Guide to Rome - One of The World’s Top Destination
Rome, the eternal city is said to have been fathered by a war god and a she-wolf; it was the capital of the Roman Empire and the largest city in the world at one time. The city’s history spans 28 centuries and it’s also the only city to have a country within it, i.e. the Vatican.
Trevi Fountain is one of Rome’s favorite sites. The tradition of throwing one, two and three coins successfully into the fountain using your right hand over your left shoulder will a) bring you back to Rome, b) make you fall in love with a Roman and c) you will end up marrying the same, Roman. Do consult your spouse after throwing the first coin!
The Pantheon was a pagan temple built almost 2 thousand years ago, later converted to a church. The famous painter Raphael is buried here along with two Italian kings. The Pantheon is located in Piazza Della Rotonda, a picturesque plaza with outlets for coffee, pizza or a gelato.
Colosseum opened in 80 AD and had a capacity for 50,000 spectators. Here Gladiators dueled to death or fought ferocious wild animals and some early Christians were also fed to lions. One way to beat the ever-present serpentine queues is to purchase tickets at the Roman Forum, which is another interesting site nearby. This will allow you to jump the queues.
Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel is an immense place and guided tours will make it all the more interesting, but tours are expensive. Entry tickets are about $20 and the queues long. Booking online is a better option, but an even better option is an audio guide. The museums are free to visit on the last Sunday of the month but also more crowded.
Campo de' Fiori is a bustling market during the day with a very active nightlife after sundown. The prices are a bit inflated so ask before ordering. Some establishments (not just here) have made ripping off tourists an art form, be warned. The place is free to visit 24x 7 and easily reached by bus.
St. Peter's Basilica is the epicenter of the world’s Roman Catholicism. This is an active church with the mass held daily. If you want to see the pope, consult the Vatican’s website for more details. Usually, a General Audience is held every Wednesday and he addresses the crowd in St. Peter’s Square every Sunday afternoon.
Rome is one of the world’s top destinations, so if you plan to visit soon, you should start planning now to get the best deals and discounts. For all your foreign currency needs, visit BuyForex.com, where you can meet all your forex needs at very competitive rates. EbixCash World Money Multi-currency forex card can be used at ATMs and is secured with pin/chip technology. Do not forget to buy travel insurance too.
