• Firstly, on April 21^st is the Natale di Roma (The Foundation of Rome), the day the ancient city was founded. The city has official celebrations in many squares, along with re-enactments of ancient times at Circus Maximus and in front of the Colosseum. Despite the City’s Celebration, shops, monuments and public services are all open.

• On January 6^th is La Befana, which is a holiday very similar to St. Nicolaus in Nordic countries. It’s a holiday for children, and instead of Santa Claus, an old woman (Befana) on a broomstick takes stockings full of candy and toys to good children, and coal to the naughty ones. The centre of the celebration is in Piazza Navona. Restaurants, souvenir shops and tourist shop in general are open, not the other common shops.
• The Pentecost is a Christian festivity, and a very special day. It falls on the 50^th day (seventh Sunday) after Easter Sunday, and it commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit. On that day, if you are lucky enough to visit the Pantheon (the largest ancient Dome in the world), you will experience a beautiful shower of rose petals which fall from the large hole (oculus) in the centre of the Dome! Since the Christian Easter date changes every year, the Pentecost date changes in accordance. Everything is open as usual.
• The 25^th of April marks Festa della Liberazione (Liberation Day), also known as the Anniversary of Italy’s Liberation or simply 25 Aprile (April 25^th), is a national Italian holiday commemorating the end of the fascist regime and German occupation during World War II. If you are in Rome that day and hear a strong roar, raise your eyes to the sky to witness and incredible show by the Frecce Tricolore (Tricolored Arrows, Italian Airforce), considered to be the most spectacular air display team in the world. Being a nation holiday, many shops are closed and also the public transport may be slown down.
• May 1^st is International Workers Day, also known as Labour Day, and celebrates the achievements of workers. Almost all shops and restaurants are closed and public transportation is slown down. In the evening there is a free concert in the quare of St.John in Laterano Cathedral, with pop italian music.
• On June 2^nd there is Festa della Repubblica (Republic Day) – a national holiday celebrated throughout the country, with the main celebrations focused in Rome. The event includes the deposition of a laurel wreath as a tribute to the Unknown Soldier at the Altare della Patria (in Piazza Venezia) by the Italian president, along with a military parade. Most of shops are closed and most of Romans go out of town.
• June 29^th is the Pietro e Paolo (the Feast of Saint Peter and Paul), the day of the city’s patron saints. There is a special mass held in St. Peter’s Cathedral in the Vatican, and another at the church of S. Paolo Fuori La Mura (Church of Saint Paul Outside the City Walls). In addition, many other celebrations are held around the city. Shops are closed and public transportation may be slown down.
•  August 15^th – This holiday is celebrated throughout Italy, and has its origins deriving from Feriae Augusti (on August 1^st), which was the festival of Emperor Augustus. Later, the Catholic church decided to move the festivity to August 15^th to coordinate with the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Most of the shops, the Vatican museums, & the Sistine Chapel are close to the public.
• Ooops! Lastly but certainly not the least, how can we forget Christmas and Easter? Most of the Italians are Catholics and in these two days the churches are filled, like no other day of the year. Masses take place in all churches and the most special is naturally the one in St. Peter’s Cathedral with the Pope. Then, Roman families are gathered at home for endless lunches and almost all shops, monuments and archaeological sites are closed, with the exception of a few rare restaurant.

Driving in Rome may seem dangerous and intimidating, but for Roman’s it’s completely normal. The traffic, other cars passing you in every direction disregarding stop signs and right-of-ways, the noise, the absurd parking and scooters darting everywhere like a swarm of bees – this is the daily life of Roman traffic. For many tourists this comes as a shock, but there are actually fewer accidents than you would imagine! Certainly, if you are not an expert driver used to these conditions with an infinite supply of patience, we don’t recommend you trying – especially not at rush hour. In the summer, most Romans go to the seaside for vacation, leaving the roads less crowded and far easier to drive. Should you want to share a hand in this adventure, AppetiTours offers city tours on scooters!

Despite its large size, Rome is a relatively safe city and does not register a high crime rate. However, like any big city, there are some areas which are more at risk of crime (theft in particular) than others. Areas to be more vigilant are Stazione Termini (the city’s main train station), and some crowded subway cars and busses (Like the famous line 64, which takes tourists to the Vatican). There is no need to panic, simply follow the normal rules of caution as you would in any city, including your own.

If you love to shop until you drop, here is some useful information about store opening hours:

Downtown Stores are usually open all day, from 10 am to 7:30 pm (in winter) or 8 pm (in summer). However, in the suburbs, stores close between 1 pm and 4 pm for lunch break.

Here some of the most popoular shooping streets:

• Casual shopping: via del Corso, via Nazionale, via Barberini, via dei Giubonnari, via Cola di Rienzo, Viale Ottaviano
• Luxury brands: Via Condotti (just in front of the Spanish Steps) and all the nearby streets.

If you prefer big malls, not too far from down town (25-30 minutes by taxi or shuttle) you can find:

• Castel Romano Designer Outlet, where you can find many designer fashion collections (over 140 stores) at reduced price. You need to drive there, by car, by taxi or by shuttle. This last one leaves from Via Marsala (outside Termini Station) and costs €15 for a return trip. https://www.mcarthurglen.com/outlets/en/it/designer-outlet-castel-romano/plan-your-visit/
• Concept Mall Euroma2, it’s the closest mall to downtown. It’s about 20-25 minute taxi distance. https://www.euroma2.it/en/negozi/

And after so much work, shopping around, maybe you would like to enjoy a coffee break. If so, you should ‘do as the Roman’s do’. Cafés in Italy are actually called ‘Bar’, and because the Italian coffee (espresso or just ‘caffe’ in Italian) is very small, the locals drink it standing at the counter/bar. If you like to drink your coffee while sitting at a table, it will cost more. Why? Italian’s typically don’t tip in a Bar, and if so, just a few cents. If you sit to enjoy your coffee, the price will be higher because you will pay for the waiter’s service. You can expect the same rule if you buy a gelato to take-away vs. enjoying it at a table.