Hi All,

Last minute thought to book an apartment rather than a hotel. We are a total of 7 people, my husband and I with 2 kids ages 8 and 10, my in-laws, and my sis-in-law-so 7 people total-travelling to Rome for 3 nights in early August.

Right now I have 3 rooms (1 quad, 1 double, and 1 sinle) booked at Hotel Julia right near the Spanish Steps but I am able to get the Via del Corallo apt in P. Navona and it can sleep 7. No microwave but we can do without it. Any thoughts on which I should choose. Price is comparable between both options.

Thanks much.

For me it's a no brainer. I am a big fan of apartments for traveling with families. Schlepping 7 people to a restaurant 3 meals a day is a pain. The ability to have 1-2 meals in the apartment, or pack a picnic lunch to go, or have an afternoon siesta/snack is a big bonus.

You do need to ask yourself if you want to be under one roof with the inlaws. It is nice to be able to go separate ways for a while too.

I also like the P. Navona area better than Spanish Steps, but either is really ok for 3 nights.

Thanks. I guess the only added expense is to buy breakfast each morning but from the reviews, breakfast wasn't rated high at this hotel. Probably go with the apt.

I'd go with the apartment. I think it would be more relaxing. When we vacation with friends or family we love to sit around together in the living area and talk about the upcoming day over coffee and kick off our shoes at the end of the day and enjoy with a glass or two of wine together with our feet up. At the end of a long day, the children might be more than ready to go to bed, so it would work well for them also.

I strongly suggest you book quickly as time is running out. Looking to book in October I was pressed to find an apartment for 3 nights. Perhaps you can arrange, in the same building, 2 apartments, one with two bedrooms and the other as a one bedroom with two twins.

Best of luck; sounds like a trip you will all remember.

This may seem like a small thing, but it's worth checking. If you get the apartment, would you be given three (at least) sets of keys? That isn't always the case. Personally I would prefer the family privacy that results from having separate rooms behind separate doors, but I know many people are more apartment-oriented.

I would go with the apartment IF everyone has enough real beds for everyone (many times apartments have sofa beds that aren't comfortable) and three bathrooms. Time is valuable on vacation and seven people trying to share 1-2 bathrooms will not be fun.

Is this going to be your first time in Rome? We lived there for 11 years. August used to be a bad month to visit. Almost every town in Italy is empty at this time of the year,because starting at the end of July they start their "Ferragosto" (It goes until the end of August). This is the time of the year that tradition dictates for Italians to get out of town since it gets too hot, and they sort of abandon the cities, literally. They go to the beaches or to other countries. Rome is empty...It used to be great for me to have Rome all for myself, without the horrendous traffic, motorbikes,etc. At the same time it was a weird feeling to see the city like a ghost town... The problem for tourists is that most everyting is closed!! Of course, you have the magnificent squares to pass the time, but belive me, sometimes it was hard to find an icecream parlor open. Please find out, and be prepared...
We were in Rome three years ago on our way to Tuscany, the whole family, 12 people. We stayed at the "Residence Barberini",in Piazza Barberini, an apartment hotel. It is a great place to stay, great location too.
Italians are not big on breakfast, most of them adore the "cappuccino and cornetto" in any bar.

We were in Rome in August last year, after the 15th. Many of the smaller shops and restaurants were closed, and a lot of the Romans were gone, but they aren't very interested in hanging out with us anyway. It was full of tourists (as usual) and there was plenty to do and see.

Thanks. We decided to go with a nice apt (140 sq ft) in Piazza Navona area. Looks nice and I think it will work best for everyone. The nice thing is the electric bus runs right through the area!

140 sq ft sounds small. That's 10' x 14'. A typical US hotel room (2 dbl beds) is usually 300 sq ft or so.

I meant 140 sq meters.....HA!

which is 1506 sq ft