Apartment in Rome

We love to stay at this great 1 bedroom apartment - across from Castel Sant Angelo - 5 minutes to the Vatican, great bus service, good grocery store - 8 minute walk, balcony and lift - plus the best host we have ever worked with. Great value. It books up very early!
http://www.vrbo.com/359819

Not knowing your price range, or how many people, we just returned from Rome and three of us stayed here...

https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/2193487

It was me, hubby and mom. It can sleep 4. Nice little equipped kitchen (I cooked supper 3 nights of the 5). Shower stall is a mite tiny, good strong wifi. Friendly owner, security building with small elevator. You are literally 2 min walk to Colosseum (you can see it from the window). Air con works well. Clean and bright. Only downside - no washing machine, and the closest laundry is a few subway stops away (you have to get off at Cavour and walk half a block - and I think it's a leave your clothes and pick them up - guess the price is right tho - I handwashed in the sink), and it is a lively area at night. You are up 4 floors, but it can be loud if you are a light sleeper. We didn't feel unsafe coming back in the evening, no one bothered us...other then waiters trying to get us to eat...but there are some bars and people sitting out drinking along the sidewalk. I had to use a white noise app to cover the noise. The price was great, and there are lots of restaurants and a grocery right around the corner.

I've not yet rented an apartment in Rome, but I've been there many times and cumulatively spent at least two months there. I will comment only on neighborhoods.

Personally, I don't like the Termini neighborhood, even though it's the major train station. I enjoy the Prati district (Vatican) and
Trastevere. Prati is a little quieter at night.

You can google street view the apartments you're looking at when you get the street addresses. Now I'm watching this thread to
see what others' recommendations are!

There's next to NO violent crime in Rome. Just petty theft. And of course those idiotic graffiti 'artists' who deface the most beautiful architecture in the world.

My wife and I rented a great apartment on Via Manara in the Trastevere last year. We used sleepinitaly.com - everything was as promised. A living area, full kitchen, one loft bedroom, a bathroom, washer/dryer. It was a multi-story building that had an elevator. The apartment did not have a street view - it looked out onto an internal courtyard. Because we were high enough in the building we always had lots of light.

Yes, the Trastevere can be loud at night in its more northern sections. From Manara south it was very quiet. We had easy and safe walking access to all the Trastevere restaurants, but quiet streets at night. Plus, walking into the historic area is easy and tram #8 is right at the end of the street. Smaller buses to the Gianicolo lookout and the Vatican beyond were also at the end of the street.

Whether an apartment is noisy or not depends less on the neighborhood and more on whether the windows open onto the street. You'll find that a lot of apartments have windows that open only into an interior courtyard, and these are almost always quiet. But I find that street views are more enjoyable, so we just look for a place with soundproofed windows and we take earplugs with us just in case. You might also consider a place that has access to some sort of terrace or rooftop garden. Those are great for relaxing with a glass of wine when you need a break from the awesomeness that is Rome.

I would urge you to look for a place that is in the historic center, or close enough to walk to it. You'll enjoy that much more than relying on public transportation. Fortunately there are lots of such areas to choose from. Monti, Prati, Campo de' Fiori, Navona/Pantheon, Trastevere near Ponte Sisto. The trick in finding an apartment is to look for those with a lot of recent reviews. Check vrbo.com and airbnb.com for tons of places. Watch out for apartments that put the beds up in a loft area with a really low ceiling. I hate those, but they're fine for some people. Definitely get a place with a washing machine. Ask if there is a a drying rack you can use. (Dryers are very rare because electricity is so expensive.)

For four weeks I would urge you to consider splitting your time between at least two places. That will allow you to get to know more than one area really well.

Happy travels.

I can suggest a very convenient solution close to Piazza Navona
There are 2 small apartments in the same building with elevator, A/C, Wifi and washing mashine.

http://www.sleepingrome.com/en/rome-apartment/rmap50-51_101

The area is the best of the best.

Joni---that looks like a great apartment. Is the balcony as once as it appears in the photo?

Not sure how many in your party, but if you need two bedrooms, this is a good choice. It's in the Campo dei Fiori neighborhood, and has a nice kitchen, washing machine, AC, and WiFi. It is pretty centrally located I thought, and we walked/trammed to most places from there. It does not have an elevator and many steps, so not sure if that is an issue. The neighborhood is "safe" in my opinion.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/VacationRentalReview-g187791-d1731963-Balestrari-Rome_Lazio.html

Always examine the photos very closely. One of those photos in the previous links reminds me of another pet peeve - Double beds that are jammed into rooms so small that one side of the bed is pushed up against the wall. That's not a big deal if you're sleeping alone, but it's a deal-breaker for us.

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions. Some of these look great! Sorry I wasn't more specific in my original post -- it's just for 2 of us, my husband and I. However our daughter may join us for a few days so we would need a fold out couch just in case she does come. We are really excited about getting to live in Rome for a month so we can really get to know the city. This is the trip of a lifetime for us so we want to choose wisely about where to stay. Thanks again for all the great advice!

The apartments recommended look great overall! But it's difficult to pursue a specific apartment: they may or may not be available, already rented, taken off the market. I like to use a booking engine like Booking.com or VRBO.com or Cross Pollinate. Focus on an area (Prati by the Vatican, Piazza Navona, Pantheon) then specify your dates, # of beds, WIFI, washer, whatever is imperative for you. This way you get options for YOUR dates and specific needs. Just read the reviews carefully, look closely at the pictures. I agree with Michael: a double bed where one side is against the wall is a non-starter for us.

You will find plenty to do in Rome for a month, it will begin to be home for you once you get familiar with the neighborhood you choose.

Can't help with apartment choices, but I applaud your decision to get to know Rome. Day trips are easy to do by public transportation or by car. You can get to almost anywhere in Lazio, take a fast train to Florence, visit a lake. Castel Gandolfo, Bolsena both have lake access. Frascati is beautiful, the town of Tivoli is unique, Orvieto is only a little over an hour away.

We loved staying in this apartment overlooking Campo de Fiori!! It was so much fun! It is a bustling place, but you close your windows and all is well! We felt as if we lived in Rome staying here. Fiora is wonderful to work with! VRBO listing 336305. We actually are headed back to Rome on Oct. 13th. We are renting from Fiora again, but are staying in one of her other listings as we have a bigger group this time in Piazza Navona. We will post about our trip when we return!
ENJOY ROME!!!!