Two thousand years of history have made the artistic and architectural patrimony of Rome so rich that the tourist feels overwhelmed. Thus it is preferable to outline a precise program and to fix determined objectives, according to one's taste and the amount of time available.

It is also possible to reach the city using buses that stop just outside the airport. They go to the air terminal of via Giolitti, situated alongside the Termini Station.

- The Ciampino airport, 16 km southeast of Rome, is the destination for most air charters and for some domestic lines. It is connected to the Termini Station by a local train line and by the buses that go outside the city limits ("extraurban").

The most comfortable solution, but also the most expensive, is given by taxis, which serve both airports.

For information, go to the Ufficio dell'Azienda Autonoma delle Ferrovie di Stato (National Railroad Office), open from 7:00 to 23:30, telephone 4755.

At the Tiburtina Station there are stops, especially during the night hours, for some trains headed south.

ATAC, the Roman urban transport society, manages the subways, trams, and buses.

There are two subway lines. The first, line A, crosses the city from the western side (via Tuscolana - via Appia) to the Vatican section; the second, line B, connects the eastern zone (Rebibbia) with the EUR (Exposizione Universale di Roma), crossing line A near Termini Station.
At the ATAC offices one can purchase the Romapass, a card that allows three days of travel throughout the entire transport network. At the offices one can request a free card that indicates subway, tram, and bus routes.
Part of the historical center is criss-crossed by the electric minibus 119, which leaves from Piazza Augusto Imperatore.

Some taxi services are: the Cooperative Autoradiotaxi Romana, tel. 3570 Radiotaxi La Capitale, tel. 4994 Radiotaxi Cosmos, te. 88177

Opening Hours
In the winter shops are generally open from 9:00 to 13:00 and from 15:30 to 19:30; in the summer they are open from 9:00 to 13:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00. Some shops downtown have continuous hours, from 10:30 to 19:30. They are closed on Sundays and on Monday mornings, with the exception of grocery stores and some stores carrying technical items, which are closed on Sundays and on Thursday afternoons in winter and on Saturday afternoons in summer.

Sales
Sales occur twice a year: from the beginning of January until February and from mid-June to mid-September.

Markets
Besides the Roman shops, the Open Markets are also worth visiting. The following are some of the most typical:
Campo de' Fiori Situated in the heart of the old city, in Piazza Campo de' Fiori, it is open from Monday to Saturday from 7:00 to 13:30. Every morning the piazza fills up with varied stands that sell fruits and vegetables, meats, chicken and fish, dried beans, dried fruits, and flowers. Excellent specialty food and bread shops surround the piazza, rounding out the range of products offered.
Porta Portese, Via Portuense and Via Ippolito Nievo Open Sundays from 6:30 to 14:00. Here one can find anything: clothes, shoes, purses, suitcases, camping supplies, sheets, washclothes, pots and pans, kitchen supplies, plants, puppies, spare parts, cassettes and compact discs, old LPs and 78s.

Many events are held in Rome, involving entire neighborhood or single streets. Here we indicate the most important:

One Hundred Painters, in Via Margutta Takes place in Spring and Fall in one of the most typical streets of Rome. The Christmas edition takes place in Piazza di Spagna.
Expo Tevere Held every year from mid-June to mid-July, between Sant'Angelo bridge and Cavour bridge. It is open from 6:00 a.m to 1:00 in the morning. The event is dedicated above all to local Italian handicrafts, but there are also stands with pastas, jams, olive oils, wines and liquors, at prices below those of shops.
Noantri Fair This neighborhood fair is organized every year at the end of July. Trastevere fills up with various stands and kiosks where one can eat and find almost anything.
Antique Show Held in via dei Coronari twice a year. The first edition begins the second half of May and is open from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 16:00 to 23:00. The second takes place between September and October and is open Monday to Thursday from 15:00 to 23:00 and Friday to Sunday from 10:00 to 23:00. In addition to antiques, furs, jewelry and knick-knacks are sold.
High Fashion Show of Trinità dei Monti The famous fashion show of the second half of July is staged with the stairway of Trinità dei Monti as a backdrop, to the south of Piazza di Spagna. It is rather exclusive, in that seats are reserved for invited guests. The public usually crowds in at the back.
Via Giulia This elegant Roman street is occasionally the site of art shows and special evenings. At such times antique shops and art galleries remain open late into the evening, offering refreshments to visitors.

Roman cooking is generally identified with that of Lazio. It is not excessively sophisticated but is among the most flavored of Italy.

The most authentic dishes are prepared with simple ingredients: pasta, tripe, chicken giblets, baccalà (salted fish), beans, artichokes, brain, beef tail ("coda di manzo") - although there is no lack of richer dishes like lamb, goat's meat, pork, and various types of seafood.

The meal usually begins with an antipasto: cold meats, raw vegetables soaked in olive oil or vinegar, olives, "bruschetta" (toasted bread with olive oil and garlic and various toppings such as tomatoes), and seafood.

The real main dish is the first: spaghetti carbonara style, bucatini (a type of pasta) alla matriciana (tomato, bacon and onion), penna all'arrabbiata (tomato, parsley, and peppers), gnocchi alla romana, spaghetti with garlic and oil, fettucini with butter or tomato sauce.
Also traditional are country soups like pasta with beans, or with chickpeas or lentils, or potato gnocchi with tomato sauce.

The second dish can be meat or fish: beef stew, oven-baked lamb or goat, chicken with peppers, lamb alla cacciatora (hunter's style, with rosemary, garlic, peppers, white wine, sage), tripe with tomato and mentuccia romana (a local herb), beef tail "alla vaccinara","baccalà in guazzetto" (white wine, garlic, and parsley) or with "pastella" (fine pasta of water and flour, fried), "ciriole" (bread) "alla fiumarola" and cuttlefish with peas.
Among the fresh cheeses, ricottas and mozzarellas.

As dessert, fruit in season or fruit cocktail, ice cream, "maritozzi" (horn-shaped pastry filled with cream), "mostaccioli," "pangiallo" (a type of fruitcake that contains peanuts above all), "cavallucci" (cookies) and ricotta cake.

Among the wines the Castelli Romani whites are outstanding: Frascati, Monteporzio, Marino, Albano, Lanuvio, Genzano, Velletri. Of particular esteem is the Malvasia of Grottaferrata. Among the reds, the Cesanese of Olevano produced in the Castelli region, the Baccanale of Campagnano, Torre Ercolana, Colle Picchioni and Velletri rosso Riserva.