i_am_kane

The address is Via Capo d'Africa, 54, set in the city center, this hotel is 0.2 km from Labicana transit station and 0.5 km from the Colosseum. It is also about an 8-10 minute walk to the Termini.

We will be staying in Rome five nights and taking (at least) four short day trips, which means using the train. If we book a hotel too far west, it would not be walkable to the Termini and the expense/hassle of grabbing a taxi cab. We thought this would be a good option. The hotel looks terrific!

i_am_kane

ttt

kybourbon

You can easily take the metro from the Colosseum stop to Termini to catch your train (only one stop between the two). You can also catch the tram to Trastevere (#3 I think).

It's just a block or two from the Colosseum. Domus Aurea is in the area (not sure of opening times as it has issues with flooding off and on) and S. Clemente is nearby if you haven't been.

http://basilicasanclemente.com/eng/

kybourbon

Here's the metro map.

http://www.atac.roma.it/files/doc.asp?r=4

The stop you mentioned above (Labicana) is not a metro stop, it's a tram stop. It's really not helpful to you unless you are going to Trastevere.

http://www.atac.roma.it/files/doc.asp?r=5

i_am_kane

Thank you for your replies. Is this a safe area? At night? Google pedestrian map has calculated a 10 minute walk from Hotel Capo d'Africa to the Termini. Don't want to book this hotel if it is an undesirable neighborhood.

The rooom rate isn't cheap. Although the hotel gets great reviews.

Also looking at the Hotel Sistina, Albergo Cesari and Hotel Domus Julia. This is a 5-night stay, I've got to get it right.

vinoroma

It is a safe but very lively area, with restaurants, bars and a gay scene. It is an exageration to say 10 minutes to termini as there is a major hill between the hotel and termini - i'd walk towards colosseum and get the metro to termini.

vinoroma

Ps: wonder how google calculated 10 minutes - i just looked to quantify my belly feeling about it and it says 24-25 minutes, which is in line with my experience.

i_am_kane

I've been picking up some misinformation on my own, but thanks to your responses, it will all sort out in my brain.

The hill is not something we want to deal with daily. (Our first trip to Rome 16 years ago, I booked a hotel hear the top of the Via Veneto.) Huge mistake.

There are a few other hotels I have on my radar for this visit: Londra Cargill, Hotel Modigliani, Domus Julia Hotel Sistina and Albergo Cesari. The Londra seems to be near government building and a quiet area. I am familiar with the Albergo Cesari's location, which has restaurants, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, close by. Off the top of my head, I would say I'm not familiar with the other hotels' locations.

Does anyone suggest I continue with any of the alternate choices that still have availability?

i_am_kane

ttt

annhig

sorry, I_am_kane, but I've only ever stayed in apartments in Rome, apart from a hotel round the back of the Vatican which wouldn't be of any use to you.

can I ask where your day trips are going to be to? are the all out of Termini? if you stayed near a stop on the metro line that goes into Termini you could stay more or less where you like!

ElendilPickle

We stayed at an Airbnb apartment on Via di San Giovanni in Laterano, about a block from this hotel. The area is safe, and it's an easy walk to the Colosseum metro stop.

Lee Ann

tuscanlifeedit

I will leave this to someone else who knows, but I have a feeling that you can also get a bus to Termini. Ask the hotel.

It is a very nice hotel, very convenient for a lot of ancient Rome. I once had clients who stayed there with their grandsons and they were very happy.

i_am_kane

Again, thanks to everyone. Hello Annhig! To answer your question, here it goes:

Frascati, the classic Old Frascati Wine Tour
Tivoli, may need to book a tour our of Rome for this one. Would like to see Hadrian's Villa & Villa d'Este
Lake Albano, Castel Gandolfo


That's my day trip list, but will have to drop one of them since we want to also enjoy Rome.

I had a suggestion from a (female) friend who has a (female) friend that stay for one month at the Londra Cargill. It is beautiful and the room rate is competitive.

Again I tried Google pedestrian directions from the Londra to the Termini, 15 min., to the Spanish Steps/Trevi Fountain 15-18 min., to Trastevere 45 min. to Vatican, 45 min. to Colosseo 33 min. We are walkers and do four miles every day easily. But, I don't want to spend a whole lot of time walking to-and-fro. I've also don't want to spend a lot of money on taxi cabs. I want everything!

BTW, the professional photos are wonderful of Hotel Capo d'Africa as are the reviews. However, on (I think) Yelp! the photos posted there gave us a cold feeling. The furniture in the common areas don't match our conception of comfortable. This isn't a cheap room rate, and it's five nights. We want to be sure about our decision.

To give everyone a sense of what I do like: I love the Manniello Hotels in Sorrento, I love the Astoria in Stresa, am very comfortable at Hotel al Ponte Mocinego, Venice. For this trip, prior to Rome I booked the Risorgimento Resort in Lecce and i Fra Sassi in Matera.

Too much information?

vinoroma

If you didn't have all those day trips taking you to termini, i'd say albergo cesare is the best location. But it is not convenient for termini. Londra cargill is in a boring area and not convenient to termini. All others, roughly around barberini, are better for termini but i personally wouldn't want to stay in that area (nothing bad, just not charming). I would say if you are gone all day every day on day trips, i'd have teo priorities - easy access to termini and a nice surrounding area for the evenings. For me it would be the areas around the following metro stations: colosseo, cavour, spagna.

kybourbon

>>> wonder how google calculated 10 minutes - i just looked to quantify my belly feeling about it and it says 24-25 minutes, which is in line with my experience.<<<

Yes and the entire walk would be uphill once you got on Via Cavour.

I don't care for the area of Londra (would be similar to when you stayed on Via Veneto) and neither it or the Cesare have easy transport to Termini. I stayed a couple of blocks from the Pantheon in the fall and took a bus from Termini. The Sistina, Modigliani and Julia hare better located for the metro to Termini, but busier areas to stay in.

I would have no problem staying at the Capo as I've often stayed near in Monti, but on the other side of Cavour. It depends on what you plan to see while in Rome, not just day trips. Keep in mind that Piazza Venezia also has a lot of bus stops to reach other areas and it's not a very far walk (flat) from Capo.

>>>For me it would be the areas around the following metro stations: colosseo, cavour, spagna.<<<

The Cavour stop is in between Termini and the Colosseum stops. I like the area to one side of Cavour, but not the area on the other side (around the park). You might look at Hotel Duca D'alba (via Leonina) which is in Monti and spitting distance to the metro.

vinoroma

Kybourbon, there are more ways between capo d'africa and termini, not just over via cavour (which is actually rather long,, not the shortest route), but in any case all routes are uphill because geography. (I wish we lived in an escher world!)
I do not like the park side of lower via cavour either, but higher up, like around via in selci, giovanni lanza, sette sale, there are sone very cute apartments and the area is lovely (but admittedly no nice hotels).

Fremily

Hi, the Old Minard is tour is nice, but there are other wineries with excellent wines. Check out the Principe Pallavicini winery, Tenuta di Pietra Porzia, Santa Benedetta or see a whole list (with prices) on easyfrascati.

i_am_kane

Fremily, I will definitely check them out. Thank you!