Visit Rome by train, the Italian capital elected a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
With its great beauty, Rome is one of the most visited cities in the world. Must-see destinations for a weekend in Rome are the Imperial Forums and the Colosseum, reminders of the glorious Roman era, St. Peter's and the Vatican Museums, the Pantheon monument, which can be visited for free, and the Trevi Fountain, restored thanks to investments by the historic Italian fashion house Fendi.
To admire the breathtaking panorama of the roofs of Rome, one can climb the Gianicolo hill. To blend in with the real Romans, one can choose Testaccio. To find secret places, the advice is to look for the Coppedè district or the Garden of Oranges, while in the evening, one can get lost in the alleys of Monti and the taverns of Trastevere.
But Rome is also about shopping. Around Piazza di Spagna, some of the most beautiful streets in the world can be found, such as Via Condotti and Via del Babuino, where one can shop for luxury Made in Italy items like Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, and Prada. Meanwhile, Via del Corso, with its international chains, is a true open-air shopping mall, stretching from Piazza Venezia to Piazzale Flaminio. A must-visit during a Christmas or New Year's weekend to admire the installations and lights that decorate the city center, competing with the rest of the world.
Where to eat in Rome is merely a matter of choice. An excellent cacio e pepe or amatriciana will plunge you into the most authentic and indulgent Lazio cuisine. For authentic Jewish cuisine, there's the Ghetto. For the trendiest and youngest venues, but also an economical trattoria, the districts of Pigneto and San Lorenzo, or the new area between Garbatella and Ostiense offer everything from Castelli wines to good Japanese sushi.
The capital is also a city of great events: don't miss the opening of the extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy called for by Pope Francis on December 8th and reach Rome by train to attend the papal audiences. It will be the right choice.
What are you waiting for? Buy your Italo ticket for Rome now!

Matera is one of the most fascinating cities in southern Italy, with its many souls and incredible evidence belonging to various historical periods. European Capital of Culture for 2019, part of the Alta Murgia National Park, it is known especially for the famous Sassi di Matera, an incredible complex of caves, cavities, and constructions that represent its oldest core, dating back in its original formation even to the Paleolithic.
Walking through this magical place, one encounters the Sasso Barisano, the highest part with many white little houses, and further down the Sasso Caveoso, with many typical constructions arranged like an amphitheater. Worth visiting are the numerous rock churches and the underground Matera, a hypogeum route consisting of dwellings, shops, and cisterns that were used in ancient times for collecting rainwater. But also worth visiting is, leaping forward several centuries, the Casa Grotta di vico Solitario, a typical dwelling dating back to the 1700s and transformed into a museum.
Beyond the Sassi, Matera also has a splendid medieval-Renaissance part, culminating in the Civita with the Romanesque-style Duomo and the Metellana, Quadra, and Capone Towers, and extending along "the Piano", where some of the most beautiful and significant buildings of the city are located: the churches of San Giovanni Battista and San Domenico, the Ferdinandean fountain, the Palazzo del Sedile, and the Palazzo Lanfranchi.
There is also a more modern soul, the new city that arose after the Rehabilitation of the Sassi, with buildings designed by famous architects and urban planners including Luigi Piccinato, Ludovico Quaroni, and Adriano Olivetti.
A walk in the surrounding nature is also a must: at the gates of Matera opens the Park of the Materan Murgia, a UNESCO heritage site since 1993 together with the Sassi. Here one can delve into the lush vegetation and the plateau crossed by deep canyons, visit archaeological sites and enjoy a breathtaking view of the Sassi. A natural setting chosen also by famous directors such as Pasolini and Mel Gibson for some of their most famous films.
And what about the gastronomy? In Matera, one can eat simple but extremely genuine and tasty dishes, prepared with local raw materials: bread, wines, extra virgin olive oil, cheeses, and legumes. Among the typical dishes, the "cutturiddu" and the "pignata" stand out, based on sheep meats flavored with vegetables, herbs, and spices.
Arriving in Matera is simple by choosing the High-Speed train + bus combination that Italo offers with its Italobus service. What are you waiting for? Buy your Italo ticket for Matera now!