We're going to Rome in the middle of a longer trip to Europe. We'll be there for 3 days from March 31st to April 3rd, and wanted to do an apartment thing this time. I got the link to this website from another Fodorite in another posting (on Istabul, actually).

We don't know Rome at all, and so I don't have a good feel for this apartment. Could all you Rome-experts have a peek and let me know what I might be missing? (sorry, don't know how to do the tiny-URL thing!):
http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/Ita...m?uni_id=53626

Our criteria are: quiet, close to local small restaurants, close to little places to get cheese and other things for b'fast/lunches, relatively easy to get into the thick of things!

Thanks for any input you have!

LisaG

Hi Lisa... I would recommend you stay somewhere closer to Piazza Navona, Campo di Fiori, etc., or even the Travestere area. I googled the Salario Trieste section of Rome and came up with "old buildings and nightmarish traffic" and it looks to be quite a way from the true historic center... Fountain of Trevi, Pantheon, etc. I would pay a little more Euro and find another apartment. We stayed for one week close to Piazza Navona and it was a dream come true! (We have friends who tried to save money and stayed by the Forum and had a totally different Rome expericne... now it is not their favorite city). Janice

Janice,

That's great info. Would you mind providing a link to the apartment where you stayed?

The good news is that, although the calendar of availability for the apartment indicated it was free, I just got an email from the owner that it has been rented. So it's out of the picture anyway!

I look forward to any advice you have re: "your" apartment. I appreciate that the neighborhood where you stay is such a big influence on your experience of a city!

LisaG

Try http://www.sleepinitaly.com.

We've stayed in a couple of their "Pantheon" and "Piazza Navona" area apartments. Location was terrific, walked everywhere.

Look at Palazzo Olivia apts. near Piazza Navona, but 3 nites may be a problem for any apt.

Go to sleepinitaly.com. Their apartments are very nice, it's a reputable company, and the website lists the apartments by area....choose Pantheon, Navona or Campo d. Fiore to be in the best location.

Thanks everyone! I'm off to research on the sleepinitaly.com website. Swisshiker and lowcountrycarol, thanks for the specific areas.

Bye for now!

LisaG

Hi Lisa... we used "Roman Reference"... also try "VRBO" and "HomeAway". Once you get the bug it's hard to stop. We will be staying in an apartment for one week in Venice this September. It's the only way to go! Good luck and have fun!

I'll put in a word for the agency I recently rented from:

realrome.com

I stayed in the apartment on via della reginella in the old Jewish Ghetto and I loved the neighbourhood. Tim Pearson, the agent for real rome, is wonderful to work with.

I agree that you will have a much better experience of Rome if you stay in the historic center. A couple of friends recently came to visit me and used www.leisureinrome.com. It was a really nice apartment and I know they had a great time.
Have a great trip!

If you are only staying three days in Rome you need to get closer. Don't rent that apartment. For the time of the year you are going you may have to pay $115-150/day for closer accomodations, but it proves its worth after the intense sightseeing you do in Rome!! A good compromise is staying in the Trastevere area, Vatican (closer to Santo Angelo), or Campo de Fiori. What do you think of 175368 out of the Holiday-rentals site you are using?

CORRECTION!! What do you think of http://www.vrbo.com/175368?

Does anyone have experience with Roman Rentals. I found a great apt. through them but haven't read any reviews of them. The website seems legit...

We stayed in this apartment for the holidays and loved it. I highly recommend it. Mirella, who owns the apartment, lives in the same building and is so helpful with anything that might come up. The location is wonderful - very near the Campo de Fiori.

http://www.vrbo.com/108288

Everyone,

Your replies made a big difference in our decision to stay at a centrally located hotel. Thanks everyone for the input and for the suggestions for areas of the city that are well-situated. We decided we're not up for a commute into town, nor are we interested in the hot-water, etc. issues that come with an apartment.

A hotel will do just fine for a first-time of 3 days.

All your input was incredibly useful. Again, thanks!

LisaG

I am unclear how the replies above would switch your mind to stay at a hotel (?). If anything the posts encouraged you to rent an apartment; just not THE apartment you listed. Almost 95% of apartments in Rome start at 3 days min stay and, a centrally located apartment in Rome is, typically, far cheaper than a centrally located hotel. Either way, agree that for a three day stay you should stay central.