Hotelrome.net Blog : A guide to news and events in Rome

I keep hearing the same story over and over about the problem with the taxis. This time a gentleman paid over 100 euros from Fiumicino airport to the hotel. Unfortunately he didn’t use a licensed taxi and therefore he paid the price. A very expensive one too.

A couple of days later he got a licensed taxi from St Peter’s to the hotel and paid 8 and a half euro. The next day he got another licensed taxi from the same area and was told the price was 15 euro. Please make sure that the taxi you get is a licensed one. Then make sure that the metre is set correctly. After that find out if there are any costs for bags. They only usually tell you once you get to your destination. Which is a bit annoying.

Unfortunately this problem is not a new one and people are constantly being taken advantage of and being ripped off. The rates for a taxi from Fiumicino airport to Rome are 50 euros. From Ciampino airport to Rome the cost is 40 euro.Both prices are capped and the maximum number of passengers is 4.

Of course there are also licensed taxi drivers that take a chance too. Sometimes its not always easy when you arrive at the airport and its late, you are tired and all you want to do is get to your room and go to bed. Just please be aware that this problem exists and try to avoid it if you can.

Well maybe there are no normal days in Rome but out of the chaos that you will usually see on the streets and in every general direction you may spot a moment of normality.

Rome is always busy, crowded and noisy. Everything that you would expect from a city. Except this one has a certain flair about it. From the carabinieri strutting about in their Armani designed uniforms to the barmen and waiters in the coffee shops. Nothing is done without a lot of talking and wild gesturing with their hands or any other body part if their hands are full.

Then there is the constant and seemingly never ending flow of traffic and the non flow of traffic usually referred to as the traffic jam. Lots of hooters and more mad gesticulating can be found here. Also to be seen are literally hundreds of scooters everywhere. Racing in between cars and taking the numerous one way streets when the police are not around.

Yes and then there are the police. Well they don’t really seem to do much at all really. They just sit around and drink coffee and smoke cigarettes most of the time. You can usually see a great example of this in the centre near Via Del Corso or near metro Piramide, both close to our Yes Hotel Rome. Well in my opinion if the police don’t do much then that must mean they have either caught all the baddies or that there aren’t that many of them around.

Then when you walk into the numerous piazzas you will without a doubt see mimes. The usual ones being the statue of liberty and Egyptian statues. Both are very boring and don’t really do much except change position or bow when you put money in their bowl. If you want to quite a good mime look for the ones all painted in gold or black. There is a gold painted cameraman sometimes in Piazza Del Popolo and a black painted figure with a sword , who must be Cola Di Rienzo , down Via Del Corso. They are the best .If you spot them drop a couple of coins in their bowl.

There are also loads buskers and bands that play on the street too. The city is always humming with some kind of activity.

Come have a look for yourself and see the funny guys dressed up as centurions and gladiators outside the Coloseum and the funny drunk one that always gets on the metro afterwards or who can also be seen walking around Piazza Di Spagna and Trinita Dei Monti. Come to Rome because you wont see this anywhere else.

This place is absolutely great. Entrance is free too and the dance room opens after 12 till 3. you can also hire one of the rooms out for private parties. The interior is chic and ultra modern with huge oversized couches that you can either sit or lie on.

The crowd that goes there is mixed and of various ages. Dancing on the tables is allowed and if you take your shoes off you are welcome to dance on the couches too. The bar mainly serves cocktails, but if you get there early enough you may still be able to get a beer. They had all run out by the time I had arrived which was about 1:30 in the morning. So I had a to go for a more expensive option which was a cocktail. That was quite a bit of a whack on my wallet costing 10 euros. The glass is also really small too.

My advice would be to go somewhere else first and then arrive afterwards to carry on with the party. The music is really great too and it gets you in a dancing mood. If you want to go to this place make an effort and dress up a bit. Shorts and open shoes really wont do. Also remember to charge up your wallet if you are planning on spending the evening there. Remember dancing is thirsty work and the bar is only a few steps away.

Supperclub Via De Nari

0039 06 6880 7207

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio , or better known as Caravaggio led an extremely tumultuous and short life. His career was very short, spanning only ten years. However in those ten years he painted some of the most extraordinary and realistic paintings of his time.

He was a master of chiaroscuro, the use of light and shadow. Caravaggio’s paintings are fantastic to look at. They seem to be self illuminated and they stand out from a mile away. The subjects are always bathed in light and the detail and realism of his paintings is extraordinary.

He was never short of patronages and work but he prone to brawling and being frivolous with his money. In a brawl in Rome he killed a man and was then forced to flee as he had now been branded an outlaw. He then continued his work in Naples, Malta and Sicily. Always being forced to flee because he was involved in fights or because he was a target for a revenge killing.

His works of art are dotted all over Rome. His paintings are on display in Villa Borghese , Santa Maria Del Popolo , San Luigi dei Francesi, Pinacoteca Vaticana and Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica.

Now that the weather is warming up and the daylight hours are longer, a nice idea would be to take a nice luxurious cruise down the Tevere.

The Tevere was once a crucial water supply and a means for moving goods in and out of the city. However with the building of the aqueducts and the improvement of roads over time it eventually became unnecessary for this use. That doesn’t mean that you can’t relax for a few hours on a nice warm sunny afternoon. This is also another unusual and different way to se the city and you will also save your legs from all the walking.

Or would you like to get married and have your wedding reception on the river. The Tiber II motorboat makes this possible. It has a maximum passenger capacity of 350 people, air conditioning, heating and 5 toilets too. So it won’t be any problem for a party either. The boat can also be rented for private parties too. Having a length of 40 metres is more than enough space to dance the night away.

This would be a great way to make the most important day in your life also the most memorable. Nothing could be better than newlyweds cruising down the river in the Eternal City.

Please be careful with your stuff. Another guest from the hotel had their things stolen out of their bag at the Coloseum. As per usual the bag was on her back and she could obviously not see if any one was opening it and going through her stuff. In the end she had to cancel her cards and get temporary travel papers and go through all sorts of other trouble. Please leave your valuables in the safe provided in your room.

Please be careful when you are walking around in heavily trafficked tourist areas. Decide before you go out exactly what you need and where you are going to keep it. Take only cash with you and no cards if they are not necessary. The only time you may need your passport is if you intend using the internet. They usually photocopy it and give it straight back to you.

Make sure you have a money belt if you are going to carry lots of cash with you to go on your shopping spree. Cameras and mobile phones are also the other items that end up getting stolen too. Do not keep camera bags in plain view or cell phones either.

Pay special attention on the metro and on the busses. They are always crowded and it is very easy to have something stolen if you don’t take the necessary precautions. Do not leave anything in your trouser pockets. Keep your stuff in your breast pocket of your shirt or top and then wear another jacket on top of that. That way if someone does want to steal something from you they literally have to undress you. Not many people would ignore that.

Use common sense. You may not be able to disguise the fact that you are a tourist but at least you can be a smart one.