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to Read | Tourist Information Complete Index of Articles on Rome/Italy Getting to and Around Townovered on a separate page. Public Toiletsncient ruins are everywhere; public toilets are not. You'll become expert in instantly sensing the location of facilities in restaurants you're not eating in! It's never been a problem for us. Onerous, perhaps at times, but turn it into a game! Visiting Hoursheck our Visiting Hours page for a lisiting of the more important sights. Admission Pricesdmissions are generally inexpensive in Rome. ($5-10) Many churches ask for a 'donation'; 500-2000 lire is adequate. Shopping
ia Condotti, and the adjacent vie Borgognona and Frattina have a world-class selection of shops, at world-class prices. Great window shopping. (Gucci, Fendi, Bulgari, etc.) Via Sistina has a number of interesting shops. Relative to prices for, e.g., Gucci elsewhere, there are good buys; not cheap, but relatively good. Overall, though, we don't find Rome a particularly attractive place to shop ... too expensive, like most other capitol cities. Religious souvenir stores are found all over, especially at the Piazza San Pietro end of via della Conciliazione. Bentley's Guide has an extensive list of shops of all sorts. Most shops still close for 2-4 hours between 12 or 1 and 3 or 4. Most are open until early evening, at least 6, often 7 or later. Note that food shops are different. Frutterie, salumerie, 'delis' and the like maintain normal morning to late afternoon hours. Alimentari are often only open mid- to late-morning, and similarly in the afternoon. Safetyou'll hear tales of the amount of crime in Rome.We find Rome about as safe as most large cities, though we have no statistics. Crowds are fertile territory for pickpockets anywhere, and Rome can be crowded, especially on the bus or subway. Remember: your vacation day is a thief's workday. Take a look at our tips on Safety In Rome. Healthfew express (probably ill-informed) concern about the water, but Ed's had only one problem in 30 years of visits and probably brought the bug with him. While we usually drink bottled water at meals as a matter of taste, we drink lots of tap water in the room. Language"a lingua Toscana é bocca Romana." A wordplay meaning "(the Italian language is) the Tuscan language spoken with a Roman accent", or, a better translation, "Tuscan tongue, Roman mouth." Italian is based on the Tuscan (e.g. Florence) words, and Roman sounds. English, for many Italians, is a third language, not a second. Our middle-aged friends from Emilia-Romagna were taught in elementary school in dialect, and had one class a day of Italian. Natives of Emilia-Romagna, for example, cannot easily understand a southern dialect, and vice versa, of course. English is understood and spoken moderately well in tourist areas in Rome and major cities. Many waiters can give at least a sketchy description of selections in English. (Unfortunately this means that sometimes beef, pork, and veal may all be translated to "meat".) However, more than in Northern Europe, you'll find a few words of the local language useful. The more off the beaten track, the more inexpensive the restaurant, hotel or shop, the more at least a little Italian will be helpful. |
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We never leave home,
or our hotel room, without a pocket phrase book and pocket dictionary: See Language Skills for a longer discussion of the usefulness of a bit of language prep before your trip. We also have a very basic list of useful phrases. Currency and Exchange
he basic unit of currency until early in 2001 is the lira (ITL). A US dollar buys more than 2000 lire. (Typically 2200.) The euro takes over on January 1, 2002, as in eleven other countries. You'll see more and more prices posted in shops, restaurants and hotels in euros. (And your credit card statements may show the purchase in euros.) Most banks exchange money, as does American Express (in the Piazza di Spagna.) You'll get a decent rate at AMEX, and a better rate if you're exchanging AMEX travelers' checks. Banks (and AMEX) close at lunch for 2-3 hours like all of Rome, so do your exchanging early if you need money for lunch. More information in Money and Exchange in Western Europe and The
Euro: A Primer for Travelers. Check the current
conversion rate.
English-Language Church ServicesRoman Catholic Anglican American Episcopal Scottish Presbyterian Methodist Continue for
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Gehrlein Traveling
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