I am in the preliminary stages of planning a trip to Rome, or rather, DH is going for work and I'm tagging along! We'll be in a free hotel in the Via Veneto area for a week, but for the non-work portion (a long weekend), we're planning on switching to a hotel that is less than 200 euros a night. Moving will give us the opportunity for a change of pace as well as location, in addition to being lighter on the wallet. Also, VV is not necessarily the place I would have selected if it wasn't free, as we prefer small b&bs, etc.
So, Rome experts, can you suggest which neighborhood you would select, given that I will have been in Via Veneto for a week? I am more than willing to do my specific hotel legwork, but I am looking for suggestions to contrast where we will have been. I am a great walker as well as public transportation user. Should I just go with the opposite end of the city and choose Monti or Trastavere, or ???
thanks in advance for your suggestions.

yorkshire,

i think that I would look at an area like Monti [between the via Cavour and via Nazionale near the church of Santa Maria Monti] which is near enough to the centre to be able to get around easily, but far enough away from the Via Veneto to have a completely different atmosphere.

alternatively, Trastevere would provide a complete change of scene.

oops - I didn't read the whole of your post until I'd written the above - great minds!

Your instincts line up with what I would do: find something in Monti or Trastevere.

How many days and nights is a "long weekend"? When are you out of the free hotel and when do you need to be at the airport?

Since you will have been in Rome for a week, would you be interested in heading to a small town not far away to experience Italy in a different atmosphere?

Thanks everyone!
@jean: We'll have four days, but as my husband will have been working all week, we are staying in Rome.