Working in Rome Italy

Airport

Rome Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport
Italy’s busiest airport caters for about 30 million passengers each year travelling either domestically or to destinations worldwide. About 30km south-west of central Rome, the airport is located in Fiumicino, which is primarily a fishing town. Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport features three terminals, with Terminal A for domestic flights, Terminal B for domestic and international flights, and Terminal C for international flights.

Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport is well connected to several parts of Rome by public transport. Buses frequently travel between the airport and Rome’s major railway station, Roma Termini Station. Travellers can also access the airport by train, with services including the Leonardo Express and Metropolitan Train FM1. A number of private shuttles and bus services also exist in Rome, along with an abundance of taxis.

Rome Ciampino Airport
The little brother of Rome’s two major airports, Ciampino Airport is a hub to several major airlines travelling domestically and internationally. Located about 15km south-east from central Rome, the one-terminal facility was developed into a larger airport in recent years to cater for an increase in demand from low-cost airlines such as Ryanair and EasyJet.

Like Rome Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport, Ciampino Airport is well serviced by public transport to all parts of the Italian capital. Again, the cheapest option is via the extensive bus service, while a range of shuttle buses, taxis and limousines are also available.

Railway Station

Rome Termini Station
The main railway station in Rome is Termini Station, which services many local, domestic and international trains. Termini Station not only caters for a busy train schedule through Rome, but is also a main depot for buses and has a taxi stand. The station is also very close to a number of Rome’s key tourist attractions.

Other busy train stations in Rome include Ostiense, Trastevere, Tuscolana and Tiburtina.

Transportation

Getting around Rome is easy mainly because the historical part of the city is not very big. This makes navigating the city’s well known attractions easily achievable by foot. However, the city also has a highly functional public transport system featuring a metro, buses and trams.

Rome’s metro system has just two lines – A (red) and B (blue) – which meet only at the Termini Central Station. The metro tends to skirt around the major attractions in Rome instead of stopping at them, but this isn’t an issue. Trains run at regular interval, hitting each stop about every 7-10 minutes.

There is a huge number of buses in Rome running for long hours. The city’s trams also provide a different form of transport to see the Italian capital.

For visitors staying in Rome for three days or more consider the Roma Pass, which provides full access to the public transport system and free entry into a two of the city’s many museums.

Cost of Living

The cost of living in Rome is average to high by western standards for expats, with prices often increasing quite a lot in central or touristy areas of the city. According to online cost of living database Numbeo (www.numbeo.com), prices for typical items on current exchange rates (June 2013) are as follows:

Accommodation

Hotels in Rome can vary from the extravagant to the basic in all parts of historic city. Rome’s high-end accommodation is comparable to other European metropolises, like London and Paris, but an advantage travellers will find is more cheap accommodation being available. In what is a dying art, visitors will notice hotels in Rome will display their rates in the front window. Being one of the most visited cities in the world for backpackers, Rome has a strong list of hostels at the lower end of the accommodation scale.

The most popular areas of Rome include: Old Rome, Modern Centre, Colosseo and Vatican. If searching for a hotel in Rome consider some of the following options in these areas:

• Best Pantheon (Old Rome)
• Maison Giulia (Old Rome)
• Hotel Azzurra Rome (Modern Centre)
• Hotel Cortorillo Rome (Modern Centre)
• Sunset Roma Guest House (Colosseo)
• Aenea Superior Inn (Colosseo)
• B&B Eldorado Rome (Vatican)
• Papa Vista Relais (Vatican)

A few of the more popular hostels in Rome include:

• Mosaic Hostel (Modern Centre)
• Funny Palace Hostel (Modern Centre)
• Hotel Texas (Old Rome)

Shopping

Shoppers in Rome don’t tend to visit the city to find a bargain. As in the case of much of Italy, high-end fashion is very popular in Rome where all the big-name brands have outlets. For those that can’t afford these modern Italian designer goods at least window shopping isn’t illegal.

Buying more general products like groceries is easily achieved in Rome, with the city home to many supermarket chains. In central Rome most supermarkets are of the smaller variety and include groups like Lidl, Spar and Auchan. Rome also has a strong selection of department stores, such as Coin and UPIM.

The main shopping areas of Rome include Viadel Corso, Via Condotti and surrounding streets in these areas. Big ticket clothing and jewellery are primarily found in Via Condotti, while cheaper items are more likely located around Via det Tritone, Campo de’ Fiori and Pantheon.

Emergency

Emergency telephone numbers:
Telephone directory assistance number 12
Carabinieri 112
Police 113
Fire department 115
Road assistance 116
Medical emergency 118

Australian Embassy
Via Antonio Bosio 5
00161 Rome, ITALY
Telephone: (39) 06 85 2721
Facsimile: (39) 06 85 272 300
Email: consular-rome@dfat.gov.au
Website: http://www.italy.embassy.gov.au

Insurance and Healthcare

Italy’s National Health Service manages the country’s public health system. The system is funded through taxation from avenues such as individual income tax and VAT. Expats in Italy will need to register to use the system, which is handled by the Local Health Service. With registration expats will be entitled to treatment for free or at a low cost.

On top of the public health care system, expats in Italy can also take out private care, with an extensive range of services available for those willing to pay extra. Costs for private health treatment in Italy are comparable to those in Australia. Despite a high standard of health facilities in Italy, DFAT recommends all Australians travelling to the country take out comprehensive travel insurance to cover any overseas costs.