A visit to the Colosseum, a stroll through the Vatican Museums or enjoying long walks along the Tiber riverbanks are some of the must-do activities on a Rome getaway. And, if you’re also keen on Italian food, you can taste all kinds of pizzas and pasta, and go crazy on the huge variety of Italian desserts, in any of the countless osterias and trattorias the city has to offer.

While best known for its millennial history and exquisite culinary tradition, Rome is also renowned for being one of the best places in Europe to eat ice-cream. The idea that ice-cream is only for the hot weather is now rather outmoded. Indeed, thousands of tourists and locals flock to Italian ice-cream parlours all year around, eager to enjoy the unique flavour of genuine Italian gelato.One, two or up to three flavours, and the irresistible touch of a panna (cream) topping, suffice to yield an unforgettable experience.

Finding a good ice-cream in the city is quite straightforward, but the choice is overwhelming and there is also the likelihood of being scammed. To play it safe, we recommend the following five essential ice-cream parlours in the big, beautiful and eternal Rome.

1. Giolitti
A classic among classics, this centrally located and famous ice-cream parlour is responsible for Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck having eaten ice-cream in the film, Roman Holiday. Open to the public since the year 1900, this spot is easy to find as it is always crammed with customers. Their ice-creams are made using 100% natural ingredients, and it shows. Via Uffici del Vicario, 40

2. Old Bridge
The English name of this establishment is no more than an excuse to try one of the most traditional ice-creams in Rome. No frills and additive-free, the ice-cream at Old Bridge is well known. You are likely to emerge from the parlour holding a three-flavour cone topped with a good dollop of homemade cream. Viale dei Bastioni Di Michelangelo, 5

3. Otaleg
At Otaleg you can see them making ice-cream using craft methods in their open-plan workshop. The sophisticated decor makes for the perfect all-enveloping environment where you can enjoy both classic flavours and more daring offerings, like a cheese and pepper ice-cream. As well, be sure to try their melon and raspberry ice-cream before leaving. Viale dei Colli Portuensi, 594

4. Gelateria della Palma
This ice-cream parlour is backed by more than thirty years of exquisite labour. With its menu of over 150 flavours and their loyalty to top-quality fresh ingredients, the Gelateria della Palma never fails to please. What’s more, apart from ice-cream, we also recommend you try their cassata (a traditional Sicilian cake of ricotta, sponge, marzipan, glace fruit and castor sugar), chocolates and famous tiramisu. Via della Maddalena, 19-23

5. Da Quinto
Next to the Piazza Navona, Da Quinto has been operating since 1915 and is one of the best known ice-cream parlours in town. The walls of the establishment are plastered with photos of famous people who have been there. One of their specialities is chocolate and orange ice-cream. Simply delightful! Via di Tor Millina, 15

Book your Vueling to Rome and get ready to try their magnificent ice-creams.

Text by Aleix Palau

What could be a more ideal setting for a romantic getaway than Rome? It is full of secluded spots where you can get close and reveal your feelings to your loved one – ring at the ready, if you’re one of those. But, not just anything goes and it is not always easy to find the right spot. Here, then, is a selection of possible settings where you could take that “giant step”, or else just enjoy a pleasant getaway with your partner.

Warming Up – a Romantic Stroll Through the Historical Centre

All good things are worth waiting for. We recommend you take your time and seek enjoyment in strolling with your loved one. Rome’s historical centre is full of narrow streets to wander down, and public squares with surprises, be it an interesting church or palace facade, or the sight of a magnificent fountain.

At dusk, Rome turns into an idyll for romantics. That is the time to head for the Tiber riverbank and delight in the interplay of light from the setting sun.

The Fontana di Trevi, or How to Turn Your Declaration into a Romantic Comedy

Some of you might be puzzled by the bit about a romantic comedy, but this is basically how it will play out in that unique Roman setting. Dispel all recollections of that idyllic picture of Marcello Mastroianni and Anita Ekberg in La Dolce Vita. They were alone there, while you will be surrounded by hordes of tourists. And, worse still, by hawkers peddling roses and selfie sticks ready to pounce on all the couples they see filing into that priceless spot. Not to mention the fact that you won’t get around to slipping the ring onto your loved one’s finger before someone comes up and asks you to take a snap of them throwing a coin into the fountain. Hence, we advise you be real quick – make a beeline for a secluded corner and forget about getting down on your knees, unless you’re prepared to take a round of widespread applause and the ensuing avalanche of hawkers. And, you’re going to need an iron-cast sense of humour. This is the perhaps the most carefree option of them all.

Rome’s Gardens – for Nature Lovers

Rome boasts several green areas where you can get a different angle on the city, take a breather from the bustle and go for a delightful walk with your sweetheart. Our first choice is the Villa Borghese Gardens, and we recommend taking the access route through the Piazza dei Popolo,which affords splendid views of St Peter’s Square and the city. If you’re art enthusiasts, be sure to go into the Galleria Borghese and see how Bernini’s incredible sculpture of Apollo and Daphne has withstood the test of time. Who would have thought that such a sad love story could spawn such a beautiful statue!

Our second choice is the less frequented Savello Park, better known as the Giardino degli Aranci (Orange Garden) located on the Via di Santa Sabina. It is the perfect spot for soaking up views of the city. If you happen to be there in spring, you will be blessed by the incomparable scent of the surrounding orange blossom.

A Romantic Dinner – A Classic that Never Fails

The only thing about Rome that is likely to satiate is the sheer surfeit of restaurants. There are venues of all possible types, qualities and prices. But, for an occasion such as this, you have to curate your selection carefully and, if possible, splash out on something great. After a fine dinner in a special place it is virtually a given that your beloved will succumb to your charms and respond, “I love you, too”. Here are our suggestions:

- Casa Bleve. Housed in the incomparable setting of the Palazzo Medici Lante della Rovere, this is the ideal place for drinking fine wine accompanied by excellent sausage, cheese, pasta and other dishes with a refined touch.

- Osteria del Sostegno. Hidden in a backstreet near the Pantheon, this oyster bar offers delicious traditional Italian cuisine in an eminently inviting venue. Perfect for lovers of simple, fine things.

- Il Convivio Troiani. Such a special occasion warrants shelling out more than usual, like here at this excellent, two-star-Michelin restaurant. Delicious modern cuisine managed by the Troiani brothers in an elegant, congenial restaurant located in the centre of Rome. For lovers who wish to splash out.

- Spirito Divino. Located in the popular Trastevere quarter, this restaurant has a formidable wine list. While wine is their forte, so too are their dishes based on locally sourced, organic produce. If you’re a slow-food devotee, this is your restaurant.

Bring out the romantic inside you – get your Vueling and surrender to love!

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by François Terrier, Juan Llanos, brunifia

On our first visit to Rome we were struck by the sheer number of fountains we came across on our walks. I don’t mean just the monumental type – and there are some very beautiful ones – but the public drinking fountains located all over the old city which are ideal for quenching your thirst. After researching the subject we learned that water and its distribution was one of the ancient Romans’ major concerns, leading them to build aqueducts and channelling systems. Much of this must have rubbed off on the subsequent generations who inherited their legacy, prompting them to continue to seek ways of managing such a valuable asset.

Before focusing on the grand monumental fountains – we have made a selection of our favourites, listed below – let’s start by talking about their more modest counterparts, the nasoni. These public drinking fountains date from 1874 and are typically made of iron, cylindrical in form and with a snout-shaped spout; hence they are known as nasoni (nasone, in the singular) which means nose in Italian. Rome has nearly 2,500 and most of them provide clean drinking water which, in the hot summer, is something to be grateful for. One of the oldestnasoniis in the Piazza della Rotonda, near the Pantheon. They are well worth seeking out on your walks and you are likely to be pleasantly surprised on more than one occasion.

Fontana di Trevi

We start with the best known and most widely photographed of them all. Visiting Rome without seeing the Trevi Fountain is like not having been there at all. Don’t expect it to be sited in a huge square – quite the opposite. It defies belief how so much activity and splendour is crammed into the intersection where it is sited. Designed by Nicola Salvi and completed in 1762 – the original preliminary drawings are by Bernini – it was commissioned by Pope Clement II and its central theme is the Taming of the waters.And, yes – go ahead and carry out the ritual of throwing a coin in the fountain, ensuring you will return to this beautiful city. Beware, though, it is strictly forbidden to emulate Anita Ekberg and Marcello Mastroianni in La Dolce Vita!

Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi

The spectacular Fountain of the Four Rivers, which is surmounted by a huge Egyptian obelisk from the Roman period, is sited in the Piazza Navona. Around the base are four statues depicting the world’s four main rivers – the Nile, Ganges, Danube and Río de la Plata. This exceptional work by the great Baroque master, Bernini, has two companion fountains on the side – Neptune and the Moor.

Fontana del Tritone

The Triton Fountain is once again the work of the great Gian Lorenzo Bernini, although this time the fountain is rather more modest and yet every bit as beautiful. Located in the Piazza Barberini, very near the Trevi Fountain, it is dedicated to the god, Triton, shown kneeling on the tail-fins of four dolphins and holding up a conch from which spouts a jet of water.

Fontana del Pantheon

Located in the picturesque Piazza della Rotonda in front of the Pantheon, this dolphin fountain is popularly known as the Fountain of the Pantheon. It was commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII and designed by Giacomo della Porta. Like the previous fountain, the basin acts as the supporting foundation for an obelisk dating from the period of Ramses II.

Two Fountains in the Piazza Farnese

The Piazza Farnese, one of our favourite squares, is the site of two highly original matching fountains set on the sides. They are strikingly shaped like bath-tubs and made of granite taken from the Caracalla Baths.

Fontana della Barcaccia

The Fountain of the Old Boat is located in the Piazza di Spagna, at the foot of the spectacular Spanish Steps. It is the work of Pietro Bernini, the father of Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Depicted in stone is a ship which, according to the tradition, was washed down here by a flash flood in the river Tiber.

When visiting Rome, be sure to visit these and many other fountains. Book your Vueling here.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Lalupa, Sébastien Bertrand, Matt Brisher, 2pi.pl, LASZLO ILYES, Anita Szeicz

Not sure what to give your father on Father's Day? Why don't you forget about the typical tie or shirt this year and dare to do something different? Travelling for Father's Day would be the perfect gift, don't you think? We'll help you choose a destination... There's one to suit every type of father!