only two lines in Rome, Line A (Red Line) and Line B (Blue Line)
Termini is connected to both lines. Termini station is surrounded by many good value hotels such as My Hotel Rome which is only 10 minutes walk from the station. There is a Non-Stop train Service for the transport from Fiumicino Airport to Roma Termini and back.
Buses
For those who are new to Italy, you may find that the procedure may be a little different, especially those who are travelling from London. All journey tickets must be purchased prior boarding.
You must purchase a single or return ticket from a tobacconist or newsagent. Tickets cost as little as one Euro and are valid 75 minutes. If you stay over a few days then a weekly pass is advisable, and in order to make the most of Rome we suggest you get a Roma Pass so you can visit museums of your choice too.

Some come to Rome for the tourist sites and name-brand shopping, however strolling amung the italians and bargaining with street vendors is a different view into Roman life. Between the antique arches of Port San Giovanni and the modern three-story department store Coin lays a street, Via Sannio, daily lined with street vendors until 2:00 in the afternoon, besides Sunday.

For a list of street markets throughout Rome, click here.

Here along Via Sannio the daily market of San Giovanni is a prime location to find a myriad of treasures and inexpensive goodies and is conveniently placed near Nice Hotel where luxury and budget are also ‘nice’-ly blended. The assortment of booths offered through the market lend to everyone’s desires of bargains. There are typical items such as cheap knock-off brand name sunglasses and purses along the street. Several booths are crowded with shoes of every style, from cheap, comfy to stylish, name-brand. A couple booths are tucked into the rows leading into the market where artists offer their hand-made objects; for example, one artist who makes on-site his uniquely designed leather items: purses, belts, jewelry and accessories. A majority of the booths where the outgoing vendors call out offering assistance to all passerbys have jeans, sweatshirts, and t-shirts hanging from the tented roof and covering nearly all open space. Nevertheless, if you are not looking for casual clothing, continue along the earth path to the very back where long tables are piled high with second-hand items for as little as 1 euro. And for those of you with higher quality taste, leather jackets are sold for excellent prices. As for those of you with cultural taste, there are several booths containing imported items of jewelry, clothing, and accessories. In addition, basic items may be found such as sewing supplies, socks, undergarments, books, and some household goods. Remember to bring cash and your bargaining spirit.

Arriving at this market is extremely easy, from Yes Hotel Romel walk to Termini 2 blocks, take underground Metro A and exit San Giovanni, to see the specific location on the Rome map click here. Although, if you prefer to ride the bus in order to watch the outside activities, bus 714 and 16 from Termini station will take you directly to the port of San Giovanni. For further tourist and accomodation information, please visit our hotels in Rome portal

In the outskirts of Rome, there are a number of interesting small towns with an amazing history and incredibile beauty to offer to those who wish to see more than just the basic, “obligatory� sights in the Rome city itself.

Before the growth of the Roman Republic and then Empire, the area around Rome was inhabited by the Etruscans, who have left behind many signs of their highly evolved culture and society. Some of their heritage can be admired in Cerveteri, a small town that hosts a huge Etruscan necropolis with more than 400 tombs of the 8th-2nd century BC., disposed in the form of a “city of the dead�. The most interesting objects found in the tombs are now hosted in the Museum of Villa Giulia in Rome, but the necropolis is definitely worth seeing, being a beautiful enchanted place. To get there, take a bus from the metro-A station of Lepanto and then walk form the center of Cerveteri, which, by the way, is also worth visiting.

Another town of Etruscan origin, Viterbo, has a beautiful medieval old-town, mostly of 12th-14th century, and is known as the “City of Popes�, having offered refuge to many a medieval pope during the frequent political conflicts. Some of the main attractions are the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, tha Palazoo dei Papi, the Villa Lante di Bagniaia with its marvellous garden and of course the city center itself with its narrow streets and the atmosphere of times long gone. From Rome you can get to Viterbo by train: from Rome Termini or Ostiense stations it’ll take about an hour and a half.
Tivoli is yet another beautiful smalltown about 1 hour drive from Rome, with a COTRAL bus leaving from the metro-B Ponte Mammolo station. The ancient town, located on the Aniene river, was under the influence of Rome as early as 4th century BC, and flourished again in the Middle Ages, under Frederik Barbarossa. The main attraction today are the 16th century Villa d’Este of the cardinal d’Este, the Roman amphitheatre, the beautiful Villa Gregoriana with it’s waterfall, and the ruins of the ancient Villa Adriana, the palace of the emperor Hadrian, outside the city center.
If you want nothing too complicated and not too far away, you can always go to the sea: in the summer the whole city seems to move over to the beaches of Ostia, and in the winter time you can enjoy in peace and quiet the storming sea… And of course, the whole “Lungomare�, that is the road coasting the sea, is crowded with restaurants specialised in seafood! Going to Ostia couldn’t be easier: first take the metro line B to Piramide and then just switch for the train for “Lido di Ostia�. Get off at Ostia centro or Stella Polare and it’s just a few steps to the sea!

To do some exploring it’s good to stay in a centrally located hotel, such as the brand new Yes Hotel near the Termini station, or the already well-known Hotel or Hostel Des Artistes, both close to the station as well.