subject: Rome: The Eternal City [print this page] With roughly 14,000 years of human history, it really is little wonder that Rome is known as the "Eternal City." And you can undoubtedly spend that long exploring everything this romantic and scenic city has to provide, particularly by taking one of the numerous guided or self-guided walking tours.
Once you've secured your lodging in one of the several Rome romantic getaways in the city, you will have a wide range of tours from which to choose. The benefit to walking tours versus wandering the city on your own is that you'll have a native, English-speaking tour guide to lead you towards the remarkable areas of town that the majority of travelers fail to notice - and you'll avoid the crowds and the customarily lengthy lines. One of the very best locations to begin is the Ancient Rome Half-Day Walking Tour, which is below $40 USD (admission costs to the Colosseum and Forum additional). Inside about 3 hours, you will discover all about the history of this entriguing town that for almost a thousand years was the epicenter of the Western World. You'll find out more regarding this and other walking tours of Rome at Viator (http://www.viator.com/Rome-tours/); this website also has information on bicycle tours (that is how most locals get around) along with feedback from fellow travelers and online tools with which you'll be able to arrange your vacation.
If you choose not to stay at a commercial hotel, an excellent alternative is a vacation rental in the form of an apartment in the heart of Rome. These are fully-equipped apartments and cabin rental accommodations that can be rented on a temporary basis from as little as $45 USD per day - making them rather competitive with traditional hotel rooms. There are many sites through which you can find and reserve apartment vacation rentals ahead of time: Way To Stay (http://www.waytostay.com) offers listings of low-cost apartments for up to six individuals that include private baths, kitchen conveniences and as much as 500 square feet for less than $60 a night. For more exclusive lodgings, take a look at http://www.romanhomes.com/; this is a full-service website through which you can book a luxury apartment directly and look at floor plans and images while deciding on where you'll be staying. Roman Homes can also help you in booking tours in addition to rental cars or other transportation.
Some of the sights art lovers shouldn't overlook while staying in Rome include the countless museums along with the Vatican, where belief has influenced immortal sculpture and painting - including obviously the celebrated Michaelangelo mural on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, which underwent nearly twenty years of renovation between 1980 and 1999, and presently looks as vivid as when it was initially painted more than 450 years ago.
Besides the usual spots to see and things to do during your Roman holiday, you will find that Rome is a superb base of operations for traveling to several other communities and places of cultural, historical and archaeological significance, including Naples and Pompeii.
