Standing under the 60-foot-high columns of the ancient Roman Forum, it’s not hard to imagine the s of senators and magistrates wandering around in striped tunics and purple-bordered togas. You can almost hear the trumpets announcing the triumphant return of armies from conquests in Gaul, Egypt and Persia.
Legions of people from faraway places still pass through the Roman gates, but now they’re mainly tourists ““ close to 10 million a year at last count. And instead of trumpets, you’ll hear the putt-putts of motorscooters zipping in and out of the bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Between the tourists and the 3 million people who live here, this is a hustling, bustling town. That aside, most visitors agree that a stay in the Eternal City can be one of the most exciting experiences on the planet.
There’s so much to see, it’s tough deciding where to start. The Vatican? The Colosseum? The Forum? The Pantheon? The Circus Maximus? The Trevi Fountain? Capitoline Hill? The Spanish Steps?
Chances are you’ll end up seeing the sights ““ and making some new friends at the same time — on group tours aboard buses stopping at the hot spots. “Over a few days,” says veteran tour guide Angela Bosco, “visitors can sample 2,700 years of history, from the palaces of mad emperors to the stunning frescoes of the Sistine Chapel to today’s playgrounds of la dolce vita (the sweet life).”
You can sign up for tours of the city at your hotel or before you leave home through your travel agent. Do-it-yourselfers might be able to save a few bucks on the Internet (if they’re willing to wade through a thousand or so listings).
Another option is to buy tours packaged by the airline you’re flying to Rome. Among outings offered by British Airways, for example, is one that takes you to the Roman Forum, the Colosseum and the Basilica of St. Paul. Another goes to the Pantheon, the Basilica of St. Peter, Navona Square and the Trevi Fountain.
Tours typically cost around $100 (for two persons) and last for about three hours. Buses pick you up and drop you off at your hotel or at nearby gathering places.
the tours, you can book your hotel independently or as part of an air-ground package. Count on paying $250 to $500 a night at four- and five-star hotels, and around $150 a night at boutique inns and lesser rated properties catering to tourists. For instance, a recent stay in one of the 46 mostly small but pleasant rooms at the Trevi Hotel cost $180 a night including breakfast for two and taxes.
The hotel is close to the Trevi Fountain, where the coin-tossing scene was filmed in the 1954 hit movie “Three Coins in the Fountain.” The fountain pops up several times during the film, mostly with no one around.
Today, it’s hard to even get within tossing distance of the fountain. You’ll find it jammed with thousands o...
