Visitors to Rome during August are advised by leading car hire supplier, Argus Car Hire to make their rental car reservations ahead of time due to the Italian holiday Ferragosto, which falls on 15 August and is also the religious holiday Assumption Day on the Roman Catholic calendar.

Many Italians leave the city and head either to the beaches or to the mountains for their summer vacations, so car hire is in high demand by both locals and tourists alike.

Throughout the month of August many small festivals will be held, mainly over weekends, where visitors can sample some of the local delicacies. With your own hire car in Rome from Argus Car Hire, travellers will be able to explore the region in their own time and they might even be lucky enough to be part of the annual medieval festival, complete with people in period costumes, outdoor performances and food stalls, which provide a variety of tasty, inexpensive meals that are traditionally from that particular region.

Because of the beautiful summer weather many open-air concerts are held, usually the main piazza serves as the venue for these outdoor musical performances. In Rome the Estate Romana is a music and performing arts festival that takes place during the summer, more information is obtainable from the tourist office.

There is also music and entertainment on offer every night until 15 August at the Castello Sant’ Angelo, which is easy to reach with a hire car.

Tadio Olimpico, Viale del Foro Italico is held at the Teatro Marcello in Rome every evening throughout the entire summer. The programme of the Music Festival of the Nations is varied and offers a repertoire of performances ranging from polyphonic choirs, solo recitals and chamber music. It also encompasses different styles ranging from avant-garde, Classicism, Baroque and Romanticism.

One of the world’s most important genre film events - Rome’s Fantafestival is also being held and features horror, sci-fi and thriller movies. Movie lovers can take their hire car and see some of the films being screened at a variety of venues. Many of the film premières and in-competition movies will be shown at Nuovo Cinema Aquila.

Visitors to Rome who are looking to experience something completely different should check out AltaRoma, which combines elements of a traditional fashion show with a whole series of experimental performances and unconventional events that have been designed to intertwine the clothing garments with art and vision. Alta Roma is held twice annually at the Complesso monumentale Santo Spirito in Saxia, Rome and can easily be accessed by using a rental car in Rome which you have hired for your stay.