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Tags: Most Shocking McDonalds / Most-Shocking-McDonalds-Locations / McDonalds / Fast Food Travel / Italy Travel / Rome Travel / → All Tags

What City is Host to the Fanciest McDonald's? Hint: Mosaics!

Have you ever been traveling somewhere really remote or of historical importance, and then turned around and spotted a McDonald's? We have! From the Yuyuan Gardens in Shanghai to the Negev Desert in Israel, the world is peppered with Shocking McDonald's locations, and we're trying to map them all.

Helping us out, a reader emailed to tip us off to the fanciest McDonald's, which was also the first to be in Italy; it opened on March 20, 1986, and is still going strong next to the Spanish Steps in Rome. We've actually been to this one a few times when we lived in Rome, and we can vouch for its ritzy interior (mosaics!) and breadth of offerings (salad bar!), but let's hear what a more recent visitor had to say about it:

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Tags: Valentine's Day Travel / Travel Deals / Valentine's Day / Romantic Travel / Rome Travel / Italy Travel / → All Tags

Forget Paris, Do Six Nights Over Valentine's Day in Rome for $649

Guess what is only two weeks away? Yep, Valentine's Day is back again, and with it comes the scramble for half-hearted gifts for your sweetheart, even though the thought is whole-hearted.

The newspapers are full of jewelry store ads and specials on weekend trips to Paris, but we're feeling something a bit warmer, someplace with more dolce vita than savoir faire, if you know what we mean. So then, it's off to Rome!

For the next few months, even including all dates around Valentine's Day, Travelzoo has found a huge deal on a hotel+flights+breakfast deal to Rome for $649. It's listed as $749 on the go-today travel site that is selling the deal, but enter promo code TZ012710 at checkout to knock off that pesky $100 difference. The hotel may be only 3.5 stars, but hey—at least you're in Rome with a bed and you've spent less than if you were to head straight into a jewelry store and just point at something nice.

Related Stories:
· Rome 6-Night Vacation Incl. Air [Travelzoo]
· Get in the Mood for Love at Three Valentine's Day Destinations [Jaunted]
· Romantic Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: chrisjohnbeckett]

Tags: Architecture Travel / Museum Travel / Rome Travel / Italy Travel / Zaha Hadid / → All Tags

Zaha Hadid Opens An Art Museum In Rome With No Art

Oh my gosh, would you believe that another building by Zaha Hadid got built? The Baghdad-born architect is famous for her futuristic designs, but most only stay looking good on paper. She has a few buildings scattered around the world, but the newest one in Rome takes the cake in terms of scale and space.

Dubbed the MAXXI Museum, or National Museum of the XXI Century Arts, it is a triumph for Zaha. Having opened only several days ago and described by the NYT as "less a unified lone structure than a convergence of long, shiny, serpentine modules — a bit like a space-age highway interchange," the Maxxi is already going down in architecture history. And since we've got a thing for good design, modern art and any new museum exhibitions, the Maxxi is fresh on our radar as well.

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Tags: Museum Travel / Art Travel / Rome Travel / → All Tags

A Museum Fit For A Pope And A Prince: Rome's Galleria Doria Pamphilj

When art aficionados plan their trip to Rome, they usually fill their itineraries with popular picks like the Musei Capitolini and the Galleria Borghese. And while those places are nothing to sneeze at, they overshadow one of the city's best private museums: the Galleria Doria Pamphilj.

At the Doria Pamphilj, you can cross out two sightseeing items on your to-do list, since you get a top-notch collection of art as well as a palace. The 18th-century palace and its collection are owned by the aristocratic Pamphilj family, who have held numerous important posts in the country, including Pope. One of Pope Innocent X's modern-day descendants, Prince Jonathan Doria Pamphilj, narrates a great free audio tour of the gallery. He provides a unique intimate perspective, explaining how and why the family acquired some works and which ones are his favorite.

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Tags: Obama-Around-The-World / Presidential Travel / Barack Obama / Rome Travel / Italy Travel / Michelle Obama / → All Tags

When In Rome, It's Gelato And G8 For The Obamas

When it was announced that President Obama would make a visit to Rome and The Vatican this week, we couldn't hardly wait to see goodies the Eternal City had in store for them, and Rome didn't disappoint. As the whole family moved on from their museum-hopping in Moscow earlier this week, some casual sightseeing and of course, a few scoops of famous gelato, were in order.

As Barack met with G8 leaders, Michelle quickly took in the Colosseum with her daughters and the Capitoline Museum, which houses ancient Roman art and archeology, with the other G8 wives. Then the adults promptly headed deeper into the Abruzzo region to the town of L'Aquila, which suffered that fatal earthquake back in April.

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Tags: Rome Travel / Colosseum / Historical Travel / Rome / → All Tags

Gladiator Get-Down: A Night at the Colosseum

Europe's oldest tourist trap is offering a brand new spin: visitors to the Colosseum can now visit the ancient amphitheatre at night. Rome officials are hoping the prospect of nighttime visits will reel in an extra load of tourists to the city this summer and maybe thin out those dreaded daytime crowds a bit as well.

Usually, The Colosseum closes one hour before sunset, but starting this week visitors will get a few extra hours of pondering gladiator games—and the chance to view the night sky from inside the monument. Sounds like a great idea to us, especially if the haunting arena looks half as cool inside at night as it does lit up from the exterior.

Also new on the Eternal City itinerary this summer are two ancient attractions: the recently restored Temple of Romulus and the 2nd-century B.C. House of the Griffins, both now open to the public for the first time.

Related Stories:
· Nighttime Colosseum tours now offered in Rome [AP]
· When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do: Avoid Tourists [Jaunted]
· Rome travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: lightmatter]

Tags: Airport Transportation / FCO / Rome / Italy Travel / Airports / → All Tags

On the Road Again: How to Reach Rome-Fiumicino

Your flight has landed, you've claimed your luggage and now you're trying to get the hell out of the airport. To erase confusion and get your on your way, all week long at Jaunted we will be detailing the various ways to get to and from major airports, and what those modes cost, from cheapest to the big blowout entrance. Got any tips or an airport suggestion? Let us know.

· COTRAL/Schiaffini Buses: As the cheapest option, taking a bus obviously involves the most hassle. Purchase tickets for the bus in the sundries shop down by baggage claim, and don't forget to validate it in the the little box machines inside of the bus. Head to Terminal A's ground transportation area to find the bus stop, and make sure you board the right bus. The one to Rome's main Termini station is "Aeroporto-Termini-Tiburtina," or there are also "Aeroporto-Roma Cornelia" to connect with subway line A and "Aeroporto-Roma Magliana" to connect with line B.
Total cost: €1.60 to €3.60 per person, each way depending on your route.
Total time:35 to 45 minutes

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Tags: Rome Field Trip / Travel Tips / Vespas / Italy Travel / → All Tags

Rome Field Trip Audit: Less Water, More Vespas

Is there really no place like Rome? This week Ellen Wernecke chronicles her first visit to the Eternal City.

Into every trip a little rain must fall, and while I only found myself in one literal cloudburst, I came away with a few ideas for a return trip -- as well as notes on things I would have done just the same.

I would consider doing again: Flying Delta. Looking for a ticket I was shopping on price alone, but aside from the horrendous movie choices ("Inkheart"? "Bride Wars"? Really?) I found the flight, an Alitalia codeshare to boot, to be just fine. The meal was the same going both ways, but at least there was a meal. They also gave me a very funny leaflet on arrival about what to know in an H1N1-infected country which will be a treasured souvenir of these heady days.

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Tags: Movie Set Travel / Rome Travel / Angels and Demons / The Da Vinci Code / Ron Howard / Dan Brown / → All Tags

Finding The Illuminati in Rome...and Los Angeles

Like its predecessor, “The Da Vinci Code”, which created a tourism frenzy in Scotland and France, "Angels and Demons" already has tourists flocking to Rome, Italy. All this week, Ellen has been recapping her recent Rome Field Trip which is blessedly free of any "Angels and Demons" mentions. But we understand that there are some of you out there who need to retrace Robert Langdon's steps across the Eternal City.

But if you care less about where the movie is supposed to take place and more about where it was actually filmed, then you’re better off catching the next flight to Los Angeles then a flight to Rome. Most of the film was actually made on a sound stage in L.A., thanks to the Catholic Church’s hatred for all things Dan Brown.

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Tags: Rome Field Trip / Colosseum / Vatican City / → All Tags

When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do: Avoid Tourists

Is there really no place like Rome? This week Ellen Wernecke chronicles her first visit to the Eternal City.

First, the bad news: Despite everything you've heard and read about the downturn, you won't be able to tell from the tourism traffic in and around Rome. Those dreaming of empty museums and quiet time alone with the ruins would be best to look elsewhere, possibly in an alternate universe. At the same time, I never ran afoul of a large, obnoxious group of my countrymen, and while numerous, Italian school groups didn't bother me as much.

Visiting Rome is a balancing act between the impersonal but unmissable major sites and a more personal experience. Here's when to keep to the beaten path and when to wander away:

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Tags: Rome Field Trip / Coffee / Starbucks Alternatives / Gelato / → All Tags

In Rome, Bars Are For Coffee

Is there really no place like Rome? This week Ellen Wernecke chronicles her first visit to the Eternal City.

My first morning in Rome, a well-meaning hostel manager gently shoved me out the door with a cheery "Now it's time to go sightseeing!" Dazed, I stumbled to the nearest hole-in-the-wall cafe and sidled up to the bar, grateful that "cappuccino" was in the local language.

Seconds later, an old man entered, exchanging what I can only hope were gruff pleasantries with the workers. He ordered a coffee (which on that side of the pond means a freshly pulled shot of espresso) and, after being handed a bottle, filled the rest of the glass with Sambuca. Dare you to try that at Starbucks.

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Tags: Literary Travel / Angels and Demons / Tom Hanks / Ron Howard / → All Tags

Searching For Roman Culture Beyond 'Angels & Demons'

Who knew one man's horrible haircut could cast such a long shadow? Tom Hanks may have shed his greasy "professorial" mop from "The Da Vinci Code", but with posters for "Angels & Demons" suddenly appearing on the sides of buses everywhere, we fear for not only our own souls, but also for the soul of Rome, the city in which we are informed the movie is set.

The prequel features "symbologist" Robert Langdon running around making Secret Connections to everything, and was written to take place largely in the Vatican. Despite the Church banning director Ron Howard from filming in Vatican City, "Angels & Demons" tours have been springing up all over the place as local operators take advantage of American tourists' willingness to believe anything as long as they read it in a paperback thriller. We haven't read the book yet, so we've crossed these kind of adventures off our list... but what to replace them with?

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