Visiting Rome and don't know where to go to relax and have fun after a long day of sightseeing? Here is not just a list of bars and clubs you have likely never heard of, but the areas with the best nightlife so you can choose for yourself. Rome is full of great places to go at night, but some of them are harder to find than others. I have make sure to focus on the places where the staff usually knows english, so the language barrier shouldn't inhibit your night out.

If you are on a budget and looking to get the most out of your Rome trip, try getting an aperitivo at one of many bars and pubs that have it. An aperitivo in Italy is basically a dinner buffet. You pay for one drink (beer, wine, cocktail, etc) and get the all-you-can-eat buffet for free. That way, you have had dinner (and likely a good one at that) and already started your night off. These are offered in bars and pubs all over the city. I personally recomend Friends, a bar in the Campo Marzio (close to Piazza Navona), but it would be a great idea to cruise the Trastevere neighborhood and find a place for yourself. Usually "aperitivo" or "happy hour" (it has a different meaning in Italy than in the United States) is written out front, so it is easily recognizable. Even afterwards eating, Trastevere is a very lively neighborhood full of locales.

If you have already eaten, a good starting point for the night is Campo dei Fiori. Located in the center and easy to find, it is a large piazza lined with bars. Grab a beer from the Drunken Ship and take a seat to relax and unwind. If you are still hungry, there is a delicious sandwich shop in the corner of the piazza that offers a long list of typical pannini for 5 euros.

If you want to stay in the center, make sure to hit Scholar's Lounge, an Irish pub located just off Piazza Venezia. This resembles an American sports bar and has as many televisions that can possibly fit, showing everything from Italian soccer to British cricket to American football. Open until 4 a.m., Scholar's is always a good backup if all else fails. Just up the street on the other side of Piazza Venezia is the Nag's Head, which often times has live music and is a great time as well.

In the area around Piazza Navona among the countless bars and pubs there is The Abbey, an Irish pub with a very relaxed atmosphere. Just as close to Navona is The Big Apple, an American-style bar which often features American college football.

After making your rounds of the bars in Rome, you likely want to know where the clubs are at. Rome has plenty, known here as discoteche, but you have to know where to look.

The best place to go if you are looking for the least hassle is Testaccio. Although it is not located exactly in the center of the city, it is not far and is easily reached by bus (number 30 to the stop Cave Ardeatine; after midnight, night bus 121, check with the public transportation website here). Monte Testaccio is literally a man-made mountain created by the ancient romans. When ships would come in on the Tiber bringing goods, they would take the goods out of clay pots and throw the pots in a pile. This pile eventually became so big that it is now literally a mountain. Today, there are about 10-15 nightclubs built into the side of this mountain (which is about the size of a city block) that go all the way around. There is something for everyone; a salsa club, house club, gay club, and a dark club just to name a few. You won't be disappointed. Afterwards, make sure to grab a kebab from one the street vendor; in all my time in Rome (I consider myself somewhat of a kebab afficianado -- Middle-Eastern kebabs, not shishkebabs -- I wish they were more popular in the United States) I have never had a kebab better than the one that the vendors sell at Testaccio.

If Testaccio is not your thing or you are looking for something a little more upscale, there are many clubs in the center, but they are more scattered and often more difficult to get into. Since these are known as some of the best clubs in Rome, they are a little more expensive and somewhat selective. Make sure you are dressed to kill and you should be all right. Art Cafè is located in Villa Borghese, close to Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps. La Maison is located just off Piazza Navona. Club Gilda is not far, also in the Campo Marzio/Pantheon area. It's enough just to google these names to find out more about them.

Rome is an incredible city full of life and activity; no matter what you choose, you will not have a hard time finding things to do. Hopefully this gives those of you who have limited time in the Eternal City a good idea of what you can find and expect so that you can live la vita dolce both by day and night!