1.- Roma Pass: You might have already know about this one, but offers good value, so it’s worth mentioning: for 30 euros you get to use the public transportation sysem for 3 days and free entrance to the first 2 museums you visit. Besides, you get discounts on all the museums you visit after the first 2. You can find the Roma Pass in many Tabacchi shops and newsstands in the Termini station, where you will likely arrive from your airport.

2.- Book Vatican Museums in advance: The lenght of the queue to get into the museums is almost legendary among tourists, but you can easily avoid it if you book the entrance in advance.To do it go to this website http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/do ; from there you can check availability and book your tickets.

3.-Atac website: Rome is not particularly easy to figure out, when it comes to transportation, but the things are slowly changing thanks to the internet. ATAC, the public transportation agency of the city has o neat website that allows you to check yhe best routes toget from one point of the city to another using the public transportation system. It also shows in real time how long will it take for a bus to arrive to a given stop,so it’s a great resource to check on your mobile.

4.- 060608: This is the Municipality of Rome’s official tourist information service. You can call them at (+39) 060608 to get general information about the city and even book museums. Even if the service has been around for a while, is not very well known but it’s really useful!

Our blogger today: Raul

Rome is surrounded by little towns that allow you to get a feel of the life outside a big hectic city like Rome and where you can even learn more about other great civilizations besides the Romans. One of such places is Cerveteri, located a one hour bus ride away from the city, whose pride is an Etruscan cemetery (Necropoli della Banditaccia) that was recently nominated World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.

To get to Cerveteri take the red subway line and get off at Anagnina. Only a few meters away you will find a Cotral bus stop. The buses depart regularly during the day (you can check thes schedule here) and you can buy the tickets for them in the Tabacchi shops around the subway station (by the way, it’s advisable to buy your return ticket beforehand, since Cerveteri is not that big of a town and if the Tabacchi shop over there is closed you might find difficult to get tickets).

The ride is a very pleasant one. Once you leave the bus you will find yourself in the main square of the town, facing and impressive castle. From there just follow the signals to get to the Etruscan Cementery. You can buy a ticket that includes both the cementery and the Etuscan museum; this is the best option, since most of the tombs don’t have any objects inside them anymore.

It will take you more or less two hours to see everything. You will be waling in an open field and you will be visiting the tombs aided by a map provided at the entrance ofg the site.The experience is certainly exciting but as I mentioned above, all the objects originally placed inside the tombs have been removed, which substracts some interest to the visit. You can stop at the lunch area located inside the site to grab a bite. I did it myself, and even though the food wasn’t anything extraordinary the kindness of the staff and the view made up for it.

All in all, an interesting visit and a refresing option for those looking from something different while in Rome.

As always, send us an e-mail if you need help with accomodation, or drop me a line to tell me about your experiences in and around Rome.

Talk about an exciting (and heatlhy) way to get ready for a new year…

Next December 31 Nike will organize a marathon in the historic center of Rome. The runners will pass by some of the most famous sights of the Eternal City (see map at the bottom of this post). The marathon is open both for competitive and non-competitive runners. All the information can be found on the official website of the race where you can sign in as well (alternatively you can sign in too in some stores scattered around the city, or by-mail to info@werunrome.it.) After doing the inscription you will be required to collect a pack with everything you will need to be allowed to take part of the race.

If you are looking for a fun and memorable way to finish the year, look no more, sign in, run and have fun. And dont’ forget to contact us to get the best rates for the best accomodation in the city!

Happy running and happy New Year to everyone!

Well, these days are strange in Rome. With so many cancelled flights due to the cloud of volcanic ashes hanging over Europe, not everyone is paying attention to one of the most interesting cultural campaingns to take place each year in Italy: the Culture Week.

Like every year this 2010 many interesting activities will take place and besides many of the most famous monuments in Rome can be visited for free! Yes, from April 16 to 25 you will be able to visit the Roman Forum, the CoIosseum and many other great monuments for free, or almost: by instance, to visit the Capitoline museums you would pay only 4,50 Euros, since there is an additional axhibition taking place right now.

We have selected for you some of the most interesting options when it comes to activities. You will find our picks at the bottom of this page.

And don’t forget: your best options for accomodation in Rome are Hotel Des Artistes and Yes Hotel. Contact us today, or make a reservation through our website!

Do you like chocolate? Which one do you prefer? Maybe the black fluid one or the white, the small ones with cream inside or the almond one?

It’s only a matter of choice: at Eurochocolate, to be held at Perugia you will find them all.

Perugia, the city famous for its baci perugina (literally “perugina kisses”, small chocolates with romantic messages which are an institution in Italy) is the perfect location for a chocolate festival. Ten days of exposition, and events, all related to the chocolate world.

Furthermore, like every year, Eurochocolate will offer to its visitors the possibility to learn more about one particular cocoa producing country. The special guest this year is Indonesia, the third country in the world when it comes to cacao production.

And if you are fans of Facebook you can join Faceciock (pronounced “…choc” in Italian) the virtual version of the festival on the popular social network.

On the bazaar in the historical center of Perugia 150 manufacturers of the industry will display its creations for the joy of all the chocolate lovers who will arrive from all around the world.

Enjoy your holidays with a us at Hotel Des Artistes or Yes Hotel and then spend a day to go to the beautiful Perugia city, located only a short train trip away from Rome.

Our Blogger: Stefano

The Ferrari SpA produces sports and race cars, and its symbol is the "rampant  horse".The company was founded by Enzo Ferrari, and starting on 1947 the construction of cars becomes the main activity . The real passion of Enzo Ferrari, despite the excellent business from the sale of cars, was always the race and, after the end of World War II, the Ferrari team appeared for the first time on the scene of the European Grand Prix.
The Scuderia Ferrari was born, then, in 1950 and joined the World Championship Formula 1 on their first year, making its debut at the Monaco Grand Prix. The first victory for Ferrari team in the Grand Prix of Great Britain came in 1951 with  Jose Froilan Gonzalez. The first title of champion of the world came the following year with Alberto Ascari.
Ferrari is the only team to have participated in all editions of the World Cup of Formula 1 and it is one that has the highest number of matches. The company holds as well the record of 15 titles of World Champion of pilots (achieved in 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1964, 1975, 1977, 1979, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2007), the record of 16 titles of World champion constructors (1961, 1964, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2008) and the record of 204 victories in a Grand Prix (updated 2 November 2008).
The Ferrarri team is also known as Red, or in Italian La Rossa by his fans, because of the characteristic color of its racing cars that’s recognized all around the world.

Despite being already retired, Michael Schumacher remains one of the icons of Ferrari

Over the Years La Rossa has had many famous pilots, among them: Tazio Nuvolari, Juan Manuel Fangio, Alberto Ascari (the only Italian with Michele Alboreto from 84 to 88 and Lorenzo Bandini from 62 to 67), Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Michael Schumacher, Jean Alesi, Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen.

Currently, Ferrari has entered the World Championship Formula 1 2008, the only sporting competition in which currently is committed, under the name Scuderia Ferrari.

To discover more about Ferrari and Italy visit Rome and stay in Hotel Des Artistes or Yes Hotel!

Are you ready to go to the movies? Every year, a few days before Christmas, new festive films are released. These films are for the whole family, entertaining comedies and animated films much anticipated by children.

“Madagascar 2″ is released on December 19 for example. 
The protagonists are the same as “Madagascar 1″, Alex the Lion, Marty the zebra, Melman the giraffe, Gloria the hippo, King Julien, and Maurice and the penguins. The story is based on an aircraft failure, repaired by the Penguins,who then meet the others in Africa to experience adventures.
Back on the big screen are the most beloved comic trio from Italy: Aldo, Giovanni and Giacomo, with “The Chest of drawers in the universe”.

Don’t miss the cinepanettone with Christian De Sica, “Christmas in Rio”, which also includes actors Michelle Hunziker, Fabio De Luigi, Massimo Ghini, Ludovico Fremont, Emanuele propitious and Paul Conticini.

Here many funny misunderstandings and laughter are guaranteed. Christmas in Rio, yet another cinepanettone directed by Blacks Parenti, is a brilliant comedy, which is significantly better than the previous regarding braids, but still has some holes. However, it is the Italian offering this year. 

If you prefer something more serious, try “The boy in the striped pajamas.” Its based on the friendship between a German child, (the son of a Nazi official) and a jewish child prisoner in a concentration camp.
For romantic films try Richard Gere and Diane Lane, “Like a Hurricane.” The two actors are the protagonists of a love story while a hurricane is about to fall hit North Carolina.

Also consider “The Duchess” with Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes and the action film “The Spirit” with Scarlett Johansson, Eva Mendes and Samuel L. Jackson. So why not catch a couple of films while on holiday in Italy?

Trenitalia (the main operator of trains in Italy) has inaugurated the new fast “metropolitan railway”, cutting out distances and time spent for journeys. This means several popular destinations in Italy can now be reached much more quickly from the capital, Rome, and to it.

The new trains are divided according to their velocity:

Frecciarossa – 300-350 kph;

Frecciargento – 250-285 kph;

Frecciabianca – 220 – 230 kph.

AV Fast trains take just 3 hours and 30 minutes from Milan to Rome, reducing the journey by almost two hours. The service is covering several other destinations throughout Italy, such as Venice, Verona and Bari and it’s a major result in the field of transport because Italy was lagging behind the rest of Europe for far too long (just consider the TGV in France and the ICE in Germany).

Services will now be more frequent and Trenitalia promised a fleet accurately designed, with comfort, air-conditioning, and high standards of security. Carriages are also designed to make less noise.

During the launch period a 10% discount off the highest price is offered for these new AV services and new fares have been introduced in the framework of flexibility and competitiveness.

Can’t you wait to have a ride? While travelling, why not stop in Rome at Yes Hotel, just a stone’s throw from Termini (train) Station. Being so well located, using national and local transport connections has never been easier.

Our writer is : Diana

Apparently the original game (Enalotto) was invented in 1949 by Dante Benedetti from Florence.

Story goes that Benedetti couldn’t afford the registration so his paternity was never recognized. 40 years later Enalotto got removed, and a new fresh start of this game is given with the inauguration of the Supernalotto in 1997, which jackpots are among the richest in Europe.

Lucky enough?

The goal is to match six numbers out of 90 and that’s the reason why it is one of the most difficult games worldwide (even the luxurious jackpots of Euromillions in USA are played sorting out fewer figures).

Just think that statistically the asteroid 99942 Apophis destroying our planet in 2036 is more likely to happen than you (or me…) winning Superenalotto. Frustrated maybe?

You should not ! Ever since SuperEnalotto got popular it has been gambled by a growing number of average Italian people.

Winning Enalotto ?

How does it work?

The six winning numbers are drawn in six different regional Lotto draws, taking place in the cities of Bari, Florence, Milan, Naples, Palermo and Rome.

A Jolly number is also picked up from the Venice draw.

If you are willing to fork out a little extra money, you can include an additional number, called Superstar number, taken from the extra National Lotto of Rome (Lotteria Nazionale).

Record Payoffs

On May 4, 2005 one single ticket won a jackpot of 72 000 000 euros (over 90 million dollars). A winning, amounting 44 billions liras, was won years before near Bari and in 1998, 100 people won 63 billions liras.

Today jackpot got up to 100 millions euros, reaching the sixth place in the world list, eager to try? You can try with the now famous technique the Italian gamblers have been using which seems to be more successful , which is to gamble as a group, which means you can put down more money and obviously you split the payoff thereafter. But then if it is an 8 figure winning, that should not be a problem.

Where do I purchase my winning Superenalotto ticket ?

Most tobacco shops all over Italy sell Superenalotto tickets.

Good luck, and as the Italian saying goes “In Bocca al Lupo !”

And if you plan to come to Italy take a look at our wide Italy accomodation selection.