1st time in Italy, could use some help
 

I'm starting to plan a trip to Rome for mid-May 2005. I will be going with a friend and we have a budget of about $1200 each, not including spending money for tours, food, & shopping.
I have some questions I hope someone might be able to answer.

Can we get a nice hotel or even a very nice hotel for the budget we have set?
Is it better to go through a travel agent to arrange this or will a internet service work just as well?
We won't be renting a car, can the Metro and walking get us to most of the sights?

Is your $1200 for airfare and hotels or just hotels? How many night are you planning?A good site to check hotels is venere.com and you will get an idea of what you can afford and the quality you will get. The metro and busses will get you everywhere you need to go. You might need a taxi late at night (after 12 or 1). When you find a hotel you are interested use the search function or ask if anyone has stayed there.

$1200 is what we are planning for airfare & hotel.
Since we have never been before and are so looking forward to this we are willing to pay more, that was just a jumping off point.
We'd like to stay between 7-9 nights.

If you are staying in Rome the whole time you might want to rent an apartment. I haven't stayed in an apartment in Rome but there are many listed in the search function.
Another website eurocheapo.com lists budget hotels that they have been reviewed but is also linked to venere.com

Where are you flying from?

Biggest question of all: are you going to share a room, or each have your own room? And where are you coming from because the airfare may differ quite a bit. I think you are right on the edge for the sort of trip you want.

Scenario #1: Your airfare is $600 and you are sharing a room for 7 nights. You can spend about $170/night on your hotel. That should get you a "nice" hotel if you shop for it carefully.

Scenario #2: Your airfare is $600 and you are sharing a room for 9 nights. Now you can only spend $133/night on your hotel. That will get you a decent hotel, but not much more.

Obviously, if your airfare is over $600 (which seems likely the way things are going) your hotel quality is going to go down significantly. I would also check into apartments as they can be more economical.

you definitely do not need a car! and can easily walk everywhere, or use the bus/metro/ or even splurge on a cab occasionally.

We will share a room and we'll be leaving from either San Antonio or Austin Texas, whichever one can get a us a better deal.

Do I need to go through a travel agent for this? I've used Expedia & Travelocity for trips within the US but I wasn't sure what to do for Europe.

Hi mimo,

Airfare from New York to Rome will be about $525 for mid-May.

See
http://travel.mobissimo.com/travel/search_airfare.php

hi

If you click at the top of this screen on Destinations you will find lots of basic info on Rome, including getting around the city

I have a long file on Rome; if you'd like to see it, email me at
[email protected]

I meant to add
the following is a link to a superthread on Italy
It's not only about Rome, but there ARE lots of links to Rome info

some people like to use travel agents. I have never done so, even with our first trip to italy.
and I think that you will fiond the majority of posters here also do their own planning.

It is fun :)

and unless you have a travel agent in mind, who you have used or is recommended. Realize that their agenda is not always the same as yours.

mimo, here's what I would do:
1. Spend a half hour on line looking at air fares, checking the discount sites, etc. You'll get a pretty good idea of what your air is going to cost for mid-May. If you are able to get a deal later, great, you'll be ahead financially.

2. Take the amount that's left, double it (because your friend is putting in an equal amount) and start looking at Rome hotels/apts on line in that price range.

This will give you a good idea of what your $1200 will get you. Personally, I don't see any reason why you need a travel agent, especially as you have booked online for domestic travel before. It's not really any different -- you'll figure it out.

I think you may find, especially if you go for 9 days instead of 7, that throwing a couple of hundred dollars more into the hotel budget may make a big difference in where you can stay. Think of it this way: if each of you puts away about $1 per day between now and the trip, you can stay in a much nicer hotel.