Borghese Villa Gardens 
This big, beautiful park is conveniently located in the centre of Rome. You can rent bicycles, surreys, rollerblades and row-boats. In the Bioparco area of the gardens, enjoy pony rides, train rides and a merry-go-round. There is also a zoo, a puppet theatre with summer evening shows and a charming little movie theatre that shows children’s films in the afternoons and early evenings. The park is a great place for a picnic or a break from sightseeing.

Carriage Rides
Long ago, Rome was filled with horse drawn carriages (carrozze). This is a fun way to get around town. You can pick one up in the piazza by St. Peter's, the Spanish Steps, or the Pantheon.

Churches
Churches abound in Rome, huge cathedrals, medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, eighteenth and nineteenth century churches, churches tucked into the edges of small piazzas. When you pass by one of the many churches, stop in for a brief look, there's always something special inside.

One church with unique appeal for kids is the church of Santa Maria della Concezione (Via Veneto). The real appeal here is the Capuchin cemetery, a chapel decorated with the bones of 4,000 monks, lamps made out of bones and wreaths of skulls. Great show-and-tell material for classmates back home!

Colosseum (Colosseo)
The biggest and best attraction in Rome, children will love the idea of gladiators slugging it out in the Colosseum, spectacles of hungry lions ready to pounce. Its sheer monumental scale and excellent state of preservation is sure to impress all ages. They will love having their picture taken with the costumed gladiators outside the entrance (for a fee, of course).  

Fountains
Everywhere you turn, there's another fountain in the centre of a piazza. Sparkling water gushes and rushes over bigger-than-life sculptures. Look for fountains in the Piazza Barberini, Piazza della Republica, Piazza Navona, Piazza di Spagna, the Trevi Fountain, Piazza della Rotonda next to the Pantheon, Piazza del Popolo, and in the Borghese Gardens.

Time Elevator
This is a fun and educational ride that takes you through 3,000 years of Roman history. A 45-minute, four-dimensional flight simulator puts you right in the middle of the action. You’ll find this ingenious crowd pleaser a few minute’s walk from Piazza Venezia, just off Via del Corso.

Vatican Museums
The jewel in the crown of the Vatican Museums is the Sistine Chapel, but there's great stuff to see as you wind your way through the passages and galleries to the chapel. There's an air-conditioned cafeteria and a place to relax in the museums area. 

The Sistine Chapel is amazing, and it's just not Michelangelo's frescoes. Every inch of the chapel is incredibly decorated - the floors, walls, ceiling. Find a space on the marble benches to sit down and look up easily. The ceiling is very high, so bring your binoculars to see the details of Michelangelo's incredible frescoes. The Biblical stories painted in the Sistine Chapel are familiar ones – the Creation, the Garden of Eden and Noah’s Ark. 

Check out the Egyptian museum to see mummies, sarcophagi, jars and statues. 

Once you've seen all the goodies in the museums, mail a postcard from the Vatican post office with stamps from the Vatican City, something special for your friends and relatives back home.

Value Card: The Archaeologia Card is good for 7 days, and provides entrance to nine sites: the Colosseum, Palatine, Baths of Caracella, four National Roman museums, and two sites on the Appian Way. It allows you to save money and not wait in long queues to buy tickets. Purchase the card at any of the nine sites, especially before visiting the Colosseum.

Cultural Events
Rome comes alive in the summer with numerous dance, music, opera, theatre and cinema festivals. Many of these performances take place under the stars, in parks, gardens, church courtyards among classical ruins and Renaissance villas. Catching one of these productions will be a highlight of any Roman holiday. Autumn is also full of cultural activity with festivals dedicated to dance, drama and jazz.

Each summer, from June to September, Estate Romana offers a lively schedule of outdoor cultural events around the city. Rock, ethnic and jazz concerts, theatre performances, outdoor cinema, dance lessons and other cultural events are held outdoors in various Roman piazze (plazas), archaeological sites, monument grounds and parks. Detailed programs are available on the Rome city council website at www.comune.roma.it or in special monthly editions of Roma C’è, available at news agents. 

As home to the Vatican, religious celebrations are important in Rome. The Pope makes an annual appearance at the Colosseum on Good Friday evening and delivers Midnight Mass at Saint Peter’s on Christmas Eve.

Cycling 
Bicycles can be rented in Villa Borghese (Borghese Gardens) and taken along the wide paths throughout the gardens. Enjoy Rome runs three-hour bike tours through Villa Borghese, the Bocca della Cerita and the Colosseum.

For less energetic sightseeing, electric bicycle tours are offered by experienced guides at Landimension Travel. Check out www.landimensiontravel.it

Golf
There are many world-class golf courses in Rome. Most clubs will receive non-members on production of a membership card from their native country, showing their handicap. Golf is played year round in Rome due to its mild Mediterranean climate.

Parco de Medici Golf Club is located on the outskirts of Rome and is connected to the Sheraton hotel. Parco di Roma Golf Club is situated in the calm of the Roman countryside, within the sight of the dome of Saint Peter’s Cathedral. Circolo del Golf Roma Acquasanta was the first golf course to open in Italy and is truly in historic surroundings with views of ancient aqueducts and the Appian Way.

Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tours
The ATAC Roma 110 City bus tours Rome’s major monuments with departures every 30 minutes all day. Purchase tickets from Piazza dei Cinquecento in front of Termini Station at ATAC kiosks or on the bus.

The Major Basilicas Tour, also run by ATAC, tours Rome’s four main basilicas in addition to other monuments. It leaves Piazza dei Cinquecento at 10:30am and 2:30pm (summer 10:30am and 3:00pm). 

Archeobus tours along the Appian Way, stopping at other places of archaeological interests such as Circo Massimo and Terme di Caracalla. Buses depart from Piazza Venezia. Tickets are valid for the entire day and can be purchased on board, but do not cover the entrance fees to the sights. 

Ciao Roma operates buses which are painted to look like old trolley cars that cruise around the city. Hop on or off at the many stops including the Vatican, Colosseum, Piazza Venezia, Piazza Navona, Termini Station and Borghese Gardens (Villa Borghese).

Spectator Sports 
Romans are highly enthusiastic spectators. The sporting season kicks off in Rome with the Marathon in March and then provides a welcome opportunity to show off new hats and outfits at the Concorso Ippico Internazionale di Piazza di Siena – International Show Jumping in late April to early May. The Telecom Italia Tennis Masters Roma now attracts some of the biggest names on the circuit and is held in the first two weeks of May.

If you happen to visit the city during a derby match between the 2 hometown teams, Roma and Lazio, make sure to purchase tickets for the Stadio Olimpico (Stadium). Matches between these two rivals can be likened to gladiator combat. 

Tickets to sporting events can be purchased directly from the venue box office or online through club websites or ticket agency websites.

Walking
You can discover your own walking tour of Rome or join one of the fabulous walking tours with experienced guides around the city.

Through Eternity Rome employs enthusiastic guides who help ancient Rome come alive on their walking tours. Twilight tours of Renaissance and baroque Rome reveal the city in one of the best ways, while the ‘Feast of Bacchus’ wine-sampling tours combine aesthetic pleasures with gastronomic delights.

Enjoy Rome offers various three-hour walking tours covering ancient Rome (by day or night), the Vatican, the Catacombs, Appian Way, Trastevere and the Ghetto. All guides are native English speakers and hold degrees in archaeology or related areas. 

Archimede Association is designed for the budget traveller. They offer guided walking tours in Italian and English with the only cost being the entrance tickets to the chosen sites.

Rome offers a wide range of dining possibilities from basic budget venues to expensive international restaurants. It’s worth wandering around and discovering different places on your own. The side streets of the historic centre around Piazza Navona and Campo de’ Fiori have many good quality, low priced trattorias and pizzerias. The areas of San Lorenzo (to the east of Termini Station, near the university) and trendy Testaccio are popular with the locals. Historic and artsy Trastevere is full of restaurants, trattorie and pizzerias.

During the summer these areas are lively and atmospheric. However, keep in mind that many restaurants close for several weeks during August.

The following restaurants are only suggestions. The list of choices for brilliant dining in Rome is endless.

For authentic Roman dining Checchino dal 1887 is the birthplace of Roman cooking. It is in the heart of Testaccio, and has remained in the Mariani family for five generations. Reservations are recommended as it is packed throughout the week, normally with locals. Closed Sunday and Monday. Via Monte Testaccio 30. Phone: (06) 574 3816.

Business meals are popular at Taverna degli Amici. Although very much frequented by politicians and celebrities from the Roman or Italian arts scene, this restaurant boasts unpretentious and discreet staff, a tasteful rustic interior and a romantic candlelit exterior in one of the most atmospheric piazzas in Rome. The menu changes daily but the staples are fish. Desserts are homemade, creative and exquisite. Closed Monday. Piazza Margana 37. Phone: (06) 6992 0637.

The hip and trendy go to Gusto, a split-level, open-plan restaurant, pizzeria, wine bar and osteria (around the back). The emphasis is on Mediterranean cuisine, primarily meat and fish prepared with aromatic herbs and spices. Weekend brunch sees a ‘multi-ethnic’ menu, while the ‘fitness brunch’ combines salad, yogurt, cereal and freshly squeezed orange juice. Live jazz takes place in the wine bar and there is also an extremely well-stocked shop, selling kitchenware and cookery books. Piazza Augusto Imperatore 9. Phone: (06) 322 6273.

Budget dining can be enjoyed at Insalata Ricca, offering hearty, creative salads in 12 branches around town where you can eat well, cheaply and quickly. Popular with diet-conscious Romans and foreigners alike. Largo dei Chiavari 85. Phone: (06) 6880 3656.

Also inexpensive is Augusto, possibly the last authentic Trastevere osteria and a unique experience in itself. On busy winter evenings, the dining room is packed and steamy, while in summer, rickety wooden tables spill out onto a pretty cobbled piazza. Closed Sunday. No credit cards. Piazza de’ Renzi 15. Phone: (06) 580 3798.

Trimani, is a stylish, yet casual, enoteca (wine bar and restaurant) in the vicinity of the Termini train station. It is the perfect place for sampling rich Italian cheeses, salami and prosciutto alongside an extensive list of wines by the glass. Next door to the enoteca is the Trimani wine store, established in 1821, with an impressive selection of mainly Italian vintages that number in the thousands.

Tax & Tipping
IVA (value-added tax) at 10% is included in restaurant prices. A 10% service charge is sometimes added to the bill, and so is a bread charge, pane, (usually €1-2 per person). Due to the service charge, Romans are not accustomed to tipping, but an additional 5-10% if the meal and service have been good is very much appreciated.

Rome’s shops are full of fine clothes, leathers, shoes and bags. In winter, real fur is still in fashion.

The smart designer shops are concentrated in the network of streets spanning out from the Spanish Steps. Of these, Via Condotti has most of the big names: Gucci, Max Mara, Valentino, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Salvatore Ferragamo, Bruno Magli, and Giorgio Armani. Bulgari, number 10, displays glitteringly expensive watches, while Damiani, number 84, stocks high priced jewellery worn and designed by celebrities.

Nearby in Piazza di Spagna, Dolce & Gabbana offers slightly more entertaining but equally expensive gear. Fendi has a cluster of boutiques along Via Borgognona, with a wide range of furs, shoes, bags and their ready-to-wear collection. Other big names here are Gianni Versace, Moschino, Tod’s, Gianfranco Ferré, and locally-born and bred ‘Queen of Cashmere’ Laura Biagiotti.

Affordable buys are to be found in the high-street shops lining Via del Corso, Via del Tritone, Via Nazionale and Via Cola di Rienzo. Alternatively, great bargains are presented during the January and July sales.

The antiques quarters lie along Via Margutta, Via del Babuino, Via Giulia, Via dei Banchi Vecchi and Via de’ Coronari. In May and October the pedestrian street organizes fairs when the stores along Via de Coronari are open late.

Bric-a-brac and retro clothes are on offer at the ever popular flea markets, the best being Porta Portese (Sunday 07:30-13:00). Arrive early as this market will be jammed with people beginning at about 11am.

Gourmet goods to take home include assorted vinegars, truffles and, of course olive oil. Castroni, Via Cola di Rienzo 196, sells the culinary delights from Italy’s regions as well as imports from around the world. The well-established Trimani, Via Goito 20, was founded in 1821 and stocks an excellent selection of Italian wines.

Smaller shops often close for a long lunch break (any time from 12:00-16:30). Larger stores tend to stay open all day. Opening times can be confusing, with many food shops closed on Thursday afternoon (in winter) and other shops not opening until the afternoon on Monday. Summer brings later opening hours but also Saturday afternoon closing and complete closure for several weeks in July, August or September. Many shops close on Sunday as well.

Value-added tax (IVA) is 20% on clothing and luxury goods. Foreign tourists from non-EU countries can claim a tax refund, provided they spend at least €155 at the same shop on the same day. Those who are eligible should ask the shop assistant for a receipt with a description of the articles purchased and a ‘tax-free cheque’. Upon departure from the EU no later than 90 days after the date of purchase, the receipts and goods should be presented to customs. For further details, visit Global Refund at www.globalrefund.com.