Rome is the capital of Italy. It is also the largest Italian city with estimated population of about 3 million people. Rome is located on the Tiber river in the western part of the central Italian Peninsula. History of Rome as a city, considered as one of the founding cities of Western Civilisation, spans over 2500 years. Rome was the centre of the Roman Empire, which dominated Europe, Middle East and North Africa for 400 years. Rome has also a significant place in Christianity and is also home of the Roman Catholic Church and the site of the Vatican City. Vatican City is an independent city-state run by the Catholic Church as an enclave of Rome. Rome's historic centre (essentially Renaissance and Baroque in character) is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Luckily, Rome escaped the World War II relatively unscathed. Rome is the 3^rd most-visited tourist destination in the European Union.

Rome has two airports. The major airport is Leonardo da Vinci, located at Fiumicino (a central-Italian town and comune in the province of Rome). The secondary airport is Ciampino. It is the one of the most commonly serviced by charter flights and used by the discount flights that many airlines offer from various European cities. Here you can take a CORTAL bus to the Metropolitana station and then take a train that ends at Stazione Termini and which also leaves from Fiumicino airport every hour. The Termini station is located in the center of old Rome and is the main hub for all trains, buses and subways in Rome. The Termini central station is also surrounded by the cheapest hotels in Rome. When visiting Rome, focus your attention to a few attractions rather than rushing through the city to see everything. Take your time to discover, and allow the city to unfold before you like a living history book.

The cheapest and quickest way to get around Rome is by bus.Two routes of ATAC, the main bus company in Rome, go directly through the historical district and the cultural center of Rome. You can take the 64 which is by far the most popular, or the 40 which has fewer stops (it is an express and therefore less crowded). If possible, choose to ride the line 40 because the line 64 is famous for the pickpockets. The 64 is well-known as a popular route for tourists and it is an easy target. The pickpockets look like professional looking businessmen with suit jackets on their arms. They are pretty fast in relieving you of your wallets and anything else that might be within their reach. The 40 has fewer people and fewer tourists so wherever possible try to avoid the dangers of the 64 completely and take the 40 into the center of Rome.

In order to get into the historical center of Rome and to visit Vatican, you'll have to go by taxi, bus, or on foot. Rome has a subway (Metro), but it does not service the oldest parts of the city. This is because there are too many archaeological treasures under the city. The Metro is the quickest way to get around. But when heading towards the Vatican you sholuld choose the bus.There are metro ticket machines, some of them only take exact change and are known to eat money and sometimes produce no tickets. Instead of using the machines, you can purchase tickets at the station. Tickets start at 1 euro for 75 minutes of travel by bus or train. Transit tickets can be used on the bus and the train, your pass simply needs to be activated. Visitor passes are available for about 10 euro for three days, and a week-long travel pass is about 16 euro. Make sure you have a ticket that is validated or you could face a fine.

No city in the world is richer with fountains than Rome. There are a lot of small fountains along the streets of Rome. Since the past 11 waterworks ensured water to the entire Rome. Even today tourists can enjoy the fresh water coming out of the little fountains called "big noses" for the strange form of their taps. They are all offering cold, fresh water. These fountains are safe to drink from unless they have a sign. If you see a table that reads "acqua non potabile" it means that the water is not drinkable. Although you can drink from the fountains, you can not take a bath or swimm no matter how hot it is or how inviting the water is.

Beggars and thieves are abundant in Rome, so make sure you are prepared for surprises. It is a good idea to wear a money belt or to secure money pouch under your clothing. All bags should be closed and should have a secure zipper (if possible, a Velcro flap over the zipper is a good idea). Do not leave bags on the ground and never walk away from your belongings. If you turn your head for even a moment, you may lose something. Also be aware of people who present themselves as police and demand your credit card and the pin number. They scan your cards and store your PIN. These are not really police, the police never needs your credit card pin. In such a case report this activity to the real police. Any case of robbery should be reported immediately to the police.

Do not forget to visit the Vatican. This little country located within Rome is the home of the Catholic Church and a large number of old buildings, basilicas, churches, monuments, and famous art pieces. Be careful for a dress code in the Vatican that is strictly enforced by guards. Shorts or sleeveless tops are not allowed, while slacks and t-shirts are OK. Bare shoulders are not permitted, no low-cut blouses, and slacks and skirts must cover the knees. try not to wear anything that may have vulgar or offensive words or pictures. It might happen that you will not be permitted to enter. Therefore make sure you're dressed appropriately before leaving your hotel. The Vatican Post office offers an alternative to the Italian Post which is famous to be very slow. The Vatican postage prices are the same as Italian, but the service is much faster. If you're would like to send some postcards home, try Vatican Post office instead. The Vatican Museums is one of the most important Museum complexes in the world housing very important masterpieces from the Egyptian Age to late Renaissance. The museums are composed of several sections: the Gregorian Etruscan Museum, the Pinacoteca- the Missionary-Ethnological Museum, the Raphael Stanzea and the Sistine Chapel. Avoid long lines at the museums, there are two ways to avoid the queue at the Museum entrance: to book tickets to join a coordinated group or to join a guided tour with a Professional Guide. there anre many highlights of the museums, one of the famous is Michelangelo's Creation of Adam fresco in the Sistine Chapel. Another masterpiece of Michelangelo, La Pieta, is in St Peter's Basilica. For some fascinating moments of your visit in Rome stop for a while to admire magnificent St Peter's Square and Bernini's ingenious use of optical illusion.

It is best to visit Rome between May and October, although August is usually a very quiet time when most Romans leave the city for a beach vacation and the city is far less busy and crowded. If you're looking to travel with a smaller crowd, August may be the right time for you. There are still several events take place in August. Months from early spring to late fall are less crowded than May and June. Winters are also mild and this is also a great time to visit Rome.

Many shops and eateries close in the afternoon hours for their own afternoon naps, they are reopening later in the day for the dinner hours. Plan your days to include an early morning, a late night, and a long nap in the afternoon. And when you visit Rome, don't forget to check Italian food specialties like pizza, spaghetti, cheese, pasta, wine, etc. Italian cuisine is really worth taking time and enjoying.

Five attractions in Rome you should visit

The Roman Colosseum - The emperor Vespasian began construction of this massive colosseum AD 72. When it was completed eight year later under Titus, it could seat 50 000 spectators. They came to watch bloody battles between gladiators and various wild beasts. Since its inauguration, it has held a special place in the hearts of Romans and has served different purposes including a botanical garden. Now included on the New Seven World Wonders list, the Colosseum is an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome. The Colosseum was aslo regarded as a Christian site. In 16^th century Pope Pius V has allegedly recommended pilgrims to gather sand from the arena of the Colosseum, impregnated with the blood of martyrs, to serve as a relic. Nearly a century later it was popularised by Fioravante Martinelli in his 1653 book Roma ex ethnica sacra, who listed the Colosseum on a list of places sacred to the martyrs.

Palatine and the Roman Forum – Located between the Palatine hill and the Capitoline hill, the Roman Forum once held the distinction of commercial, political and religious centre. It is the central area around which the ancient Roman civilization developed. Strolling this immense area allows your mind to comprehend the magnitude of the Roman Empire and the tremendous power the emperors held. The oldest and most important structures of the ancient Rome are located in the forum. Medieval Romans dismantled Rome’s ancient city in the name of progress. During the Middle Ages its monuments were for the most part buried under debris. The excavation was begun in the late 18th century. The forum is now largely ruins.

Trevi Fountain – Rome’s streets overflow with fountains of various degrees of craftsmanship. Trevi Fountain is the largest Baroque fountain in the city. The central figure of the fountain is Neptune, god of the sea. He is riding a chariot in the shape of a shell, pulled by two sea horses. It is amazing that all the water pumped into this fountain comes from the city’s earliest aqueducts that supplied water to ancient Rome. The Trevi fountain, at the junction of three roads, dominates a tiny square and marks the terminal point of the "modern" Acqua Vergine, the revivified Aqua Virgo aqueduct. With the renaissance in the 15th century, the Roman custom of building a handsome fountain at the endpoint of an aqueduct that brought water to Rome was revived. Construction began in 1732 when Pope Clement XII commissioned Roman architect Nicola Salvi to build the fountain. The fountain was completed in 1762 and refurbished in 1998. This work of art is so famous that even cinema has commemorated it on more than one occasion (e.g. "La Dolce Vita" by Fellini).

Vatican – The Vatican City is the smallest independent state in the world. It has its own post office and train station. it's territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome. St. Peter’s Basilica remains the central church of Catholicism. it is believed that St. Peter is buried under the building which has been adorned over the centuries with exquisite art including Michelangelo’s Pieta. The Sistine chapel was constructed in 1484 to be used as the conclave that elects popes. It contains two beautiful pieces of art, Michengelo’s frescoes on the barrel-vaulted ceiling, which took the artist over four years to complete and his last judgement on the end wall completed over thirty years later. It doesn't matter if you are a Catholic or not, during a tour of Rome you should visit the Sistine Chapel.

The Catacombs - These underground corridors and passageways were built as a communal burial ground. Roman catacombs are made up of underground passages, out of whose walls graves were dug. While mainly Christian, there are also some Jewish and pagan catacombs. The most famous of the Christian catacombs are those along the Via Appia Antica. A short bus ride brings you just outside the city where the street is often closed to cars on Sundays allowing for a leisurely stroll and time to soak in the history of the most famous catacomb, San Callisto as well as smaller ones such as the catacombs of San Sebastiano. The maintenance of the catacombs is now in the hands of the Papacy which has invested in the Salesians of Don Bosco the supervision of the Catacombs of St. Callixtus on the outskirts of Rome.

You can follow the typical tourist paths or, if you like advetures, you can go to Rome without any schedule and still having a good time. Organized tourist tour or not, Rome will seduce you.