VLDB 2001: Information on Roma

Much has been written about Roma, its monuments and museums, its fountains and villas, its history and people. Many volumes would be needed to tell even a small part of its history, art and architecture, or to hint at what can be seen here, including Michelangelo's Last Judgement in the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican Museums, St. Peters's, the Roman Forum, the Colosseum, the Pincio, the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon... Everything to be said about this city has probably been said before. However, Roma cannot be described completely; it needs to be experienced in person. It is impossible to be bored in Roma. Besides its churches, monuments,and museums, Roma has more to offer: classical music, theater and ballet, jazz, sport, pubs, and all kinds of shops and elegant boutiques. Roma is easily reachable from every part of the world, having two international airports and an international train station. Moreover, all infrastructure and public transportation networks were greatly improved for the Jubilee year 2000. The Jubilee is celebrated by the Catholic Church every twenty-five years, and is a very important event for its believers. The Jubilee year 2000 was even more important, given its co-incidence with the beginning of the new millennium. Tens of millions of pilgrims visited Roma during the Jubilee year, which ended on January 6th, 2001. In order to deal with this multitude of people, Roma had renovated its monuments and expanded its accommodation facilities.

How to Reach Roma

By Air

"Leonardo da Vinci" intercontinental airport, located in Fiumicino, is Europe's fourth largest in terms of number of passengers and provides travellers with the most modern services and facilities. The centre of Roma can be easily reached from the airport by bus, train or taxi.
Trains from the airport:

Leonardo da Vinci - Roma Termini (Central) Railway Station
Duration: 40 minutes.
Non-stop trains leave every 60 minutes and during rush hours every 30 minutes.
Ticket cost: Itl 18,000 / Euro 9.30
Leonardo da Vinci - Roma Tiburtina Railway Station
Duration: 40 minutes.
Trains leave every 20 minutes during the weekdays and Saturdays and every 60 minutes on Sundays, making stops in different areas of the city.
Ticket cost: Itl 9,000 / Euro 4.65

Taxis and limousines are available at the international arrivals area.
Approximate price: Itl 75,000 / Euro38.74.

By Train

Rome is at the heart of the Italian railway network. Excellent Intercity service from Termini Railway Station links Rome to every major city in Europe.

By Road

Italy has 6,400 km of modern motorways, which reach all regions of the country. Rome can easily be reached by car from the "Autostrada del Sole - A1", the longest Italian motorway running along the peninsula from north to south.

Transportation within the City

Numerous bus lines connect all areas of the city, including the area of the Conference. The underground ("Metro") has two lines, Linea "A" (red) and Linea "B" (blue). These intersect at Termini so you have to pass through Termini when you need to switch line. Tickets are valid for 75 minutes of travel and can be used for one underground journey and unlimited bus travel. They can be purchased at tobacco shops ("Tabacchi"), bars, news stands and machines in stations. The driver does not sell tickets. Daily and weekly tickets are also available.
Cost:
Ticket valid for 75 minutes: 1,500 ITL/ 0.75 EUR
Ticket valid for one day: 6,000 ITL/ 3.10 EUR
Ticket valid for one week: 24,000 ITL /12.40 EUR/

Climate

September is generally warm and sunny in Roma. Temperatures may reach 25°C (77°F) during the day but are cooler in the evening.

Shopping

The streets of the historic centre of Roma - the famous Spanish Steps, Via Condotti, Via Frattina, Via della Croce, Via Borgognona and, of course, Via Veneto - boast the workshops of Italy's foremost and world renowned fashion creators along with glamorous shops, all bearing the unmistakable mark "Made in Italy". Via Margutta and Via del Babbuino abound with privately owned artists' studios and restoration workshops. Galleries can be found almost everywhere along the side streets, such as Via dei Coronari, one of the most picturesque streets in Roma, which also hosts numerous antique dealers. Shops are usually open from Monday to Saturday, from 9:00 to 13:00 and from 16:00 to 19:30. However, several shops in the center are open from 10:00 to 19:00. Most shops are closed on Sunday and Monday morning.

Useful Numbers

Emergency numbers
Emergency public assistance: 113
Carabinieri (military police): 112
First aid: 118
Fire brigade: 115
Breakdown assistance (Automobile Club of Italy): 116

Airport and Airlines Fiumicino airport (FCO): 06 65951
Ciampino airport (CIA): 06 794 941
Air France: 06 47181
Alitalia: 06 65643
Austrian Airlines: 06 85354610
British Airways: 06 485480
Canadian: 06 6591300
Delta Airlines: 06 85354925
Iberia: 1478 31055
Japan Airlines: 06 65953840
KLM: 06 6529286
Lufthansa: 06 65954156
Olympic Airways: 06 48903089
Qantas: 06 486561
Sabena: 06 421231
SAS: 06 65010771
Swissair: 06 8470518
TWA: 06 47211
VARIG: 06 4677210

Trains
Trenitalia information: 8488 88088

Buses
Public transportation in Roma (ATAC - TRAMBUS - MET.RO - COTRAL): 800 431784

Taxi Cabs
La Capitale 06 49 94
Pronto Taxi 06 66 45
Samarcanda 06 55 51

Useful Links

www.inroma.it (touristic information about Roma)
www.spqr.it (a portal to Roma)
AbcRoma a guide of Rome (Tourism and art)
Roma On Line
www.romaturismo.com

Roma Fiumicino Airport
Roma-on-line-guide

VLDB 2001 - Home Page

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Last update: August 1, 2001