I've finally prevailed upon my husband to take me to Rome for a long weekend at the beginning of March.

Where to begin? Anyone recommend a good guidebook? Also, what neighborhoods should we look for hotels? Do hotels generally include breakfast in their rates?

Where to begin? In your own head. Why did it occur to you that you might want to visit Rome? What are you expecting to find there?

Check the desinations link here a Fodors.com for a start. Most would suggest the ancient city center (Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona areas) as best locations to stay. My experience is that most hotels in Italy include breakfast, though at some it may be quite simple.

what's your budget for hotels per night?

In Italy, there's usually a breakfast buffet included with juice and ham, cheese, bread etc. You have to check the specific hotel website to know for sure though. There's several threads on this board about our favorite guidebooks, I personally like the DK Eyewitness Guide series. You can get one specifically on Rome and can find them at Barnes & Noble or any bookstore.

Look for hotels in the Pantheon, Piazza Navona or Campo dei Fiori neighborhoods.

Buy DK's Eyewitness Guide to Rome and/or it's Top 10 Rome. Both have lots of pictures and describe what there is to see by neighborhood. Spend a few cozy nights with that, and you'll have a list a mile long of what you want to see.

Along with St. Peter's and and the Forum/Colloseum, I'd consider the Galleria Borghese a must-see. (You have to make rervations.)

With just 4 days, I'd focus on one or two of my must-sees, then consult the DK book and a good map to see what else is nearby. For example, St. Peter in Chains is fairly near the Colloseum. Castle Sant Angelo is near St. Peters.

Enjoy!

The destinations area of Frommer's website has suggested itineraries that will give you ideas for 1, 2, 3 and 4 days in Rome. It also has suggested walks. I think we took the "heart of Rome" walking tour, but it took us much longer than the 3.5 hours suggested (of course, we stopped for lunch). Stay in the Piazza Navona or Campo Fiori area - you can walk everywhere from there, although we did take a bus to the Vatican. If you decide what your budget is for the hotel, post again with the $ figure per night and you'll get some great suggestions for places to stay.

I agree with the suggestions that the historical center is the best location for you (by the way, the Spanish Steps area is NOT in the historical center).

Here is a list of recommended hotels in the Piazza Navona/Pantheon/Campo dei Fiori area. Look at all of them and come back if you have additional questions:

Here are even more options (all also in the historic center like the hotels suggested above. Check them for on-line specials:


www.hotelpontesisto.it
www.hotelcampodefiori.com
www.solealbiscione.it
www.hotelrinascimento.com
www.hotelteatrodipompeo.it
www.residenzacanali.com
www.hotelmimosa.net
www.hotelnavona.com
www.hotelportoghesiroma.com
www.hotelduetorriroma.com
www.romeby.com/pomezia (a one star, budget hotel)
www.residenzafarneseroma.it (TELEPHONE these folks - their website is outdated)

Thanks for the recommendations all!

I'm researching a possible Rome trip in late March. Did you leave off a hotel list, bardo1? Looks like you meant to post some hotels (but they're not listed in your post) then some additional hotels (which are there).

Thanks!

Hi,

If I had 5 nights in Rome (your case), I'd spend day 1 roaming around the historic center and Trastevere, day 2 for the Roman Forum and San Pietro in Vincoli, day 3 in Vatican City, and daytrip on day 4 to Assisi. That's exactly what I did the last time I was in Rome.

I used the National Geographic bookguide of Italy. I really like the chapter about Rome. It features a self-guided walk around the historic center and it lists the landmarks you shouldn't miss if you have less than a week.

castellanese- how did you get to Assis- we are planning a trip mid-March to Rome and would like to go to Assisi- did you take a train? please let me know thanks

Hi SSVW27,

I had my doubts about daytripping to Assisi from Rome because it is indeed somewhat far, but I really wanted to visit it, so I thought "what the heck? Let's do it!".

I took the 8.15 direct train from Rome and arrived at Assisi train station at 10.30, then I took the bus that takes you to Assisi at the bus stop that is as you come out of the train station and arrived in Assisi at about 11.

The main landmark is the Basilica di San Francesco, which is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful churches I've ever been to. I went on a Wednesday, so there weren't too many people. After walking up and down exploring the town, I went up to the Rocca Maggiore from where you get a wonderful view of Assisi and the countryside around it.

As I said before, Assisi is quite small and very easy to visit. I had time to have a slow-paced lunch at a restaurant on Piazza del Comune and to spend some time sitting on a bench on the same square. The lunch was inexpensive and excellent. I had truffle salad, truffle bruschetta and "strangozzi al tartufo" as a main course. I had never tried truffles before, so I wanted to have a full truffle meal. I bought some delicacies from Umbria at a shop on the same square and beautiful St. Damien cricifixes at another shop near the Basilica di San Francesco.

To go back to Rome, I took the bus from the bus stop near the Basilica to the train station, and finally the 18.30 direct train to Rome. I arrived at Termini train station at 20.30.

It sure is a long daytrip, but it was totally worth it. If I had to do it again, I definitely would.

Castellanes- thanks so much for your input- I was in Assisi many years ago when I was in my early 20s and husband and I are going to Rome and really wanted him to see Assisi- I remember having Mass on the mountaintop on Ascension Thursday that time- I had a relative a priest then and it was a magical place- I cant wait to see it again

OP is back by now, but I want to recommend my favorite guidebook, CITY SECRETS ROME

Filled with veteran travelers' tips of favorite places, shops, etc, CITY SECRETS is a gem to have along with you. It's organized by neighborhood, with a little map at the beginning of each section. Wherever you happen to be, open the book and discover something interesting nearby, whether a restaurant, hidden altarpiece, view ... nice and compact, too. A great companion in Rome, whatever other guidebook you choose.

Contributors are artists, architects, writers, professors, etc., each with a different outlook and favorite secret. Wonderful in that with Rome's richness, you can often travel to a specific attraction and not know that something equally special is just around the corner.