Bastille

Good day,

I am a male Canadian traveler writing today to seek advice on which neighborhood/where to stay in Rome this October with my 80 year old grandmother. She is a sweet, loving and spry lady who has never had the opportunity to travel outside of Canada. I studied in Rome for a summer during my undergrad and I wanted to share some of the incredible sights and experiences of the city with her, so I am taking her on the trip of a lifetime for her birthday! She is also a devout Catholic, so this journey will have immense spiritual significance.
Traveling with her to Rome poses obvious risks and setbacks. Her knees aren’t in the best shape, and she has a bad allergy to cigarette smoke, but aside from that she has a great deal of vigor and vitality for someone her age.
With that said, Rome is a smoky place with lots of cobblestones, stairs, and walking is the primary mode of transportation. In short, perhaps not the most hospitable place for someone like her. The best I can do is try to find a good place and area to stay so if there are days when she needs to rest, she isn’t missing out on experiencing the city. Because of that, I think a vacation rental would be ideal rather than a hotel or B&B.
It’s been a few years since I visited Rome, and I am trying to figure out what the best neighbourhood to stay is. Cost is not a big issue, I just need a good area to stay that we can reach major locations on foot or by car. Ideally somewhat less busy, but a beautiful area with some nice things to do within or close by. Perhaps closer to the Vactican area than the forum and collosseum as her interests lie more with the former. I’ve considered Trastevere, Campo di Fiori, Foro Boario, West of Piazza Navona, and a couple other spots but I don’t truly know enough about the city to make a call. Any help would be sincerely appreciated, thank you so much.

Diane60030

I appreciate your situation. I have much the same with my 76 year young mum.

You might want to consider staying at one of the many convents or monastaries in the Vatican area.

http://www.santasusanna.org/comingToRome/convents.html

There are a number of places in Rome. You can pick your area. Also if she wants to stay in one day she can have company or not.

One of the things I like about the area around the Vatican is the large quantity of flat and reasonably well maintained side walks.

annhig

Hi Bastille,

what a lovely idea, I'm sure that your gran will be very appreciative especially as you are taking her needs into account so early in your trip planning.

i love the idea of a monastery stay, but i think that you would want to be sure that there was a lift [or ground floor accommodation] and en suite facilities at least for grandma. and I agree with Diane that perhaps a pensione or B&B or small private hotel would be nicer than an apartment as there might be people around if she fancied staying in for a few hours.

another idea would be a nice hotel in the Pantheon area - very central and lots to see and look at in a small area, with nice cafes to sit in and watch people go past whenever she/you need a rest. taxis are relatively cheap in Rome so wherever you stay, so long as it;s in the centre, you should be able to get to all the places she will want to see like St. Peter's & the Vatican [of course] but also the other 3 cathedrals of Rome, the Scala Sancta, Santa Maria sopra Minerva etc. etc.

good luck in your searches!

Rostra

This is travel agency that specializes wheelchair tours but they are group tours mostly from the cruise port.

But there is alot of info esp on the Links for wheelchair access.
www.sagetraveling.com/Rome-Accessible-Travel

I was wondering if it is practical for you to perhaps buy a 2nd-hand foldable wheelchair and take it with you which would be great at the airports also? Or rent one while in Rome?

Then taxi to and from the sites with the wheelchair in the trunk.
This would limit her walking in many places and she would always have a seat to rest on while there.

The 2 big sites St. Peter's/Vatican museums as that website shows have wheelchair access and the Colosseum/Roman Forum also.

Maybe do St.Peter's in the afternoon when the crowds aren't as heavy on your own and the Vatican Museums on another day (afternoon also) with audioguides?

Perhaps hire a private guide for the Colosseum and Roman Forum.

Taxi to and meet guide at Colosseum and visit, then it's ~250m on a smooth sidewalk to the elevator entrance into the Forum and then a short walk (50m) to the 'Temple of Julius Caesar' which is dead center in the Forum.

A guide can do the Forum sites from right there and if the guide is a good storyteller they can make the site come alive with its history.

Also the guide afterwards could call a taxi for you to return to your hotel or perhaps taxi to another site (Pantheon?) with the guide and then taxi back to hotel.

That website also has those battery-powered mobile scooters for rent at 60e/day, as they are likely a middleman you could probably rent one for less?

This of course would only be great for getting around the neighborhood around your hotel/apartment (dinner, cafes, shopping, etc) and I'm thinking the Campo di Fiori *might* be a more interesting and easier location for that?

And it wouldn't tire your grandmother out after a long day and would get you out and about rather than staying in the hotel/apartment?

Well good Luck and Have A Wonderful Trip!

NYCFoodSnob

Cigarette smoke is less of an issue these days, but exhaust fumes continue to kill everything in their wake. My eyes never quite adjust to the air in Rome. For this reason, the air and gardens around the Rome Cavalieri Hotel might be the perfect setting.

If she were my 80-year-old grandmother, I wouldn't want her to lift a finger. That means: a glamour hotel stay only, and not in those typical, tiny double rooms of Rome. You can get a large two-bedroom suite if, indeed, "cost is not a big issue."

Personally, I'm a big fan of apartment rentals, but I know Rome as well as I know my home in NYC. There's a learning curve to securing a great apartment in Rome (especially with daily maid service). And when traveling with an 80-year-old, I'd want an extra layer of security, comfort, and personnel that a great hotel can provide.

If you wanted to stay in the city center, then I would consider Grand Hotel de la Minerve. Some rooms are quite large and they have that gorgeous rooftop terrace.

As long as you have a cell phone that works, you can call for a taxi pick-up at any address. So it doesn't really matter where you stay, as long as as you can be driven to the hotel's front door. When grandma gets tired, call for a taxi and sweep her away to instant comfort. This is the only way to treat a lady.

Good luck!

Bastille

Thank you all so much for the replies, I truly appreciate it. I forgot to mention I will have some help on this trip as my mother is joining us also. She is a great world traveler and companion.

Diane, we really enjoyed the ideas of monastery/convent stays. We may try to visit Assisi for a couple days and I think a monastery stay there would be particularly meaningful to my Grandmother.

Annhig, I think a B&B is another option and the community there would be great. And you're right, an elevator is a must for anywhere we stay.

Rostra, thank you for all the great ideas I will definitely be using a few of them. I'm a pretty strong guy so I already told my grandma I don't mind hauling her bags and a collapsible wheelchair! She might take some convincing, she's still pretty proud of her health

NYC, I had also considered some very nice hotels - the Waldorf included it turns out they had no availability for our dates. It might be for the best though, my grandmother has humble origins from farmers in Western Canada and feels uncomfortable in overly luxurious environments. This is sort of why a vacation rental would be great for us because it would be an environment that she can putz around in and make her own temporarily.

Overall, does anyone have any further input to a nice district or neighbourhood to stay in? Someplace nice, on the quieter side, and not too distant from the center of town?

annhig

here's the website for the Minerva; a steal at €400+ per night if you book direct [i put in 4 nights from 9-13 October this year to get an idea of prices]

http://www.grandhoteldelaminerve.com/

booking.com has the same dates for £265 per night, which is about €300.

however, for that money I'd want somewhere that got stellar reviews rather than the mixture that the Minerva gets, and equally close to the Pantheon, but with entirely positive reviews is the Albergo del Senato:

http://www.albergodelsenato.it/

4 nights in November [the october dates I was using it was full] was about €850 for the 4 nights including breakfast.

annhig

oops, missed that your trip is in October. however the Senato also does some late-minute deals so you might get lucky.

ShellD

We stayed at the Albergo del Senato, only for one night, but I can not recommend it enough. My parents, in their late 60s loved it there as well. We did a combination of a land and cruise vacation, and of all of the hotels we stayed in, this one was my parents absolute favorite, hands down. Not only for the location (right at the Pantheon) but for the rooms and the staff. Breakfast is also included and it was a very nice breakfast at that.

I probably have a brief description at the beginning of my trip report, which you can find by clicking on my name. We stayed there on our first night in Italy.

NYCFoodSnob

My 84-year-old aunt feels very uncomfortable around luxury, so I get that. But, IMO, Rome luxury is not quite Paris or NYC, so my aunt could handle my choices. Still, if monastic style and decoration is your idea of comfort, then the two hotels I mentioned are not good choices.

An apartment can provide more privacy, with separate bedrooms, even separate bathrooms. For neighborhoods, I would choose anything west of Piazza Navona, south of Via dei Coronari, and north of Corso Vittorio Emanuele. This old-Rome triangle is one of my city-center favorites, but some streets are off limits to cars.

If you can find an apartment on Via Margutta, that would also be a great street for Grandma. I don't find the Spanish Steps area particularly convenient, but Via Margutta is so lovely, and it's taxi accessible.

PS As for negative hotel reviews in the luxury category, I think it's foolish to trust many on the internet. When I mention a hotel on the internet, I can only speak from personal experience.

I've toured the Del Senato, and my NYC bathrooms are larger than their double rooms. They have only one room I would consider staying in, and I think that's very disappointing. So much for internet reviews.

annhig

NYC -are all the unfavourable reviews about the Minerva on TA any more unreliable than the favourable ones about the Senato? or have the Minerva's clients got higher expectations based on the 5 star status and higher prices?

the Senato is not in the luxury category, and doesn't claim to be so. My point was that for a luxury hotel charging those sorts of prices, the Minerva had a lot of negative reviews. if I'm paying that sort of money, I want far more positives. if room size matter to the OP, doubtless he will take your comments into account.

Bastille - i understand about your gran not feeling comfortable with luxury. But she does want and need to be comfortable. nice that she will have your mother for company, but she might also like the chance to chat with other travellers which a hotel or B&B/pensione may bring. I think that i would be looking for something in the area of the Vatican or that mentioned by NYC, which we liked a lot as well, though some streets are not very accessible, as he points out. [some are supposedly closed to traffic, but Romans don't necessarily abode by such strictures so watch out for those vespas!]

NYCFoodSnob

<i><font color=#555555>"are all the unfavourable reviews about the Minerva on TA any more unreliable than the favourable ones about the Senato?"</font></i>

I think it's foolish to place too much trust in anonymous internet reviews, especially if you don't personally know the reviewer.

Yes, the Senato is a 3-star property offering luxury appointments, and I wouldn't classify their high-season prices as cheap or average. If you care about room size (I do, many don't), you'd be hard pressed to justify the expense per square inch.

<i><font color=#555555>"My point was that for a luxury hotel charging those sorts of prices, the Minerva had a lot of negative reviews."</font></i>

You will find this to be true among most higher-priced hotels. The more stars, the more money spent, the more likely you'll find unreasonable scrutiny.

Almost every large 5-star hotel has a few rooms that will frustrate a new visitor with high expectations. I will never forget my first stay at The Beverly Hills Hotel in the early 80's, when every Hollywood A-lister was doing deals in The Polo Lounge, and I didn't know the secret of securing a great room. The secret (and the details) are almost always in the planning and personal expectations. If you plan well (and you can actually afford to stay there), terrific service and a great experience should be the norm.

The Waldorf Astoria (just one very familiar example) gets terrible reviews on Trip Advisor. Yet, I know numerous celebrities, politicos, and discerning travelers who prefer to stay there. I've seen the rooms, I've experienced the service too many times to count. The blatant lies on Trip Advisor scare me. Maybe it should be a crime that so many falsehoods are permitted on the internet. Too many customers are insane, and they have the internet to vent their agenda.

Sorry for the temporary hijack. But, IMO, there's no substitute for actual hotel experience, and I have a ton of it. That's why I scoff at the crazies on the internet.

ShellD

NYC - we stayed in the Senato, in their Quad loft and it was quite large. Perhaps the OP would find this set up ideal for himself, his mom and grandmother? I don't know. Maybe they're not billed as Luxury, but their service is quite nice. And their location is ideal! I'm not really sure how a "luxury" hotel could have been any more suited than our experience there though.

Bastille - as far as your original thoughts and then comments - I don't think your grandmother would feel out of place at the Albergo del Senato, it's not a flashy hotel. But it certainly is nice. Also, as far as hotel vs. apartment, we stayed at both on our trip. And while my parents are a bit younger than your grandmother (late 60's) the advantages of the hotel definitely can be nice. Daily maid service, a front desk to help with taxis and any other needs you may have. And as others have mentioned, the social aspect of other guests - for example at breakfast each morning or even in the lobby.

I went crazy looking for hotels in Rome, and well, pretty much everywhere we stayed! There are so many to choose from, and you really just want to make those you are travelling with happy and comfortable. In the end it all worked out for us. I hope you find what you're looking for too!

WWK

Another recommendation for Albergo Del Senato. I just came back from my fourth stay there. We've stayed in their suites ( Seminario and Senior Suite) which are pretty large by Rome standards and quite comfortable. There's also a mini-apartment on the ground floor that my daughter has stayed in and it sleeps three, but has no view at all.

The hotel has one of the best locations for exploring Rome. I realize your grandmother can't walk everywhere, but it's an easy stroll to all the sites, and there are taxis just outside the hotel.

As mentioned above, you're only inches away from the Pantheon, and on a lovely Piazza which has tons of restaurants, and two of Rome's famous gelaterias.

I can't recommend the hotel enough. If you're interested in the suites, keep in mind that they are often not offered online, so you have to e-mail the hotel directly.

Hope it all goes well for you and your grandmother! Don't miss Armando Al Pantheon, a mom and pop ( actually two brothers) trattoria just a block or so from the hotel!

johnnyomalley

How long is your trip?

I'm travelling to Rome in Sept with my 78 year old mum. We typically do 2 trips to Europe a year and a few US ones.

This trip we're in Rome 2 different times. For the 1st, we are staying and the Hotel Eden and then have rented an apt near Campio de' Fiori for the last bit. I find that after about 5 days, the hotel wears thin.

Benefits of an apt for us
~If it is a down day for Mum, she can sleep in or take her time getting ready without worrying about housekeeping wanting to get into the room.
~More space, Including outdoor space. Our Apt is 2bed/2bath so we each have our own space
~Self catering, access to a kitchen.
~Laundry

We chose Campio dei Fiori because there are lots of food shops and cafes in the area. It's very active, Mum loves to sit and people watch. It's close to cross the river into Travesere and the Vatican. If Mum is having a down day, it's easy to get back to and I can go out and still stay relatively close to the apt

Some of the things I have learned about travelling with a senior.

Pace is slower
Don't over plan and the plans probably will need to be adjusted. I typically plan 1 thing a day with a list of things that can happen with not much notice.
Make sure to leave time for downtime, lots of stops for espresso and gelato.
My mum is not a morning person, so I try not to plan anything too early.
I know that there will be one day that she just needs some quiet time and rest.

For the flight - make sure you ask for wheelchair assistance. Be aware though that the arrival gate may be an outside gate and in that case, your GM will be driven to the terminal in a van and you and your mum will go on the regular bus. Handicap assistance will take her through passport control and you'll meet her near the doors before you exit the secure area. (I found this out the hard way last trip, when I couldn't find where they had taken Mum.

I suggest booking a car service to and from FCO. I use Rome Cabs and they are great. If you book their VIP transfer, it includes an English speaking driver and a 1 hour intro tour of Rome. This was a good way for Mum to see Rome and recover a bit from the flight. We also did a Rome by Night tour by car with Rome Cabs.

We have a couple private/semi private tours booked. It is a bit pricey to do private tours but this way, we move at Mums pace.

Let me know if you need any more info.

MichelleY

Stay in a central site, close to the action. The Pantheon area would be great. Use taxis as much as possible. Arrange for a guide at the Vatican; well worth it. Get tickets for the Papal Audience on Wednesdays.

cferrb

Do be sure to make reservations for the Vatican Museum ahead of time so that you don't have to stand outside and wait to get in. Also, if you have a tour you can get straight into St. Peter's rather than having to run the gauntlet there because you will already have gone through security.

kja

I have absolutely no helpful advice, but wanted to say how fortunate your grandmother is to have you plan this trip for the two of you. Best wishes!

WWK

Great advice above, although we have stayed at the Hotel Eden and found it quite a trek from the things we wanted to do and see. I agree with others that staying in a central location - somewhere in or near the Pantheon- might be best.

I also agree with the advice to book a driver from FCO, rather than a cab. We used Tiberlimo.com a few weeks ago, and were very impressed with their services. They also offer tours of Rome. Check around and see who offers the best rates.

Good luck!

NYCFoodSnob

There is nothing "less busy" about the area around the Pantheon. It helps to read the OP's preferences. The Pantheon is also further away from the Vatican.

Piazza della Rotonda is popular, extremely popular. The square can be noisy 24/7 and filled with thousands of tourists almost the entire day. Also, cars and trucks have access to surrounding streets.

There are specific streets (and pockets of streets) in Rome that are far more quiet than others. Best to research those. If you're renting an apartment, speak to the owner/agent and ask about quiet/congestion/taxi access.