Rome for backpackers
Getting in and away:
By air: The main airport is Fiumicino. During
the day it is connected to the city by train.
The direct train to Termini station departs every hour (every 30 min. on rush
hours) costs €
9 and takes about 30 minutes. The slower train stops at Trastevere, Ostiense and Tiburtina, departs every 20 minutes and costs
€
5.
It takes about 30 min. to Trastevere, 45 min. to Tiburtina. Ostiense and
Tiburtina stations are connected to Termini by subway (B line).
Tickets can be purchased at the vending machines at both Fiumicino and Termini,
at the Alitalia office by platform 22 at Termini, at the ticket office by the
platform at Fiumicino.
During the night the airport is connected to Tiburtina station by bus.
A taxi ride from the airport to the city center costs approximately
€
40
during the day, more during the night.
A smaller airport, dealing
mainly with charter flights, is Ciampino,
located south of the city. It is connected to the subway station
Anagnina (A line) with a bus leaving every
30
min.
The ticket costs € 0.77.
By train: Most of trains arrive at Termini
station, excepted for a few, mainly those arriving at night or early morning,
that may arrive at either Tiburtina or Ostiense stations.
By bus:
International bus lines arrive at the bus
terminal next to the Tiburtina railway station, while national buses arrive to several bus stations around the city,
depending where you are coming from. All of them are by a subway stop.
Moving around:
Metro: Rome's subway is very useful and
quite safe as long as you beware of pickpockets. The Metro system has two
lines, A and B, that cross at Termini. Trains run approximately every 10 minutes
from 5.30am to 11.30pm
Buses: There are hundreds of bus lines,
running from 5.30am to midnight. The main drawback of busses is the waiting
time (sometimes over the ½ hour) and the fact that they are often crowded. Again,
beware of pickpockets.
Tickets for both Metro and
buses can be purchased from vending machines at the major bus stops, at any
Metro stop, at most of news stands and tobacconists. The standard ticket (valid
for a metro ride and unlimited bus rides in 75 minutes) costs
€ 0.77 and must
be validated on the bus
Taxis: Cabs in Rome are pretty expensive,
for example expect to pay around €
8 for a ride between the Vatican and
Termini. You can find taxis in the main squares or call one at one of the
following numbers: 06-3570; 06-4994; 06-6645;
06-8822.
Budget accomodations:
The main areas I divided
the hostels and hotels listed are the following:
A - South of Termini: many budget accommodation clusters in an area that
is busier, noisier and seedier than other parts of Rome. It is often home of
pickpockets and tourists traps, mostly immigrants, and prostitutes.
B - North of Termini: reasonably priced accommodations in clusters just
at 5 to 15 minutes walk from the station. Cheaper than the historic center and
safer than the southern part of Termini.
C - Historic Center: most major sights are within walking distance and,
by night, the area swarm of boisterous Romans and tourists. By the Spanish
Steps and Trevi Fountain inexpensive accommodations are scarce, whether around
Campo de' Fiori prices are lower.
D - Near the Vatican and Prati: more comfortable, clean, well-cared
accommodations respect to Termini, close to popular sights and a safe
residential and commercial area.
E - Trastevere: rooms are few and far between, and generally offer no
frills. However, late nights at cafes and clubs should keep the amount of time
spent at the hotel to a minimum.
Hostels: There
is only one IYH member hostel, "Ostello del Foro Italico", via delle
Olimpiadi 61 - tel. 06-323-6267 (metro A Ottaviano + bus #32 to Cadorna). It has an inconvenient location and
a curfew at midnight.
€
13 with IYH membership card; if you don't have it you
can buy it at the reception for €
15.
The best choice is for sure
"Pensione Ottaviano", via Ottaviano 6 (D), tel.
06-3973-7253 (metro A Ottaviano), that offer dorm rooms for
€
18/20. Otherwise,
"Pensione Sandy", via Cavour 136, tel. 06-488-4585 (between the church Santa Maria
Maggiore and the Colosseum, metro B Cavour); dorm rooms also for
€
18/20. You can take a reservation for these hostels by e-mail.
Other hostels, in the A
area, with dorms for about € 18/20 are: "Hotel Fawlty Towers", via
Magenta 39, tel. 06-445-0374; "Freedom Traveller", via Gaeta 29, tel.
06-4782-3862; "M&J Place", via Solferino 9, tel. 06-446-2802;
"Hostel Dino", via Milazzo 14, tel. 06-4470-2456; "Pensione
Alessandro", via Vicenza 42, tel. 446-1958.
Hotels: The following are budget hotels,
mostly in the central areas of the city. Expect to pay between
€
100 and
€ 150
per night for a double room.
"Hotel Abruzzi", piazza della Rotonda 69, tel. 06-679-2021. In front of the Pantheon.
"Hotel Campo de' Fiori", via del Biscione 6, tel. 06-687-4886.
Terrace with amazing view.
"Hotel Sole", via del Biscione 76, tel. 06-6880-6873.
"Hotel Pomezia", via dei Chiavari 12, tel. 06-686-1371.
"Hotel Piccolo", via dei Chiavari 32, tel. 06-689-2330.
"Hotel Lunetta", piazza del Paradiso 68, tel. 06-686-1080.
"Hotel Mimosa", via Santa Chiara 61, tel. 06-6880-1753.
"Pensione Navona", via dei Sediari 8, tel. 06-686-4203.
"Pensione Panda", via della Croce 35, tel. 06-678-0179.
"Pensione Jonella", via della Croce 41, tel. 06-679-7966.
"Hotel Boccaccio", via del Boccaccio 25, tel. 06-488-5962.
"Hotel Ferraro", via Cavour 266, tel. 06-474.3683. 100 meters from the Colosseum.
"Pensione S. Michele", via Attilio Regolo 19, tel. 06-324-3333
(Metro A Lepanto).
"Pensione Valparaiso", via Giulio Cesare 47, tel. 06-321-3184 (Metro
A Lepanto).
Sights:
Main museums:
"Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel": viale Vaticano. Entrance £
15.000, open Mon-Sat 8.45am-1pm; Apr 1 - Jun 14 and Sept 2 - Oct 31open Mon-Fri
8.45am-4pm. Last Sunday of every month is free entry.
"Museo Borghese": piazzale Scipione Borghese 5 (Villa
Borghese). £ 12.000, open
Tue-Sat 9am-7pm and Sun 9am-1pm. You need a reservation, that you can make
on-line at http://www.ticketeria.it/form-biglietti.htm
"Capitoline Museums": piazza del Campidoglio. £ 10.000, open Tue-Sat
9am-7pm and Sun 9am-1pm. Last Sunday of every month is free entry.
"Museo della civiltà Romana": piazza Giovanni Agnelli 10
(EUR). £ 5.000, open Tue-Sat
9am-7pm and Sun 9am-1pm.
"Museo nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia": piazzale di Villa
Giulia 9. £ 8.000, open
Tue-Sat 9am-7pm and Sun 9am-1pm.
"Galleria nazionale d'arte moderna": viale della Belle Arti
131. £ 8.000, open Tue-Sat
9am-7pm and Sun 9am-1pm.
Monuments:
"Colosseo": £ 10.000, open everyday from 9am to the sunset; Wed/Sun
closes at 1pm.
"Roman Forums": £ 12.000, open Mon-Sat 9am-3pm; Apr-Oct closes at the
sunset.
"Trajan Markets": £ 4.000, open Tue-Sat 9am-7pm and Sun 9am-1pm. Last
Sunday of every month is free entry.
"Pantheon": admission free, open Mon-Sat 9am-6.30pm, Sun 9am-1pm.
"Trevi Fountain": throw one coin over your shoulder for a quick
return to Rome; two for a fling with an Italian, three to marry an Italian.
"Spanish Steps": a popular hangout for youngers; do not eat or drink
on the steps.
"S.Angelo Castel": £ 8.000, open everyday 9am-7pm; 2nd and 4th Tue of
every month closed.
"Bocca della Verità" (Mouth of Truth): piazza della Bocca della
Verità, 9am-1pm and 2.30pm-6pm.
"Keyhole" by the Priorato of Malta, piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta:
the small circular key hole on the large green door contains a memorable view
of .......
"S.Callisto Catacombs" (via Appia Antica 110 - open Thu-Tue) and
"S.Sebastiano Catacombs" (via Appia Antica 136 - open Fri-Wed): £
8.000, open 8.30am-Noon and 2.30pm-5.30pm.
Artists masterpieces:
Michelangelo:"Moses" into St.Peter in Chains (S.Pietro in
Vincoli), 9am-Noon and 3pm-6pm. Metro B Colosseo. "Pietà" into St. Peter in Vatican,
7am-7pm. Metro A Ottaviano. "Christ" into S. Maria sopra Minerva, 7am-Noon and 4pm-7pm. Near
the Pantheon. "St.Peter's dome" in Vatican.
"Cordonata", the square and the steps of Capitoline Hill.
Bernini:"Canopy", "Throne", "Tomb of Pope
Alexander VII" into St.Peter in Vatican. "The square and
colonnade" outside St.Peter in Vatican; if you stand on one of the two
dots, about 20 meters away from the obelisk, all four rows of columns fall into
one. "S.Angelo Bridge", an elaborate bridge of statues, great for a
picture of the Vatican at the sunset. "Barcaccia", the fountain
underneath the Spanish Steps. "The four rivers fountain" in Piazza
Navona.
Caravaggio:"Paintings of Saints Peter and Paul" in
S.Maria del Popolo, piazza del Popolo. "Madonna dei Pellegrini" in
S.Agostino, via della Scrofa. "The life of S.Matthew" in S.Luigi dei
Francesi, via S.Giovanna d'Arco.
Views:
"Gianicolo Hill", walking up from via Garibaldi in Trastevere. The
cannon goes off at noon everyday.
"Pincio Terrace", in Villa Borghese, above Piazza del Popolo.
"Aventino Hill",
from the Orange Garden, near the Circus Maximum.
"The Keyhole", see above.
"Zodiaco", in Monte Mario, terrace by the astronomical observer
(reachable only by car or cab).
Entertainment:
Check out "Roma
c'è", the most useful manual to everything from restaurants to church
services to discos. It is written in Italian, but there is a substantial
English language section. It comes every Thursday and is available at newsstands.
"Wanted in Rome" is a highly informative English language newsletter
(out every two weeks at newsstands) containing job and housing classifieds, a
calendar of cultural events, and short articles on topics of interest to
English speakers.
Cinemas:
"Pasquino", piazza S.Egidio 10, Trastevere; the first all-English
cinema in Rome. It has three theatres. Tickets £ 12.000
"Quirinetta", via Minghetti 4, 100 meters from via del Corso. It also started playing English
movies everyday. Tickets £ 12.000.
Pubs and Bars with
travellers crowd:
"Full Moon", via Luigi Santini 12,
Trastevere; American owned bar with special prices for foreigner students and
backpackers. Thursday night 11-12.30 open bar £ 15.000. Also after hour.
"The Drunken Ship", Campo de' Fiori 20. American owned bar.
"Vineria Campo de' Fiori", Campo de' Fiori 15. Specialized on wine.
"John Bull English Pub", corso Vittorio Emanuele II. Crowded and
expensive bar.
"The Fox", via di Monteroni 18, by Largo Argentina.
"Ned Kelly", via delle Coppelle 13, near the Pantheon. Australian
bar.
"Esquire", via degli Spagnoli 37. Also After Hour. Take a look at the beautiful Isabella!
"Trinity College", via del Collegio Romano. Too small and always crowded.
"Druids Den", via S.Martino ai Monti 28; "Fiddlers Elbow",
via dell'Olmata 43; "Marconi", via S.Prassede 9; this three pubs have
the same owner, and are located near the church of S.Maria Maggiore.
Clubs and Discos:
Most nightclubs are very expensive, and are open only after midnight. Some more
accessible club is in the Monte Testaccio area (Metro B Piramide); check out
the "Akab", "Picasso", "Cafe Latino". Admission £
10.000/20.000 with drink included. At night there is a bus to Piazza Venezia.
More central are the "Groove", vicolo Savelli 10;
"B-Side", via dei Funari; "Anima", via dell'Anima (piazza
Navona); admission £ 10.000/15.000 including a drink.
Restaurants:
The best area for dining is surely Trastevere, with its characteristical lanes
full of retsurants, pizzerie and bars. My favourite place is the "Osteria
der Belli", piazza S. Apollonia 9 by the S. Maria in Trastevere Church;
for reservations tel. 06-580-3782, 06-581-2202.
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