My daughter is going to study abroad at Cornell in Rome (which is in Via dei Barbieri, close to Largo Argentina). We are going to travel with her in January 2010 and wish to stay in an apartment (she might stay with us for a couple of days) in that area. Any ideas of an apartment right nearby (Argentina area)? It is hard for us to understand exactly where apartments are located from the apartment rental websites since we are not familiar with Rome at all and have heard of people being mislead. Also any ideas on what cell phone company she could use in Rome that would not cost a fortune when calling New York?

You need three things right off the bat, 1) a good map of Rome center (Streetwise Rome definitely), 2) get very familiar with Google Earth, 3) spend some time browsing apts reviews and making notes off slowtrav.com. There, you have a plan. Go execute. You will know what's next once you are better prepared.

As a side activity, start browsing vrbo.com also. By the way, there are hundreds and hundreds of apts suggestions in this forum website.

What price range/apartment size are you looking for?
In general places near Campo de'Fiori, Pantheon, Piazza Navona would all be quite close
We had a very good experience with realrome.com

Residenza Giubbonari is 2min from Largo Argentina - and same distance from Campo di Fiori. Kids could walk to Largo Argentina on their own to help tend the cats.

We stayed in the Blue apt on the 1st floor and found it perfect for family of 4. 2br, 2 bath, small but full kitchen. Pull out sofa in living rm for 1-2 more kids. It's a pedestrian street, close to several mini-markets, 20m from fresh bakery, en-suite washer, etc.

http://www.residenzagiubbonari.com/home.html

Thanks Viajero2!
Vttraveler, we are looking for an apartment for 2 (maybe 3 if our daughter will stay with us for a couple of nights). But will check out the site you mention.
Also Giobbonari sounds good, thanks everybody!Any ideas of something smaller, just to have the range from a 2 bedroom to a 1 bedroom maybe?
Also, what do you advise for the cell phone, any ideas?I read about Vodafone's plan somewhere but did anyone have any experience with that one?

we stayed in a studio apartment right on via di torre Argentina,it's perfect if you're two, it was rather small but the location beats everything. we rented through Domus
www.domusintl.com
check them out, the staff of really helpful with practical things/advice. I assume they have different apartments in that same area, friends of ours from Columbia recommended them since they rent from Domus every year.
for the phone, Domus gave us a sim card (that substituted ours in our American cellphone) and they recommended a calling card called Europa that gets you plenty of minutes for 5 euros. good luck!

She should just buy a quad band phone if she doesn't already have one. She should buy a TIM card or one of the other Italian cards for it when she gets to Rome. She will probably use texting more than calling as texting usually costs less and it's what they age uses anyway. When my daughter was studying in Madrid it was hard to keep in touch with friends back home because of the time difference. Most kids will use SKYPE to call each other for free (assuming she's taking her laptop).

This group of apartments is in your preferred area:

http://www.palazzo-olivia.it/

amanda-- what's up?

If you are looking for a smaller and less expensive apartment check out the www.sleepinitaly apartment named St. Andrea...located in the very picturesque Piazza Paradiso very near the Gubonari apartments. This is a very nice place, ideal for 2 but if your daughter needs to sleep for a few nights there is an open loft with an extra bed. Only problem could be privacy but maybe as you are family the open loft which is above the bedroom might work.

IMO, Don't use a cell phone to call NY. For calls within Italy, do as KYbourbon says and use an unlocked quad band phone and a SIM card. But for international calls, if she has any access to a land line you can sign up at onesuite.com, prepay with your credit card, and pay 9.9 cents a minute for calls to the US.

If she does need to use her cell to call the US, onesuite.com gives her a local access number so the calls from her cell would be charged at the local rate plus the 9.9 cents per minute.