Presto Tours Blog

Roma Pass or Pass?

prestotours — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 09:32:02 -0400

Ahhh the Roma Pass and the golden question: Is it worth it? The answer: maybe. Let's explore the world's most annoying answer of "maybe", shall we?

What is the Roma Pass? It's a card which allows you Free entry into the first 2 Museums or Archaeological Sites you visit, reduced prices for all other museums/sites, unlimited use of public transport (buses, metro, and some of the urban trains), plus some other discounts on exhibitions etc. It's valid for 3 days, from validation, and costs 25 Euros. It also comes with some information such as a guide to the public transport system and maps, and also Met Travel contact numbers for medical questions both emergency and non-emergency (don't get too excited, they give discounts for Medical assistance, it's not as though 25 Euros will buy you full travel insurance).

Pro: It's extremely cost effective for those planning on visiting at least a few sites or museums, and using some public transportation. It will also allow you to skip the line at the Colosseum, provided you are using one of your 2 first entries on the Ancient Sites. Consider what you'll spend alone on admission to the Colosseum/Forum/Palatine (12 Euros), the Borghese Gallery (from 5.25 Euros to 8.50 Euros), etc. Throw in the costs of public transport at 4 Euros for a day of unlimited use, or 11 Euros for 3 days of unlimited use.

Con: It does not include the Vatican Museums...because afterall, the discounts and free entries only are valid for Italy, and the Vatican is its own Sovereign State! Tricky! This means it will not save you from any lines at the Museums or the cost of the ticket (without reservations 15 Euros per adult and 8 per child/student, and with reservations 19 Euros per adult and 12 Euros per child/student). Also, you'll have to plan your schedule accordingly if you are planning on visiting more than 2 sites/museums, as it's free entry for the first two things that you visit, as opposed to 2 things you visit in which ever order you want. Also, does not include any TrenItalia trains or Cotral Buses.

So, who should get a Roma Pass? Anyone planning on visiting at least a few museums or sites (that will have to pay admission to enter). Do the math and see if it's worth it. Even if you'll be in town a bit longer or a bit shorter than 3 days, just concentrate on how much you will be spending regardless on Entrance fees, and that will tell you right there if it's worth it.

Who might pass on the Roma Pass? People who will be in town less than 3 days and won't be spending much on entrance fees for museums or sites (ie: people visiting only one place, people with good discounts such as students, children eligible for discounts in both transportation and museums, senior citizens). If your sole cost will be using public transport, there's good enough deals on tickets good for a certain period of time, so in this respect it's not worth getting the Pass solely for public transport use. As a note- in most museums, including the Vatican, children 5 and under have free admission. For all ATAC buses and metro children 9 and under are allowed to ride for free.

For any other information, visit the Roma Pass Site, they have a pretty thorough FAQ section.

Aubrie Talarico

Just Say No To Horse Drawn Carriages!

prestotours — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:18:28 -0400

The so-called "botticelle" that is, the Roman horse-drawn carriages are not a tradition of transport for people, but represent a degeneration of what was their original meaning and purpose. In fact, the "Botticelli" owe their name to the barrels: the carriage pulled by animals in 1800’s was used solely for transporting goods, and barrels in this case. There was never a "tradition" of tourist transport, therefore, as misleadingly one wants to make the tourist believe.

Nowadays there is no need to justify the use of animals for transport or freight, let alone people. Tourists can have, in Rome in 2009, many means of locomotion, extremely comfortable, fast, with accessories for every need, and far cheaper than the carriage. As well as transportation that does not cause suffering to horses.

Horses are obviously subject to a state of continuous suffering, being forced against their will to haul extremely heavy loads every day (more than one ton, the empty carriage weighs 800 kg ...). The working conditions are inhumane and the animal is brought along fast roads (like the Tiber) where the proximity of cars, speed and the roar of traffic so terrific, with the serious consequence of accidents, often fatal, while the horses are often forced to travel on uphill on cobblestone pavement which is slippery and uneven. These cobblestones, known as Sam Pietrini creates further discomfort when a horse is forced to stand on them without movement, often for many hours. The conditions worsen in summer when the hot sun makes the effort even more unbearable. And yet, the drivers pay no attention to laws, nor are laws enforced.

In times past, the horses traveled on isolated and relatively quiet roads in Rome. Today, the crazy traffic, chaos, smog, the sounds of horns, the speed of vehicles and scooters whizzing close to the carriages, etc. .. make this means of transport absolutely unfit to the conditions of congestion in the city. The carriage is so configured a practice that is deeply anachronistic and certainly cruel to horses, and is thus there is no longer any reason for them to exist today.

The drivers are only interested in making the most profit from this activity and therefore do not care the in the least about the well-being of the animal. The horse is forced to work in unbearable conditions some prohibited under the current regulations (Article 46 of the Rules of the City of Rome for the Protection of Animals)but are frequently observed that the maximum number of passengers is never observed, that the ban of working horses from 1pm to 4pm in the summer season is regularly violated, as well as to not go uphill, not to go at a trot, not to work more than 6 hours per day, etc. .. The carriage drivers also are not subject, like other workers (traders, taxi drivers, etc ...) to any official price list, being able to make money at will and come to ask even $ 300 per trip, all while not paying taxes to the state as there are no price regulations or receipts.

Two fatalities occurred at close range, one in June and November 20 2008, are clear indicators of a condition that is not very sustainable, and cannot last, if not continue to jeopardize the safety of people and horses. The risk factor for accidents is too high and stems from the incompatibility between the nature of these fearful animals, and the state of congestion of the streets of Rome. As well, no passenger is allowed to sit with the driver, nor may there be more than 4 people in a carriage. Uphill driving is forbidden, yet, drivers routinely disobey these laws. As long as there is a demand, this cruel industry will exist, and the carriage drivers will continue to pay off police and government to be able to break the welfare laws that exist.

Please support our mission: Ban of Horse Drawn Carriages in Rome

Sign our petition

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/ban-horse-drawn-carriages-in-rome

Join us on FACEBOOK:

Horses Without Carriages International ROME

For more information on the Carriage industry in general:

http://www.banhdc.org/

JUST SAY NO TO A CARRIAGE RIDE

DON'T PANIC! Tips on how to handle disappearing documents/etc!

prestotours — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 08:53:36 -0400

Last year I had my purse stolen here in Rome (or actually on the coast nearby in Ostia), and I unfortunately had very important things inside, including my passport! In light of this, I thought it'd be a good idea to write a little blog about what to do should this ever happen to you, and what to expect!

BEFORE YOUR TRIP:

I've said it before and I'll say it again: it's a good idea to register with your home-country's embassy before your trip! It only takes a few minutes, but this way they will already know you are around! This also gives them contact information, should you need any help from people back at 'home'.

Now, take a few minutes to make some photocopies of important documents (passports, plane tickets, etc) and carry those with you. It wouldn't be a bad idea also to scan these photocopies and email them to yourself so you'll always be able to print out a new one!

Alert credit card companies and your bank where applicable that you will be traveling, to avoid them possibly blocking your atm or credit cards due to 'suspicious' activity.

DURING YOUR TRIP:

Unless you're traveling, ie: crossing international borders by train or plane, you probably don't need to always have your original document on you. A photocopy should be sufficient. Most hotels will have a safe you can store things like this in.

Don't keep everything in the same place! For example I left my driver's license and a credit card at home always, just in the unlikely event everything else disappeared. Keep something at your hotel or apartment, just in case!

Now, lets say your documents (passport, id cards) were all lost/stolen. Don't panic! It was a scary situation even for me, and I've been living abroad for years now!

You really need to file a "denuncia", which is a police report, at a local Questura (police station). They will be as helpful as they can, and they usually have a form to fill out in English as well. They might not be able to recover your things, but you never know. Plus you will need to bring a copy of this 'denuncia' to your embassy when applying for new documents. Also, should you have travel insurance which will cover theft during your trip, they will most definitely want to see this police report. If you're unsure where to go, someone at your hotel/hostel will definitely be happy to help. I myself just asked some police on the street and they pointed me in the direction of a nearby police station.

Did you know that your embassy can issue emergency passports? I got my emergency passport at the USA Embassy in just 2 hours! The cost will vary, depending on your embassy, but my emergency passport cost me 70 euros/100 us dollars (which actually also covers the cost of my permanent/regular passport I got later).

Also: make a note of your embassy's hours, as a lot of them are only open certain hours in the morning and are closed on weekends. They will have an emergency number in case you need to speak to someone outside of these hours.

HERE'S a map of the Embassies in Rome!

As for any credit cards and bank cards that might have been lost or stolen, you will want to call and cancel them right away. Most banks and credit cards have an international number to call while abroad, which is usually on the back of your actual card. BUT! That won't help you if the cards missing, right? That's another thing to have written down somewhere (at home, which a family member you can contact, etc)! You might also want to have the actual numbers of the cards written down somewhere, so you can be sure to communicate clearly with the bank/credit card company. For example in my own unfortunate case, the bank cancelled the WRONG credit card...which you can imagine irritated an already difficult situation.

WHEN TRAVELING BACK HOME: Most airport personnel have seen emergency replacement passports before, so there shouldn't be an issue. But, just in case, it wouldn't hurt to have a copy of the police report and the paperwork that came along with your replacement passport.

NOW...take a deep breath! That was easier to resolve than you thought, right? ;)

Aubrie Talarico

Hidden Places: Civita' di Bagnoregio

prestotours — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 08:34:11 -0400

I've decided to dedicate some blogs on the hidden places of Italy. What do I mean by "hidden"? Well actually let's step back further and define what I mean by "place". When I say place, I mean anything from a particular street/shop/church/museum to an entire city. When I say "hidden" then, I'm talking about places that either are not well-known or over-looked. That being said...

This week's hidden place is a tiny ancient town called Civita' di Bagnoregio, near modern Bagnoregio, about 145 kilometers (90 miles) north of Rome. It's an ancient Etruscan town, founded about 2.500 years ago, which sits on top of a very tall hill. Why does it seemingly look like an island? Because once upon a time it was almost completely surrounded by a river. So if you take a look around the surrounding valley, you might be reminded of the Grand Canyon. Still to this day it's only accessible by a steep footbridge! But don't worry, I myself am no friend to heights and I can promise you that it's a very modern and sturdy bridge nowadays, just in case you were envisioning something out of Indiana Jones. And actually, that bridge is probably the safest most stable part of the town, as the rest of it is crumbling from erosion. It's now on the World Monuments Fund's watch-list for 100 Most Endangered Sites, as a result.

How many people actually live there? On average there's about 20 people. There's a few B&B places though, so during the holiday season there can be as many as an impressive 100!

How can you get there? There's actually no way but by car (and then foot). We rented a car here in Rome for a day, and made a day trip out of it and had dinner there. I recommend using www.carrentals.com!

Was it always so desolate? Nope! Actually there was a time when it was a very prosperous and vibrant city for thousands of years. It wasn't really until 1695 that it began to empty, as a result of an earthquake which damaged it badly and scared people away. For more details on its history, take a look at their website.

I recommend planning on having dinner there. For one, the restaurant Antico Forno is great, filled with typical dishes for the area. For another, the view of the stars from the footbridge is hypnotizing (especially for us city-slickers who are regularly robbed of stargazing thanks to light pollution)!

Now just for giggles....Can you find on their website a part about the one and only dog that is a resident in Civita' di Bagnoregio? Any guesses as to why they chose the picture they did for the unquestionably adorable little pup?? ;)

*** The first amazing black&white photo is by an Italian photographer named Giancarlo Malandra http://www.giancarlomalandra.it.

Aubrie Talarico

Hidden Places: Bomarzo's Parco Dei Mostri (Monster Park)

prestotours — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 10:52:10 -0400

This week's hidden place: Bomarzo! Or more specifically it's gardens, known also as the Bosco Sacro (Sacred Grove), or the Parco dei Mostri (Monster Park). Monster Park, near Rome....intrigued? You should be!

Located outside of the Castle of Bomarzo (the Orsini family's castle), this was a vision thought up by Prince Pier Francesco Orsini (a.k.a "Vicino") for his wife Giulia Farnese. Most of the park was actually completed after her death, and was dedicated to her memory. The park was started in 1547.

The gardens include 24 pieces of stone sculpted art, with a range of subjects in mythology as well as a crooked guesthouse, fountains, and a temple dedicated to Vicino's second wife.

The architect Vicino commissioned to carry out this vision was Pirro Ligorio, well-known at the time and you might know also for Villa d'Este and finishing St. Peter's Basiclica after Michelangelo died.

All of the sculptures are sculpted from the natural bedrock.

Among the sculptures you'll find a giant Orc, a Pegasus fountain, one of Hannibal's elephants killing a Roman soldier, a dragon being attacked by wolves and lions, Hercules, a crooked guesthouse, etc.

Inside the Orc's mouth is a picnic table!

You can climb inside the crooked guesthouse, but you will have instant vertigo, as its designed to have this effect. Why? I've been told it's all part of the sense of humor of Vicino. It was customary and expected of him to build a guesthouse in his gardens, and as a way to be clever he built this very special guesthouse (that not one person was able to actually stay in).

It probably got its current nickname of "Monster Park" from after a period of a few hundred years of abandonment, the townspeople found some of the sculptures peaking out from overgrown grass and trees and it scared them.

The park is open all year long, from 8 AM until sunset. Entrance fees are 9 Euros per adult and 7 Euros for children. There's places to buy food and snacks inside, but you can always bring your own picinic if you plan to stay for awhile.

Take a look at the website for further info!

Aubrie Talarico

Torino: Museum Must-See!

prestotours — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 08:53:39 -0400

If you find yourself in Torino, there's one place you can't miss...well even literally since its tower is a major characteristic of the Torino sky-line! It's the National Cinema Museum, and you'll find it easily not far from the city center. Located in a building originally constructed to be a synagogue in 1862, you could say that it's sort of a holy-land for the silver screen. As a practicing member of the religion of pictures and moving pictures, I can promise you it's worth the visit, no matter your age or degree of devotion. Here's just a few things about it!

The actual tower/structure is called the Mole Antonelliana. It's spire is 167 meters tall and for a few extra Euros you can take a glass elevator up to the top for a panoramic view of Torino. You'll also find it on the back of an Italian 2 cent Euro coin.

The experience starts with an interactive area about optics, illusion, shadow-playing, early magic lanterns and other optical toys, and eases into the early stages of experimenting with photographs and making them 'move'.

The museum is good for all ages, especially because it's filled with buttons to push and interactive set-like areas (like a giant-sized Hollywood actress's vanity filled with giant perfume bottles and giant make-up) to sit and watch a wide variety of film clips.

There's a bunch of different rooms, or 'chapels' if you will, with a screen showing clips of films all related in some way (by genre, mostly). A sort of spooky room, complete with the actual coffin used by Bela Legosi in Dracula, which shows horror film clips; a room which is an old western saloon after a bar fight, chairs on their sides, for westerns; a love-scene area with a screen only visible when you lay on a round bed covered in pillows and velvet (parental discretion is advised)...

A central area on the ground level has two enormous screens with rows of lounge-like cushiony theater chairs where you can relax and watch a montage of film clips, my favourites being the silent film medley and the collection of memorable dance scenes.

There's about 800 film memorabilia and "props" throughout, including Marilyn Monroe's bustier, and costumes from Aliens and Star Wars.

There's around 300,000 movie posters and playbills, from both Italy and all over the world.

You can always have a Guided tour which is part of our Torino City Tour! Click HERE for details!

Admission to the museum is €7 (or €5 for students with ID 25 or under or 65 and over, €2 for children between 6 and 17). It's an additional fee of €3.50 or €5 for the Panoramic Lift, depending on age or student status.

Opening times: Tue-Sun, 9am-8pm (except Saturdays when it's open until 11pm); closed Monday.

Take a look here on how to get there...once you're in Torino, of course ;)

Aubrie Talarico

Kiddie Activity: Vatican Museums

prestotours — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:00:10 -0400

We invite Presto-ers of all ages on our tours! And as a little bonus, the youngest of Presto-ers might enjoy this scavenger hunt activity as they go along on their tour...just print and bring a pencil!

1. St. Peter’s Dome____

2. The Vatican Coat of Arms (how many times??)_____

3. St. Peter’s Keys (make a mark every time you find them!) ________

4. A room with lots of flowers____

5. A camel ____

6. A very big pinecone ____

7. Lions ____

8. Peacocks _____

9. A hall of heads!_____

10. Statue of a man with snakes ____

11. Dog statues (hint: they’re guarding a door!)_________

12. A statue with no arms and no legs_____

13. A golden man (hint: he’s tall!) ____

14. A giant bathtub ___

15. Something from Egypt ____

16. A hall of maps ____

17. A tapestry with a table full of food____

18. A Swiss Guard ____

19. A ceiling with two hands about to touch ____

20. A statue whose foot you can rub ____

Museum Mania

prestotours — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 09:15:55 -0400

Most people visiting Rome make it a point to visit the Vatican Museums...but what about all the others?! Here's some info on other great museums/collections to see in Rome!

Borghese Galleries: located in Rome's large and quasi-heart-shaped park Villa Borghese. Built in the 1600's for Cardinal Scipione's art collection, inside you'll find masterpieces of sculpture by Bernini and Canova, as well as famous painting by Caravaggio, Titian, and Correggio! Call ahead to book a reservation at 06.8417645. Piazza Scipione Borghese, 5 Casino Borghese, tue-sat: 9am-7pm, sun: 9am-8pm, mon: closed.

Capitoline: right in the historic center at Piazza Venezia, this museum has a major collection of ancient sculpture and paintings from 14th to the 17th century, including works by Caravaggio, Titian and Domenichino. 06.67102071, Piazza del Campidoglio, tue-sun: 10am-9pm, mon: closed.

National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art: art from both Italian and non-Italian artists from the 19th and 20th centuries, including Picasso and Matisse. 06.322.981, Via delle Belle Arti 131, tue-sun: 9am-7pm, sun: 9am-8pm, mon: closed.

National Museum of Castel Sant'Angelo: Built in the 2nd century AD and once a fortress in the middle ages, it's now a museum (since 1925) with weapons, furniture, sculpture and frescoes. 06.6819111, Lungotevere Castello 50, tue-sun: 9am-8pm, mon: closed.

Villa Farnesina: - once the home to a wealthy banker named Agostino Chigi in the 16th century, is decorated by Raphael, and also includes the Loggia of Cupid & Psyche as well as the famous Peruzzi Sala delle Prospettive. 06.68801767, Via della Lungara 230, tue-sat: 9am-6:45, sun: 9am-7:45, mon: closed

Roman National Museum/Palazzo Altemps: classic sculpture collection from the Altemps and Ludovisi families, includes the painted loggia and the Dying Gaul amongst other things. 06.6833759, Piazza Sant'Apollinare 44, tue-sat: 9am-6:45, sun: 9am-7:45, mon: closed.

Spada Gallery/Palazzo Spada: located in the historical center in the Palazzo Spada, the orbate inside includes paintings by Caravaggio, Guercino, Domenichino, Carracci, Andrea del sarto, Passarotti, just to name a few. Also, as a bnus has Borromini's famous architectural illusion. 06.6861158, Piazza Capo di Ferro, 13 Palazzo Spada, tue-sat: 9am-7pm, sun: 9am-8pm, mon: closed.

Aubrie Talarico

Caravaggio Exhibit: The Colors of Darkness

prestotours — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 13:58:09 -0400

If you missed the recent Caravaggio exhibit in Rome, don't sweat it, you still have a chance to experience the genius of this master painter.

"The Colors of Darkness - The Caravaggeschi," is currently on exhibit in Rome in commemoration of four centuries since Caravaggio's death.

The exhibit consists of 39 of the most important paintings by followers of the Lombard painter, chosen in consultation with the Special Office for the historical, artistic and ethno-anthropological and the Town Museum in Rome, including those owned by the FEC which, by their very nature, are among the best of Caravaggio’s followers.

The early seventeenth century fame and controversy of the artist, his innovative and strong technique, already able to cross national boundaries, influenced many artists in the cities in which Caravaggio was most active.

Even thou Caravaggio has never had former pupils or had established any school of art (very rare for an artist of such a caliber!) Rome and Naples are the most important centers that host valuable traces Caravaggio s followers, equally significant evidence come also from the provinces of Ancona, Bologna, Cosenza, Latina, Lucca, Urbino, Pesaro, Rieti, Siena, Syracuse, places who have seen people who have met the artist in person or had been studying his production during the 1600.

The Art Foundation which toke care of the exhibit includes in its important collection of artworks, seven paintings by Caravaggio, that that recall the parallel between the great artist and his followers by creating, through this exhibition, an ideal link with the major exhibition about the artist.

These exhibit surely completes the artistic profile of a period of fundamental interest in Italian painting.

An interesting discovery for four of the works shown in "The Colors of Dark" was made during the exhibit settings: 4 parchments have been found hidden in the back of the canvases, which testify the patronage of each individual paintings.

HOURS: Tuesday - Thursday 10:00 to 19:30

Friday - Sunday 10:00 to 22:00 TICKETS: € 5,00

Federica Morichetti

p.s Our guide can take you to the exhibition and help to discover the XVII century art treasure and the very historical Palazzo Ruspoli .

Italy "Antipasto Misto"

prestotours — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 04:32:56 -0400

Here's some Italy "antipasto misto"...that is random little facts to munch on ;)!

The population estimates of Italy as of 2007 was about 60 million.

Italy's biggest cities (in order of size): Rome (~3 million), Milan (~1.3 million), Naples (~1 million), Turin (~900,000), Palermo (~680,000).

Italy's population is 87.8% Roman Catholic.

Though it has been unified since 1871, there is still a huge degree of disparity and differences between the North and the South. The Northern regions are more industrialized and prosperous compared to less developed and more agricultural southern regions. The origins of this comes from the Renaissance when the North prospered and grew while the South suffered and didn't develop under French and Spanish rule.

Some of Italy's major industries are cars, fashion/clothing/footwear, machinery, and tourism of course!

The officially recognized modern Italian language was actually established by poet/writer Dante Alighieri, who you may know from his works The Divine Comedy.

Italy has several active volcanos: Etna (the largest active volcano in all of Europe), Stromboli, Vulcano, and Vesuvius (also the culprit in the great eruption which destroyed ancient city of Pompeii).

The Bubonic Plague killed one third of Italy's population in 1348! In fact in lots of places you can still see how quickly this happened, for example this is why the Duomo in the Tuscan city of Siena is still actually an unfinished project.

Italy has bragging rights for being the birthplace of: the Renaissance (started in Tuscany), astronomy, University, and the Vitruvian Man.