Late Roman Honeymoon.

For hotels you can use venere.com. Look at the Albergo del Senato, Hotel Smeraldo and the Albergo Cesari. They are all nice. I doubt if you'll find a "hearty breakfast" anywhere in Rome. They do not usually do American style breakfasts. Most of the time you'll find breads and coffees. You might also find some deli style meats but that's about all. Most hotels don't usually offer a breakfast. As for a day trip, with only 6 days to see Rome you might want to reconsider. If you do decide to do a day trip there are several that will make sense as they are not too far away. You can visit Pompeii for the day. Ostia Antica is another great day trip. You can also visit Florence or Assisi. Donna

Orvieto would be another place to consider for a day trip. It's a charming hill town such as you would experience in Tuscany, but only about an hour from Rome by train.

It might be pricier than you are looking for (I'm not sure of your price range) but my husband and I ended up getting a pretty good deal at Albergo Abruzzi, located right across from the Pantheon, for our honeymoon stay last August. We paid less by staying in the "annex" which is not connected to the main part of the hotel, but we ended up being upgraded to a main room anyway. You get to eat breakfast each morning at a cafe (Scusate Il Ritardo) across the piazza. It is more American than the typical Italian breakfastthey have some eggs, salami, and such. Not simply pastries, which can be nice for all the walking you'll do in Rome. Since you're looking for a larger breakfast, I would consider Abruzzi. I loved the location because it was central to so many sights (close to Campo di Fiori, Piazza Navona, not too bad a walk to Travestere, Vatican etc.). The staff was friendly and it was very comfortable and nice. It is on the smaller side, like you're hoping for. The suggestion of Orvieto is good for a day trip. You could even take a day trip to Florence if you wish. The fast trains are more expensive, but would get you from Roma Termini to Firenze SMN in an hour and 30 minutes. Leave fairly early in the morning, come back late, and you would have a nice day in Florence. (You do pay for the speed though, so if you want to keep the budget down I would suggest going somewhere closer).

Matt, First of all, congratulations on the Anniversary! Could you clarify whether your time frame includes the day that you'll "lose" at the beginning of the trip? You'll generally arrive in Europe the day after you depart, and will be jet lagged for the first day or two so won't be up to full "touring speed". You might get some good ideas on Hotels by checking the Italy or Rome Guidebooks. They have listings in different parts of Rome and different price ranges. You should be able to find a copy at your local Library or book stores. You might have a look at Hotel Sonya or Hotel Aberdeen, both in the Termini area. Whether you'll get a "hearty breakfast" will depend to some extent on which Hotel you choose. While some Hotels in Italy provide the typical "spartan" Italian breakfast, others provide a more complete buffet type meal. In my experience, breakfasts at the Hotels listed in the Guidebooks usually include cold meats, cheese, buns, bread, cereals, yogurt, juices, hard boiled eggs, Croissants and coffee or tea. I've also found a few that provide scrambled eggs (but not in Rome). As the trip isn't until 2014, start watching airfares in spring 2013 to get some idea on the price ranges. They will of course likely increase by 2014, but it may provide an idea on when the cheapest prices are offered. The Guidebooks will provide lots of good information so that you can plan your touring efficiently, which is especially important with such a short trip. What sites are you interested in? I'd also recommend a day trip to Orvieto if possible. It's only about an hour each way by train. Be sure to familiarize yourselves with "rail skills", as there are some caveats to be aware of in Italy. Moneybelts for both of you would be a really good idea. Good luck with your planning!

Matt, One other note regarding breakfasts. You'll absolutely be able to fill up on whatever is provided by the Hotel. However, don't plan on taking any food from breakfast to save money on lunch. I noticed this year that many Hotels have a sign stating this practice is NOT allowed. Also, dining on the street in Rome is no longer a good idea as expensive fines could result. Have a look at some of the posts on other parts of the HelpLine on that topic. Cheers!

I love Rome but it is intense and breaks are nice. Instead of a daytrip you can spend one=two nights in wonderful Orvieto which is a perfect hilltop for you to experience plus you can save money on hotel costs and it's easy to get to. I like La Magnolia and it cost us just $60 per night a few years ago. With only six nights you will be travelling light so the move is easy.

Congratulations! So many things to do in Rome, but Orvieto or Ostia Antica make good day trips. Venere.com and booking.com are both good sources for descriptions of hotels and B&Bs, plus reviews from guests who've recently stayed there (this is true for booking.com, which I use often, I'm not sure about venere.com). I've stayed at Hotel Genio recently - not a small B&B but they do have a substantial buffet breakfast on their 6th-floor terrace which has 360-degree views of Rome. I paid about 95 euro for a single last year. If you do book into a b&b that has a simpler breakfast, take a "pizza bianca" break at mid-morning (pizza crust with olive oil, salt, rosemary). The Roma Pass is a great idea as well. Just about the only things not included are church-related (the Vatican, other churches and diocesan museums, catacombs). Remember to make a reservation for the Galleria Borghese (separate from using the Roma Pass for admission). You can make a half-day out of the galleria, the park itself, the walk to the Pinco for some great views, and then the path down to Piazza del Popolo.

Try Elsa Cappelletti
Vis Dei Querati 24 Roma 00184 near the colosseum

Matt, If you do any traveling in the states, sign up for the frequent traveler programs. I have been to Europe twice with free lodging. I used the Holiday Inn points those times but every hotel has a program, just make sure you can use them in Europe.

And if for some reason you don't yet have the Rick Steves Rome book, get one now. It will be the smartest money you spend.

Matt, you may also want to consider applying for one of the credit cards through the airlines to get some frequent flyer miles. I think right now you can get up to 55,000 miles on some airlines. In the summer that will take care of almost a full roundtrip ticket for one person to Europe (it takes 60,000 miles directly through several airline programs). Since you're not traveling for another 18 months, that'll give you enough time to apply for the cards (one for you, one for your wife - they normally waive the annual fee for the 1st year), get the miles, and book your tickets. I would recommend booking 11 months out if possible. The cards will require you to purchase a minimum amount within the first 3-4 months. It's worth looking into.

I've recently checked FF mileage for flights and the plans that I have are looking for over 100,000 points/miles per ticket. Still, you can pay partly with points/miles and partly with $$, if that helps. I also suggest an overnight to Orvieto - there's lots to see in such a small place, the views are amazing, and there's an Orvieto card (with a free roundtrip funivia+local bus ride from the train station up to the town, museum admissions (go to the museum across the street from the Duomo, there are closeup views of the upper levels of the mosaics on the facade of the Duomo from some of the museum's upper floor rooms).

I took my daughter to Rome a few years back for about the same amount of time. 5 days in country. I booked a "vacation package" on United.com. This included the air and hotel. The hotel was wonderful, a bit out of the way, we took the Metro into central Rome each morning, but that wasn't a big deal at all, fun to ride the Metro with locals. I remember we paid $2400 for BOTH of us. However, our trip was first week of November, so had to be less expensive than June/July travel. This was a few years back, but for your money, a package deal sounds easiest and quickest. You can start shopping around now. If you do this, make sure you carefully check the flight times. Some of the cheapest rates will have the worst travel times.....much longer with lots of connections (not fun) I think for $4000 you should be able to bundle air/hotel. On internet sites you can look at photos of the interiors of the hotels and read about extras. Some hotels include free internet, might have a free shuttle service from the airport. They describe breakfast, etc. Bought Top 10 sights in Rome by Eyewitness books, great photos and great information, plus less expensive than RS books. We took a day trip to Orvieto (I LOVE this town, been there 3x now) and a day trip to Ostia Antica. Florence is also an option for a longer day trip, the train station is 5 minute walk from the Duomo and Ponte Vecchio