Guide to Europe

Rome

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Modern and old, past and present go side by side, all the time.
Whether you are in Rome for 3 days, 3 weeks or 3 months, be prepared to step into the world’s biggest open air museum.
You can decide to follow the typical tourist paths or you can be luck or brave enough to go off the usual tracks. One way or the other, Rome will seduce you and it will hardly leave you indifferent. It will surprise you, like a beautiful middle aged woman that has still plenty to offer and whose beauty is just been merely blurred by time passing by. Rome is one of world's most photogenic cities - not surprising when you remember what's here - The Vatican, the Trevi Fountain, St Peter's Square, Spanish Steps, Colosseum...
Whether you spend your time sightseeing, or lazing in cafés watching the world go by, it will be your turn to feature in your very own Roman Holiday.
Rome is a romantic place for honey-moon, favorite holiday destination, and city of fashion.
Join our Rome virtual tour to get convinced that this city won't ever let you down.

:: Sustainable tourism in Rome ::
Exploring, discovering and experiencing cultures and lifestyles around the Globe is a great gift that has been given to humankind. It has never been so easy to travel as we experience it now. All is there at our disposal and we can touch it with almost making an effortless effort. The question that arises is the way we touch it.
We, people engaged in Rome.info travel pages believe that one should treasure this opportunity and blessing of travel which is given, and treat it with respect and kindness. A visitor should be lovingly committed to making a low impact on the local culture and environment, protecting privacy and space in life of locals, and reward an invitation to their lives with gratitude and frolic. Sharing inspiration. While people like us on the other side are trying to help to ensure that development is a positive experience for local people; companies; and tourists themselves.
Sustainable tourism is regarded as responsible behavior and visitors to our pages are invited to embrace this attitude when travelling in Rome. It is more than a form of tourism as it represents human approach to engaging with cultures, local magic, be there as a human being - tourist, a business, locals at a destination or any other tourism stakeholder.
"Hearts are like parachutes, they only function when open." Thomas Dewar & Liona Belierova

The Vatican City

Vatican city (Citta del Vaticano), the papal residence, was built over the tomb of Saint Peter. The Vatican's position as a sovereign state within a state was quaranteed by the Lateran Treaty of 1929, marked by the building of a new road, the Via della Conciliazione. This leads from huge St Peter's basilica to Castel Sant' Angelo, a monument to a far grimmer past.
Vatican is the smallest state in the world, based in Rome in Italy.
Inside the Vatican city we can find 11 Vatican Museums with the restored Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, and Vatican Gardens, an enchanted place, a system of large and small gardens, fountain, fish pool and enclousure for rabbits. They date back to medieval times when vineyards and orchards extended to the north of the Apostolic Palace.
Vatican radio station broadcasts all over the world in 29 languages, it has it's television station, the dialy newspaper, post office with Vatican stamps, shops, offices and publishing house. All signposted, in highly-sophisticated system of organisation.
More than a thousand residents are responsible for the smooth, day-to-day running of this nerve centre of official Christianity, with of course the Pope at its head, all guarded by the Swiss guard.

Vatican facts:

Country: State of the Vatican City (Holy See), Italy
Population: 920 inhabitants
Area: 0.44 sq km
Density: 2273/ Km2
Religions: Roman Catholic
Currency: Euro (EUR) = 100 Cents

Madrid

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The capital of Spain, located in the heart of the peninsula and right in the center of the Castillian plain 646 meters above sea level, has a population of over three million. A cosmopolitan city, a business center, headquarters for the Public Administration, Government, Spanish Parliament and the home of the Spanish Royal Family, Madrid also plays a major role in both the banking and industrial sectors. Most of its industry is located in the Southern fringe of the city, where important textile, food and metal working factories are clustered. Madrid is characterized by intense cultural and artistic activity and a very lively nightlife.

The grand metropolis of Madrid can trace its origins to the times of Arab Emir Mohamed I (852-886), who ordered the construction of a fortress on the left bank of the Manzanares river. Later it became the subject of a dispute between the Christians and Arabs until it was conquered by Alonso VI in the 11th century. At the end of the 17th century, a defensive wall was built for the protection of the new outlying areas, tracing the roads of Segovia, Toledo and Valencia. During the 18th century, under the reign of Carlos III, were designed the great arteries of the city, such as the Paseo del Prado and Paseo las Acacias.

At the beginning of the 19th century, Joseph Bonaparte undertook the reform of the Puerta del Sol and vicinity. The commercial street known as the Gran Vía was built as an east-west avenue at the start of the century. In the 1950's the north-south boulevard called Paseo de la Castellana was extended and modern buildings were erected, housing the major financial institutions. Remainings of the distant past are mainly the Baroque and neoclassical strcutures of the 17th and 18th centuries, such as the Plaza Mayor (Main Square), the Palacio Real (Royal Palace) and others which will be described later during our guide of the city.

Paris the city of love

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Mention the country France and romantic notions instantly pop into the mind. That is why, when visiting Europe many people cannot go past the most romantic city in the world, of course I am referring to PARIS - the city of luuuuuuurve! The capital and gem in France's tourist crown, Paris offers many tourist attractions and exquisite places that will ensure your trip is truly a memorable occasion. Including monuments, museums, parks and gardens, squares, bridges, the canals of Paris or trade fairs and conferences, whatever your interests, Paris has a lot to offer.

France has predominantly a temperate

climate with mild winters, brief sudden downpours in Spring and Autumn and Summer is virtually without rain.

The best time to visit France is in the Spring with the beach resorts beginning to pick up in May. Winter is great for snow sports in the Alps, Pyrenees and other mountain areas.

Paris is the country's main bus and rail hubs, with services to/from every part of Europe. France has a terrific rail network that reaches almost every part of the country. If you would prefer to navigate around France by bus, inter-regional bus services are limited but buses are used extensively for short distance travel within regions.
Having your own vehicle can be expensive and is inconvenient in city centres where parking and traffic are problematic. Renting a car is expensive if you book on the spot but pre-booked and prepaid promotional rates are reasonable.
France is a superb country for motorcycle touring, with winding roads and lots of stunning scenery. Another relaxing way to take in the sights is to cruise its canals and rivers by houseboat. These usually accommodate 4-12 passengers and can be rented for a weekend or several weeks.

Local transport includes the cheap and efficient Metro and Underground networks in Paris, trams, buses, river shuttles taxis, which are very pricey!

One of the most popular tourist attractions and famous buildings in the world is of course the Eiffel Tower. Built by the engineer Gustav Eiffel in 1889 for the Universal Exhibition, the Eiffel Tower with its three floors, is 317 meters high and carries the capital's radio and television transmitters. From the Eiffel Tower an outstanding panoramic view of Paris and its surroundings can be seen both day and night.

Another great is the Notre-Dame-de-Paris, built between 1163 and 1330. A masterpiece of French Gothic art, it was restored in the 19th century by Viollet-Le-Duc, and is a testimony to the great moments in the history of France.

Cannes continues to be the favourite among the wealthy folk and is better known as the shop 'til you drop scene. During the International Film Festival, which is held annually, Cannes is crammed with more money, champagne and cleavage than anywhere else in the world!

If you want to have a spot of celebrity gazing, then the famous Boulevard de la Croisette is the place to be.

So if you are planning to embark on a European holiday in the near future, ensure you include France in your travel plans and see what holiday-makers all over the world are raving on about!

Take your own sweet time to explore Paris, because there are just too many things too see and each requires special attention. You cannot just look at the grand medieval abbeys, gothic masterpieces, classical architecture, and a remarkable density of artistic and cultural treasures—you need to spend time to savor and understand the depths of each piece of glorious history.

Paris’ towers, churches, palaces, archways, bridges and fountains are renowned worldwide for its splendor and beauty. These monuments relate two thousand years of the capital’s glorious past.