The fountain in St. Peter's Square. Photo by xiquinhosilva.

By Samantha Collins in Rome—

A visit to Rome is not complete without seeing the Vatican. With its world-famous St. Peter’s Square, imposing dome, rather nice painted chapel ceiling, and fairly well-known resident, it has plenty of attractions. But with so much to see, where should you start?

1. St. Peter’s Square

This vast space is famous for being the home of Papal Addresses (and for being integral to the plot of Dan Brown’s “Angels and Demons“). It can accommodate up to 300,000 people, a number that puts the World Series Final crowd to shame.

Designed by Borromini so that the maximum number of people could see the Pope at any one time (before the days of plasma screens), its elliptical shape is dominated by the Basilica. Stand on the stone discs between the fountains and the Egyptian obelisk to see the rows of columns magically line up.

2. The Basilica

It is hard to put into words the immense size of this building. Look out for the dimensions of the world’s other large churches marked on the floor to give you a sense of its scale. The Basilica is free to enter, and highlights include Michelangelo’s Pieta (now sadly behind glass after it was attacked and damaged), Borromini’s vast altar canopy (the Baldacchino) made using bronze taken from the Pantheon roof, and the 13th-century statue of St. Peter Enthroned. Join the queue to kiss his foot for luck.

3. St. Peter’s Dome

For the best views of Rome, pick a clear day, get there early to avoid the queues, and prepare to make the climb up the 320 steps to the top of St. Peter’s Dome. You can take the lift for the first part, but a long climb still awaits you with a mix of spiral, steep, and strange slopes, taking you up to the viewing point where staggering views stretch out before you on every side.

It will cost you €4 to make the climb (or €7 if you use the lift at the start). Get your tickets at the office just next to the Basilica entrance, clearly marked after you have passed through security checks.

4. The Vatican Museums

The endless rooms filled with Vatican treasures are a great way to spend a few hours. The highlight has to be the Sistine Chapel (which, contrary to popular belief, is not in the Basilica), which you have to pay to see. While everyone knows about the famous ceiling by Michelangelo, look out also for his huge mural depicting the “Last Judgment” and Botticelli’s “Story of Moses“.

Also make time to see the Raphael Rooms, Caravaggio’s “Deposition,” and the Borgia Apartments. The entrance fee is usually €15, though if you visit the last Sunday of the month, it’s free (though you need to get there at around 7 AM to avoid the queue which extends to many hundreds of people).

5. The Necropolis

A little-known tour of the Necropolis takes you under the Basilica to the hidden city below. Excavated in the 1930s, the ancient streets are lined with tombs that are almost untouched by time. The highlight has to be seeing the alleged site of St. Peter’s tomb and looking up to see the dome towering about you through the floor grates. You need to book the tour around four weeks in advance by emailing the excavations office. Tours cost €12.

Top tips for visiting the Vatican

· Whether you are visiting the Basilica, the Dome, or the Museums, get there early to avoid long lines.

· In the Vatican Museums, head for the Sistine Chapel first, as the tour groups head there last.

· Cover shoulders and do not wear shorts.

· The queue in the piazza is for the security checks. Once through, keep left for the Basilica. The queue is for the Dome.

· Unless you want a plastic model of the Vatican that lights up and plays “Ava Maria,” or even a “Pope on a Rope” soap, avoid the tacky souvenir sellers.

· Do not buy a coffee or lunch within 1,000 meters of the Vatican unless you want to pay prices that will bring you to your knees.

Popularity: 4% [?]

The Christmas market at Piazza Navona. Photo by Elizabeth Buie.

By Samantha Collins in Rome—

Whether your idea of a good Christmas break is ice-skating under the watchful eye of an ancient castle, sharing midnight mass with the Pope, or simply eating and drinking too much, Rome is the perfect place to indulge and celebrate. So just how should you spend the festive season in Italy’s Eternal City?

The Christmas toy market at Piazza Navona

Along with the usual array of portrait painters, mime artists and peddlers that gather around Piazza Navona at any time of year, come winter you’ll find the Christmas market set up on the square. The famous Piazza is transformed into a child’s paradise with brightly colored wooden toys on display, a traditional carousel, and hot roast chestnut stalls. Look out for Befana the witch, who brings gifts to Italian children on January 6 (Epiphany and Befana’s Feast day).

Attend the Midnight Mass in the Vatican

Every Christmas morning at the stroke of midnight, the Pope delivers his Christmas Mass. Tickets for the mass in St. Peter’s Basilica are free, but must be booked in advance. Visit the Vatican website for information on the mass timetable, which also includes carol services. For those who don’t have tickets, the service is broadcast live on large screens in St. Peter’s Square.

Ice skating by Castel St. Angelo on the banks of the River Tiber

Situated in one of Rome’s most beautiful settings, the Christmas ice rink under the shadow of Castel St. Angelo looks toward St. Peter’s Basilica. What could be more romantic? To get there, take either the Metro to “Lepanto,” or, better yet, take one of the many buses (such as the 30 Express or the 87) to Piazza Cavour.

Nativity scene hunting

Pop your head into any church during December and you’re guaranteed to see traditional nativity scenes on display. From the animals in the stable to the figures bearing gifts to the baby Jesus, these ancient displays are rich in detail and tradition. Don’t miss the huge one in St. Peter’s Square: Each year it has a different theme. Constructed behind curtains over the course of several weeks, it is finally unveiled in mid-December and stays on view for most of January.

Panettone and Torrone

Panettone is the traditional Christmas cake that is given to friends and relatives. Traditionally filled with candied peel, you can now find many other varieties in beautifully wrapped Christmas paper tied with ribbon. For a smaller gift, look out for the torrone, oblong chocolate bars in gift wrapping usually filled with nuts or nougat.

New Year’s Eve

Two of the main gathering places for the adult revelers are Piazza Navona and Piazza del Popolo. Many people also line the banks of the river with glasses of champagne to watch the fireworks. Try to avoid partaking in the other traditional festivity of wading drunkenly into the Trevi Fountain. It is illegal and you may find you start the New Year behind bars, instead of being in front of one.

Transportation during the holidays

Mainline and local services do operate throughout Christmas, but with a very limited service on national holidays (see below). There is a free “shopping bus” that runs between Termini and Via Del Corso during December, but you are better advised to walk than use the public transport. During this period, buses and metros are filled with at least double the capacity of intended passengers, complete with bulky purchases. Visit the Roman transit site for more information.

What’s closed when

Shops are open every day (including Sunday) during the holiday period, except for December 25 and January 1. (Note that Rome’s January sales do not start on the first weekend in January.) Most museums and attractions are closed December 25 and January 1, but are open the rest of the time. (Check online first.) Restaurants generally remain open throughout the holiday period.

Also note that in addition to Christmas and New Year’s, Italians celebrate Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, and St. Stephen’s Day on December 26. However, most shops, restaurants, and attractions remain open on these days.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Andorra La Vella's Old Town. Photos by Alex Robertson Textor.

By Alex Robertson Textor—

Andorra La Vella, the capital of Andorra, may be Western Europe’s most maligned capital. A huge duty-free shopping hub, it tends to be written off as an outdoor mall only good for short shopping adventures.

Its commercial bluster may indeed shock those emerging from a weeklong mountain journey through the Pyrenees. And in fact, some of its commercial business is a bit depressing. Shops selling discounted tobacco, perfume, and jewelry are everywhere. There are also sinister militia shops hawking surveillance devices, riot gear, bb guns, and odd objects expressly designed to hide things—like dummy soup cans that screw apart to reveal a hidden chamber. Are these things even legal?

Let’s table that question for a minute and fight the conventional wisdom regarding the Andorran capital by focusing on its downright interesting attributes.

Looking at Andorra

Andorra's pleasingly dated bar decor.

The language on the streets is the gorgeous hybrid tongue of Catalan. It’s framed dramatically by stunning jagged peaks that appear to sprout behind every building. It’s got a romantic if very tiny old town and loads of interesting, modern stone architecture. In many ways, it is reminiscent of a medium-sized Swiss city. This is the case even aesthetically, down to the faded, pleasingly dated store signage and bar interiors that pop up here and there.

Beyond shopping, true tourism draws in the capital itself are few. Just outside of Andorra La Vella in the town of Escaldes-Engordany is the enormous Caldea thermal baths complex. Our Cheapo tip: obtain a discounted nighttime admission for €25, a savings of €8 off the standard admission price.

One standout site in the city is the Casa de la Vall, the 16th-century stone house that serves as the seat of government. It’s delightful to consider that such a beautiful small house could serve as a national parliament.

Andorra's cute Casa de la Vall.

Andorra’s governmental balancing act

Andorra is, truth by told, a bit of an anomaly. It’s in charge of its own affairs but maintains some vestigial attachments to France and Spain. Officially, it is a co-principality, and its two “co-princes” are the French head of state and the Bishop of Urgell, who represents Spain.

(Lest you imagine that France and Spain run the show, know that executive power is the domain of the Andorran government, not the co-princes.) The postage system is operated by its two much larger neighbors, who dutifully produce Andorran stamps; defense, also, is delegated to the giants on either side.

Andorra is not a part of the European Union. It also remains outside of Schengen, the EU’s customs union that de facto blankets most of the other European microstates. On the main road through Andorra there are large mountainside immigration stations—a downright rarity in today’s Western Europe. (Many bus shuttles, however, including the one occupied by your loyal correspondent, are dismissed with a wave at the border crossings. What a disappointment!)

French and Spanish mailboxes side by side.

With neither an airport nor a railway network, Andorra certainly sits off the beaten path. Unlike the other Western European microstates, it isn’t quick to get to by road, either. Andorra is a three to three-and-a-half hour bus journey from both Barcelona and Toulouse.

By way of contrast, Monaco is smack dab in the middle of the Côte d’Azur, Liechtenstein is as close as an hour and a quarter from Zurich, San Marino is a stone’s throw from Rimini, and the Vatican is encircled by Rome. Andorra’s sheer distance makes actually touching down on the ground feel a little bit more like an accomplishment.

Andorra La Vella Hotel Tip

Budget bed fans should check out the clean, quiet, and very affordable Hotel Sant Jordi in Andorra La Vella, where double rooms booked online can be nabbed for as little as €40.

About the author: Alex Robertson Textor is Editor-at-Large at EuroCheapo. He writes travel stories for the New York Post, New York Times, and Rough Guides, among other publications, and he also maintains Spendthrift Shoestring, a blog on budget travel and culture.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Rome’s Gucci store on Via dei Condotti, as photographed by scalleja

Rome, city of the Colosseum, the Vatican, and some of the most coveted art in the world, is also a well-known fashion center. Why not do as the Romans do, and snag a few fabulous—and free—haute couture shopping bags, before you head home?

Pack a bag

As Cheapos, we can’t exactly advocate an indulgent spending spree, but we can advise you to keep those glossy shopping bags, if such a spree should occur. (Hey, we’re all human, right?) The homeland of Armani, Prada, Versace, Dolce and Gabbana, and Gucci offers some of the snazziest fashions in Europe and most purchases come in fancy bags with pristine packaging.

Via dei Condotti is one of the richest streets in Italy and boasts the stores, and glossy bags to prove it. This is where to find the big names listed above. On Via del Corso, which runs through the historic city center of Rome, you’ll find Ferrari and Swarovski crystal while Piazza Navona is the best place for gallery-hopping and antique browsing. An “ingresso gratuito” sign in the window is your signal to poke around for free. A “saldi” sign means there’s a sale going on.

Cheapo tip: Find the least expensive item in a designer shop and buy it: think keychain, a towel, baby booties, or even a pen or pencil. The cheapest wares still come in pretty packaging and are easiest to pack. Back home, we’ve been known to carry a small, paper Gucci bag as a lunch sack. And, ribbons from sweet, haute-worthy packages make great hair ties!

While you’re at it…

Don’t forget the outlets! Rome is known for its factory warehouses full of discounted designer duds. We recommend you check out Fashion District Valmonte, just 45 minutes east of Rome’s city center, which boasts 150 designer shops (Calvin Klein, Pierre Cardin, and Sisley to name a few) and is Italy’s self-proclaimed “largest shopping project.” For directions and coupons for the outlet, visit Valmonte’s web site.

Popularity: 23% [?]

photograph courtesy of Directions_to_Orthodoxy

Vatican commandos began their pilgrimage to the soccer fields surrounding St. Peter’s Basilica Saturday for the first match of the Clericus Cup. The tournament is host to 16 different teams from Catholic institutes around Rome. The first match, between Mater Ecclesiae and Gregorian University, attracted an international crowd, signage depicting the Virgin Mary, and inspirational chants.

The Cup shall runneth over through June, giving fans of all denominations plenty of time to catch a match before (and after!) Sunday mass.

Amen, right?

Popularity: 3% [?]

Some pieces that sparked our interest in Sunday’s New York Times travel section:

Practical Traveler: Whether to Ask the Hotel or Hit the Web
Big online agencies such as Travelocity, Expedia and Orbitz used to be able to offer the lowest price. There are new benefits, however, in booking directly with the hotel.

Vatican Takes Steps to Control Overcrowding
The Vatican museum is shortening its hours, raising its prices, and trying to deal with larger crowds. How badly do you want to see that ceiling?

A Lisbon Suburb Turns up the Chic
Cascais, the luxurious Lisbon suburb once exclusively populated by high-rollers and heads of state, opens up to travelers of all budgets.

Check In/Check Out: Berlin - Hotel de Rome
A bit of stately swank, in the middle of Mitte.

And also of note:

Q&A: Airline Baggage - by the piece or by the pound?

Foraging: Geneva - Collection Privee

Popularity: 9% [?]