After a long train ride, say from Rome to Genoa, you might want to jump in the shower to freshen up. But private showers weren't the norm in ancient Rome. About 1,500 years ago you couldn’t throw a rock in Rome without hitting a public bathhouse. Since the third century BCE, when Romans borrowed the idea of the public bathhouse and the concept of the regular bathing ritual from the Greeks, Rome has refined the art of not just bathing, but relaxation itself. 

Hop off the train at Rome's Termini train station and you'll soon learn Rome isn’t simply one of the most beautiful cities in the world — it’s also one of the most delicious. If you’re planning a trip to the Eternal City, you owe it to yourself to experience the remarkable diversity of traditional Roman cuisine.

With so many excellent places to visit, a quick glance at some of the best cities to visit in Italy can make your trip planning that much smoother. 

Let’s take a look at some of the best urban Italy destinations to explore during your vacation in Italy.

Shakespeare famously wrote in Hamlet about the spirits of the dead that inhabit Rome: “The graves stood tenantless, and the sheeted dead did squeak and gibber in the Roman streets.” 

Many Romans can verify that Shakespeare was onto something. According to a recent survey, 75% of Italians believe in ghosts and Romans are no exception. Inhabitants of an ancient city, they’ve lived side-by-side with their share of specters, both ancient and recently departed. 

Rome was originally built on the foundations of seven independent settlements on seven hills. Over time, the swampy valleys between them were drained and replaced with public spaces. Only then did Rome as we know it begins to emerge. This consolidation of the seven hills was made concrete with the erection of the Servian Walls in the fourth century BC, built to protect the seven hills.

With Rome’s history spanning at least 28 centuries, you can bet your travel booties that it’ll take longer than a couple of days to fully experience its majesty. If you're arriving into Rome by plane, you can hop on a train at Fiumicino Airport that will take you directly to Rome Termini train station. Once you get to Rome there are countless things to see, do, and eat. Here we highlight 30 things to do in Rome you can't miss. 

As soon as you arrive at Rome's Termini train station you know you are in a truly special city.  There’s a proverb that goes: “Rome wasn’t built in a day”.  It means that any major feat worth accomplishing requires time, effort and perseverance... but the end results can be extraordinary. Of course, that’s literally true of Rome.