Europa Multiclub gay Sauna (Via Aureliana 40, www.gaysaune.it) is the biggest and most popular of Rome's gay bathhouses with a great diversity of visitors. Amenities here are some of the finest among gay saunas anywhere, with a mega-size Turkish bath, Finnish sauna, whirlpool, and solarium. They offer massage and internet, and a well-equipped gym, plus snacks and drinks at the EMC Cafe. Their many cabins offer plenty of nooks to get better acquainted with new friends and big-screen erotic videos get you in the mood. Open daily from 1pm to midnight and through the whole weekend without closing -- so some young men use it in place of a hotel.

Two other longtime local tubs are just off Via Merulana as you walk south from the Termini area: Apollion Sauna Via Mecanate 59/A) and Mediterraneo Sauna (Pasquale Villari 3). Each has steam, dry sauna, massage, darkrooms, and its own loyal group of regulars. Rios Sauna Club (Via dei Colli Albani 10) is a full-service sauna, seven stops down the metro from Termini, and Termi di Roma (Via Persio 4) is another long-time sauna, still a local favorite, out a bit further from the center.