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ROME
- INFORMATION |
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There are tourist
information booths on
arrival at Fiumicino (daily
8.15am-7.15pm; tel
06.6595.6074), and at Termini
(daily 8.15am-7.15pm; tel
06.487.1270 or tel
06.482.5078), although the
long queues that often develop
at both of these mean you're
usually better off heading
straight for the main tourist
office at Via Parigi 5
(Mon-Fri 8.15am-7.15pm, Sat
8.15am-1.45pm; tel
06.4889.9253 or tel
06.4889.9255), ten minutes'
walk from Termini. They have
free maps that should -
together with our own - be
ample for finding your way
around, although the rest of
their information can be
uneven and out of date. There
are also information kiosks
in key locations around the
city centre (daily 9am-6pm).
They too often have outdated
general information but the
staff usually speak English,
and they are useful for free
maps, directions and new
information (opening times,
for example) about nearby
sights.
You might be better off
bypassing the official tourist
offices altogether and going
to Enjoy Rome , Via
Varese 39 (Mon-Fri 8.30am-2pm
& 3.30-6pm, Sat
8.30am-2pm; tel 06.445.1843),
whose friendly,
English-speaking staff run a
free room-finding service;
they also organize tours, and
have a left-luggage service
for those who take them. Their
information is often more up
to date and reliable than that
handed out by the various
tourist offices, and they will
also advise on where to eat,
drink, and party, if you so
wish.
For what's-on information,
the city's best source of listings
is perhaps Romac'่
(L2000, Thursdays), which has
a helpful section in English
giving information on tours,
clubs, restaurants, services
and weekly events. The ex-pat
bi-weekly, Wanted in Rome
(L1500, every other
Wednesday), which is entirely
in English, is also a useful
source of information,
especially if you're looking
for an apartment or work. If
you understand a bit of
Italian, there's Time Out
Roma (L2000, Thursdays), a
weekly review full of listings
as well as articles on the
trendiest everything in Rome,
and the daily arts pages of
the Rome newspaper , Il
Messaggero, which can be
found in most bars for the
customers to read, and lists
movies, plays and major
musical events. The newspaper La
Repubblica also includes
the " Trova Roma
" section in its Thursday
edition, another handy guide
to current offerings.
Information kiosk locations
Spanish Steps , Largo
Goldoni (tel 06.6813.6061)
San Giovani ,
Piazza San Giovani in
Laterno (tel 06.7720.3535)
Via Nazionale ,
Palazzo delle Esposizioni (tel
06.4782.4525)
Piazza Navona ,
Piazza delle Cinque Lune (tel
06.6880.9240)
Castel Sant'Angelo
, Piazza Pia (tel
06.6880.9707)
Forum , Piazza del
Tempio della Pace (tel
06.6992.4307)
Trastevere ,
Piazza Sonnino (tel
06.5833.3457)
Santa Maria Maggiore
, Via del'Olmata (tel
06.4788.0294)
Rome on the Web
www.capitolium.org
The official Web site of
the Roman forums, with
pictorial reconstructions of
how the ruins would have
looked in their day, as well
as how they look now;
material on life in ancient
Rome; and even a live Web
view of the forum.
www.catacombe.roma.it
Official site of Rome's
Christian catacombs, with
visuals, historical
descriptions, and
explanations of ancient
symbols - a good supplement
to our own accounts if
you're extra keen.
www.comune.roma.it
Italian-language Web site
of the Rome city
authorities.
www.enjoyrome.com
Helpful site of the
helpful Rome tourist
organization, with
information on accommodation
and tours - and links to
other popular Rome Web
sites.
www.gamberorosse.it/e/romausa
Nice site in English,
detailing walks around Rome
that take in Gambero Rosso's
speciality - restaurants and
bars.
www.initaly.com/regions/latium
A quirky site that gives
links, and subjective
rundowns, on everything
Italian - and in this case
Roman.
www.roma2000.it
Everything about Rome in
the Millennium, with
comprehensive, if
irregularly updated,
information on all aspects
of the city.
www.romeguide.it
The place to go whether
you're after a bus or
walking tour of the city
centre, a guide to a
particular monument or
gallery, even the chance to
go on a "ghost
tour" of Rome.
www.vatican.va
Slick, multilingual Web
site of the Holy See, with
material - some still under
construction - on the
Vatican Museums, the
institutions of the city
state, its newspaper online,
and a calendar of the whole
of the Holy Year's events.
www.venere.it/home/lazio/roma
Probably the best site
for accessing the Web pages
of those hotels that have
them - and booking rooms
online.
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