Cheap Car Hire at Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO)

Vatican City

The Vatican City, which is located within the environs of Rome, has been the seat of the Roman Catholic Church since at least the fourth century A.D. Today, Vatican City is a separate nation located entirely inside the city of Rome. 

The major attractions here include the Sistine Chapel, famed for its ceiling frescoes, painted by the Renaissance master, Michelangelo.

St Peter's Basilica, located in the Vatican, is the site from which popes through the centuries have celebrated the annual events that mark the Christian calendar, such as the masses on Easter Sunday and Christmas Day.

Rome, Italy

Rome is a large city, located on the Mediterranean coast of the country. This city is the most popular tourist destination within Italy.

Rome is situated on the banks of the River Tiber and has been a major centre of culture for more than 2,000 years. During antiquity it was the capital city of the Roman Republic, and later the Roman Empire.

Many of the most famous tourist attractions in the city, such as the Coliseum and the ruins of the Roman Forum, derive from these periods in the city's past.

The historic centre of the city has long been recognised by the United Nations as a World Heritage site. Cheap car hire makes possible one of the classic tourist experiences in the city, which is to drive in the busy traffic past the Coliseum in an amazing juxtaposition of modernity and antiquity.

When it comes to a Rome car rental, cheap hire vehicles also allow visitors to explore the city without having to wear themselves out through too much walking. This can be particularly useful in Rome, which features a variety of historic architectural styles, spread out over quite a wide area.

Seeing the many examples of Romanesque, Renaissance and Baroque architecture is best done from a hire car. Be sure to note the prevalence of arches, domes, and vaults, important developments in architecture that originated in Rome.

Pompeii

Many tourists will confirm that finding car hire cheap enough enables them to explore parts of the country far beyond Rome. The ancient city of Pompeii, for example, is located at the foot of Mt Vesuvius, about two and a half hours from the capital.

When the volcano erupted in 70 A.D., Pompeii residents were taken so much by surprise that few were able to flee. Instead, the eruption roared down over them and they were trapped in gas and flames.

The resulting ashes have preserved the dead bodies for centuries. The result of the eruption was that daily life in Pompeii was frozen in an instant. Archaeologists have therefore been able to obtain a great deal of knowledge from the preserved remains.

Much of what is known about the lifestyle of the ancient Italians derives from studies of Pompeii, a city that is visited by many tourists who have arranged cheap car rentals, so that they can travel to and from Rome just as they please.

Other interesting day trips from Rome include the Via Appia Antica, also known as the old Appian Way. This was once the primary route into the city and was in mind with those who claimed that, "all roads lead to Rome". Today, the area is a park lined with churches, tombs and catacombs, the most famous being San Callisto.

Visitors with rental cars can make the trip on any day they wish, except Sunday, when the Appian Way is closed to vehicles. The ancient harbour city of Rome, Ostia, is another place that tourists can reach easily by organising cheap car hire.

Attractions include more than sea, sand and ships as the Old Quarter features a wealth of shops to explore - enough to devote an entire afternoon to the visit.