ROME: A FRIENDLY SURVIVOR’S GUIDE
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!





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
Termini is connected to both lines. Termini station is surrounded by many good value hotels such as
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.
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.
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
Another
Rome Termini or Ostiense stations it’ll take about an hour and a half.
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!