Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
OUTLET MALLS
If you are really set on getting good deals on Italian fashion, and have your own
transportation, consider driving the 20 minutes or so south to the
Castelli Romana
Outlet Mall
(Via Pontina, exit Castel Romano 15km; castelromano.mcarthurglen.it),
which has 88 stores selling fashions for men, women, and children, as well as house-
hold goods and electronics. There is a restaurant and a play center for children.
SHOPPING STREETS
The expensive shopping streets (
Via Condotti
and
Via Frattina
) lie just below
the Spanish Steps in the area called the Tridente. These streets are packed with
top-end designer boutiques and expensive jewelry shops.
For more reasonably priced shopping try
Via Cola di Rienzo,
running from
Piazza Risorgimento near Vatican City to the Tiber River. You'll find fashion,
footwear, and funky gadget shops in this area, which is becoming more upscale by
the minute. There is a Coin department store and several moderate fashion shops
like Max Mara and Benetton here. Alternately,
Via Del Corso
which runs from
Piazza Venezia to Piazza del Popolo is a narrow street packed with shops. (Up
toward the Piazza del Popolo, the traffic is limited and you can shop more easily.)
It's worth exploring the side streets in this area for tiny stores selling original fash-
ions and jewelry and shoes. There are a number of bookstores and gift shops, too.
Then try
Via Nazionale,
which runs from Piazza della Repubblica to just above
Piazza Venezia. This street has always been the haven for leather shops selling
handbags, belts, and wallets. You can find some names like Timberland as well.
(But there is also a higher concentration of pickpockets here than on other streets,
owing to the proximity to Termini, so watch your valuables.)
And finally,
Via Marconi
is somewhat off the beaten track, but it's one of the
streets many Romans flock to. All the usual suspects are here, but the shopping
experience is less touristy. This is an easy place in which to feel like a Roman—
there aren't many tourists in this part of town.
TOILETRIES
No one sells simple soap like the Romans, and one of the oldest venders of perfumes
and other essentials is
Antica Erboristeria Romana
(Via di Torre Argentina, 15;
%
06-6879493; www.anticaerboristeriaromana.com),
where you can buy essential
oils, tinctures, and other herbal remedies, in addition to more mainstream cures.
VINTAGE STORES
People
(Piazza Teatro di Pompeo, 4A;
%
06-6874040)
is an innovative store
where the designers Germana and Sara use material from vintage clothing to cre-
ate updated fashions. You can find some great club wear here, as well as interest-
ing scarves, jackets, and gloves. No two items are alike, so whatever you buy will
be unique.
NIGHTLIFE
Rome's nightlife centers primarily around two diverse spots. First, the nightclubs
and discos around Monte Testaccio set the standard for the city, and this area is
literally jumping from 10pm onward. The three big clubs are all on the Via di
Monte Testaccio, but there are many more to choose from along the street.
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