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Rick Steves' Rome

Updates since the 2008 edition:

Sights

The Vatican Museum is now open Mon–Sat 8:30-17:30, last entry at 16:00 (the official closing time is 18:00, but the staff starts ushering you out at 17:30). Closed Sun, except the last one of the month, when it's open 8:30–14:00. Hours are subject to constant change. The best time to go is at 12:30 or later, since groups tend to come to the museum early in the morning or right before lunchtime, or during the papal audience on Wednesday after 10:30.

The Roman Forum is no longer free — the €11 combo-ticket for the Colosseum and Palatine Hill now also includes entry to the Forum (ticket valid two days — one entry per site, daily 8:30-one hour before sunset (April–Sept until 19:00, Oct until 18:15, Nov–Feb until 16:15, March until 16:30), last entry one hour before closing). The ticket office is at the end of Via Cavour close to the Forum. The proceeds will go to increased security and restoration works at the Forum and other sites in Rome.

Also, four frescoed rooms in Emperor Augustus' House atop Palatine Hill have opened to the public after decades of restoration. Guided tours of the house will be covered by the €11 combo-ticket that covers the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum. Just five people at a time will be allowed in for five minutes to see the frescoed rooms — experts say the frescoes are among the most splendid surviving examples of Roman wall painting, on a par with those currently housed in the National Museum of Rome at Palazzo Massimo and those found in the nearby house of Augustus's wife Livia.

Sleeping

Hotel Italia Roma has a new website at www.hotelitaliaroma.it.