Tourist guide to Rome

A complete insider guide to Rome with practical advice on visiting the city, including the best hotels, popular and lesser-known tourist attractions, reliable restaurants, things to do and travel tips.

All roads lead to Rome
For thousands of years tourists, merchants and pilgrims have wended their way towards the town built on seven hills along the banks of the Tiber.

Rome wasn't built in a day
Rome, the Eternal City, has just about the richest, fullest history of any town on earth, thanks to its unique position in the world's greatest Empire, its significance as a religious and cultural centre, its turbulent centuries of aristocratic and papal rivalries and upheaval... and along the way acquiring some of the finest art and architecture to survive from the last two thousand years.

When in Rome...
Rome is far from being a museum: it's a colourful and vibrant living city which is still an appealing destination even if you're not interested in history. The food, the culture, the ambience and the surrounding scenery make a great holiday even if you don't survey a single ruin or statue.

Rome's 'Pompeii'

'Better than Pompeii' is how some visitors describe it. At Rome's own preserved ancient town, Ostia Antica, you can lose yourself in the sprawling streets of the former port. Abandoned by the Romans, this trading centre declined and finally became buried in silt. Much of the area is now excavated, and you can explore streets where some of the ancient character lingers. Mosaics still in place, columns reaching to the sky, careful frescoes decorating walls which still stand high .. and fascinating marble-seated communal public toilets.[more]

Restaurants in Rome

From small noisy rooms where you can concentrate on steaming plates of pasta, to designer spaces for seeing and being seen, Rome's restaurants probably outnumber any other type of business in the city. Read our recommendations: Rome restaurants

Rome excursions

Why not escape the hectic city by making a day trip to one of the many interesting destinations within easy reach of Rome? On a hot day it can be a relief to breathe the fresh air of the nearby hills, and there are lots of great places to visit as a day trip, from beaches to archaeological sites (even the two combined at a couple of our recommended destinations).
> Visit our Rome day trips section.

Where to start

Rome isn't quite as chaotic and disorganised as it appears at first, and with a bit of preparation you can plan and enjoy a good and even time-efficient trip. Although you must be prepared for unpreventable problems like strikes and museum closures, they are not too common and a bit of flexibility or a back-up plan should stop these from spoiling your holiday. On these pages we do our best to give you the tools and information that will help you make the most of your stay.

Once you have booked flights, the most important thing is to book your accommodation. Booking as far in advance as possible will give you the biggest choice of hotels and prices. Costs start at around €50 for a single room in a budget B&B (read reviews before committing yourself) and the sky is the limit when you're looking for luxury accommodation. See our page Where to stay in Rome to narrow down your search.

With these crucial steps out of the way, read up on transport in Rome and tourist attractions to form a basic idea of how you'll get around and what you want to see. If you are interested in a day trip (see above) do some research now, as it can be hard to get hold of information in Rome. You may also wish to print out handy information like our recommended restaurants list.