Travel Rome Boss Says City Remains US Top Travel Spot.
... "When in Rome", whether you're hoping for a glimpse of Pope Benedict XVI or longing to make a wish at the famous Trevi Fountain, it's clear - Rome is one of the top European destinations for this coming spring.
According to TripAdvisor and Lets-Travel-Rome.com, two of the leading travel information and recommendation sites on the Web, Rome, Italy is currently the most frequently researched destination on the web. Both sites offer travelers an honest guide to Rome with an insider's look at what's hot and what's not based on the opinions of real travelers.
"We really value our partnership with TripAdvisor," said Les Sheppard, CEO of Lets-Travel-Rome, "and we are featuring them in our free "Ten Top Hotels" guide that we offer from our homepage. We've been seeing a growth in interest in the City for the last twelve months, from travelers in the US and other European countries, driven by the quality and variety of attractions and improving hotel standards."
"Not only is Rome currently the top TripAdvisor destination," said Christine Petersen, senior vice president of marketing at TripAdvisor, "but our users are saying that visiting Rome now is a great way to experience history in the making."
To help you plan your trip, here's the inside scoop on where to stay and top do's and don'ts for your visit to Rome:
TRAVEL BUZZ - Our tips on seeing the city, dining and saving:
1) Hoof it - Hands down, the best way to see the city is by foot with a guidebook.
2) Enjoy a siesta - "Be aware that stores, museums and other attractions often close in the afternoon and re-open in the evening. Also, many museums (Borghese Gallery, Capital Hill Museum, Castel Sant'Angelo, Baths of Diocletian, Museum of Roman Civilization, National Museum of Rome) close on Mondays and the Vatican Museum is closed on Sunday, so plan accordingly."
3) Spend less - "Save money by loading up on free breakfast at your hotel or dining only in trattorias and pizzerias; Don't be shy about haggling over price with street vendors; use credit cards as much as possible and get cash (Euros) at ATMs."
4) Avoid long lines - "Go to the Palatine Hill ticket booth to buy one pass for Palatine Hill and The Colosseum. Buy tickets in advance for Borghese Gallery and the Domus area."
5) Beware the dress code - "St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel and many of the other churches and religious attractions have strictly enforced dress codes, so leave the shorts, minis and tanks behind."
Les Sheppard's website gives full information about planning your trip to Rome, including flight deals, Rome accommodation tips, Apartment and Villa rentals,tour planning and tips on all the top Rome attractions:
Lets-Travel-Rome.com You can also grab our free hotel guide and newsletter from the homepage, and keep up to date at our Travel Rome Blog:
Lets-Travel-Rome.Blogspot
Tourists in Italy Rome Up 10 Pct for Christmas Holidays 2005
Rome, December 6
(ANSA) - Rome, December 6 - The number of tourists who will visit the Italian capital during this year's Christmas holidays is expected to be 10 pct higher than the figure registered over the same holiday period in 2004, according to data by local association of travel agencies Fiavet Lazio.
Bookings at Rome's hotels currently stand at 80 pct. The figures prove that the city remains a preferred destination for many visitors from Italy and abroad, Mayor Walter Veltroni said.
The number of Italians who will travel during the 2005 Christmas holidays is expected to increase by 5.0 pct to between 8.0 million and 9.0 million compared to the Christmas season 2004, the ANSA news agency reported on November 29, 2005. Tourist arrivals in the hotels of Rome and its province increased by 12.3 pct year-on-year in October 2005, to 842,774. Tourist overnight stays increased by 11.95 pct year-on-year to 1,955,695, the agency said on November 17, 2005.
If you are looking to travel to Rome this Christmas, then you need to check out the huge range of Apartments and Villas available through our recommended partners at:
Lets-Travel-Rome.com/venere
Cathay Pacific to launch daily service to Rome
8 December 2005
Cathay Pacific is to strengthen Hong Kong's connections to Europe with a daily service to Rome, starting 27 March 2006.
A daily service, increased from the current five flights a week, will provide passengers greater flexibility for travel between Italy, Hong Kong and connecting points in Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Philip Chen said, "Cathay Pacific offers more flights to Europe from Hong Kong than any other airline, and the only service to Italy. The addition of more Cathay Pacific services makes travelling via Hong Kong a far more attractive proposition to passengers and multiplies the airport's strength as a global hub and gateway to the Chinese Mainland."
Cathay Pacific currently operates 54 passenger services to five cities in Europe each week. It operates four flights a day to London, plus daily services to Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris, and five weekly flights to Rome. The airline serves 92 destinations world-wide.
For links to our best deals for flights to Rome go here:
Flights to Rome -
Why not Rent an Apartment in Rome for your Next Vacation?
When I tell people that they can get easliy and cheaply rent an
apartment in Rome for their city vacation, they sometimes look at me
like I'm nuts. It's not that they've never thought of the idea.
It's that they think its too hard to arrange, or heard some strange
things about it, like:
1. Its far too expensive for any reasonable budget.
Price is probably the most common misconception. I've even heard
this from good friends who have seen me take this option just
about any time I want.
The only thing that price and these apartments have in common is
that both can give you a huge choice. The big difference is that
when you know how to find the perfect place, and you understand
how much freedom you can gain, you can win with this game just
about every time you play.
Finding a great apartment has nothing to do with luck. It has
everything to do with knowing where to look, and getting a huge
choice that fits a given budget.
2. You'll Struggle to get a good location, and be nowehere near the action.
When I first started to travel to Rome, I thought the same thing.
But, you know what, its just not true. The resource I'll recommend to
you at the end of this article can put you right next to The Spanish
Steps, in a glorious apartment with balcony views. They can also find
you a family villa, tucked away in the hills outside the City - and
pretty much everything in between.
I've rented apartments in Rome plenty of times since my early
stays in the cities Hotels, both on business and pleasure, and
not a single one of these places has let me down . In fact, they
were all perfectly sited for my needs on each trip, sometimes
bustling and convenient, sometimes peaceful and secluded.
And the fact is, you don't need to spend hours of research to
find just the right thing. These days you can simply go to one
website and find a choice of apartments to match your requirements.
With my partners at Venere.com, that's a breeze.
3. Isn't it just less hassle to book a package deal?
Renting an apartment in Rome is cool for two reasons. First, you
get an unbelievable amount of freedom and flexibility that most
city centre hotels just can't offer. Just come and go as you please.
Drop in for a quick shower after a hard days sightseeing, and freshen up
before you go out to the Opera House. Use as a base to entertain friends
and family into the early hours, there's no-one to complain
about the noise! Sleep in till lunchtime if you want, there's
nobody clamouring to clean the room.
The second reason is that you get much closer to the people.
You can easily find a rental property that's tucked in with
the locals... say, just off the Piazza Navona near the city
centre, and really get a feel for Roman life close up. I
promise you it takes a short vacation to another level
of experience, and you could find you're visitng the
Eternal City more and more often.
For both reasons, I believe that the minor hassle of making
slightly more detailed plans before you travel is well worth
the effort. Most people don't understand that, and that's why
they miss out.
4. You'd Need A Top Quality Agent You Can Trust with your Money
And at this point I tend to agree with them. Business and leisure
travellers have been using the Agent I recommend for many years, and
they specialise in renting apartments in Rome. It's one of their
biggest sources of revenue, and therefore a line of business that
they guard carefully. If you're ready to have a look at the
huge choice and value on offer, here's a link for you:
Lets-Travel-Rome.com/Venere The truth is, I needed to have an ultra reliable resource to back
up my travel plans, and I wanted to deal with people that had
strong contacts on the ground in Rome. And that's all they do!
It can take me less than fifteen minutes to find and book my
exact requirements every time I click through to their site.
So, You don't need to search for hours when you want to rent
an apartment in Rome. You just have to look in the right place.
That's all for now. In my next article, I'll explain more of my
travel tips for your time in Rome
Best wishes for a great vacation,
Les Sheppard
Get full information about planning your trip to Rome:
Lets-Travel-Rome.com
