Rome Holidays & City Breaks

Rome weekend breaks are perfect to keep vusy and discover new sights. It’s impossible to miss Rome’s biggest attractions dotted around the city:

• The Colosseum - built two thousand years ago, it was the largest amphitheatre in the entire Roman Empire and survives staggeringly intact. The scene of gladiatorial combats, public executions and even mock sea battles, it could accommodate 80,000 spectators.
• Stadio Olimpico - home to local football teams AS Roma and SS Lazio. Rome wasn’t just the epicentre of the ancient world; it would become the heart of Christendom.
• Borghese Gallery and MAXXI Museum of Contemporary Art - culture vultures will have plenty more to get their teeth into during a city break in Rome, from superb museums to extravagant Baroque palaces and squares and, of course, the most impressive collection of ancient Roman monuments anywhere. 
• River Tiber - Raft down River Tiber or ride a horse along the Appian Way. If you’re looking for an adrenaline rush, you can even parachute over the coast just south of the city, or get a birds-eye-view of Rome’s stunning skyline from a helicopter. Your holiday in Rome is sure to be thrilling!

Food and drink will be a highlight of your Rome holiday. As well as restaurants serving traditional Italian dishes, you’ll be able to eat your way all down the length of ‘the boot’ with restaurants serving cuisine from every region of Italy. Wine has been produced around Rome for two millennia, so you’ll have ample choice: try them out at an enoteca. The most popular local wine is Frascati, a refreshing white that the Romans called ‘The Golden Wine’. Whether you want to splash out on a Michelin-starred dinner or tuck into some of the best pizza in Italy around the Piazza Navona or within sight of the Colosseum, Rome has restaurants to suit every budget. 

Top restaurants to visit in Rome are:

• Antica Birreiria Peroni
• Armando al Pantheon
• Da Francesco
• Dal Cavalier Gino
• Enoteca Corsi
• Gelateria del Teatro

Romans love children and your kids will love Rome. They can pretend to be legionaries or gladiators among the ancient ruins, blow off steam in the beautiful parks, and cool off at the beach or one of the big waterparks on the edge of the city.

• Trevi Fountain - Here the kids can throw some coins into the Trevi Fountain and make a wish.
• Bocca della verità - The bravest might want to stick their hand in the Bocca della verità (mouth of truth), and visit the catacombs to see the grisly displays of bones.
• Castel Sant'Angelo - Explore the dungeons and secret passages in the Castel Sant’Angelo.
• MACRO and MAXXI - Teenagers will enjoy the contemporary art exhibitions, of MACRO and MAXXI, as well as the shopping and nightlife.
• Ice cream parlours - Restaurants are very accommodating to families, and no holiday in Rome would be complete without a visit (or several) to one of its famous ice-cream parlours for a taste of the fantastic Italian gelato.

Few cities pack Rome’s cultural punch: from Roman ruins that have stood for two millennia to exciting contemporary art, this is a city that has long inspired writers, artists and film-makers. You can retrace the footsteps of the ancient Romans by visiting:

• The Forum - This forum is surrounded by ancient Roman ruins and used to act as the main marketplace for the Roman civilisation. 
• The Colosseum - This huge amphitheatre is in fact the largest ever built and could hold between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators during public performances and gladiatorial combats.
• The Pantheon - A former Roman temple, the Pantheon is now a church and offers a wonderful interior design.

Gaze at the extraordinary artworks held at the:

• Vatican Museums
• Borghese Gallery

Marvel at Michelangelo’s masterpiece in the Sistine Chapel, or check out the contemporary art in:

• The MAXXI and Macro exhibitions

With sumptuous villas set in luxuriant gardens and breathtaking Baroque architecture at every turn, Rome truly is a city that exudes beauty and culture.

Rome is a fantastic city to visit no matter the time of the year, however the summer time is the best time due to the weather. Bag cheap holidays to Rome during the June to August period, when the city basks in hot weather with very little rain. However during this time there is a huge influx of tourists in Rome. The summer months are ideal for a Rome holiday, as the weather allows great conditions for sightseeing, outdoor dining and of course eating gelato. Easter and Christmas are also very popular times to visit Rome and Vatican City. However, expect lower temperatures. Piazza Navona has a wonderful atmosphere during Christmas, thanks to musical performances at churches and Christmas markets.

Average high and low temperatures (°C):

• January: 12° / 3°
• February: 14° / 3°
• March: 16° / 6°
• April: 19° / 8°
• May: 24° / 13°
• June: 28° / 17°
• July: 31° / 19°
• August: 32° / 19°
• September: 27° / 16°
• October: 22° / 12°
• November: 17° / 8°
• December: 13° / 4°

Italy’s exciting capital city, located at the heart of the Lazio region of Italy, is packed with a huge range of nightlife options. Bars and clubs come in every shape and size, catering to every imaginable whim. There's no shortage of nightclubs during a Rome holiday. Whether you want to dance till dawn in a mega-club or simply join the throngs on one of the city’s beautiful squares after sunset, Rome has something for everyone.

• Testaccio - This are has perhaps the greatest concentration of bars and clubs, with some fancy restaurant-nightclubs rubbing shoulders with salsa clubs, cocktails bars, and discos, many of them carved right into the hill.
• Bohemian Trastevere - A little more low-key, it's an ideal place to find a romantic wine bar for a chilled night out.
• San Lorenzo - The students hang out in in this area, where there are scores of lively nightspots that keep buzzing until dawn.
• Campo de’ Fiori - This area attracts a mixed crowd of tourists and locals, who flock to the neighbourhood’s crowded bars and pretty plazas. In summer, the party moves to the beach, and you can dance on the sand at one of Ostia’s many open-air clubs.

Rome and romance are made for each other. Looking for the perfect backdrop for a getaway with your loved one? Rome weekend breaks are the best option to enjoy a quick trip abroad with your partner. 

• Piazza Navona - The gorgeous Piazza Navona is a good place to start, where cobbled lanes provide the perfect backdrop for romantic strolls, and you can dine by candle-light on charming plazas, replay the famous scenes from Roman Holiday by hiring a scooter for two, and watch the sunset over the city from the viewing point on top of the Giancolo Hill.
• Keats-Shelley House - You might like to follow in the footsteps of the Romantic poets, who knew a thing or two about love and visit the Keats-Shelley House. 
• Aventino Neighbourhood - Wander through the orange gardens in this lovely, peaceful neighbouthood
• Campo de' Fiori Square - Or visit the market on the enchanting Campo de’ Fiori square to pick up armfuls of fresh flowers.

In Rome, the possibilities for romance are truly endless. The awe inspiring sights of Rome - including the Sistine Chapel, much of the Vatican City and the stunning Pantheon - are all bound to inspire love.

During a city break in Rome, it’s worth visiting Vatican City. It’s around a 20-minute drive away from the center of Rome. There are a number of sights in Vatican City as well as being the home to the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope. Vatican City is the world’s smallest country and is full of beautiful religious buildings, wonderful galleries and museums. Whilst in Vatican City, visit the site of ‘The Last Judgement’, a classic piece by famous Italian artist Michelangelo. This vast artwork can be found in the Sistine Chapel on the alter wall.  

Top things to do in Vatican City include:

• St. Peter's Basilica
• Vatican Museums
• Sistine Chapel
• St. Peter's Square
• Castel Sant'Angelo
• Apostolic Palace
• Gardens of Vatican City
• The Last Judgement