26 October - 4 December 2011 Audrey in Roma Type: Photography The exhibition pays tribute to Audrey Hepburn and her support of UNICEF’s programmes: unpublished photos, videos and personal items belonging to one of the icons of our time. On the occasion of 50th anniversary of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and simultaneously with the International Film Festival of Rome, for the first time the City of Rome celebrates Audrey Hepburn, with an exhibition that is a tribute to the great movie star in “her” Rome with the aim of raising funds to combat child malnutrition, a mission Audrey dedicated part of her life. Part of the admission fee will be donated to UNICEF. The exhibition hosted at the Museum of Ara Pacis presents images, videos and personal items of the three different “lives” lived in Rome by the actress: movie star, mother and ambassador. In 25 years, Audrey shared with Rome crucial moments of her career, from Roman Holiday and War and Peace to The Nun’s Story, but in Rome she enjoyed many years of family life in close contact with the city and its inhabitants. A selection of unpublished shots from the Reporters Associati, Photomasi, Istituto Luce e Kobal Collection archives - capture Audrey Hepburn in everyday moments in the city. Captions, texts and graphics will illustrate the personal relationship between Audrey and Rome. An exclusive video will also reveal moments of her private life, accompanied by some clothes and accessories, designed by Givenchy, Valentino, and many others. Part of the exhibition will be dedicated to Audrey’s commitment to UNICEF, with shots documenting her travels among children in Bangladesh, Vietnam, Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia and Latin America.

Opening hours Tuesday-Sunday: 9.00 am - 7.00 pm; Last admission 1 hour before closing time; Closed: Monday. Entrance ticket Adults: € 10,00; Read more at en.arapacis.it

Top 8 Things to Consider When Booking a Vacation Rental

Vacation Rentals are a great alternative to hotels and resorts when you’re looking for a place to stay on your next vacation. They’re typically less expensive, more personal, more private, more spacious, and boast all the comforts of home. But even though the benefits are many, there are several things to take into consideration before booking a vacation rental.

1.)

Book Early.

In January and February, summer rental bookings begin – especially for waterfront properties. Many regular vacationers book a year in advance, so take that into consideration when making your summer vacation plans. It’s never too early to start looking. 2.) Explore Your Options. First you pick a vacation destination, and then you find a place to stay. When searching for a vacation rental home – comparison shop! Be sure to keep your options open – considering many different rental properties gives you a variety of places to choose from, as well as a variety of prices and available amenities. Looking at comparable properties will give you a good idea of what you can expect from a particular area. 3.) Consider Off-Peak Vacations. The most popular vacation months are typically July and August, so naturally booking a vacation rental during these months will be most expensive. If you plan a trip for late May or early June, you can avoid most of the peak-season fees. And if you can wait until after Labor Day, you’ve got the chance to save up to HALF off your rental price! 4.) Be Your Own Planner. Using a booking agent can tack on a fee of up to 10% on top of the cost of a rental, so use websites like FlipKey to do it yourself, quickly and easily. 5.) Read Guest Reviews. This one is a no-brainer to us here at FlipKey, because reviews are paramount to our property listing experience. But there’s a good reason for that – only past guests can tell you what a rental property is REALLY like – the good, the bad and the ugly! In addition to looking at photos and chatting with the owners, it’s the most surefire way to guarantee that you’re picking a good place to stay. 6.) Ask Questions. Whether booking a property that you’ll stay in for two days or two weeks, you want to make sure that you’ll have all the amenities you want and need available to you. And the only way you’ll know is if you ask. More is better in this case, and owners will be happy to provide information and photos to anyone seriously considering their rental home. Read more at www.flipkey.com

iPhone travel apps: traveling in Italy: Rome and Vatican The next one in the series of articles on “5 most useful iPhone travel apps” is … ITALY ! Italy… the land of artists, emperors, gladiator fights… And here we are, technologically advanced… exploring the ancient history and enjoying modern comfort and convenience of getting around with iPhone travel apps. 1. Rick Steves’ Ancient Rome Tour It’s your personal interactive multimedia guide to ancient Rome.  The audio player allows you listen to detailed explanations on the sections of the tour and tour sights. Some of the sights are accompanied by video. This comprehensive Rome history tour guide is enhanced with useful information on nearby hotels and restaurants. If you tap the info tab of any sight, hotel or restaurant, you get more details on costs, address, phone numbers, etc. This app costs $2.99 and is available at the Apple Store 2. Rome Metro This is a very helpful iPhone app if you want to use metro services in Rome. This app will show you what metro station is the closest to you. It will also provide information on the best route to your destination. The Roma Metro app allows you save your preferred routes and itineraries in your iPhone, rearrange and visualize them. This app is available in English, Italian and Spanich, costs $2.99 and is available for download from the Apple Store 3. Rome 2Go This iPhone Rome travel app includes offline searchable and zoomable map. Rome 2Go provides in-depth information about places of interest, historical facts, trivia and more. With this App you can search for and read articles about Rome. Rome2Go offers over 500 articles! This level of richness and in depth coverage of the whole city is unique to Rome2Go. This App concentrates on Rome history, geography and landmarks and has very little information about restaurants, night life, clubs or events. This app costs $0.99 and is available for download from the Apple Store 4. Top 10 Rome This iPhone app got high ranking from the users. It’s a guide to top 10 everything in Rome. It allows you to browse the most fascinating ancient sites, churches and historical buildings, provides information on greatest Roman artists, romantic spots, piazzas and fountains, most fun places for children and the best hotels, shops and restaurants to suit every budget. It includes: maps, images, descriptions and guides, large scale maps covering Central Rome and the Historic Center, separate maps for Bus routes around Rome, over 50 area-maps indicating various points of interest. The app has a built-in keyword based search that allows you to find everything you need in the guide. You can add and re-order bookmarks to help you keep track of the places you’re planning to visit. The app also contains currency converter, lots of useful web links and more! The app costs $7.99 and is available for download from the Apple Store 5. Vatican Museums Tour This app is a full comprehensive tour guide for Vatican Museums: history, art pieces’ description and story of creation, and much more. Selected Features: Interactive maps Easy navigation menu Suggested route Photo gallery with over 200 high quality images 120 minutes of high content audio, soundtrack, and FX This app got only 5-stars reviews at the Apple App store. This app costs $4.99 and is available for download from the Apple Store. *** Read more at blog.iphonetrip.com

What do you hate most about air travel? Is it the costs? The brutal flight durations and multiple layovers? Having to leave your house at the crack of dawn or arriving at your destination in the dead of night?

Whatever you hate most, Hipmunk will help you filter out so you can quickly see, select and purchase the best flights.

Once you tell Hipmunk when and where you’d like to go and on which airline, if any, you prefer to fly, the app sorts out available flights and filters them by multiple factors. You can see flights organized by price, number of stops, total duration, and departure and arrival times. Or, you can click the “agony” tab to see the creme-de-la-creme of flights — the ones that score best on all factors.

The interface is quick, simple and intuitive. The app replaced an hour’s worth of back-and-forth navigation and research within a few clicks; we were able to find a great flight that met our needs and purchase it through a partner travel site (currently, just Orbitz).

You can also run multiple searches using tabs that run inside the browser window. If you have a frequent flyer number, you can use that during the checkout process. If you run into trouble, you can IM live with a Hipmunk rep from within the app.

See more at mashable.com

Reason to Vacation Rental #73 - Because $12.50 for peanuts, a bag of chips and a soda from the hotel mini bar constitutes one of the most overpriced midnight snacks. Ever.

FlipKey’s Photos

Reason to Vacation Rental #73 - Because $12.50 for peanuts, a bag of chips and a soda from the hotel mini bar constitutes one of the most overpriced midnight snacks. Ever. Read more at www.facebook.com

Arriving by Train – Roma Termini

If all roads lead to Rome, most segments of the transportation system lead to Roma Termini! You can shop there, eat there, meet there, rent a car there, and leave from there! It’s truly the transportation hub of Rome.

Roma Termini Station runs almost all day… from 4:30 AM until 1:30 AM each day – almost 24 hours! It’s a busy, happening place! Almost 475,000 people pass through Termini EACH DAY – or more than 150 million visitors a year! I’m often through the Station on the metro 2-3 times in a single day.

If you’re arriving into Roma Termini station by train, you’re most likely coming from another city in Italy or the Leonardo Express. For many train, their FINAL destination is Termini. In Italy, tracks are called “Binari.”There are two track “areas “in the Station. The first is the main area and it has 24 tracks. If you’re entering the Station on a train, Binari #24 will be to your far left and track #1 will be to your far right. Conversely, if you’re in the station waiting for a train, the tracks are numbered from left to right, 1 – 24.

There is also a set of “satellite” tracks. These tracks are numbers 25-29 and they are in the second “area” of the station. These tracks are FAR OUT from the station and adjacent to track #24. In the picture above, we are approaching Track 25, at which is parked the Leonardo Express, loading up for it’s next trip back to the Airport. Note the yellow validation box mounted on the pole as you head for the train. If you arrive here you will have a 10-12 minute walk into the main area of the station. If you’re departing from one of these tracks, start hiking now! It’s a haul. If you go to the basement level of the station – one floor down from ground level – there are moving sidewalks that will get you out to the satellite tracks. But on the ground level you’ll have to walk… and walk… and walk. Currently the Leonardo Express, from the airport, is arriving/departing from Track #25. This just changed in 2008. It used to be track #24 which was much easier. Let’s hope they change it back soon!

Pictured above is the ramp, approaching it FROM Tracks 25 through 29. The ramp will be on your left as you head for the station. And then on the lower level you see these walking sidewalks:

And a departure board – if these are hanging from the ceiling, in a hall for example, usually one side is Arrivals and the other Departures.

Upon arrival, grab all your luggage and head down the platform away from the train. In the main area, tracks 1-24, you arrive almost in the heart of the Station. To get to the taxi stand head straight out the front doors which are directly in front of you but you have to walk through the station.

Once you get to the front, the Official Taxi Stand is to your left. You’ll see many taxis lined up! Head for the far left where the queue starts and get in line. You could be approached by taxi drivers standing off to the side who will ask, “Do you need a taxi – no waiting!” Stay in line. Do not get in a non-official taxi. Most are unmetered and illegal. Taxis in Rome are only supposed to accept fares AT Taxi Stands, so stay in line and you’ll be fine. Again, if you have your destination written down (in Italian!) you can show it to the taxi driver. Most parts of Rome are no more than a 10-15 Euro cab ride from Termini… usually it’s much less.

If you plan to ride a bus from Termini, most buses depart from Piazza dei Cinquecento, the square in front of the Station. Again, depart your train, stay on the ground floor, and walk straight out the front doors. Bear to your left and you’ll see many buses lined up. Termini is a major bus stop, the largest in town. As you walk along the “islands” where the buses park look for your bus number. If the bus is there, jump on – but do remember YOU MUST HAVE A BUS TICKET before you get on the bus. Very few (5%????) of the buses have machines to sell tickets on the bus. There are Tabacchi shops in the station and stalls outside where you can buy a bus ticket. We’ll talk about bus and metro riding in another post.

If you’re renting a car – Good Luck, you’re a brave soul to drive in or out of Rome – head to your LEFT once you get off the trains. The Car Rentals counters are in the newer wing of the Terminal, next to the Post Office and the Upim department store. Again, from inside the train station, walk along the tracks following the signs toward Terminal Fiumicino. Look for the yellow sign for the post office (Posta (PT)). Here you will find the major companies – Avis, Hertz, Thrifty, Dollar, Sixt, Europcar, National, Maggiore and some local agencies such as Targarent Travelcar and Tirreno. Once you get your paper work done, you’ll have to walk east (LEFT from the Car Rental Area) along Via Giovanni Giolitti to the parking garage where most of the rental car agencies park. If you’re returning your car, this will be where you’ll drop it off. There are different procedures in the Garage depending on who you are renting from. Welcome to your first driving experience in Rome… Again, good luck – do bring or rent a GPS!

Left Luggage

Many folks are just in Rome for a day and ask where they can store their luggage. Roma Termini is probably the best option. The left luggage and lost property facilities are located in the terminal on the Lower level. They are downstairs form Track #24 and can be accessed via the moving walkway on the basement level of the Ala Termini wing. If you’re walking towards the tracks from the front of the Station, it will be to your right and downstairs. The Left Luggage is open 7 days a week from 6 AM – 12 midnight (06.00 – 24.00). Do know that you need to leave yourself PLENTY OF TIME when you are picking up your luggage as the lines can get very long – especially if an International Train has just come in. You don’t want to be standing in line waiting on your luggage when your train pulls out! The Left Luggage is VERY safe, efficient, and convenient!

Charges •4,00 € the first 5 hours •0,60 € per hour from 6th to 12th hour •0,20 € per hour from 13th hour on •Contacts: +39 06 474 4777

Roma Termini is an efficient train station. It moves almost half a million folks every day! But it’s probably not the romantic image people have of train stations in Europe. It’s chaotic, but business-like. It’s dirty and grungy, but enthralling! There are two McDonald’s in the station, and one just outside on Via Giolitti, but it also has 100 other stores, restaurants, and a GREAT Conad grocery store.

But you have to be careful here. Like any urban environment: BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS! Some of my experiences… Once I was walking back from dropping off my rental car, headed to the Official Taxi Stand. A taxi driver approached me as I walked back down Via G. Giolitti and offered to take me to my hotel. I’d taken the trip often and knew it would cost me €5-7. The driver said he would take me for €40. Yep, if I had NOT known better I’d been out the money. So always head for the official Taxi Stands…

Also be careful when you are purchasing tickets at the kiosks in Termini. Folks will come up to you and offer to help you buy your ticket – often without you even asking.

That said, Roma Termini is a safe area. The crimes committed are not violent crimes, mostly pick-pocketing and petty theft. Be alert and you’ll be fine. When in doubt just say “NO” forcibly or walk away. I enjoy traveling though Termini and it now feels like a small station! Read more at www.roninrome.com

Venice Carnival 2011

It’s almost time for Venice’s carnival or carnevale season, a time of costume parties, parades, masquerade balls and entertainment culminating on Shrove Tuesday, 40 days before Easter. 2011 Venice Carnival opens on February 19 with a party in Saint Mark’s Square and ends March 8 with a finale in Saint Mark’s Square that includes a giant group kiss at midnight, entertainment, and fireworks.

Venice is one of the world’s top places to celebrate carnival or mardi gras and going to Venice during carnival season is not to be missed. If you’re going, be sure you book a hotel in advance (see Top-Rated Venice Hotels) or if you want an arranged trip, Palio Tours has a few spots left on their Essence of Carnival Tour. You’ll find more about Venice’s carnival in our Tips for Going to Carnevale in Venice. Read more at goitaly.about.com

An Italian Icon Is About to Hit the States

After a long wait, the new Fiat 500 eventually comes to the US. The heir to the Italian instant classic of the 1970s will be available in 3 versions, and we’ll start to see it on the roads by the end of the month

Turin, 1957. This is where and when the history of one of the most iconic Italian products began: the Fiat 500. What can be described as one of the first city cars was born in response to the demand for an economic vehicle in the years after WWII. Over the time it has become an Italian design icon, a symbol of the Dolce Vita and of the Italian lifestyle that can be summarized with the adjectives “fashionable” and “practical”.

Production of the old 500 was discontinued in 1975, and since then fans have been begging to see it reborn. Their hopes were fulfilled in 2007. After more than 30 years, Fiat gave the public an updated version of its timeless instant classic. The new 500 was created to be true to its origins while simultaneously upgraded with all the tech gizmos we are used to seeing in higher end vehicles. It is a compact, fuel efficient car that behaves equally well in cramped city streets and during a carefree ride through the countryside, stylish enough to have heads turning no matter where it is used.

See more at www.i-italy.org