I’m traveling to Rome Oct 9-12. I’ve narrowed down to three hotels . Hotel Paba, Napoleon Hotel, Smeraldo Hotel.
Any opinions on these hotels would be great. Looking for one in a good safe neighborhood with public transportation close. Thank you so much
Posted by
USA
1662 posts
Hi blue,
October is nice. Still in the high season category but not as crowded as the peak summer months.
Rome and most of what you will visit is very walkable. And, if you need to rest a bit, there are tons of cafes and/or benches.
Walking Rome, you will see a surprise around every corner and down every street. Beautiful architecture, ornate statues and altars in Churches, crazy-busy main streets like the https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/lazio/roma/piazza-venezia.html
City centre buses will get you in and around the major attractions. They can't go directly into a piazza or down a small street. They get you as close as they can from the main drag - then you just walk a bit to wherever.
If you look at a map of Rome city centre, a lot of the attractions are in close proximity.
The Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica, and Castel Sant'Angelo are farther out - a 30 minute bus ride; sometimes a bit longer. Express #40 will get you there faster bypassing every little stop #64 stops at.
If you take the bus, you can buy tickets at a Tabbachhi shop, some gift shops and some coffee bars. They are 1,50€ each. Once validated, good for 100 minutes of travel and a transfer. A metro ticket costs the same but is good for only one ride.
It is very important you validate your bus tickets in the machine on the bus. Transit Inspectors have been increasing their presence - stopping buses, boarding (usually a team of 4 or 5), checking tickets or passes.
If not validated, you can be assessed a big fine - unless a circumstance beyond your control prevents that.
In my case, one time it did happen. Machines were not working; could not validate.
Inspector told me to write the stop I got in, the time I got on and the bus # - i.e. 64. Also, if possible, record the bus ID# located on the outside of the bus. This way they can fix the problem at the depot.
The Inspector did not impose a fine because it was proven why I/we could not validate tickets.
This is a good introduction for newcomers to Rome. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2VcEkPaeF4
Also, I suggest checking out some of The Roman Guy videos. Sean narrates most of them. They are down to Earth, humorous at times, easy to understand and gives the newcomer good advice, tips and suggestions.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCobaqk2JEYLiBJAhJZG0Oiw
There are also ROMA city taxis to get you in and around Rome. https://www.rome.net/taxi
Also, keep in mind, the metro is close to some of the main attractions - The Vatican and The Colosseo. There are two metro stops for The Vatican. Some metro stops in Rome may still be closed due to renovations - always good to check ahead.
Adding, I have not stayed at the hotels you listed. My visits, I stayed in a hotel in the Termini neighborhood. I had no issues. It was convenient to the buses and metro. Walking was not bad. I enjoyed the walks to the attractions from Termini. Sometimes, I would cut down a side street and find a little eye-delight surprise.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
15834 posts
Hi blueangel4 -
Looking at all three on a map of Rome, Smeraldo is roughly the most centrally located and has seen many recommendations on the forum from posters who've stayed there (see a few I've linked below). Although not close to a Metro line, it is just a block or two from bus/tram lines, although with luggage I'd take a cab to/from Termini or the airport. All of the historic center of Rome is safe so no worries there if you choose something else. :O)
1 reco here:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/where-to-stay-in-rome-50abdb35-a6e1-489c-8aa6-cd9d82666183
3 recos here:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/new-traveler-to-rome
Posted by
44 posts
Strictly on location, I would prefer Smeraldo Hotel, though truth be told, we prefer being closer to the Piazza Navona area. What I love about that general location (including the Campo di Fiori area) is that it's lovely to roam around the streets if you have an extra hour or so, between sightseeing or in the magical hour after afternoon nap and before apertivo and dinner. The area closer to the Colosseum seems too hustly-bustly for us.
Posted by
St Pete, FL
202 posts
The way I approach hotel in Rome is to first determine what neighborhood i want to stay. I am also going to be in Rome early October, and will be my 9th visit. This time, I wanted to stay in Trastevere. Once I know neighborhood, then i do my research. I have stayed in most of the areas with exception of Vatican area (I purposely try to stay in different neighborhoods each time I go).
Good luck!
Glenn
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
6597 posts
No idea about the other two, but we stayed at Smeraldo in 2012. The room wasn’t overly large, but that isn’t uncommon in many European cities, and shower was very small. Otherwise we enjoyed it. The location is nice and all the main sights are within walking distance, if you don’t mind walking. We were there with my (at the time) 83 year old mother, and other than the Vatican, we walked everywhere. We did take a taxi back from the Spanish steps.
Posted by
OP
48 posts
Thank you to everyone for your input, it’s a great help