Rome is on Continental time 6 hours ahead of New York and seven hours ahead of Chicago. In 1996, members of the European Union agreed to observe a "summertime period" from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October. The clocks are an hour ahead of solar time (GMT) in winter, and two hours ahead in summer. The clocks change twice during the year. Check the "Time Ticker" for current time in Rome. When arriving or leaving Rome, you are likely to do it at the Leonardo da Vinci airport in Fiumicino (FCO), a little town by the seaside, 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) west of the ring of Rome. It is more known in Rome with the name of the locality, i.e. as Fiumicino Airport (Aeroporto Fiumicino in Italian).

 spread of affluence has broken the traditional link between poverty and sexual availability, although off-duty national servicemen have sometimes been known to turn wrist-engineers for a small fee. Rome's gay venues open and close at an alarming rate, so a phone call to check the bar still exists is a good idea before you slip into something sexy. Some bars charge no entrance fee but oblige you to buy a drink. A growing number of venues ask you to show an Arcigay annual membership card, which costs L20,000, can be bought in any venue that requires you to have it, and gives you admission to many clubs throughout Italy. Some bars, though, still have their own membership cards, valid only in the individual venue and usually costing 20 Euros

The other possibility is that you arrive or leave at the Ciampino Airport, (CIA) a little town 4 km (2.5 miles) south of the ring of Rome. From the Leonardo DA Vinci (FCO) airport you may go to Rome via train/subway. Follow the arrows in the airport to the train station area, you cannot miss it. Elevators and moving walkways will bring you there. You are not allowed to put trolleys with luggage on the walkways, but you can roll them along the corridors next to them.  Despite the odd bout of finger wagging from the Vatican, Italy has long been notably free of anti-gay legislation. In the first half of this century, life was cheap, attitudes were relaxed, and boys were both. Today, the

In most bars, you are given a printed slip on which the barman ticks off what you consume; you pay the total amount on leaving. Be careful not to lose your slip, as you're liable for a stiff penalty if you do. We would like to recommend  Clubbing Magazine Rome page to find the latest in the gay scene in Rome. In Rome, nine out of ten restaurants are trattorias. More than a restaurant, a trattoria is where you spend the evening, a cafe, a bar, and living room in one. Everyone likes to eat out, until quite late, all the time. Romans will sit and chat (and drink) after all the food is gone. The worst treatment a foreigner will get comes while waiting for a table, or being seated (some restaurants will segregate foreigners).