A Quick Travel Guide To Rome

Rome is an enchanting place that has beenawesome experience more realistic, they have an
attracting tourists for its rich cultural heritage andhourly conducted tour by guides in the guise of
brilliant historic monuments. In the ratings ofgladiators. The next important stop, the Roman
Conde Nast Traveler's 2004 Reader's ChoiceForum or Foro Romano, is just across the street.
Awards, Rome grabbed the coveted second spotThe Roman Forum, the heart of the Roman
on the list of top ten European cities.Empire, is standing tall even after 2000 years! You
Some quick helpful facts about traveling to thewould be fascinated by the involutions of the
city. You need to have a valid passport to enterRoman architecture. There is no entry fee here
Italy though you do not need a visa if theand you can also avail the facility of guided tours.
duration of the stay is less than 90 days.The next stop, The Pantheon or 'The Temple to
However, there is an exception to this rule forall Gods', was built around 125 AD and is one of
some specific countries. Since the summers arethe best-preserved buildings in Rome. Built by
hot and dry, you should visit Rome betweenEmperor Hadrian, many famous personalities like
October and March. Book yourself at a hotel thatVittorio Emmanuel II and Umberto I (the kings of
is close to the historic district. The ideal placeItaly) and the one and only Raphael are buried
would be Hotel de Russie, situated between thehere. There is a nine meter opening in the
Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps that areconcrete dome which the only source of light in
worth seeing.this monument. It takes you back in time to the
Plan your itinerary well in advance, especially theglorious days of the Roman Empire and you
places you definitely want to visit. The ideal modecannot stop imagining being a part of the Romans,
of discovering Rome's heritage is on foot, as itas it existed then. You would get goose bumps
gives you the flexibility of covering the locationsdreaming of the kind of clothes they would have
at your own speed. The other option to saveworn, their language, gestures etc. You can have
cost is to use the Tram Bus system that linksthis extraordinary experience through the year
the entire city and also the nearby areas. And ifexcept Christmas when the Pantheon is closed.
you are looking at convenience, you can alwaysBy the end of the day, there is just one more
opt for a private tour. Make sure you have takenplace to see that cannot be missed. You can
a pair of comfortable shoes. Carry minimumeasily spend three hours visiting The Vatican and
weight while going around the city. The city hasits collection of artifacts that chronicle the Catholic
many eating joints around the tourist attractionsChurch's history. If you have time, you should let
so you can appease your hunger pangs any timeMichelangelo's Pieta, which is housed in St Peter's
you want.Basilica, amaze you. The Vatican museum has
The city is full of tourist attractions and it is a realeven more splendid antiques, including the Egyptian
tough task to decide which of them are a mustmummies. You should not miss Sistine Chapel that
see. Your local sightseeing plan for a given dayhas The Bible painted on the ceiling by the
could look like this. Start with the Coliseum that islegendary Michelangelo himself.
a popular tourist attraction. Since the visiting hoursWell, whatever you chose to do, get to befriend
change through the year, make sure that youyour hotel concierge first since he can be the
confirm the timings beforehand. To make thisbest source of updated information.