Hi,

I've been doing some research on Rome (my wife to be and I are going for our honeymoon, starting in Rome for 3 nights this August) In regard to hotels:

I was considering the Porta Maggiore area (near Termini)
Would anyone say if this area is 'unsafe' or 'inconvenient' in terms of transport? For example lets say my wife and I come back from a tour in the day, and then at night we want to walk to dinner and explore the night life in the area, and come back late at night. Will transport be a problem, or will walking be unsafe (i.e. I assume lots of tourists will be around)?

My other concern is transport - if I will be able to easily use buses or taxis? For example in Campo de Fiori, will it be easy for me to get to and from my hotel if I stay in that area? (please let me know any areas you do/do not recommend if this is an issue).

Finally Are taxis quite expensive in Rome and do people usually take buses, or would you usually use taxis as a tourist? Say from the international airport to the hotel, and then the hotel to sites like Vatican City or the Termini station..(considering whichever area you are familiar with from the above list)

Many thanks!!
Mourani Jo

I have not stayd in the area around Termini but a friend stayed at Hotel des Artistes in the area with his teen-aged daughter and thought it was fine. They walked everywhere.

I would arrange for a limo from the airport. There is a fixed price and it's very convenient. We used Rome Shuttle Limousine, and it was great. The hotel can probably arrange this for you.

By the way, if you are staying 3 nights you can rent an apartment and have more space and privacy. Look at sleepinitaly.com or VRBO.com. Reviews of apartments can be found at slowtrav.com.

Taxis are expensive, but if you buy a RomaPass when you first get to rome, you can ride the buses for free (be sure to mark your ticket in the yellow box the first time you get on the bus). The pass comes with a great map of the bus system, too. And you get free admission to two museums and other benefits. This is great if there is a line at the Colosseum, for example, where if you have a prepaid admission you get to bypass the long line -- just keep to the left. That admission is also good for the Forum and the Palatine.

One problem is that some taxi drivers will take you a long way 'round to get to your destination to drive up the price on the meter.

You can easily use the buses. The Termini area isn't unsafe, but it is a good distance from where you will be going. If you plan on using taxis a lot, consider that cost invested in a place closer to Fiori,Navona, etc. Get a bus pass and a bus map and you'll be fine.

We've stayed in the Termini area and near Via Veneto and near Piazza Navona. There is nothing unsafe or otherwise wrong with Termini but it isn't the place I would choose for a honeymoon. And it is a good distance from many of the major sites you will likely be visiting. You might look for something more centrally located (nearer the river) in the Pantheon or Piazza Navona areas. Such a location will allow you to walk many more places.

As mamcalice said, the Termini surroundings are not unsafe like in dangerous, but they're pretty seedy, run down, and more strange people around than I'd like to have where I "explore the night life". No, nobody is going to mug you, but you're likely to feel uneasy and I'm quite sure you'll want to go back to your hotel asap instead of enjoying an evening stroll. And if by "Porta Maggiore" you mean "outside the walls", all that applies even more.
Plus, seedy aside, this is central Rome's ugliest neighbourhood. Bottom line: not a good idea to stay there.

Ah yes, and the transport question. Of course you'd go by bus almost everywhere; Rome's bus and tram network is basically excellent, and cheap. Only if you want to go to far outlying sights (like S. Costanza, or the Parco della Caffarella), you may want to go by taxi since busses running out there can be very infrequent, and intervals of half an hour or more are not unusual in outlying districts.

Hi
Just back last night from Italy first stop Rome. We stayed at the Medditerraneo just a couple of blocks from the train station/termini. We took the express train from the airport and just walked to our hotel. As far as getting around, we purchased the 48 hour Hop on/off bus tickets, since they stop at all major sights and was very easy. The first pickup was just a block from our hotel by the Termini. It worked well for us, and at night the bus ride was lovely.
Tina

Personally I do not like the area close to theTermini, you can move a little more towards Via Firenze and is nicer. For transportation Rome has excellent bus service, there are a few electric tiny buses that go around the old town which are excellent, you do not have necessarily to buy a pass, tickets I believe are one Euro and can be bought at any Tobacco Store and are good for 40 minutes, like if you are going for an errand you can go and came back with same ticket.
Only Tabacco shops are close on Sunday so it is very difficult to get a ticket on Sundays so buy them ahead of time. Walking is a great option being such a fascinating city and surely you will walk a lot.
Of all the electric buses there is one line that ends in the Porta Borghese that is good for most landmarks.