Rome

Italy

Cityscape: Archaeological eye-candy
City life: Piazza people-watching

With the Vatican in town, Easter and Christmas are highlights of Rome’s calendar, but visitors flock all year to the Raphael frescoes and the Sistine Chapel.

Native Romans are in their element in the buzzy, flirty squares of Piazza Navona or Campo de’ Fiori; do as they do and linger over delicious cucina romanesca – as style-conscious as the Eternal City is, food isn’t about fashion here: traditional trattorie are best for pizza and pasta.

Pictured: Hotel de Russie

Boutique hotels in Rome

Our round-up of the hippest hideaways and boutique hotels in Rome

Getting there

Planes, trains, automobiles, or maybe even helicopter – we tell you the best way to go.

Worth getting out of bed for

Highlights the best Rome has to offer, from art and culture to fun-packed activities; we've even found the most inspiring place to enjoy the views from.

Eating, drinking & dancing

We've tracked down the best cafés for people-watching, the bars with the coolest cocktails, the most accomplished restaurants and the liveliest local nightlife in Rome. All you have to do is make sure you've packed your favourite threads…

Smith Maps

Here is the map of Rome; each Mr & Mrs Smith hotel is marked by a flag; click it for more details.

Taxis: You can hail them everywhere, and taxi ranks have numbers to ring. Avoid the many unofficial and unlicensed taxis.
Tipping culture: 15 per cent is usually added; small change for drinks.
Packing tips: Rosary beads; a pick and shovel to unearth ancient artifacts a few metres down (the reason why Rome's metro has never been completed).
Recommended reads: Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon; Open City: Seven Writers in Postwar Rome, edited by William Weaver.
Cuisine: The foundation of Roman food is cucina povera (rustic cooking) enjoyed in traditional trattorias. We love spaghetti all’amatriciana (tomato and pancetta) and saltimbocca (veal roll with sage and butter). Thursday is gnocchi day. Rome also has a fantastic café culture, so join the locals for an espresso in one of the many piazzas.
Currency: Euro.
Dialing codes: Code for Italy: 39. Rome: 06.
Do go/don't go: In the summer, the city gets sweaty and crowded; you may prefer to go in the spring or autumn. Any time of year, one of the pleasures of a visit to the Eternal City is to simply dive off the crowded tourist route and explore the city’s countless lesser-known treasures at random. Rome’s museums are often surprisingly uncrowded.