In which section of Rome should our family stay?

I would recommend the Pantheon area. It is centrally located, so you can really walk anywhere from there.

The Cross Pollinate site owns The Beehive that is just two blocks from the train station. My husband and I stayed there and walked everywhere. We checked into our hotel at 7:00 pm and went out walking until 10:30 pm. What a magical way to begin our stay in Rome. The locals do come out at night so your teenagers won't be alone but then it's fun to be out to see and mingle with the locals.
The buses depart from the train station also if you don't want to walk to the Coloseum (sp), Trevi Fountain, etc.

Thanks for the advice. The Pantheon area does seem to be close to just about everything, except the Metro. We have an early morning flight out, but I guess we could take a taxi to the train station, if necessary.

I found the rome metro to be a let down with only two lines it was usually faster to take a taxi, I would also recommend taking the taxi from the airport, as we had a horrible bus experience. Taxi was something like 40euro, we walked from our apartment (near the train station) to all the major sights in rome, and took the metro only to and from the vatican.

Stay in the pantheon area. We bought a roma pass btw, and never used it expect for entry into the colloseum, and two metro rides.

Just to offer a different perspective,

I just returned from Italy about 2 weeks ago. We stayed at a hotel (Morgana) that was about a 2 minute walk from Termini, I think it was an excellent choice. Granted the subway system has two lines, they still take you everywhere you want to go (the red line stations are a veritable checklist of what to see in Rome).

We purchased the Roma Pass which, as previously discussed, pays for itself after just 2 attractions, not including the unlimited transit rides! We used it very often and I think it was a great help to be 2 minutes away from both subway lines.

You didn't mention the area around Termini, I know some people have safety concerns. Pickpockets are everywhere, but aside from that - my family never felt ill at ease around the train station.

Just something to think about!

Ashley

I'd suggest near the Termini as well. Good access to the public transportation and it's got a younger vibe to it. Lots of college kids.

I was in Rome last month and stayed very close to the Termini station at the Hotel Aberdeen which was a Rick Steves suggestion. The location was also perfect to the Metro and the bus stops so this was an added bonus. The area around the Termini is quite nice. I was a solo female traveler while there, and never felt unsafe in any way whatsoever. I had read so many precautions about pickpockets and such in the Termini area, but I never saw anything like that during my stay in Rome. That isn't to say that pickpocket instances do not happen. The Hotel Aberdeen was a good bargain.

I also like staying near Termini and we like Residence Adler.

Thanks for your help. It came down to what we could get for a good price, with a kitchen, so we booked an apartment between the Spanish Steps and Barberini Metro. The kids should be able to walk to the Pantheon, etc. from there, I hope.