A guide by Vejking
Get a certain distance out on the Via Appia, the tomb of Caecilia Metella or the Circus of Romulus perhaps, and walk back in, taking in the odd catacomb or church on the way, ending up at Porta Ostiense by the Pyramid of Cestius - what I call the Quo Vadis experience!
The harbour city of ancient Rome, which was abandoned when the shoreline moved. Beautiful mosaics on the floor of the old baths, a necropolis, virtually intact buildings, and relatively few visitors.
Metro to Piramide and then train to Ostia Antica; www.ostia-antica.org/
Every Sunday there is a street market in Tastevere which is great fun. It covers four or five blocks and you can get everything from clothes and books to DVDs and statues. Everyone in our family could find something different and exciting and we have two nice oil paintings in our living room which we bought for less that £4 each.
Trastevere area - take the tram
A Cafe-cum-restaurant on the Piazza del Popolo. Very cheap, great tasting authentic food and civilised atmosphere. It has the best beef lasagne I ever tasted for a very reasonable price. Also has great desserts.
Piazza del Popolo. Nearest metro station is Flaminio. It is located on the side of the piazza nearest to the Borghese gardens.
If you're in Rome make sure you take a day or afternoon trip out to Ostia Antica (30 mins by train). It was the ancient port city of the Roman Empire & when the river silted up it was abandoned and the silt preserved the city beautifully. What's left is a huge ghost-town several miles inland with amphitheatre, apartment blocks, forum, bath houses and villas.
You can enter and walk around most buildings - even go upstairs and walk in gardens - and there are few of the restrictions you'll find in Pompeii. We went on a Sunday afternoon and the place was spookily almost deserted.
In the summer, the amphitheatre often hosts open air performances of folk and opera. A real find. Plus you can round off the day with a swim with the surf girls and boys at Rome's funky beach suburb, Ostia, a train stop away at Lido Centro.
Take the (very shabby)overland from Piramide/ Ostiense towards C. Colombo or Lido Centro. Costs about 3 Euros.
Iam Italian, I read 6 pages of tips and, regarding Rome, I was surprised that nobody seems to have visited San Pietro in Vincoli, an otherwise unimportant church but one that contains the statue of Moses by Michelangelo. The first time I saw it I felt like I was in the presence of God and I am not a believer.
It is in Via Cavour, you can walk there from the Stazione Termini in 15 or 20 minutes, then on your left there are stairs leading to the church. I am sorry I cannot give better directions, maybe there are signs - anyway you can ask the tourist bureau.
Only in Rome does service barely above curt and drinks for a single-figure amount cause an enthusiastic stir. But Enoteca Antica gives both, and much more besides. Reasonable and tasty food, great Erdinger beers for 5 Euros, and – hang on to your seats – service that is genuinely friendly. And then there’s the location – a stone’s throw from the Spanish Steps, in an old wine cavern so atmospheric you can smell the Chianti in the air.
Address: Via della Croce, 76/b, 00187 Rome
E-mail: enoteca.antica@tiscalinet.it
Telephone: (39-6) 6790896
Fax: (39-6) 6797544
Roman Reference is a company that offers apartments to rent in the centre of Rome. I found them by googling 'Rome apartment rental'. I took an apartment in the Rione Monti area of the city near their office, which is right next to the Colosseum. The flat was excellent, accommodating four people easily. The staff all spoke English and were very friendly. The cost worked out to be almost as much as it would be to stay in a hostel. Being so central, all the sights are within easy walking distance. It really made the trip. They appear to have lots of apartments in the centre of Rome and I'll definitely be using them again when I go back.
A bit naughty but thrilling nonetheless. At night you can crawl under the steel fence that surrounds the Colosseum. I was shown this by a couple of expats we met whilst interrailling. We went at 2am. You can climb all over the ruins and access sections that are noramlly sheilded during the day. Try watching Gladiator a few days before and let your imagination run wild!
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