For a travel editor it is hard to stop working not only at work but also when he/she is on holiday. In May of 2012, starts my family’s 11-day long Italian adventure. We visit famous places like Venice, Lake Corno, the Cinque Terre area, Pisa, Florence, and finally, Rome. I write down some interesting facts and some pieces of advice on my trip to bring them home with me and share them with you. In this article you are going to learn seven tips that you should remember when you visit Rome.

(Free) art is everywhere. In a historic place like Rome, you don’t go far to find fantastic art and architecture. In most churches there are beautiful works of art and you don’t pay any money to see it.  We are going to see Caravaggio paintings at Santa Maria del Popolo, Bernini’s statue of St. Teresa in Ecstasy at Santa Maria della Vittoria. Normally, the Vatican Museums don’t open on Sundays. Only when it is the last Sunday of each month, people can visit the museums for free from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. It saves us $25 for each person. It is a good way to see Michelangelo’s masterpiece in the Sistine Chapel and don’t pay anything for it.

Plan for popular sites before you see them. Before you visit places like the Borghese Gallery and Vatican Museums, try to reserve tickets online to not to stand in line. Or buy a Roma Pass with which you travel with public transport and visit sites like the Colosseum and Roman Forum (but not the Vatican) for free.

Take a bottle of water and an umbrella with you. The sun can be brutal in Rome. Water bottles cost little money but when it is hot, you maybe need to buy more bottles and it costs you more money. Bring your own bottle and stop at any of the public drinking fountains around the city (but watch for signs that say “aqua non-potabile,” or non-potable water). It’s also a good idea to take an umbrella with you because of the sun or rain.

Say “no” to street salesmen. Some people get angry with salesmen on the streets who sell umbrellas, scarves, purses and “free roses”.  They do everything to sell their products. One man puts a rose in my jacket and then wants money for it. Just say them no and continue in your walk.

It is sometimes difficult to find a hotel in the city centre. Try to look for a hotel somewhere else. We have a great price at Villa Paganini B&B. It is a villa four stops from the Colosseum on the northeast side of town near Villa Paganini Park. It is easy to use the Rome metro and its rides cost 1.50 euro each.

How much do you pay to get to the airport. There are two possibilities: cab or metro. Rome’s airport is 25 miles outside the city centre and cab costs 50 euro each way. For four people it is good to use a cab, but for two people it is better to use metro. The Leonardo Express train costs 15 euro per person and it takes you to Termini station.

Don’t forget to try gelato. Gelato is the most delicious part of our trip. We visit Gelateria della Palma near the Pantheon. Each gigantic scoop of ice-cream costs 3 euro. There are 150 types of them and each tastes differently. My favourite types of gelato are melon, strawberry, mango and everything with chocolate. We are going to visit it again. They also sell here Pope Benedict lollipops that are perfect souvenir for everyone.

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