A weekend in Rome

Rome the eternal city, er cupolone, the Trevi fountain, the Colosseum, and then the little bars of Trastevere.. how many things to see in what is surely one of the liveliest and most incredible metropolises in the world.

Diary taken from: How to reach Rome: There are many airlines with direct flights to Rome departing from various Italian airports; here are a few: Easyjet direct flights from Bari, Malpensa, Palermo; Ryanair flights to Rome Ciampino from Bergamo, Trapani and Treviso; Myair flies to Rome Fiumicino from Brindisi and Foggia; Windjet flies to Rome Fiumicino from Catania and Palermo; Meridiana flights to Rome Fiumicino from Cagliari, Linate, Olbia, Verona; Airone various flights to Rome Fiumicino from many Italian airports, Alghero, Ancona, Bologna, Cagliari, Florence, Milan, Naples, Venice, Verona.

From Rome Fiumicino the best, cheapest and fastest connection is the Fara Sabina - Fiumicino line (FM1) which takes about 30 minutes; by bus there is a connection with the Cotral company; by car the distance between the airport and the city centre is about 30 km and the fixed taxi fare is 40.00 euros.

Where to sleep

Rome offers hotels for every pocket, from luxurious hotels right in the centre to small guest houses on the outskirts; here are some suggestions:

Boutique hotels and deluxe hotels: absolutely not to be missed “Theviewatthespanishsteps”, St. George, voted one of the ten best business hotels in the world, the Grand hotel de la Minerve a stone's throw from the Pantheon; if you want to stay in the Piazza di Spagna area try the Boscolo Aleph luxury hotel of the chain of the same name, which also has an equally luxurious hotel directly on piazza della Repubblica, the Boscolo Exedra luxury hotel;

Budget hotels and hostels: the French Accor chain offers you the chance to stay in Rome at acceptable prices; there are three Mercure hotels: Mercure Delta Colosseo a stone's throw from Rome's most famous monument, the Mercure Piazza di Spagna and finally, in the quiet embassy area, the Mercure Corso Trieste.

Where to eat

My favourite restaurant is in Trastevere at Vicolo della Renella 94, a stone's throw from Piazza Trilussa; it's called I Vizi capitali and in an intimate setting it combines genuine cooking, an excellent wine list (you absolutely must try the 2006 white wine Ferentano) and truly competitive prices; booking is strongly recommended.

In the suggestive Gianicolo area, absolutely to be tried is the restaurant Antico Arco; it offers a tasting menu starting from 65.00 euros, and the wine list is truly impressive; a trattoria that has been going for over forty years, “Domenico dal 1968”, serves typical local cooking; the restaurant Giuda ballerino offers a wine bar with an attached restaurant that is truly incredible, the bread and pasta are homemade, the desserts are a must, a tasting menu starting from 60.00 euros, wines excluded.

For a brunch, a lunch, an aperitivo or a post-dinner in a truly unique place in Rome, don't miss the Salotto42 in Piazza pietra in front of the Temple of Hadrian; this bookbar recreates the atmosphere of a New York living room.. at weekends booking is strongly recommended.

A tour of Rome in 24 hours

If you have little time, don't be scared.. Rome is accessible all the same.

Start from Piazza di Spagna and the famous Trinita dei Monti, have breakfast in one of the countless bars overlooking the square; if you have time you can tackle the famous Via Condotti, the luxury street in Rome, where you'll find the boutiques of the world's most famous designers. Walk along Via Propaganda to the Trevi Fountain and then on foot to Palazzo Chigi; take a break for lunch in Piazza pietra in front of the Temple of Hadrian; in this enchanting corner of Rome there's a truly unique place, the salotto42. The Pantheon is a stone's throw away and is one of the musts of Rome and, if you haven't had lunch yet, here you'll find one of Rome's historic trattorias/restaurants, Armando al Pantheon, open since way back in 1961.

Continue to Palazzo Madama and then Piazza Navona and then along the Tiber past the Ponte di Sant'Angelo; in front of you will be the famous Castel Sant'Angelo and on your left you'll already be able to see Er Cupolone, as the Romans call it, the dome of St Peter's, reachable in five minutes on foot. After a break you can take a taxi to the Colosseum ( about 10 euros ) and stroll under the Arch of Constantine among the famous cats of the imperial fora.

Just time for a quick change at the hotel and then out for an aperitivo and dinner in Rome's most famous district, Trastevere; take a taxi ( about 15 euros from the centre of Rome ) and from Piazza Trilussa walk among the little alleys of Trastevere.

If you have one more day, devote it to Campo dei Fiori and the nearby Palazzo Farnese, walk on to the Teatro Marcello, the nearby Campidoglio, the famous Altare della Patria and the Forum of Trajan. For a brunch or a lunch, along Via Nazionale don't miss the Palazzo delle esposizioni, which hides inside a truly incredible place, L'Open Colonna. If you still have energy, continue along Via Nazionale to Piazza della Repubblica, make a quick stop at the Teatro dell'Opera and finish with a visit to Santa Maria Maggiore.

If you have a bit of time left don't miss the Sunday market of Porta Portese, the historic flea market; to reach it you can take metro B to Marconi and then bus 170 (towards the centre), or, from Piramide you can take bus 280 or no. 23 for a few stops. From Via Della Giuliana - San Pietro area - P.le Clodio (metro A stop - Ottaviano/San Pietro) bus 23, and from Piazza Venezia bus 170.

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