Hop-on, hop-off buses are a common sight in major tourist cities like Rome. While some might scoff at the idea of taking one, the truth is, for those who want to get a quick overview of a city or only ...

Ciao in Italian does not only mean goodbye, said Mauro Galli, president of TourCrafters. It can also mean hi. Ciao, come stai? means Hi, how are you. Its more friendly than bongiorno, said Galli.

Seattle Times Travel editor Terry Tazioli is off to Rome for a while, on his annual quest for good food, good wine, good friends and a new Italian verb form or two. Like many cities in the U.S. and ...