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Rome GENERAL INFORMATION

Rome is is one of the oldest and most popular cities in the world, so no wonder it can be chaotic at times. We've therefore put it upon us to provide you with some additional information that will ensure that your stay is a happy one [ aren't we nice? ].

Tourist Information Service

The city's tourist information service (APT) has several offices in Rome. The main APT office is situated at Via Parigi 5 and is open Monday to Saturday from 08:15 to 19:15. There are several other smaller branches, including one at the Fiumicino Airport and all have a wide range of information on museums, festivals and concert seasons as well as maps, details on local and intercity transport. There is also an office in the central hall at Stazione Termini. It's open daily from 08:15 to 19:15.

Opening hours: Even though much of Italy closes for about 2-3 hours for lunch, you'll find the centre of Rome stays open pretty much all day including Sundays.

Getting to Rome from the Airports

Most international flights to Rome arrive at Leonardo da Vinci International Airport (Fiumicino"), which is roughly 30 km west of the city. There is also a second airport, Ciampino, which serves domestic flights and the growing number of budget airlines from Europe.

To/From Fiumicino Airport: There are signs for "TRENI" which is a non-stop train that leaves every half hour for Stazione Termini. It takes roughly 30 minutes and it'll cost you 9 euros.

Taxis to or from Fiumicino airport cost about EUR 50. It lasts around 30 minutes and is a quick way to travel into the city centre. You pay extra for baggage.

To/From Ciampino Airport: Getting to Rome from Ciampino is actually pretty easy. There's a shuttle bus that costs 1.50 euros from the airport to Ciampino train station. From here, you catch a directly to Stazione Termini. Trains run every 15-20 minutes and takes 15 minutes. The cost is 2 euros.

Taxis to or from Ciampino airport cost about EUR 35. You pay extra for baggage.

Getting AROUND Rome

Rome is a relatively easy city to get around. The centre is fairly compact and most of the sights are within walking distance of one another. There's an excellent bus network, local railway and taxis to go home with - if all the sightseeing has got too much for you.

The Metro: There are only two subway lines and it provides the easiest, cheapest and quickest way to travel around the city. Entrances to the subway are marked with a large white 'M' on a red background. The Metro opens at 05:30 and the last trains leave at either 23:30, or at 00:30 on Saturdays. Both lines intersect at Termini train station:

Line A runs from the north-west to the south-west part of the city and includes stops in San Giovanni in Laterano, Piazza Barberini, Piazza di Spagna and San Pietro near the Vatican City.

Line B runs from the north-east to the south-east part of the city and includes stops near the Colosseum and the Circus Maximus.

Tickets can be bought from all tobacco shops ["tabacchis"], newsstands and a few bars and there is also ticket vending machines located in stations. The tickets cost 1 Euro and are valid for either one Metro ride or unlimited bus travel within 1 1/4 hour of validation.

Bus and Tram in Rome: There are COTRAL buses and ATAC trams that depart from many points throughout the city and service the Lazio region.

Rome on a Scooter: Rome has one of the largest concentrations of scooters in the world and not all Romans can be wrong. This is an excellent way to travel around the city and is easiest and best way to avoid the traffic. There are several rental agencies in the city where you can hire a bike and helmet.

Rome Taxis: Taxis are fairly cheap in Rome - especially compared to other capital cities in Europe such as Paris. Make sure the meter is on and forget the assumption that all taxis drivers in Rome are up for robbing you by going 3 times round the city. Most of them are totally honest (something that cannot be said of taxi-drivers in Naples!).

Money and banks in Rome

Italy uses the Euro, abbreviated with the symbol [€].

Banks opening hours are Mon-Fri from 8.30 a.m to 1.30 pm and from 3 pm to 4 pm Only very few banks open on Saturday morning. Outside the official hours you can use one of several exchange offices. If you're in difficulties, it's usually possible to change cash at larger hotels [generally bad rates] or with travel agents, who may initially grumble but will eventually give a rate with the commission built in - useful for small amounts in a hurry.

ATMs: There are many ATM's [Bancomats] and they are the quickest and cheapest way to get money in Italy.

Credit Cards: Credit cards are widely accepted at the major tourist areas but you do still get many restaurants, small shops or bars that only accept cash.

Travelers cheques: Travellers' cheques are no longer the cheapest nor most convenient option and most people use bank cards now. However you can change up travellers checks pretty much everywhere and the usual fee for buying travellers' cheques is one or two percent. Buying cheques in Euros is the best option, since these can be cashed without incurring exchange service charges.

Communications in Rome

Post Offices are open Monday to Friday: 8.30am to 1.40pm. Saturday: 8.30am to 1.00pm. The central post offices (at piazza San Silvestro, Piazza Bologna, Via Taranto, via Marmolada) stay open afternoons, until 6.30pm. However, many people still pay their bills at the Post Office and therefore queues are long.

Telephone services: The country code for Italy is +39. Dial +39, then the area code and the subscriber's number. Italian public phones work well you'll find plenty of booths on the street. They only accept phonecards which can be bought in bars and tobacco shops ["tabacchis"].

There are also plenty of Internet cafés in Rome.

Emergency numbers: Rome is a very safe city but if you ever need help, here are some numbers that will help you.

For police, fire, or other emergencies, dial 113

The police headquarters (Questura) is in Via San Vitale 15 - dial 4686

About Visas

All visitors entering Italy must have a valid passport.

Nationals of all the following countries, who intend to visit Italy for a period of 90 days or less, do not need to obtain a visa. Nationals of other countries (except those European residents specifically referred to above) must obtain a visa to enter Italy.

Andorres, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech RepublicC, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, IsraelL, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Rumania, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Switzerland, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela.

Additional information may be obtained from the Italian Government Tourist Board.