Where's Johnny Jet? Roaming Through Rome

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Buona sera from one of the world's most spectacular cities: Rome, Italy. This is the final stop on my European escape before heading back to the United States. Ready to discover a few cultural gems and some helpful travel tips? Then join my buddy Mike and me as we tour this ancient city.

Naples Train Station

This week, we're picking up our story in Naples. This is where my childhood friend Mike and I say, "Arrivederci." to his parents. If you remember from last week, Mr. and Mrs. Manna joined us on our short trip to the beautiful island of Ischia.

From the Naples train station, the Mannas headed back to their summer home in Moio della Civitella and Mike and I headed in the opposite direction, traveling north to Rome. Naples is less than two hours away from both destinations and trains run frequently, almost every hour. Even though Mike and I each had a Eurail pass, purchased in advance from RailEurope.com, we didn't confirm our seats because we weren't sure which train we'd be taking. What can I say? We're guys. We don't like to commit.

Naples to Rome

The line to purchase tickets was s l o o o w. It took 25 minutes just to reach the counter and make a reservation. The agent gave us a choice. We could either take the speedy Eurostar (1h 27m) with a supplementary fee of 20 € or take the 20-minute longer InterCity local train and just pay 5 € for the reservation. We ran into this same dilemma two years ago and that time, we opted for the Eurostar. Big mistake. Although it was plush and traveled at 300km/h (186mph), the train was an hour late. So essentially, we paid extra to wait in the hot, dark, underground station and arrived at our destination 30 minutes later than the local train. We weren't going to get burned twice. TIP: Instead of eating train food, grab a couple slices of the too-salty pizza (1.80 €) in the station next to the McDonald's. If pizza isn't your thing, next door you'll find a café with awesome pastries and sandwiches but the line is long and moves slowly.

Rome Taxis

Once we arrived in Rome, we didn't have to wait to get a taxi. By the way, in Rome, taxis are relatively inexpensive. Before getting in, we asked the driver how much it would cost to drive to our hotel. It's always a good idea to inquire about fares in advance. He quoted us a fare of 7 € and he was right on the money. When we got in the taxi, I noticed that Mike had his carry-on luggage on his lap. That when I realized that I had made a rookie mistake. Of course. I smacked Mike upside the head. "Why didn't you remind me, fool?." I asked. You see, in Rome and many other European cities, for that matter, taxis charge extra for bags placed in the trunk. In Rome it's 1.04 € per bag. Stupid me, I put my little carry-on in the back, along with my other bag. But for some reason, our driver didn't charge us for any of the bags. To show our appreciation, we tipped well, which is not compulsory in Italy. Customarily, passengers just round the fare up -- so if your total is 7.40 €, you'd give eight. FYI: It's not always easy to flag a taxi down on the street like it is in New York. Most of the time, you'll need to call for one and remember: they turn the meter on when they get the call, not when they pick you up. Here are some Rome taxi names and phone numbers: Radio Taxi 3570, Radio Taxi 4157, Pronto Taxi 6645. Be sure to dial 06 in front of each number.

St. George Hotel

Life's not too bad when you're lucky enough to check-in to a brand new, five-star, 64-room deluxe boutique hotel in Rome. The St. George is a member of the World Hotels Deluxe Collection and the place is styling. It's so plush and modern; there are no lingering signs of its historic origins. In 1508, Pope Julius II commissioned the building to be used as the Palace of the Courts (Palazzo dei Tribunali) but that never happened. I'm not sure what it was used for instead, but I do know that earlier this year, a total restoration of the building took place and the hotel is now a quiet, sophisticated, comfortable escape from the hustle and bustle of Rome. St. George Roma, Via Giulia 62 00186, Rome, Italy, tel. +39 (06) 686611, fax: +39 (06) 68661230.

Our room was on the fifth floor, the top floor of the hotel. Because our room was located in the corner of the building, the ceilings were slanted but the place was so large it didn't matter. Like the lobby of the hotel, the rooms are elegantly designed with contemporary furniture and boast the latest technology: flat screen TV with on-demand movies, wireless Internet (12 € for 24 hours) and outlets to fit US electronics, just to name a few.

Spa

After all the food Mike's parents had fed me during my stay with them, I thought I should take advantage of the hotel gym. Unfortunately, it was located in the basement next to the spa. The moment I stepped off the elevator, my knees nearly buckled from the tranquil feeling emanating from the spa. As you might guess, I'm off to one heck of a workout, huh? The spa's low lighting and soothing music stole over me, making me want to do anything but pump iron. I quickly glanced at the overpriced list of massage treatments, had a glass of fresh pineapple juice and sampled a couple of the sweet, delicate treats that were just staring up at me from a silver tray. In fact, I'm sure I heard those same sweet treats whispering, "Don't work out, Johnny Jet. Eat me instead, then go for a private dip in the Turkish bath." And that's exactly what I did. Now that's an Italian-style workout.

Breakfast Buffet

An Italian breakfast usually consists of a cappuccino and a cornetto, which is similar to a croissant but smaller. Well, this is not the case at the St. George. As the hotel caters mostly to Americans, it offers a full breakfast buffet. But here, it's not about quantity but quality. The food was top-notch and everything was deliciously fresh, from the juices and the fruit salad to the scrambled eggs. Breakfast can be eaten either in the restaurant or out in the quiet courtyard. Even better, there's no need to get up early; it's served from 6:30am to 11am. Besides choosing the spa over the gym, what really killed my good intentions of getting back in shape was the chocolate torte sitting smack in the middle of the buffet. Why they'd offer this for breakfast, I don't know. Must be some sick joke. Even though all the other diners seemed to demonstrate restraint, I didn't. I went to town on that bad boy before moving on to its neighbor, the cherry pie. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Scrumptious. TIP: Be sure to negotiate breakfast into your room rate, which begin at 170 € a night, otherwise breakfast will run you 30 €. Ouch.

Exploring

The best part about the St. George besides, of course, its incredible breakfast buffet, comfy rooms and friendly, English-speaking staff, is its location. Campo dei Fiori, Piazza Navona, the Vatican City and Castel St. Angelo are all just a stone's throw away. In fact, I could see the top of the Vatican from my room. The hotel is situated on a sleepy, residential street called Via Giulia. Two blocks down the street is an Anti-Mafia police station (no wonder it's so quiet.) and it's also home to many priests and nuns. Sounds like the perfect neighbors to me. There's a small café a few doors down so instead of spending 5 € for a bottle of water from the in-room mini-bar, I walked down the street, where I could purchase bottled water for 1 €.

Tiber River

One block away from the St. George, as the crow flies, is the Tiber River. The Tiber is Italy's third longest river; it's 252 miles (406 km) long. The walk along the Tiber could be just as special as it is along the River Seine but sadly it's not. If the city of Rome could dredge the river and clean it up more than they are currently doing, maybe even offer more dinner cruises, this place could be really happening. The tree-lined sidewalks above the river that run parallel with it are beautiful when they're cleaned. There are many bridges and the one closest to the hotel appeared to be home base for a bunch of derelict kids with ferocious-looking dogs. Mike, who is a regular visitor to Rome, was actually afraid to go for a walk down below, along the river, even though the sidewalks there are cleaner and wider. It's a perfect oasis for a morning walk or jog. However, since there are few other passersby, I don't recommend venturing down there at night. Here's more on the history of the Tiber River.

Vatican City

A 10-minute walk from the hotel is all it takes to get to the Vatican. If you haven't been to the Vatican, then you're really missing out ... I don't care what your religion is. I am fortunate to have been on several occasions but each time I walk through those doors, I get goose bumps and my jaw drops. It is truly special. Now that everyone has to pass through metal detectors, there's always a bottleneck at the entrance. To avoid the large crowds, arrive just before opening or closing. Open hours vary, so see the Vatican's homepage for times. The website also lists the mass schedule; daily masses are open to the public and are not to be missed.

Sistine Chapel

Did you know that the Vatican is located in Vatican City and is its own country? In fact, it's the world's smallest country at 0.2 square miles. That doesn't sound very large but Mike and I walked around the whole walled country. It must have taken a good 45 minutes but in the hot sun, it felt much longer. How many times can you say that you've walked around a whole country? Actually, we didn't intend to do this, but we walked all the way around, amazed at how long the line to the Vatican Museum was. Seriously, it was the longest line I've ever seen. It had to be close to a mile long. I only wish that I had known about Viator.com's 'skip the line' deals so I could have seen the Sistine Chapel. I sure wasn't going to wait in a long line, no matter how quickly it moved. The Vatican Museum entrance tickets from Viator.com cost US$38.90, which is twice the regular entrance fee. But to me, it's well worth it if you don't have to wait in the long lines ... plus, you get exclusive access. Viator.com is great for travelers; they offer these kinds of deals for sites all over the world. In fact, we are featuring them as this week's website of the week, so click here for more information.

Dressing in Italy

A recent poll by European hotel managers ranked Italian tourists as the best dressers, by far, in the world. The worst dressed by far, were Americans. Sadly, I agree and sometimes I, too, fall into this category; I tend to choose comfort over fashion. But whatever you do, don't wear shorts or a sleeveless shirt to the Vatican or any other church. If you do, you won't be permitted inside. Shoulders and knees must be covered, though long shorts are usually okay. The Italians dress so well that I don't even think they wear shorts to the gym.

Rome

No matter how many times I visit Rome, I feel obligated to visit all the historic sites like The Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, Piazza del Popolo, Castel St. Angelo, The Spanish Steps, The Pantheon ... I could go on forever. There's so much to see and do in Rome that you really need a vacation after your vacation to Rome. But this time, we didn't run around all over the place. Instead, Mike and I got our exercise by walking everywhere. We didn't take any taxis except to and from the train station. And we didn't go to the Colosseum; we've both been so many times. But I do have a great tip from our trip two years ago that'll help you avoid the long lines at the Colosseum. Click this link for that tip.

Beggars

I am in no position to tell anyone what to do with his or her money. But I rarely give money to street beggars unless they are very old, severely handicapped or live in a country without any resources. In Rome, I got ticked off at a few beggars. Young gypsy women dress like old homeless women and curl up on the street in a fetal position with rosary beads clutched in their hands. They are wrapped from head to toe so you can't see how young they really are and they sucker compassionate travelers. One of those suckers was my buddy Mike who, like many, stopped to give them money.

Piazza Navona

To escape the tourists, you should dine where the Italians dine. Many live and dine outside the city in Travestere, a 10-minute train or taxi ride away. But we didn't feel like jumping on any trains or taxis so instead, what did we do? We went to one of the biggest tourist traps in all of Rome: Piazza Navona. It was just an 8-minute walk from our hotel and the Piazza Navona is a really wonderful square with incredible sculptures and architecture. But at night, the place is flooded with tourists, mostly American, and turns into a Venice Beach-type atmosphere. There are street performers, artists and hawkers selling everything from cheap toys to knock-off handbags. You can even get your name written in Chinese. Now this really bums me out. If I want my name written in Chinese, I'll go to China.

AQUA TIP: Don't buy bottled water in the popular tourist places. Next to the Trevi Fountain, stores and street vendors sell bottles for 3 €. I walked two blocks away, down some side streets and found bottled water in a pizza place for 1 € each. It was such a deal that apparently, Roman soldiers shop there too.

Dining Out

I told Mike that there was no way I was eating at one of the outdoor cafés in the Piazza. Not only is it tourist central, but it's a prime terrorist target and quite honestly, it's just not charming with the circus all around. Instead, we walked down one of the many side streets connected to the Piazza. There are plenty of places to eat that aren't nearly as touristy. The first night, we ate at Ristorante Virginiae. Although this place was just one block in from the square and still full of Americans, the food was pretty good. I know, it's Italy, its difficult to find bad food. In Italy, most diners eat more than one course so the portions are small. I was cutting back on my food intake so my 9 € plate of rigatoni was perfect. What I didn't like, besides the cars and Vespas cruising nearby, is that the waiter brought a basket of bread to the table that we didn't ask for and then charged us 2.50 €. I felt suckered. I didn't make a fuss because they only charged 1.50 € for a large bottle of water and 2.50 € for a quarter liter of wine. Here's a scanned copy of our bill, which also has the contact info for Ristorante Virginiae.

Osteria Del Pegno

Just a block or two away, down some confusing side streets, you'll find Osteria del Pegno. We walked by it on our first night and I had a really good feeling about it. I tried to get a table but the maitre d' said they were full even though I spotted some empty tables. So I made a reservation for the following night and sure enough, my good feeling was right on. Osteria del Pegno is a gem. It's small and quaint. The wait staff doesn't rush you, the tables aren't too close together and both the food and service were excellent. Next time you're in Rome, definitely make a reservation here and make it for just before it gets dark outside. The streetlights really add to the ambience and make the graffiti on the walls across the alley disappear. Click here for Osteria del Pegno's scanned business card.

Gelato

No trip or dinner in Rome would be complete without getting at least one scoop of gelato. Each night, we went to Blue Ice, which is a chain and by far the busiest gelato place around. With the large crowds, you know it has to be good ... and it was. For 3.50 € I indulged in three scoops (Nutella, chocolate and white chocolate) in a chocolate dipped waffle cone covered with sprinkles. What a way to end the night and my trip to Italy.

Note: Rail tickets provided by RailEurope.com and the hotel by World Hotels.

Johnny Jet has been featured over 1,000 times in major publications, including USA Today, Time, Fortune and The New York Times, and has appeared on ABC, CBS, CNBC, MSNBC, NBC, FOX News Channel, and PBS. JohnnyJet.com has been named "one of the top best money-saving web sites for travel" by Budget Travel Magazine, while the L.A. Times calls it "one of the top 10 essential travel resources on the internet." In the May 2007 issue of Outside Magazine, Johnny Jet was touted for having one of the world's best "dream jobs". Every week Johnny hosts a "travel website of the week" for several radio stations around the country, he writes weekly for Frommers.com and he has written for USAToday, The Boston Herald and Coast Magazine. Sign up today for Johnny Jet's free weekly travel newsletter at www.johnnyjet.com.

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