Holidays in the Eternal City of Rome offer almost unrivalled sightseeing around ancient history, art and architecture. Rome is also the focus for the Roman Catholic faith, centred on the Vatican.Rome buzzes with modern style, designer shops and a year-round nightlife - all set against this fabulously rich backdrop that the locals seem to just take for granted. The key to the city’s allure is to walk as much as possible and allow your! self the time and opportunity to stumble across things by accident. You won’t enjoy Rome to the full if all you do is try to tick off its very many famous sites. So try not to march round on a predetermined route. Rome is evenly placed in the region of Lazio between Italy’s sophisticated north and rural south and can be a great starting point or end to a holiday in other areas of Italy.
History Nightlife - especially around the Trastevere area
Museums
Shopping
Pavement cafes and restaurants
Pilgrimages
The first two weeks in August are when the Italians leave to go on holiday and Rome is crowded with far more visitors than locals.
No special visa is required for EU citizens, only a current passport. Citizens of the US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia need only a valid passport but are limited to stays of three months. Opening hours to many of the sites can be maddeningly erratic, so check at a tourist centre for latest opening hours.
The weather is warm and sunny from April to late October with a high of 26°C/79°F. Winters are cool with average temperatures of 7°C/45°F.
Flights to Rome from the UK take around two and a half hours.
Driving is on the right and car rental is easy but driving in central Rome is not recommended for the faint hearted. Drivers are required to have an international driving licence or a photo card version and it is obligatory to carry it on you at all times.