We are considering a hotel north of the Stazione Termini and would like to hear if it is a safe, quiet and convenient area to the sites. One hotel in the same vacinity says it is diplomatic, financial area. It's just that I saw written somewhere to avoid a a certain direction around the station and I can't remember if it was N, S, E or W. Please advise...Thanks!

I can't speak for the area north of the termini, but the south of it is fine. And, I can highly recommend the Rex Hotel on Via Torino.

The (relatively) seedy sides of the station are the south and east. North and west are certainly safe. <BR> <BR>I wouldn't call them especially convenient, as the stationis on the far eastern and northern fringe of what I'd consider the central city. <BR> <BR>Likely to get to most/all site you'd either be taking taxis, or a bus to Terminini, then another bus or the subway. <BR> <BR>Ed

i would watch the area just in front of the station and with yoour back to the front door the street going to your left. there are many heroins addicts in this area not infreuently seen carrying open unsheathed hypodermic needles just used. the police seem not to care. they frequently are asking for money and if refused could become daangerous. just use common sense and take a cab away from the immediate area and you shoould be fine

I don't know if I'm disagreeing with Ed (a first!), but we stayed on Via Torino (about a block or so from the Opera House), southwest of the Termini. While it certainly isn't the most convenient part of the city, we felt the area was perfectly safe, as well as close to transportation, restaurants and other services.

Elaine, <BR>I guess I'd have to start by asking ...why Termini? <BR>If it's because it's less expensive, well, there are reasons why things are less expensive, and most of those reasons have nothing to do with their being better. <BR>My wife and I just came back from Rome last month, we walked around Termini area. we walked Cavour, and east of Cavour. We never had problems there. <BR>I will say that things tend to get a little more "earthy" the farther out you go from central Rome. Also, South and East of Termani were very busy areas(at least were we walked)

Elaine- <BR> <BR>We stayed just a few streets north of Termini and were very pleased. Being on foot and on a very tight budget, it was nice to be able to get rid of our bags and then just hop the metro for any sight we wished (note: I do NOT recommend trying to commute to your first hotel, with bags, on the crowded subway, not to mention the many stairs, etc. !) We found the area to be safe (well, considering one is in a large city.) For

Duly noted, Howard! <BR> <BR>I agree that SW of the station is certainly a safe area. And depending on specifically where there are certainly a few restaurants around, though none of our particular favorites. Transportation, I think, while present, is just a bit less convenient around there. I'd rather be generally in the area from the top of the via Veneto running down to the Pza. Barberini, over to Pza. Navona and back up toward Pza. del Popolo. Some noisy and inconvenient areas in that wide swath, but generally that's what I consider the most convenient. <BR> <BR>Ed

Ed, I totally agree with you. As I said, the termini area is not the most convenience, but since Elaine (the original poster) asked about that area, I responded. (And, I certainly have to say that the wonderful staff and service at the Rex Hotel, where we stayed, is perhaps the main reason why we had such plesant stay in that area.

I appreciate all the feed-back. I asked this question for my daughter and son-in-law who are going to Rome for a few days in March before visting relatives in north Italy for the rest of their vacation. Of course, they are on a budget and and some of the hotels in Rome are way out of the ball-park for them. And the few they have found that are not very expensive "become" very expensive on the 16th, right in the middle of their stay. They found this one north of the termini that didn't double-to-triple overnight, and just that fact is making them a little hesitant. When we went to Rome many years ago with out Italian family we stayed in Albano and took a bus in to Rome every day, just because of hotel costs in the summer. (Plus, that's what our family from there had done whenever they ventured to Rome). There were times, though, that I really wished our hotel was near-by during our long days of sight-seeing. I guess the kids should just bite-the-bullet and try to stay in the center of town, within walking distance of the sights. <BR>Enough ranting..should someone see this who can recommend a hotel, please do. Grazie!

Hi Elaine. Can you give us a rough budget?

Yes, Gluck(?), about $100. And we may have lucked out today with the info we picked up by reading 'travel talk'. Hotel Panda was mentioned somewhere and I got the hotel particulars off the internet so we may see if they have a vacancy. But if you have any suggestions, they'd be more than welcomed. Thanks.