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| XS | S | M | L | XL | XXL | |
Women's Sizes |
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| Europe | 38 | 40 | 42 | 44 | 46 | 48 |
| UK | 34 | 36 | 38 | 40 | 42 | 44 |
| USA | 6-8 | 8-10 | 10-12 | 12-14 | 14-16 | 16-18 |
Men's Sizes |
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| Europe | NA | 48 | 50 | 52 | 54-56 | 58 |
| UK | NA | 38 | 40 | 42 | 44-46 | 48-50 |
| USA | NA | 38 | 40 | 42 | 44-46 | 48-50 |
ia Condotti, and the adjacent vie
Borgognona and Frattina have a world-class selection of shops, at world-class prices.
Great window shopping. (Gucci, Fendi, Bulgari, etc.) Via Sistina has a number of
interesting shops.
Relative to prices for, e.g., Gucci elsewhere, there are good buys; not cheap, but relatively good. Overall, though, we don't find Rome a particularly attractive place to shop ... too expensive, like most other capitol cities. Religious souvenir stores are found all over, especially at the Piazza San Pietro end of via della Conciliazione.
Bentley's Guide has an extensive list of shops of all sorts.
Most shops still close for 2-4 hours between 12 or 1 and 3 or 4. Most are open until early evening, at least 6, often 7 or later. Note that food shops are different. Frutterie, salumerie, 'delis' and the like maintain normal morning to late afternoon hours. Alimentari are often only open mid- to late-morning, and similarly in the afternoon.
ou'll hear tales of the amount of crime in Rome.We find Rome about as
safe as most large cities, though we have no statistics. Crowds are fertile territory for
pickpockets anywhere, and Rome can be crowded, especially on the bus or subway. Remember:
your vacation day is a thief's workday. Take a look at our tips on Safety
In Rome.
few express (probably ill-informed) concern about the water, but Ed's
had only one problem in 30 years of visits and probably brought the bug with him. While we
usually drink bottled water at meals as a matter of taste, we drink lots of tap water in
the room.
"
a lingua Toscana é bocca Romana." A wordplay
meaning "(the Italian language is) the Tuscan language spoken with a Roman
accent", or, a better translation, "Tuscan tongue, Roman mouth." Italian is
based on the Tuscan (e.g. Florence) words, and Roman sounds.
English, for many Italians, is a third language, not a second. Our middle-aged friends from Emilia-Romagna were taught in elementary school in dialect, and had one class a day of Italian. Natives of Emilia-Romagna, for example, cannot easily understand a southern dialect, and vice versa, of course.
English is understood and spoken moderately well in tourist areas in Rome and major cities. Many waiters can give at least a sketchy description of selections in English. (Unfortunately this means that sometimes beef, pork, and veal may all be translated to "meat".)
However, more than in Northern Europe, you'll find a few words of the local language useful. The more off the beaten track, the more inexpensive the restaurant, hotel or shop, the more at least a little Italian will be helpful.
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We never leave home,
or our hotel room, without a pocket phrase book and pocket dictionary: See Language Skills for a longer discussion of the usefulness of a bit of language prep before your trip. We also have a very basic list of useful phrases. Currency and Exchange
Most banks exchange money, as does American Express (in the Piazza di Spagna.) You'll get a decent rate at AMEX, and a better rate if you're exchanging AMEX travelers' checks. Banks (and AMEX) close at lunch for 2-3 hours like all of Rome, so do your exchanging early if you need money for lunch. More information in Money and Exchange in Western Europe and The
Euro: A Primer for Travelers. Check the current
conversion rate.
English-Language Church ServicesRoman Catholic Anglican American Episcopal Scottish Presbyterian Methodist Continue for
More Practical Information Return to First Page of Rome Visit Complete Index of Articles on Rome/Italy Our Favorites Trip Tips and Tools Copyright © 1996-2001 E.J.
Gehrlein Traveling
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overed on a 
he basic unit of currency until early in 2001 is the
lira (ITL). A US dollar 