About Rome

Reaching Rome
When in town
Banks
Embassies and consulats
Emergencies
Shopping
Virtual tour of Rome

CLIMATE

Typical weather conditions in May are optimal. During the month of May one can expect about 10 hours of daylight. The average temperatures for this season are between 65° and 75°.

REACHING ROME

Entry into Italy and visa

BY PLANE

Fiumicino Airport "Leonardo da Vinci"

From the Airport – Day time
Fiumicino Airport "Leonardo da Vinci" (FCO)
Rome's main airport is well-connected to the center during the day by a direct train and slower trains. The direct train between Fiumicino and Termini (Leonardo Express Train) costs € 9,50 and takes approximately 30 minutes. Tickets can be purchased at vending machines, ticket offices and other vendors at both Termini and Fiumicino.

Schedule: every 30 minutes
Fiumicino - Roma from 6.37 am until 11.37 pm
Roma - Fiumicino from 5.52 am until 10.52 pm

There is another train connecting Fiumicino airport to central Rome (FM1 Train)- when you are at the airport train station look for the train with the destination "Orte" or "Fara Sabina". It is slower (and cheaper) because it stops at some smaller local stations along the way and does not stop at Termini. Trains take about 45 minutes to reach Tiburtina. Tickets cost €5,00.

Schedule: every 15-30 minutes
Fiumicino Airport - Trastevere - Ostiense - Tiburtina from 5.57 am until 11.27 pm
Tiburtina - Ostiense - Trastevere - Fiumicino Airport from 5.06 am until 10.36 pm

From the Airport – Night time
For arrivals and departures between 11.30 pm and 5 am, a night bus connects Fiumicino with Tiburtina station, stopping also at Termini Station.

From Fiumicino: 1.15 am - 2.15 am - 3.30 am - 5.00 am
From Tiburtina: 0.30am - 1.15 am - 2.30 am - 3.45 am
The 40N bus connects Tiburtina and Termini during the night.

Ciampino Airport "G.B. Pastine" (CIA)

There is another small airport dealing mainly with charter flights and budget airlines. It is connected to Line A metro station Anagnina (about 30 mins by metro from Termini) by Cotral buses; ticket costs € 1,03. Buses leave every 30-60 minutes. Buses connecting Ciampino airport with the centre of Rome stop running at 11.00 pm, so the only way to get into town late at night is by taxi.

Taxi from Fiumicino or Ciampino Airport
The average fare for a taxi ride from Fiumicino airport (or Ciampino) to the centre is € 35.00/40.00. After having exited the arrival hall at Fiumicino, you will find the taxi stand.
You may be approched by illegal taxi drivers in the station and at the airport. If you need a taxi, look for the official white taxis which have meters. There are taxi stands at both Fiumicino and Termini.

BY TRAIN

Most Inter-city trains arrive at Termini Station. A few trains, particularly those arriving at night, arrive at Tiburtina or Ostiense stations.

Termini Station

The hub of Rome's transport system can be confusing when you first arrive, but the following explanations of its layout should help you get oriented. Once you have got off the train and have walked down the platform, you will reach the main gallery. The exit by platform 1 will take you to the north side of Termini; the exit by platform 22 will take you to the south side of Termini. Continuing away from the platforms past the main gallery, you will reach the main hall. Exiting from the main hall you will find Piazza dei Cinquecento, the largest bus terminal in Rome, where the access to the city's two metro (subway) lines, A and B is also located. The night bus to Fiumicino airport stops here as well, although you'll have to look very hard for the sign.

Tiburtina Station

The second biggest train station in Rome, easily accessible by bus and metro (Line B) from the center. The slower (and cheaper) train and night bus to Fiumicino airport leave from here. Facilities at the station include a 24 hour supermarket and exchange office. Across the piazza in front of the station you will find the buses that depart for destinations all over Italy and abroad. The ticket offices are located in the piazza and around the corner on Circonvallazione Nomentana. From Termini: Line B stop Tiburtina or Bus 492.

From Termini: Line B stop Tiburtina or Bus 492

Useful web site:
http://www.trenitalia.com (official railway site)

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WHEN IN TOWN

UNDERGROUND

Rome's metro system is very useful and quite safe as long as you are alert. Although the bus network is extensive and buses run frequently (though still crowded), the metro is much simpler to master.
The metro system has only two lines, A and B, which cross at Termini. There are trains from 5.30 am until 11.30 pm every day (Sat. 0.30 am). Starting from January 10th 2004 the underground trains will stop running at 9.00 pm. due to restoration works. In this period the underground trains will be replaced by a shuttle bus service.
Metro stations on line A do not have facilities for disabled (except Cipro-Musei Vaticani and Valle Aurelia); In alternative, bus 590 follows the same route of metro line A and has wheelchair access (see "useful buslines below"). All the metro stations on line B have facilities for disabled except Circo Massimo, Colosseo and Cavour (direction Laurentina).
Metro A offers the possibility to organise itineraries particularly interesting both for shopping and for the visit of monuments. Here is a list of metro A stops with possible itineraries:

• Cipro, is the privileged way to the Vatican Museums
  
• Ottaviano takes to S.Pietro.
  
• Lepanto to Via Cola di Rienzo, a shopping area right for every pocket
  
• Flaminio, both for a walk in Villa Borghese and the Pincio Terrace and a downtown shopping along Via del Corso, Via del Babuino, Piazza del Popolo and S.Maria dei Miracoli.
  
• Spagna, to Piazza di Spagna and the trendy Trinità dei Monti facing Via dei Condotti. Not far there is the Fontana di Trevi.
  
• Via Veneto and the Fontana di Trevi are near Barberini stop, the Terme di Diocleziano to the Repubblica stop.
  
• Vittorio Emanuele to the Basilica of S.Maria Maggiore
  
• S.Giovanni to the Basilica of S.Giovanni and the Scala Santa - Holy Steps
  
• Cinecittà takes to the film Studios.
  

  Metro B stops relevant for tourists, instead, are the following:

• S.Paolo, to the Basilica di S.Paolo
  
• Piramide, to the Pyramid of Caius Cestius
  
• Circo Massimo and Colosseum, to Colosseum and the Roman Forum
  
• Cavour, to visit S.Pietro in Vincoli.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM

The Roman public transport system covers approximately 5,290 square kilometres.
It is the largest national public transport network: 2,130 km served by 241 bus lines and 2,586 buses, and another 50 km served by 6 tram lines and 159 trams.

Many buses and trams are wheelchair accessible and can be recognised by the international symbol for accessibility on the front and side of the vehicle.
For information about times, costs and routes:
phone: 800 431784 (toll free number)
http:www.atac.roma.it

To book and find out more about the disability service run by the public transport network:
phone: 06 46954001
http:www.trambus.com/trasportodisabili.htm

BUS AND METRO TICKETS

Rome public transport system is called Metrebus, a combination of the words: metro (underground), treno metropolitano (urban train) and autobus (bus). With Metrebus tickets you can travel on these three means of transport

Fares depend only from the areas you cross, not from the number of means of transport you use. Tickets must always be validated when getting on buses and before getting on metro and trains.

Tickets are sold at tobacconists, newsstands, cafés, travel agencies, hotels, vending machines at bus terminals and metro stations and at dealers in railway stations in Rome and Lazio.

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BANKS AND BUREAU DE CHANGE

Banks are usually open Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 1:30 am. In the afternoon, the opening hours change from bank to bank but they are usually open from 2:30/3:00 p.m. to 4:00/4:30 pm. Some banks are open non-stop from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm and/or on Saturday mornings.
Outside most banks there is a cash dispenser and some of them located in downtown Rome also have an automatic exchange machine working 24 hours a day.

CREDIT CARDS

In Rome shops are almost always provided with credit card service. Anyhow we point out that some small shops, stalls in markets, rooms for rent or bed & breakfast are usually not provided with credit card service. To get information on your own credit card you have to apply to the issuing Company. Major ones have an operating office in Rome:

• Servizi Interbancari (SI Card and VISA) Via Quattro Fontane, 22 » Phone 800-151616
• UBS P.za di Trinità dei Monti, 18 » Phone 066976011
  
• American Express L.go Caduti di El Alamein » Phone 06722821
  
• Diners Club Customer Service » Phone 063575333

In case of theft or loss of your credit card, the first thing to do is call the issuing Company and ask to block the card.