00:00Beach holiday, city breaks or adventure trips, which one do you prefer?
00:03I love a combination of all. I love to go to the city for the kind of culture.
00:08I might have to go city holiday actually.
00:10Depends what mood I'm in, like if you went somewhere like Thailand you could
00:13get a little bit of everything. Jungles, in somewhere like Chiang Mai.
00:17But I also like to get away from that on the beach as well.
00:20If I'm on my own with my friends, adventure trip.
00:23I prefer city breaks.
00:24Beach.
00:25With the family, it's always a beach.
00:27Well it used to be city trip because I was a bit of a culture vulture,
00:29but these days I've seen all the culture, I've heard all the music,
00:32I've done it all. So I'd rather get out in nature and climb up mountains.
00:36I like being in a big city personally. I'm not very good at all the touristy things.
00:40All of them. Why? You can merge them. Come on, let's do it all.
00:44Today we're taking you to a city that resounds with history with
00:48every step you take on its ancient marble stones, Rome.
00:52The Italian capital has been drawing the crowds for decades,
00:56delivering culture and cuisine in abundance.
01:00In 2025, millions more will be drawn to Rome as it celebrates Holy Year,
01:08a tradition that began in the year 1300.
01:11Welcome to Travel Smart.
01:22Not all flight paths lead to Rome, but many of them do,
01:27with more links from the UK than ever.
01:30You can fly from London's Stansted, Gatwick, Heathrow and City airports,
01:35and from elsewhere, from Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester and Edinburgh.
01:42The heart of the city is wrapped in a fold of the Tiber River,
01:45with the Vatican City just beyond.
01:48Rome offers such an intensity of experiences and traffic
01:51that staying centrally is always the best plan.
01:56The area around the Pantheon will put you within reasonable walking distance
02:01of all the main sites.
02:03Begin your exploration at the Pantheon itself, built 1,900 years ago,
02:09and you'll find yourself in the heart of the city.
02:11Begin your exploration at the Pantheon itself, built 1,900 years ago,
02:17and topped by what is still the world's largest unsupported concrete dome.
02:24It's been a place of worship during its entire lifespan,
02:28first as a Roman temple, and for the last 14 centuries
02:33as the Basilica of St Mary and the Martyrs.
02:37The opening in the dome, known as the oculus,
02:41casts a column of sunlight, and sometimes rain, onto the marble floor.
02:46Just west, the Piazza Navona began as a sports arena almost two millennia ago,
02:52but by the time of the Baroque, the square had become a hub for high society.
02:58Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers at the centre of the square
03:02is a marble masterpiece celebrating the Danube, the Nile,
03:07the Ganges, and South America's River Plate.
03:17Cross a more accessible river, the Tiber,
03:20for Bernini's other great set piece, St Peter's Colonnade,
03:23the triumphal approach to the home of Roman Catholicism, St Peter's Basilica.
03:29The biggest church in Christendom contains a wealth of tombs, chapels, and sculptures,
03:34most notably Michelangelo's Pieta, depicting the sorrow of the Virgin Mary
03:39when Jesus was taken down from the cross and given to her.
03:42Michelangelo was also responsible for painting the extraordinary ceiling
03:46of the Sistine Chapel with the most powerful image, the creation of Adam,
03:50showing how God created man.
03:53The chapel is now part of the Vatican Museums,
03:56book in advance online through the official website
03:59rather than one of the many unofficial sites that will charge extra,
04:02or join a small private tour before or after hours for a much richer experience.
04:08Rome's other great tourism duo is the Forum and the Colosseum.
04:14The Roman Forum is a vast open-air museum
04:18located in a valley between two of the hills on which Rome is built.
04:23The Capitoline and the Palatine.
04:26This was the very heart of the Roman Empire.
04:32The Colosseum is the prototype for all modern arenas,
04:37holding upwards of 50,000 spectators who watched mortal combat
04:42between gladiators, condemned criminals, and wild animals.
04:46Even today, after almost 2,000 years and many earthquakes,
04:51the stature of the ancient amphitheater still amazes.
04:55To the north, the Borghese Gardens provide a respite from the tempestuous city
05:02and a beautiful viewpoint over Rome.
05:05In the unlikely event that the weather isn't cooperating,
05:09head for the Borghese Gallery,
05:11a palace of pleasure devoted to art with work by Bernini, Titian, and Caravaggio.
05:18Finding the best value places to eat can be a bit hit and miss.
05:22Il Corallo, just to the west of Piazza Navona,
05:24is a reliable restaurant with great pizza and reasonable prices.
05:31I like to dine in the district of Trastevere,
05:33west of the Tiber and south of the Vatican.
05:36Explore the options around the Piazza Santa Maria and Piazza Trelusa.
05:41I'm also fond of the Antica Enateca,
05:43a traditional Italian restaurant and restaurant.
05:46I'm also fond of the Antica Enateca,
05:48a wine bar on Via delle Croce,
05:50very close to the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps.
05:53For such a central location, it provides excellent value.
05:57Very close by, enthusiastic and well-heeled shoppers
06:00will be happy along the Via dei Condotti,
06:03where you can find the top designer labels at deluxe prices.
06:11Today's question is from Jonathan.
06:13Simon, Jonathan would like to know,
06:14should he postpone a planned city break to Rome to avoid the crowds of Holy Year?
06:20Well, good question.
06:21Holy Year, of course, is this great celebration,
06:24also known as a jubilee, which happens every 25 years.
06:29And Pope Francis describes this one as an event of
06:33great spiritual, ecclesial and social significance.
06:38Millions of Catholics will be converging on Rome.
06:41There will, of course, be extra pressure on travel and accommodation,
06:46which will push prices up.
06:48And there's some special events like the World Youth Jubilee in summer,
06:52which is going to be particularly busy.
06:56My view is that if you can get to Rome by the end of March,
07:00then you probably can have a fairly normal time.
07:03After that, it will feel like a very different city,
07:07pretty much through till, I guess, November.
07:10So maybe picking up in early December would be a good time to go.
07:14But Rome is always rewarding.
07:19That's all for this episode of Travel Smart.
07:22But do get in touch with your favourite Roman locations.
07:26The next one will be out soon,
07:28which you can watch online on the Independence mobile app or on your smart TV.
07:32For all the latest travel news, reviews and advice,
07:37go to our website and perhaps have a listen to my daily travel podcast.
07:42Ciao for now.
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