Italy's glorious capital is one of the most popular destinations in Europe. The City of Seven Hills was founded in 753BC and has been the capital of the Roman Kingdom, Roman Republic and Roman Empire. Its time as capital of the Italian Republic pales against that - only since 1946.
The Tiber bisects Rome north-south. Its most famous sights - the remains of ancient Rome such as the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Capitoline Hill and the Pantheon - are to be found in the east.
The Vatican City, the sovereign state, stands to the north-west and is a fascinating place to visit. The Bucket List sites are the Basilica of St. Peter, Saint Peter's Square, the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and the Raphael Rooms.
Trastavere is the bohemian part of Rome, a popular going-out district packed with bars and restaurants serving that oh-so-delicious Italian cuisine. Piazza Santa Maria is a wonderful place to go Roman-spotting during the day and at night it comes alive with young people meeting up and artisans selling their wares.
The flying time to Rome is a mere two hours or so and, thanks to the major budget airlines such as Ryanair and easyJet, there are lots of reasonably priced flights to snap up.