twoflower

We (my OH and I) are doing a cruise next year, finishing in Rome in early June. We plan on extending our time in Rome by 2-3 days, and are looking for accommodation suggestions and ideas. We’ve researched the usual websites (tripadvisor, booking.com etc) but are overwhelmed both by the number available and the prices. We’ve noticed, too, that B&Bs seem (generally) to get better reviews than hotels, and of course are better priced. So we’d be prepared to consider a B&B too, as long as it’s within 10-15 mins walk to a metro station into the central sights.

To give an idea of what we might be looking for, in Paris (a city we’ve visited several times) we generally spend about €100 a night. In the past, this has got us an OK stay at the Familia Hotel (Latin Qtr), and excellent stays at Le Relais du Marais (near Republique) and St Jeanne-d’Arc (Marais District). If we can find anything in Rome to match these last two in standard, location, helpfulness and price, we’d be happy.

A B&B is a different experience of course. We tend to use them in the smaller towns and villages on our travels, and have struck some that were truly superb and some that were less so. What we look for in a B&B is comfort, friendliness, cleanliness, own ensuite, and a measure of privacy and independence.

Grateful for any ideas and recommendations. Thanks.

welltraveledbrit

Two flower,
I've stayed in an apartment on my last couple of trips to Rome so I don't have a specific accommodation suggestion, However one issue is not to be too tied to the Metro. In Paris the metro is king and so wonderful, but in Rome the metro is quite sparse in the historic center, though they are currently building another line. It's great for the places it goes but but there are lots of sites it doesn't go to.

With only 2 or possibly three days, I'd presume you'll want to be close to the major sites (Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon/Piazza Navona, Vatican etc) it's all fairly walkable and the distances seem less than in Paris. Despite some hauteur on the board, I'd have a look at Rick Steves for acceptable places at reasonable rates - he does understand value. Have you looked at rates in Trastevere or considered Airbnb?

Holly_uncasdewar

What exactly is your room night budget, twoflower? As a point of reference, I plugged in some off-season dates in the Le Relais du Marais, and it gave me 120 E per night for a single. I'm sure a double would be quite higher than that, especially in June. Or did you mean 100 E per night per person? There will be many more options in Rome if you're looking at 200 E per night for a double. Can you clarify?

architetta

You may want to look at the Hotel Aberdeen which is near Piazza della Repubblica and Hotel Giardino near Piazza Venezia. I have enjoyed staying at both. However last I looked Hotel Giardino had become pricier. They are basic/clean accommodations similar to your Paris examples (I stayed at the St. Jeanne D'Arc in the Marais).
Rome is one of my favorite cities; hope to be there myself in May. Enjoy your trip!

cmeyer54

I usually look at Venere.com for hotels if I'm not using a large chain like marriott or starwood. You can indicate your budget and neighborhood; get options and the reviews tend to be spot on.

worldinabag

Hi

You could try Eva's Rooms - http://www.evasrooms.com. I didn't stay there but the location is excellent. It's close to a metro stop. The website doesn't quote rates so you'll need to contact them. The Hotel Panda - http://www.hotelpanda.it - is a popular "cheap and cheerful". My neighbour stayed there and was happy with it. I too stay at budget accommodation however €100 a night in high season in Rome is tricky so book ASAP if you find a good one.

bvlenci

B&Bs in Rome, especially in the budget category, tend to be cheap lodgings without the services of a hotel. You may see the owner (or agent) only once, when you get the keys. The breakfast may be packaged pastries and a coffee machine, or even a coupon for a pastry and cappuccino at a nearby bar.

I don't know how long ago you were in Paris, but your budget seems a bit low. Still, in the off season, you should be able to find a decent double for €100 a night. I use both www.booking.com and www.venere.com to find lodging in Rome. Both allow you to choose a neighborhood and then sort the list by price or guest rating. The guest ratings are more reliable than the number of stars. Booking.com has a convenient neighborhood called "central Rome" or something like that. Otherwise, convenient areas are the Pantheon area, Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, the more westerly parts of the Termini neighborhood, the northern part of the Colosseum area, the eastern part of the Vatican neighborhood, and the part of Trastevere that's in the part that looks like a nose, from the bridge to the tip.

The most economical hotels and B&Bs tend to be in the Termini area, which is convenient to both metro lines (although, as already stated, they're not terribly useful) and also to many bus lines. As I said above, try to stay northwest of the station, or at least not too far to the south or especially not the east.

bvlenci

I really urge you to try to spend four nights in Rome, so that you'll have three full days. If you can't manage that, I suggest that you don't try to see all the "famous" sights of the city, but concentrate on some of the hidden treasures. Otherwise, you'll be spending most of your time in a herd of tourists and miss the beauty of the city altogether.

kovsie

We had good value from an apartment through VBRO. With the little time you have,it may be better to spend a bit more and stay in the centre of the old town. We chose Piazza Navona and we could walk everywhere ... spent almost nothing on public transport. Think of it this way: many 'sites' in Rome are in a line between the Vatican on the one side and the Colosseum on the other. Piazza Navona or the Pantheon are somewhere in the middle of this line. I loved staying there - the lovely old streets, the nice vibe. Yes it is busy and a bit touristy. It is still a wonderful experience.
I agree with bvlenci - if possible try to fit in more time in Rome. We had a week and it was not enough.
Enjoy!

dfourh

I really enjoyed staying in Trastevere this October (Trastevere Rooms on booking.com; deserves its 8.8 customer rating). It was great to take the train from the airport to Roma Trastevere instead of Termini (cheaper too) and from there the tram goes up into the heart of the quarter, three or four stops. The restaurants and atmosphere are really nice, along with market and food stores. On booking.com maybe have a look at the map and get something near a tram stop (which continues on a couple stop into the center).

michelhuebeli

Lots of properties at www.housetrip.com where you can feel "at home" (kitchen etc.) rather than in a hotel.

twoflower

Just a quick response about my Paris budget comments, as they seem to have raised questions for some people. Will reply re other postings later (pressed for time now!).

We were in Paris August last year. (However, Familia was 2 years earlier). Prices quoted were for 2 people, not each.

twoflower

Thanks for all the good advice. Circumstances have forced us to defer our cruise to September 2014, so we will now hit Rome at the very beginning of October. This may or may not have a bearing on costs (a little after the busy season?). The good news is that the change has given us more time overall - so we will spend an extra night or two in Rome.

Among the things we want to see are the Vatican (Sistine Chapel), the Pantheon, and Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli. We also enjoy seeking out characterful local areas away from the tourist hordes. If I tell you that a highlight of our Paris trip last year was spending the better part of a day walking and exploring from Pere Lachaise through Belleville, Parc de Buttes-Chaumont, and La Mouzaia to the Place Danube, those who know these areas will get what I mean! Can anyone suggest something similarly local and characterful in Rome? Thanks...

flpab

www.the-beehive.com we booked the classic room as that was all there was left. It has a sink in the room but a shared bath. Still very nice place.