Rome: Where All Roads Lead - Italy - page 47

Cutting the Cost of Museum Admissions
For all there is to see and do in Rome, the city doesn't do a great job of
making it easy or convenient. Unlike in, say, Naples and Florence, there
are no all-encompassing tourist passes that integrate museum admission
and public transportation. Instead, Rome's visitors have to pick and
choose their deals, juggling a handful of different tickets to enjoy savings.
The integrated tickets that do exist are available at any of the sites they
cover, or through APT Azienda per il Turismo Roma (Via Parigi, 5, or
inside Fiumicino Airport; % 06-48899200 or 06-36004399; www.roma
turismo.com). It's important to note that most museums are closed on
Mondays, with the exception of the Vatican Museums and the Museum of
Modern Art, which makes taking advantage of a 3-day ticket purchased on
a Saturday or Sunday nearly impossible.
Consider the following:
u Capitolini Card Adults € 8.30, seniors and students € 6.20, 7 days:
Capitoline Museums and Montemartini.
u Museo Nazionale Romano Card Adults € 7, seniors and students
€ 3.50, 3 days: Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, Baths of Diocletian,
Palazzo Altemps, and Balbi Crypt.
u Appia Antica Card Adults € 6, no discounts, 7 days: Baths of
Caracalla, Tomb of Cecilia Metella, and Villa dei Quintili.
u Archeologia Card Adults € 20, seniors and students € 10, 7 days:
Colosseum, Palatine Hill, Terme di Caracalla, Palazzo Altemps, Palazzo
Massimo alle Terme, Baths of Diocletian, Balbi Crypt, Tomb of Cecilia
Metella, and Villa dei Quintili.
u Go.Card (www.gocard.org) Adults 18 to 30 € 6, good from July 1-
June 30 (no matter when you buy it), supplying discounts to tourist
sites, movie theaters, art showings, and some shops.
ANCIENT ROME
Ancient Rome may look like a jumble of fallen columns and confusing ruins, but
this area, which is the most historically significant in the city, is quite easy to nav-
igate and decipher with a good map and a good imagination. You will not see full
buildings here; in fact, the most complete ruin in the antiquity park is the
Colosseum, which is essentially just a shell.
The Capitoline Hill
Start exploring the many gems here from the government center of modern
Rome, atop the Capitoline Hill just behind city hall. Head straight up the cordo-
nata ramplike stairs from Piazza Venezia to Piazza del Campidoglio. Though it's
open 24 hours, it's best to come here right before dawn (you'll want to avoid this
area at night). Watching the sun rise over the ancient forums is perhaps the most
magical moment you'll experience in this city, and well worth the sacrifice of a little