ROME CITY GUIDEBOOK

Rome City Guide
(Lonely Planet) ISBN 978-1741046595

Lonely Planet's Rome guidebook describes Roman neighbourhoods and attractions like the Pantheon, Borghese Gallery Museum, St. Peter's Basilica, Colosseum, Piazza Navona, the Capitoline Museums, Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere, Caracalla Baths, National Roman Museum (Palazzo Altemps) and Trevi Fountain.

Readers learn about best places to shop (e.g., Ghezzi, Retro and Volpetti), where and what to eat (from the high-end Fabio Baldassare to cheap places for aperitivo or snacks) and where to stay in Rome (e.g., Daphne Inn, the Beehive and Hotel Campo de Fiori).

Avoid Colosseum line-ups

This Lonely Planet guide to Rome, Italy, is comprehensive and filled with helpful tips.

A sidebar explains how to avoid lineups at the Colosseum, e.g., buy the Roma Pass. Discount shopping provides addresses and bus directions to designer clothing outlets like Castel Romano, Designer Outlet and Discount dell'Alta Moda.

Free things to do

The Rome guidebook also lists six free things to see in Rome — Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Bocca della Verita, St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums on the last Sunday of the month.

Small color photos illustrate the Introducing Rome and Highlights sections at the front of the 324-page guide book and the Festivals and Events section in the middle.

Maps of Rome

Maps illustrate Rome regions, like Villa Borghese and northern Rome, with locations of art galleries, museums, stadiums, hotels, shopping districts, restaurants, embassies and tourist sights, like the catacombs, basilicas and villas.

An excellent tear-out Rome City map, inside the back cover, contains information with useful phrases, emergency phone numbers and typical rates for public transport tickets, car parking, bicycle and motor bike rentals.

Where to find the best pizza

A sidebar describes the evolution of ice cream from snow to sorbet to gelato and other Roman treats like grattachecca (crushed ice with syrup). It includes a list of gelaterias, directions, phone numbers and recommendations like the cardamom ice cream at Al Settimo Gelo and the organic ice cream at Ara Coeli.

Also in the Eating section is information on where to find the best pizza in Rome (Pizzeria da Baffetto, Dar Poeta, Panattoni, Pizzeria Remo and Forno di Campo de' Fiori).

Pantheon shops

A Rome shopping sidebar, Holy Socks!, informs readers about the Pantheon shopping district where priests shop for ceremonial capes and cardinals buy red socks. It provides the address for Anniable Gamarelli, tailors who make the pope's clothing.

Another sidebar tells stories about what happens to the coins thrown into the Trevi Fountain. An average of €3,000 from 58 countries is collected weekly from the Trevi Fountain and sent to charity.

Walking tour

A four-hour walking tour of Ancient Rome takes in Il Vittoriano with more white marble than the Colosseum, Piazza del Campidoglio with Michelangelo's impressive piazza, the world's oldest public Capitoline Museums, the famous Roman Forum ruins, the spectacular 50,000-seat Colosseum, the exclusive Ancient Roman neighborhood of Palatino, the enormous chariot race track of Circo Massimo and the ancient lie detector called Bocca della Verita.

The Excursions section of Rome City Guide describes day trips from Rome to Ostia Antica, Cerveteri, Tarquinia, Orvieto, Viterbo and Perugia. Sidebars provide information on distance from Rome, direction, travel time and how to get there by car, train and bus.

Introducing Rome
Highlights
The Authors

Getting Started
- When to Go
- Costs and Money
- Internet Resources
- Sustainable Rome
Background
- History
- Arts
- Environment and Planning
- Government and Politics
- Media
- Fashion
Architecture
- The Early Days
- Revamps
- Architecture as Theatre
- Rome, Capital of Italy
Neighbourhoods
- Itinerary Builder
- Ancient Rome
- Centro Storico
- Esquilino, Quirinale and Piazza di Spagna
- Southern Rome
- Trastevere
- Vatican City and Borgo
- Festivals and Events
- Villa Borghese and Northern Rome
Shopping
- Centro Storico
- Esquilino, Quirinale and Piazza di Spagna
- Southern Rome
- Trastevere
- Vatican City and Borgo
- Villa Borghese and Northern Rome
Eating
- Ancient Rome
- Centro Storico
- Esquilino, Quirinale and Piazza di Spagna
- Southern Rome
- Trastevere
- Vatican City and Borgo
- Villa Borghese and Northern Rome
Drinking and Nightlife
- Ancient Rome
- Centro Storico
- Esquilino, Quirinale and Piazza di Spagna
- Southern Rome
- Trastevere
- Vatican City and Borgo
- Villa Borghese and Northern Rome
The Arts
- Dance
- Film
- Opera
- Theatre
Sports and Activities
- Spectator Sport
- Activities
- Health and Fitness
Sleeping
- Ancient Rome
- Centro Storico
- Esquilino, Quirinale and Piazza di Spagna
- Southern Rome
- Trastevere
- Vatican City and Borgo
- Villa Borghese and Northern Rome
Excursions
- Ostia Antica
- Cerveteri
- Tarquinia
- Viterbo
- Lago di Balsena
- Orvieto
- Perugia
- L'Aquila
- Tivoli
- Casteli Romani
- Sperlonga and Sabaudia
Transport