GENERAL QUESTIONS

1. Is Rome worth checking out while in Italy? Uh, are you joking? Rome is the city. While it may be completely different from towns and cities on the countryside, you will probably enjoy all the historic attractions, the lifestyle, and the chaos. To pass Rome is - a sin. 2. What does "everything in Rome is expensive" mean? Well, unfortunately, everything in Rome is expensive. :-) Some examples: hotel rooms cost more in Rome than in say, Atri (a small village on the east coast). A simple Cappucino may cost you up to 4 Euro (US$ 5.50) at a street cafe. 3. How much Euro do I need on a trip to Rome? That completely depends on your lifestyle. As you can imagine, you can spend money virtually unlimited in Rome. But what you'll probably need is about 10 Euro per Person per day for coffee (Espresso is cheaper than Cappucino) and icecream, about 5 Euro per day for transport (depending on your stay length), 10-35 Euro per day for dining (again, largely depending on your requirements), totaling about 25-50 Euro per Person per day. Plus the cost of the hotel if you are not paying by credit card.

GETTING TO ROME AND GETTING AWAY

4. Which airport do we use in Rome Italy? When you arrive in Rome, you will most likely use the Aeroporto "Leonardo da Vinci" in Fiumicino. Fiumicino is a small town outside of Rome. The airport code for Rome is FCO. See the airport on Google Maps. 5. At what time does Rome Italy airport open? The airport is open 24 hours a day. They do have an Information Point at Terminal C (departures level) that is also open around the clock. It might be a good idea to visit the official airport site. 6. How much time do you need to check in to Rome airport? Despite all the chaos you might expect in Italy, the Fiumicino airport "Leonardo da Vinci" in Rome is pretty well organized, and checking in does not take longer than at other airports. Thus, we suggest to be at the airport no later than 90 minutes prior to your flight (unless you have just hand luggage). 7. How much does a taxi cost from Rome airport to city centre? A taxi from Rome airport to the city center costs between 40 and 45 Euro and will take 45-60 minutes. Thus, we strongly recommend to use the "Leonardo Express" train for Termini station. This costs just 11 Euro (2007) per person and takes about 30-40 minutes. If your hotel is not within the surroundings of Termini, you might consider a taxi, though. Also, a taxi might be the better choice in the evening hours or at night. 8. How long does it take by train from Rome airport to the Colosseum? Now, the Leonardo Express will take about 30-40 minutes to Termini. Within Termini you need to walk for about 5 minutes to get to the Metro station. Purchasing a ticket may take another two minutes, and maybe you wait like three minutes for the train. Then you take the train to the Colosseo station (2nd stop), which should take another five minutes. To the exit it's two minutes. Crossing the street is another two minutes. :-) Now, that is a total of about 60 minutes. Yes, you can make it in 60 to 90 minutes from Roma airport to the Colosseo. 9. How many miles is Frascati from Rome? About 13 miles (20.9 kilometers), according to Google Maps.

GETTING AROUND IN ROME

10. How much would transportation cost in Rome Italy? How much does a 3 day travel card cost in Rome? How to buy a biglietto turistico integrato? This ticket for the public transport is a three day travel pass ("Biglietto Turistico Integrato 3 giorni") and costs 11 Euro per person (2005). You basically get it everywhere at newspaper stands. It allows you to use any public transport within the city during this time. They also have one-day travel passes and short-term tickets (valid for just 75 minutes). You need to validate and sign your ticket immediately, otherwise it will be invalid for travel. Signature is only required for travel passes. 11. Which hop-on hop-off rome is the best one? There are several hop-on hop-off tours in Rome, most departing from Termini station. We found the "110 open tourist route" (110 open itinerario turistico) to be one of the best. Not only do they provide a beautiful map (a perfect souvenir BTW), their route makes sense, and they do use modern double decker buses with a convertible roof. (Yes, there are also tours available that are cheaper or attract you with "less waiting time", but you might have only half the fun when you realize that your coach is just a plain bus.) The Spanish Steps Mark Zanzig/zettpress 12. How to get to Spanish Steps from Via del Corso? That is quite easy: just walk along the Via del Corso, which is the main shopping street in Rome, until you see Via Condotti, situated approximately in the middle of the Via del Corso. Enter Via Condotti and proceed to its end. There you will find the Piazza di Spagna with the Spanish Steps. Via del Corso on Google Maps. 13. Where is Via Condotti in Rome? The Via dei Condotti is in the center of Rome, connecting the legendary shopping street Via del Corso with the beautiful Piazza di Spagna where the Spanish Steps are (aka Scalinata della Trinita dei Monti). Via dei Condotti on Google Maps

ACCOMMODATION

14. How far is the Astoria Garden Hotel from the Rome airport? It takes you about ten minutes from the hotel to Termini station (by foot), where you will walk another five minutes until you reach the platform where the Leonardo Express departs. The train takes about 40 minutes, and you will have to walk about five to ten minutes within the airport. So it should be safe to plan about 90 minutes for your journey (remember that you may have to wait a few minutes for the train!). 15. When arriving in Rome Italy how does one book a hotel? The easiest way is to approach the Rome Tourist Board (Azienda di Promozione Turistica di Roma). They try to assist tourists in all situations and provide them with various brochures. Their offices are located: Main Office Via Parigi, 11 00185 Roma Tel. +39 06 48 89 91 Fax +39 06 48 19 316 E-mail: info@aptroma.com Information Offices Visitor Center Via Parigi, 5 Open: Mon-Sat, 9-19 hrs Fiumicino Airport Leonardo da Vinci Roma International Arrivals - Terminal B Open: Mon-Sun, 8-19 hrs 16. Where not to stay in Rome Italy? Hmm, that's a good question. In case of hotels, we feel that our partner, booking.com, has a vast selection of hotels that have been checked by them. On their Rome web site you can find 420+ hotels on all price levels. With regards to the town quarters that you should avoid during your stay, we recommend to stay away from public parks or unlit areas at night. You might want to use a cab or public transport instead. Having said that, the main problem in Rome certainly is pickpockets, but it is not worse here than in other big cities. Just apply your standard security measures - book a hotel with a complementary safe, avoid crowds of people, keep your valuables close to you. You get the idea.

How to find a Hotel Room in Rome Finding a hotel room in Rome is easy. What it makes so difficult is to find the right hotel, because there are so many hotels available. Booking.com (our partner) lists more than 420 hotels for Rome, hand-picked from thousands of houses. So, given these virtually endless choices, how could you actually find a suitable hotel? First and foremost we recommend to ask your colleagues, friends, and family, whether they have been to a good hotel. If they were satisfied, just ask them for the address and look for that hotel. If you like the offer, go for it - surprises are highly unlikely. (By the way, we think that the Astoria Garden is completely OK.) Booking.com offers reviews, ratings, and maps, which might help you as well with your decision. If you have not got a recommendation, we suggest to pick a town quarter first. Get out your Rome map and find out what you might want to see and do. Then check whether there are affordable hotels in that area. Most of the attractions are in and around the town center, so we recommend a hotel close to a subway station. We found the Termini Station area to be quite convenient - it is close to the train station and offers both subway and bus transport. Next you'll have to decide on the quality level required. Please keep in mind that Rome is very expensive, so your money does not buy much in general. We think that one needs a hotel with at least a three star rating. This will get you a clean room and some friendly staff. Hotels below three stars usually have a big issue or two, like: old and/or not so clean rooms, unfriendly staff, a noisy street and no noise protection windows. You get the idea. Mark Zanzig recommends Booking.com

THE COLOSSEO / THE COLOSSEUM

17. Why go to the Colosseum? Well, it's quite old, and it's amazing to see that this huge stadium has been around already roughly 2,000 years ago. It's purpose was quite similar to today's stadiums: entertainment. By visiting the Colosseo you will dive into the past, and you will better understand how the Romans lived. We recommend it. 18. Where is the Colosseo in Rome? It is located at the (surprise!) Piazza del Colosseo. See it on Google Maps. 19. When was Colosseo built? The construction works of the Colosseo began in 70 A.D. by Vespasian and took ten years to complete. Titus inaugurated the arena in 80 A.D. Guided Tour at Colosseum Mark Zanzig/zettpress 20. What is the size of the Colosseum? The Colosseum is huge, even for todays standards: 50 meters high (164 ft), 188 meters long (200 yards), and 156 meters wide (170 yards). In the old days, it provided space for a whopping 50,000 to 70,000 spectators. 21. How long does it take - Colosseum in Rome? You should plan at least 90 minutes for your visit to the Colosseum, 30 minutes of queueing for entrance tickets, and about an hour to enjoy the Colosseum itself. Of course, you could also rush through in, like, 30 minutes, but after you have waited for the tickets for so long, you should really take in all the impressions. 22. How much does it cost to get in the Colosseum in Rome? The price was 10 Euro per Person in 2005, valid to see both the Colosseum and the Palatino on the same day. With a moderate price increase, the price will be slightly higher today.