Hotels in Rome

Rome piles two thousand years on top of itself and lets you walk through the layers: the Pantheon still has its original concrete dome, the Forum is a ten-minute stroll from Renaissance palazzi, and you'll stumble on a Caravaggio in a working church for free. The food is the other half of the trip — carbonara and cacio e pepe done properly in Trastevere or Testaccio, well away from the laminated menus near the Trevi Fountain.

Expect heat and crowds from June to August, and book the Vatican Museums ahead or lose a morning queuing. Stay around Monti for character within walking distance of the Colosseum, or near Campo de' Fiori for the centro storico proper; the Termini area is cheaper and well-connected but charmless.