EEC

My husband and I are celebrating our 10-year wedding anniversary this June in Rome. We have the tickets, and now we're ready to start booking the details.

1) I'm looking for recommendations on lodging for 7 nights. We either want a hotel or B&B (or possibly a monastery stay I've read about (?)), but no apartments; and we'd like to keep it well under $300/night... Anyone have favorites they could recommend? And this might be far fetched, but any with pools?

2) That leads me to #2 - we want to ensure we see all the sights, but I'm wondering about activities beyond sightseeing as well...and some R&R! My husband is a huge history/Vatican buff and wants to see it all, but I'm hoping I'm not dragging by the end! (Thus the question about the pool!) Any tips for pacing ourselves? Day trips to beaches or countryside?

Thanks!

E.E.C

denisea

Do take a look at Albergo del Senato. It is a wonderful hotel right by the Pantheon...amazing to wake up the piazza in front of the Pantheon to be empty. The rooftop bar has THE VIEW. No pool, but who cares. Great location for sight seeing! Not a huge hotel and maybe a bit over your budget....they have several room types of varying costs but we could not resist a penthouse suite with a small terrace over looking the Pantheon.

If you pr husband loves all things Vatican then look into the Scavi tour you book directly with the Vatican. Amazing but not for the claustrophobic. We totally enjoyed our tour with Walks Of Italy (Pristine Sistine) of the Vatican Museums. Click on my name to find our TR from Rome for a few years ago.

Peter_S_Aus

I read this morning that the Trevi Fountain renovations have been completed, and water is again flowing. Cost about 2 million euro, took more than a year.

Visit and throw a few euro coins into it. It is an excellent investment.

ekc

with 6.5 days, you have time for a day at the sea that can include some history. Take a look at Ostia Antica/Lido. We spent the day there, visited the ruins and then had a lovely lunch by the sea. It was October so it was not sunbathing weather, but if I was traveling during the season I would definitely rent a couple of sun chairs for the day.

I try to book only one tour or big sight per day - otherwise I get burnt out. Then I fill in with churches, markets, wandering, etc. A few good guidebooks will help you decide what you want to see.

In September we had a lovely private tour of the Vatican Gardens. Lots of history - not just flowers.

If the timing works, you could look at visiting the Vatican Museums on one of the Friday nights they are open. Much less crowded.

Lexma90

The most relaxing part of our European vacations are sitting at a cafe with a glass of wine at hand, preferably at a location with good people-watching. Many piazzas in Rome fit that bill for us!

denisea

I didn't mention my fav places outside Rome. Villa d'Este is so gorgeous and you can pair it with a visit to Hadrian's villa. Orvieto is also a wonderful full day trip from Rome.

nytraveler

Pools are quite rare in hotels in Rome and I don't know off-hand of any in your price range that have one. You might look at booking.com which allows you to search for hotels with pools - but be sure that whatever hotel you pick is in the historic center so you won;t have a long trek to and fro every day to get to the sights.

Agree not to pack in so many sights that you don;t have time to just sit and relax. One of the places we like best in the piazza across from the entrance to the Pantheon. There are a couple of cafes there and one at least offers little bites if you sit and have a drink in the late afternoon (i'm a Campari freak). Plus there are a couple of churches nearby and a few times we have hear either a sung mass or choir practice while sitting and watching the Roman world walk by.

socaltraveler

"Not a huge hotel and maybe a bit over your budget."

If you mean the least expensive room at a smidge under 300€ and a room with a view at the Albergo del Senato at 440€, perhaps not the budget the OP stated above.

I would look at veneer.com or booking.com and see what your budget and dates brings up. You might think about an apartment if you will be there a week, so much more room and having a kitchen for breakfasts and snacks is always nice even if you do not want to cook meals. Generally less expensive as well.

sandralist

At today's exchange rate, staying "well under $300" means you are looking at spending 275 euros per night, and not only does that mean Albergo del Senato is well beyond your budget (don't cry, it's not all that great in my view) but likewise you are not going to be staying in a hotel in central Rome with a pool. You might find something at the periphery, in the direction of the airport, but with your husband's ambitious ideas for conquering Rome in a week as a sightseer, you'll be more tired out commuting to the sights every day from a peripheral location than you will have time be refreshed sitting by the pool.

Look at booking.com and venere.com (note spelling) for places you can afford, but call the hotels or B&Bs directly to see if you can get a lower rate for a full week's stay (not a guarantee, since you are going in high season). In June, don't skimp on air conditioning. You are likely to need it. Don't overlook the quality b&bs, which often have great air con and spacious rooms. For 7 nights stay, I would want some elbow room (to up my chances of making it to my 11th anniversary!).

Something you also might consider is telling your husband that for this joint celebration, you would like 1 or 2 nights of the trip to be in smaller, quieter place in Italy. You can promise it will be easy and cheap to get to and will be no less historically fascinating than Rome (promises very easy to keep). Orvieto and Tarquinia are very, very easy to get to from Rome by train, with much charm and historic fascination, but also lots of tranquility. Sperlonga is a beautiful town on the sea, with its own lovely and unusual historical sights, If your has a special interest in all things Vaticani, you could consider an overnight in lakes near to Rome (Albano and Nemi), where the popes have maintained summer residences.

Otherwise, when you are in Rome you should do as the Romans and use the cooler mornings for strenuous activity, but enjoy a good lunch starting at 1 pm, and don't push yourselves in the hottest part of the day. Museums and churches are open until 7.30, so there is no need to be constantly rushing around. If you deliberately mix up the sightseeing with long sit-downs and even a few naps mid-afternoon, the days in Rome can be quite enjoyable and no sense that you are missing a thing.