Elizabeth_S

A friend of ours is going through really difficult treatment for cancer. The prognosis is good, but the treatment is very hard.

We saw he and his wife today and they've decided to focus on a prize - an extended stay in Rome in a fabulous apartment (2 to 4 weeks). They've asked if I can help as we've had two extended stays in Rome and love it.

I have a few on my list but wonder if anyone knows of an apartment that fits this bill. They haven't much experience staying in apartments - first time was just a year ago in Paris for one week. They stayed in a Paris Perfect apartment and loved it so that price range is OK. 300E-400E/night is possible although for 2+ weeks I would hope for some kind of a discount!

My wish list for them would be:

- spacious, one bedroom, one bathroom (but larger is OK if it's the right apartment
- not sure if outdoor space is necessary - all depends upon when he is cleared to travel so assume not a requirement/but nice to have
- Piazza Navona/Campo/Trastevere if near Ponto Sisto/Largo Argentina area
- elevator if higher floor (+2)
- washer preferred; dryer would be great
- EASY check in
- quiet(ish)
- a view or vista that confirms you're in Rome/Italy (in other words not a blank wall)

Thanks for pointing me to any suggestions. He's such a dear friend going through such a tough time and I'd love to help them find a great place.

Calabria62

You might take a look at sleepinitaly.com. We stayed in an apartment in Trastevere through them and the process was very smooth. Our apartment was not luxurious, but you might find one that suits their needs. Good luck.

colonna

I've found two nice places in Rome through VRBO, though neither apt is available any more. In both cases the listings were pricey, but the owner gave a significant reduction for out-of-season or especially a month long stay. Don't be afraid to ask. Check-in was certainly easy (key under mat, owner's friend came by later). Good luck.

xyz99

We stayed at this one a few months ago and loved it
http://www.sleepinitaly.com/rome/nav...rtment-minerva

There was no outdoor space, and I don't think there was a washer/dryer.

Check other apartments on sleepinitaly.com, there are a lot to choose from.

bvlenci

I would be a little careful with apartments rented through VRBO or AirB&B in Rome. Many owners are perfectly honest, but there are some real bad apples. Most of the owners of apartments shown on these sites have dozens of apartments that they rent to students during the academic year and to tourists in the summer, gouging both groups as much as they can get away with. AirB&B in theory protects you from owner malfeasance, but if you google a bit, you'll find that there are plenty of ways the owners can rip you off anyway.

Even if you don't exactly get ripped off, there are rampant bait-and-switch schemes. The number of apartments that get flooded just the day before a traveler arrives to take possession is beyond belief.

I think the safest way to rent an apartment, and the one I tend to use, is through a large listing site like www.booking.com or www.venere.com . All of the apartments I've rented through them have always been on the up and up, with real fiscal receipts. (An owner who trys to cheat on his taxes is not exactly disposed to be honest with his tenants, either.)

The reviews on these two sites are from real guests, because only clients of the service who have actually stayed in the apartment are invited to submit a review, several days after their stay.

I have a slight preference for www.booking.com because they allow you to request an area within the city, such as "Rome Trastevere" or "Rome city centre" (which includes the most popular central areas, including Trastevere).

DebitNM

Although it had no real view, the location was very good and the rental company was great to work with:

http://www.rome-accommodation.net/ro...-altemps.xhtml

Another fodorite stayed there to, just before us, upon my recommendation.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...nts-sought.cfm

ekscrunchy

ttt

MonicaRichards

We also rented with Rome Accomodations, no view and the apartment was a bit dark but really nice with two bed two bath in the Campo di Fiori neighborhood. I would definitely rent with them again.

yestravel

We're staying here in the fall so can't give a personal rec. Rented it thru VRBO but its listed in several places.
http://www.vrbo.com/395973

travlintoes

ttt for future

LouisaH

Another ttt here!