Roma and Lazio and other Rome, Italy Sports Travel Tips

Theme: Sports Watching

Despite what I wrote under the "Warning/Danger"-section watching a football game in Rome is still an incredible experience. If you're just able to cope with the ticket problems, the useless organisation and the stupid new security laws - you'll have a great time at Stadio Olimpico.

In Rome there are two clubs in the first division (Serie A), Roma and Lazio. Both have had their share of both victories and losses. Lazio won lo scudetto in 1999/2000 (when swede Sven-Göran Eriksson was their manager) and Roma won it the next year.

After that both clubs have had economical problems, huge ones, and both still even have. Lazio will pay back their tax debts during the next 23 years, while Roma has been close to be sold plenty of times during the last years. Now it seems though as if the owner family Sensi has decided to keep the club.

Roma's big son is Francesco Totti, the man the italians love to hate or hate to love. Or just love to love, if you're a Roma-supporter.
The Lazio substitute for him was Alessandro Nesta, but he took off to Milan in 2002, mostly due to the economical problems in the club. After that came Paolo di Canio, who is more crazy than Totti loves to fall to get easy free kicks... After last season he left the club and now plays for another Rome club in the lower divisions.

Roma is the team with the biggest support. They have around 40 000 season ticket holders and the supporters in the Curva Sud always gives the team a fantastic support.
Well, at least as long as their are winning. But then the support is great.
Roma supporters are probably those in the world who mostly changes after the result. If Roma is in a winning period, they can bring 10 000 people to an away game in Milan. If they have had a string of bad result they are hardly 100 supporters in Siena...

Equipment: The Lazio supporters, led by the infamous group Irriducibili, stands in the Curva Nord. The amount of supporters are less than Roma, and they have also a lot less season ticket holders.
Despite this the atmosphere at the Lazio games are mostly really really good, specially now since the curva has decided to start singing again.

During 3/4 of the season they have sat down silent, in protest against the Lazio president Claudio Lotito. They still don't support him, but now at least they sing for the club again.

There are unfortunately quite often crowd troubles in Rome, so the first thing you shouldn't wear is something in the same colour as the away team has.
Be as neutral as possible is always a good tip.

Tickets are no longer sold at the stadium on matchdays (thank you, stupid italian politicians...), so to get one you have to be in the city at least a day before the game is played. You can either buy a ticket in a Lottomatica-machine (which I still haven't been able to figure out what it is...) or in a Roma/Lazio store.

You need to bring your passport, as tickets in Italy nowadays are personal and with your name on.

At Via Farini, close to Termini, you'll find a Lazio store. And I'm quite sure there is a Roma shop close to the station too.

Ticket prices goes from 100 euro down to 15. My tip is, if you aren't used to seeing games in Italy, is to get a ticket at Tribuna Tevere (the long side of the stadium) or Tribuna Monte Mario. There you'll be as safe as possible, but still be able to take in the fantastic atmosphere.

Games against Milan, Inter and Juventus are the biggest, except for the derby between the two teams of course. Often sold out to all these games, so make sure to get your ticket far in advance!

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Phone: www.asroma.it
Directions: See next tip.
Website: www.sslazio.it

Theme: Sports Watching

Stadio Olimpico in Rome is the second biggest stadium in Italy (after San Siro in Milan). It was built for the Olympic Games that were held in the city in 1960, and then heavily rebuilt for the World Cup in football in 1990.

The stadium is built in a "circle" with the curves on the short side of the stadium. Curva Nord holds the Lazio hardcore, while Curva Sud is for Roma supporters.

Tribuna Monte Mario is the west stand, where they have the VIP-seats, press tribune and the more expensive tickets.

On the other side you'll find Tribuna Tevere, still great seats, but a bit cheaper.

Away supporters are located on the same side as Tribuna Monte Mario, at the start of the curva.

There is normally a bit of a problem to find your right seat, as it doesn't says the same on the ticket as it says in the stadium... So try go ask one of the stewards, and he/she will show you where your sit is. Or just ask any in the crowd that looks like he/she knows what they are talking about.

Stadio Olimpico holds 82 000 spectators, and was used as the final venue of both the Euro 1980 and the World Cup 1990. During the 1990s there were also a Champions League-final played here, and in 2008 the final will once again be held here. It's one of the stadiums in Europe that Uefa rank with 5*.

Outside the stadium there is a park, and then an old stadium with running tracks. The tracks are surrounded with beautiful statues in white marble.

When you up to the stadium from the Tiber river you'll pass the Olympic committee and the old, pink, building that were used for the Olympics in 1960.

Equipment: The stadium is a bit far away from the city center, but it's easy to get there with metro, bus or tram.
I normally take the metro to "Ottaviano" (the same stop as for going to the Vatican state). When getting up, cross the street to the right, and then take bus number 12. It will stop just 200 meters from the stadium, outside the pink buildings I wrote about above.

Problem is after the game when it's really crowded and there are less busses. I have many times walked back to Ottaviano by foot, but it's quite far and it takes about 45 minutes-1 hour if you walk pretty quickly. Better to use the busses from Piazza Mancini in that case (see below)

You can also take the metro to Flaminio, and from there take a bus to Piazza Mancini (should most probably stand on the bus window). From the piazza you just follow the crowd up to the stadium. First you go about 500 meters until you reach the Tiber river, and then cross the street, and you'll see the stadium in front of you.

Bus 910 goes from Mancini to Termini (thanks Cassie! ;) )

Remember the new security rules for seeing football in Rome, so get your ticket a couple of days in advance, and go to the stadium early as it will take you forever to get inside with all the new controls... The earlier you get there, the less crowded and hectic it will be too!

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Theme: Golfing

It would be a lie to say that golf is a huge sport in Rome, but there are some courses. And some very nice courses.
I spent a week at Sheraton Golf Parco dei Medici, which is both a hotel and a golf resort.

The hotel you can read about on my hotel-page. The golf course is divided into three 9 hole courses, white, blue and red. The white is the hardest one, then blue next, while the red is the easiest.

The BMW Open, on the Europe tour for ladies, will be played here in May, so there is no doubt the courses are really good.

It's a park course, with quite much water, so there are great difficulties on some parts of the course.

As always in the southern Europe the greenfees are quite high. But with a golf packet it gets quite much cheaper. I paid a bit over 900 euro for a week on the hotel, included breakfast everyday and six greenfees. Definitely well worth it, seeing the great quality of the course.

Equipment: Golf clubs of course. There is a golf shop in the club house, where you can buy those things that you miss from home. Quite expensive though.

From the resort you can also rent carolls for the bag, 7 euro/day.

There is a driving range and a big putting green close to the club house. And a bar where you can greet yourself with a beer after the day's playing... :) Plus some smaller sandwiches.

Being a Sheraton hotel everything is expensive, so be prepared to pay 8 euro for the beer. 5 euro for the toast.

Staff was very friendly though, and always tried to make us feel welcomed!

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Phone: +39 06 6553477
Directions: 20 km outside Rome city center. 15-20 minutes by taxi from Fiumicino airport. Close to the highway.
Website: http://www.golfparcodemedici.com/index.php?pagina=clubhouse&lingua=en