Rome, Italy Hotels and City Guide

Rome is halfway down Italy's western coast, about 20km (12mi) inland. It's a vast city, but the historic centre is quite small. Most of the major sights are within a reasonable distance of the central railway station, Stazione Termini. It is, for instance, possible to walk from the Colosseum, through the Forum, up to Piazza di Spagna and across to the Vatican in one day, but you wouldn't really want to. All the major monuments are west of the train station, but make sure you use a map. While it can be enjoyable to get off the beaten track in Rome, it can also be very frustrating and time-consuming. The Palatine Hill and the Forum are the centre of ancient Rome. Via del Corso runs north from the Forum to Piazza del Popolo, with the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain just to its east. The Vatican is northwest of the Forum, across the River Tiber.

The one thing you cannot escape from in Rome is history. This exciting metropolis oozes with it. But nor will you escape the hectic vibrancy of the place, with its anarchic traffic, its noise, its piazzas, its fountains, its fabulous restaurants and all the other idiosyncrasies that make Rome quite simply one of the most remarkable cities in the world. Whether it's Etruscan tombs, Republican meeting rooms, early-Christian churches, Renaissance palaces, baroque basilicas, the Vatican or the great swathe of artefacts left by the Roman Empire, the sense of history that Rome provides is all embracing. It's a bustling city in which a great deal of life takes place outdoors; people mix, for instance, in the piazzas around parliament, where you might see politicians and journalists chatting with the man sweeping the streets, or pacing up and down outside the bar in Via Uffici del Vicario, avidly talking into their mobile phones. Whether it's history, or humanity, Rome is quite simply a feast for the eyes.

Away from the Classical sights, districts like Trastevere and the former Jewish Ghetto reveals a different side to Rome – of narrow, medieval cobbled streets, authentic Roman trattories, cafes and neighbourhood atmosphere. The glorious parkland around Villa Borghese offers a quiet retreat from the city; whilst popular excursions from Rome, such as Via Appia to the catacombs, Ostia Antica and Tivoli, are all within easy reach. It may sound like a city of contrasts, but Rome's timeless magic lies in its ability to blend the old with the new. Empires have risen and fallen, old gods have been replaced with new ones, but Rome remains.

Rome City Facts

Rome Population: 2,628,000 (Source: UN Population Estimate Revision 2003)
Italy Population: 57,253,000 (Source: UN Population Estimate Revision 2003)
City Area: 2066 square miles (5352 square kilometers)
Currency: Euro (€, EUR)
Time Zone: GMT +1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).
Language: Italian. English is understood in the larger cities but not in the more remote parts of the country.
Phone codes: The international access code for Italy is +39. The outgoing code is 00 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 0044 for the United Kingdom). All numbers must be preceded by 0, whether originating in Italy or out, unless calling a mobile phone. City/area codes are in use, e.g. 02 for Milan and 06 for Rome.
Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz; round two-pin or three-pin plugs are standard.

Rome Districts

Aventino
Campo de' Fiori
Colosseo
Esquilino
Laterano
Navona
Pantheon
Prati
Quirinale
Repubblica
San Lorenzo
Spagna
Trastevere
Trevi
Via Veneto
Villa Borghese
Vaticano
Vatican City

Hotels in Rome, Italy