Viva Rome!

The Pantheon is one of the greatest wonders in Rome. Why not stay close to it and see the surrounding area in greater detail? I know I would love to stay around this area as the architecture and history is just amazing. Truly a sight to see in Rome. However like most o f the other great Roman wonders this area is also quite expensive for many travelers and if you are on a budget then it may very well be out of reach for some. But do not give up as there are some options for this area and some offer quite an enjoyable stay.

Hotel Montecitorio
Via delle Convertite, 5 – 00187
This hotel is only 200 meters from the Pantheon so you will not find a closer location then this one! This is one of theup scale destinations as this hotel has plasma televisions in most rooms and the bathrooms are equipped with a hydromassage showers. You will probably pay slightly more then your standard budget hotel but the luxuries may very well be worth it.

Hotel Abruzzi
Piazza della Rotonda, 69 – 00186
A entirely renovated hotel in 2003 that lies in the center of Rome this hotel is not to be missed! Unlike many other hotels in Rome the continental breakfast is included in the price of the room.

Hotel Cesari
Via di Pietra, 89/a – 00186
This hotel is located in Rome’s historical center. Since this hotel is located between the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon you can have your choice as to what you want to spend the most of  your time at. However since this hotel is near the Termini station it might be best to go out with someone at night just to be safe.

Hotel Adriano
Via di Pallacorda, 2 – 00186
This hotel is centrally located and is near the Pantheon, the Spanish steps and Navona square so this is an ideal location for the sightseeing traveler. A smaller hotel of only 4 floors this hotel still has an elevator so they may be accommodating the handicapped or elderly tourist.

I have stated many times that Rome is not for the cheap. There are some budget hotels out there that are worth staying in but you must look carefully. Some hotels however will offer some luxuries that you will not find anywhere else and it is okay to splurge now and then.

Rome is a very expensive city to visit. It is like New York in that there are plenty of very up scale places to stay but finding quality budget hotels can be a challenge. Fortunately I have been scouring the Internet and asking some of my friends who live in Rome for some of the best budget hotels in the city. Some considerations were made when I ever write something on hotels in any city. First I always consider the location of the hotel. It does not make a whole lot of sense to find a budget hotel but then have to spend half the day traveling to where you want to visit. So that is why I created a series on budget hotels broken down by location to the major tourist attractions so that you can find where you really want to stay.

Many of the following hotels are clean and high quality. Some lack some of the amenities that you would find in some of the higher class hotels but that is something you can expect from a budget hotel. I made sure to only select the 2 and 3 star hotels so that most budgets can be accommodated.

Hotel Colosseum
Via Sforza, 10 – 00184
One of Romes better hotels as this hotel is topped with a terrace on the roof affording the guests a unique 360 degree view of the city. The hotel is on one of Rome’s highest hills so the view is quite spectacular and will surely enhance your stay here. Consisting of seven floors this is one of the larger hotels around the Colosseum.

Hotel Borromeo
Via Cavour, 117 – 00184
Being so close to the Coloseeum this hotel is in the heart of the city and where all the action is. A smaller hotel then the Hotel Colosseum this hotel still can accommodate disabled and elderly tourists. Equipped with a elevator it should be easier to get to your room after a long day’s walking around the city.

Hotel Edera
Via Angelo Poliziano, 75 – 00184
A larger five storied hotel that is equipped with an elevator this hotel is also very near to the Colosseum. This hotel also has a terrace that overlooks the city and parking is available for only 20 euros a night so you can park your car as well.

Hotel Saturnia
Via Ruinaglia, 6 – 00184
This is one of the better budget hotels to stay in Rome. It is family run with all rooms coming equipped with a private bathroom and television set.

Hotel Adas
Via Cavour, 233 – 00184
A recently renovated hotel this is very close to the heart of the city and all of the attractions. This hotel is unique in that it is separated on two floors of the building. The hotel occupies the second and sixth floor and the elevator only goes up to the fifth so if you are unlucky enough to get a room on the sixth floor you will have to climb up one flight of stairs. Also this is one place that offers wireless internet connections so you can stay in touch with friends and family back home.

Most of these hotels are up on the higher hills in Rome so if you get an opportunity to stay in any one of them be sure to pick the hotels with the rooftop terraces as that will surely make the stay even more enjoyable. Nothing is better then seeing the sun set or rise in this glorious city and to do so from a unique vantage point makes it all the better.

Finding a long term job in Italy can be a rough proposition. The unemployment rate in Italy is unusually high most of the time. Many of the jobs that are open are usually open to Italians first and then to others who may or may not be qualified for the job. The key to finding work in Italy is to network, network, network as those that know you are more likely to hire you.

There are many factors you should consider before seeking some long term jobs in Italy. Do you have the skills that are valuable enough for the Italians to hire y ou? Do you have more experience in your field then a local Italian? Have you made yourself known on an international scale in order to be sought after in Italy? If you can answer any of these questions with a positive response your chances of finding work is greatly improved.

For many getting a foot in the door in Italy would be to teach English as a foreign language. There are numerous schools in every city that offers this service. However, again you are facing a lot of competition in this market as well. So then what do you have that makes you different from all the other teachers out there? Answer this correctly and you have just found your niche and your way into the job market over there. The following industries seem to be more open to foreigners and they are media and communications, tourism, finance, and international business along with some education jobs as well.

The best way to get your foot in the door is to use some of the temp work agencies that serve the Italian market. Many of these companies also are based in America so you can have your foot in the door already. Some of the better companies to work for are Kelly Services, Manpower, Adecco, Randstad and Sinterim. This is a great way of getting your feet wet in the Italian working culture and to really find the best jobs that are available in the area. Not only will you expand your network but you may end up with some life long friends.

Once you are in Italy and are looking for work it is a good idea to start your job hunt online as many other Italians also hunt online as well. Here are some of the better Italian job hunting web sites:

www.lavoroinrete.it
www.europa.eu.int/eures/index.jsp
www.jobpilot.it
www.intoitaly.it
www.kangaroo.it
www.stepstone.it

So that should get you started on your hunt for some long term work in Italy. Now ideally you want to have some sort of passive income before you go to even out the rough times when you cannot find work. There are several options for that type of income stream and I will discuss that in later posts.

When staying in Rome for any extended period of time it is very important to know about “the essentials” of living there. That is to say the health care, laundry service and other mail services that you may need to make your stay even possible. For many EU citizens this should be easy to understand and cope with as there are already agreements in place to make any EU citizen’s life easier.

Health Care

If you are EU citizen you are pretty well covered here. There is already in place an agreement between your home country and Italy in order to take care of your medical needs. However if you are outside of the EU then that is another story altogether. For many people from the United States there will be a need to purchase some supplemental health insurance.

I would shop around at home before you leave in order to get the best deal. Also make sure of the quality of the insurance you are receiving as there are different levels of customer service that you can expect from each company. Do not just buy what ever is the cheapest plan as that may not cover all you are doing while in Italy.

Here are some of the more important emergency numbers to know and memorize before you go:

• For Local Police Dial 113
• For National Police Dial 112
• For Ambulance service Dial 118
• For Fire Emergencies Dial 115
• For Road Assistance Dial 116

For some English speaking Doctors that are of some high quality I would go to AlphaMed at Via Zanardelli 36. This facility is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. Also recommended is Tobias Wallbrecher who runs a small family oriented doctors office at Via Domenico Silveri 30. He is also open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. since he is a family oriented doctor this would be a good place to go if your child should become sick while away.

Not all hospitals have emergency wards in Italy which I find to be a bit shocking. However I have compiled a list of some of the more centrally located hospitals that offer some emergency care.

• Rome American Hospital at Via E. Longoni 81
• San Giovanni at Via A. Aradam
• Santo Spirito at Lungotevere in Sassia 1

Laundry Service

Many hotels and even some hostels offer some sort of laundry service to their patrons. However this is really cost prohibitive way of washing your clothes. The best way is to find the nearest Laundromat at the many Onda Blu chains all throughout the city. Alternatively you can try the Wash and Dry at Via Della Pellicicca 35. They offer a wash and tumble dry for the low price of about 10 Euros for a hefty 15 pound load of laundry. That is quite the deal considering the service involved.

Mail Service

The Italian mail service is perhaps the slowest in the entire EU so I would recommend going with a speedier carrier such as UPS or FedEX if your package is urgent. In order to buy stamps you will need to go into a local tabacci or tobacco shop. In order to find you nearest post office I would recommend going to the website for the Italian postal service at www.poste.it as it will contain the most up to date information on the hours that each location is open and the services they may offer.

Alternatively you can have your mail delivered to any of the local American Express offices if you are cardholder. This is really convenient and also much cheaper as this service is included in your card.

Rome has some fascinating historic tourist attractions which lend a vivid glimpse into ancient Roman Empire life and attitudes.

The History of the Catacombs
The catacombs are some of the interesting burial places in Italy. Mazes of underground tunnels were used to bury thousands of bodies in several parts of Italy. Burials were forbidden inside the walls of Rome as early as the fifth century BC. Miles of tunnels were cut into the tufa to be used as burial chambers. The Roman catacombs contain thousands of burial niches as well as some good examples of early Christian art. Rome also has interesting catacombs beneath some churches and streets. One of the most impressive is the Capuchin Crypt beneath the Capuchin Church of the Immaculate Conception, built in 1645. The crypt contains bones of over 4,000 monks, many arranged in patterns or even forming objects such as a clock.

Location

The catacombs are located at the end of Via Appia Antica, which used to an ancient Roman Empire road but, now is a converted regional park. Tourists are advised to take a bus along the road, get off at the end of the park and walk or bike along the catacomb area. You should take bus 218 from the San Giovanni Metro Stop or take the Archeo bus. The catacombs are visited with a guide. Guided tours usually lasting 20 minutes to an hour are given in several different languages. The three catacombs easiest to visit have different closing periods. Visiting hours generally range from 8:30-12:00 and 2:30 to five in the evenings. You can buy tickets for the tours at the entrance to each catacomb. The St. Priscilla’s Catacombs are positioned at Via Salaria 430. Via Salaria is another ancient road of Rome heading out of the city at the Salaria gate, Porta Salaria, towards east to the Adriatic Sea. The catacombs are closed on Mondays. They are also closed for viewing to the public in the month of January.

Major Attractions

Tourists must visit the three major catacombs of the city. St. Callixtus catacomb is the biggest and most popular one. It has a network of galleries about 19 km long and 20 meters deep. It also has a wide transport linkage route with hordes of buses. Highlights of the catacombs include the crypt of nine popes and early Christian frescoes, paintings and sculptures. St. Callixtus is closed on Wednesdays and in February. St. Domitilla has the oldest catacombs. Entrance is through a fourth century church. Tour groups at St. Domitilla tend to be smaller. One of the main highlights is a second century fresco of the Last Supper. St. Domitilla is closed on Tuesdays and in January. The catacombs at St. Sebastian have a tunnel route of approximately 11 km. Highlights of the catacombs include early Christian mosaics and graffiti. St. Sebastian is closed Sundays and during the month-long Christmas holidays – from November 11 to December 13.
Visitor Information The Roman catacombs offer the serious and academic tourists the opportunity to revisit ancient Rome. Exploring the catacombs on foot with a map and guide is strongly encouraged. Tourists usually go in for week-long passes which allows them to explore the site at various time in peace. The price of admission is 5 euros. The reduced fee is 3 euros while, the full price of entry is 5 euros. The reduced fee holds for school classes presenting a certificate from their School — for groups of catechetical instruction in preparation for the first Holy Communion and Confirmation — for children and youth under 15 years and, for soldiers and police in uniform or with identification card. Free entrance is granted
o    to children under 6 years
o    to teachers of School groups and attendants of groups of Catechetical instruction, 1 every 15 pupils
o    to the seriously disabled
o    to the group leader and to one driver of the other groups

Eating and Fun

The tourism site is no place for children to have fun. The Cecilia Metella Restaurant located on the road of Via Appia Antica is a great place to eat lunch. It offers spectacular views serving dishes on the patio. Tourists can choose from a wide variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes with beverages. Cars and private coaches are not allowed access inside the catacomb area. Tourists are also not allowed to take any food items inside the complex. Photography is strictly prohibited.