When you're tired of ruins

A March 2003 trip to Rome by perrytoo

Quote: It’s difficult to like Rome. It’s big, confusing, overwhelming, often unfriendly, and appallingly hot in summer. The traffic makes no concessions to pedestrians, any more than the locals do for tourists. But it ruled the western world for over 1000 years, and is simply unmissable.

When you're tired of ruins

Best Of IgoUgo

Overview

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If you get bored with Roman ruins, crowds, and over-sized statues, head for the hills. Some of the loveliest old churches are in the old residential areas of the Aventine and Coelian hills, in peaceful, almost rural, streets and parks. A good place to rest at lunchtime, if you’re far from your hotel, and some stunning views –- try the little park next to S. Sabina, on the Aventine. Wonderful 5th century mosaics, showing the apostles as a herd of sheep, following the Lamb of God, and old Roman sarcophaguses (with most inappropriate carvings) re-used as shrines for martyrs’ bones. Quick Tips: Get a decent guide book. This is one of the few places where Lonely Planet, Rough Guides and the loc...Read More

Quick Tips:

Get a decent guide book. This is one of the few places where Lonely Planet, Rough Guides and the local tourist office are inadequate. Don’t make a list of the things you ought to see and tick them off –- you’ll only exhaust yourself, and won’t enjoy anything. Try to relax, find what you like best (ancient, mediaeval, religious, secular, baroque, food, etc), and then look for more of the same. Don’t try to see everything –- it’s impossible. If you are determined to pack as much as possible into a short time, remember that the churches all open at around 7am (and some will close for the day at 9.00 am), and that the major sights don’t close at lunchtime. And don’t forget that everyone returns to Rome!

Best Way To Get Around:

No-one but a madman or a Roman would try to drive, and Rome is far too large and hilly to rely on walking. Public transport is the only reasonable solution. The subway is fast and frequent, but fairly limited geographically (too many ruins prevented its extension). Buses and trams go everywhere, but it’s difficult to find out where. There are no free bus maps, and no timetables and only limited route info on busstops. For an overview of public transport there are maps in some subway stations. You can also buy commercial maps from news kiosks. Single trip tickets are 77c. Best value are travelcards, covering all transport in the urban zone, for 3.10 euro 1-day, or 12.40 euro 7-day. You write in your start time and name, and show on demand. I travelled all week without even taking my ticket out of my bag once, but fines are high if you’re caught without one. Both airports are outside the local fare zone. From Ciampino, take the local bus to the nearest train station (10 minutes) or subway (30 minutes) for 1 euro, and then buy a ticket for the urban travel zone. The Ryanair bus, at 8 euro, is a rip-off. Read Less

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Hotel Bergamo

Hotel

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Anonymous hotel on the second floor of a hotel block close to the station. It's the kind of place you get if you start at the station and ring at every door. But the rooms were clean and newly refurbished, if on the small side, and the bathroom (shower room, actually) was well-fitted and fully-functioning, if rather cramped. The room was quiet, at the back, overlooking a courtyard, with a strong grill over the window. No public rooms, restaurant (although there is a chilled drinks machine), or other amenities, but few restrictions either. The young men who run the place are charming, helpful, and seem to keep 24-hour guard. I felt safe and comfortable and, although the 37 channels of Italian TV p...Read More

Member Rating 2 out of 5 on March 16, 2003

Hotel Bergamo
Via Gioberti, 30
Rome, Italy
06 446 4988

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Hotel Ferrarese

Hotel

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The hotel is on the second floor of one of those apartment blocks dedicated to hotels that circle the main railway station in most European towns. It may also occupy the fourth floor, and maybe next door as well. My room was large, gloomy, overlooking the street, and consequently rather noisy, even with the windows closed. It had a modern shower room with reasonable furnishings. But I didn’t feel comfortable here: the fire-safety notice said "follow instructions", but there weren’t any; I don’t usually bother to read these notices but, when I thought about it, I realised there was no way I could have got out in case of a fire. I was at the extreme end of a long U-shaped corridor, with the only (...Read More

Member Rating 1 out of 5 on March 16, 2003

Hotel Ferrarese
Via Principe Amedeo, 76
Rome, Italy
+39 06 747 3410

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YWCA

Hotel

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The YWCA is in a big 19th-century building just off the Via Torino, in the middle of a small street market about 100 yards from the main railway station. My room was unnumbered, and probably not representative, austere, high-ceilinged, overlooking a dark airwell, and as quiet as a church. I had a private bathroom across the corridor, with a separate key, that was beautifully fitted out with everything except a bath or shower. As standing in the bidet with a plastic cup didn’t quite compensate, I checked out for somewhere more conventional, but with regret. The atmosphere is good, and the other occupants friendly. Communal breakfast was served in the sunny dining room, and comprised freshly baked rolls...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on March 16, 2003

YWCA
Via Cesare Balbo, 4
Rome
06 488 0460

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Hotel Scott House

Hotel

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I tried this hotel because the internet listing looked good, and the room costs were simple and cheap -- there was one single price for all rooms of the same class all year long. When I arrived the price quoted was 25% higher than that listed two weeks before. Apparently it was now high season, the internet listing must be wrong, and they were not responsible. So I left, and found better value two floors below. No doubt the Scott House is a wonderful hotel, highly recommended by all its guests. But I don’t like being tricked by a misleading offer, so I cannot recommend it.

Member Rating 1 out of 5 on March 16, 2003

Hotel Scott House
Via Gioberti, 30
Rome, Italy

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Porta Portese

Attraction | "Porto Portese"

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Huge street market on Sunday mornings, from very early to around 1pm, on the left bank of the Tiber, between Porto Portese and Stazione Trastevere, centred on Via Portuense. The wares are mainly clothes, both old and new. The second-hand clothing stalls are by far the more popular, with the clothes sorted by type (leathers and furs, jeans, coats, children’s clothes, etc) and piled on large tables with everything at the same (low) price. Tables start at 50c, and range up to 20 euro for high-quality leather and fur. Only in Rome would you find ladies of a certain age, immaculately made-up, and dressed in this season’s mink, enthusiastically rummaging through old clothes. It gets rougher towards the...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on March 16, 2003

Porta Portese
Piazza di Porta Portese
Rome, Italy 00153