Rome-hotel or apartment

We stayed in a apartment in Spain once, but for my peace of mind I would only reserve one that accepted credit card to secure the reservation. I would be hesitant if they want cash wired full payment up front, but that's just me.

We stay in apartments frequently, found on booking.com, vrbo or Airbnb. Things to look for are reviews that seem legit, is it listed on other sights (this isn't a deal breaker or maker, just a way to find more reviews), and how to pay for it. Paying at the apartment in cash is ok by me, but Im not wiring a lot ahead of time. Once I wired a deposit (about 100 euros), but that was after I had emailed the owners and talked a bit. Try to email the owners and ask any questions. Most I've run into speak enough English for the purpose, but obviously this isn't always the case. Worth a try.

In short - apartments are great, just take a little time to make sure this one is legit. If it is, enjoy! With 4 adults you will get much more space for less money this way vs a hotel room.

When we travel we always stay in apartments. Over the last 7 years I have rented over 25 different ones - using VRBO , TripAdvisor and Booking.com. I have been satisfied with everyone. Apartments allow me to shop the markets and cook and gives you room to spread out and relax at your own pace. Some were fantastic to amazing, others comfortable and a good value. All of the flats were well reviewed. I have paid deposits on some, no payments until arrival on others and full payments - BUT in all cases money was always sent by credit card and usually by PayPal. - never cash. I would say 90% of the hosts spoke English - some much better than others - but enough to complete our business.
I will send along a VRBO listing 1094012 - this is a 2 bedroom, 2 bath flat in the Prati district of Rome. It is fantastic - we have stayed there twice in the last 2 years. Bruno the host is extra special and speaks excellent English.

Have done so many time, but as others have advised, do not wire a down payment unless you are 100% sure they are legit. Perhaps you could post the Trip Advisor link here so we can see it.

We are renting an apartment near Campo d' Fiori through this company for our April trip. www.keytoitaly.com . Saw the apartment first on VRBO. Contact was through the company. They respond quickly and are easy to work with. I rented many apartments through VRBO from independent owners with no issues. This is the first in Italy. You can sort apartments by # of bedrooms, location, and price. Knowing the language isn't essential. Most people in the rental business have some level of proficiency with English. We always stay in apartments. In addition to the cost factor, it gives a better idea of how residents live.

My suggestion is, if you have never been to Europe don't rent an apartment for your first trip. If you are seasoned, go for it. Keep in mind if it gets HOT there, so travel from May- Sept. make sure you have reliable air conditioning! :) Traveling with girls that age, they may want a bit of freedom, and a hotel is safer for that, even if they are just in the lobby having a coffee on their own.

I've been renting, myself, some of the apartments of the Fromhometorome network. You can find them both on VRBO and Airbnb, or through their own site (it's a .com). It's two friends handling apartments on behalf of Romans who are too elderly to deal with their own house, mostly, and decided to rent them out with the help of someone they could trust completely. The places can be very different, style-wise, and some may not be immediately available (they also offer long-term rentals). They come highly recommended.

We've rented an apartment in Florence through VRBO, but what worked well this time in Rome was that a hotel we had stayed at a few years ago had bought some apartments at Campo de' Fiori, and now were renting them out. Not only did we have the hotel to contact if something was wrong (nothing was), but they came in every morning and did maid service, which was really sweet. Price was right too, under $100/night.

Apartments through airbnb are terrific. Excellent choice and you have the benefit of shared common space for afternoon/evening relaxation and morning breakfast as a family. I wouldn't consider a hotel any more when traveling with a family. Airbnb is totally reputable and will not release your funds to the landlord until your trip is completed and you are satisfied.

..what worked well this time in Rome was that a hotel we had stayed at
a few years ago had bought some apartments at Campo de' Fiori, and now
were renting them out.

Ooh. I'd love to add that to my resource list for trip #4, Jay! Care to share? PM me?

Done did with the PM, Kath.

Previously we rented apts thru a site and they were fine.

This year I used Air B&B for all 4 locations and think I got nicer places but will update after out trip in May

Bobb

Our first European Apartment experience was also our first trip to Rome - the apartment was WONDERFUL! The owners lived just next door in a larger apartment which I think they also rent now. They were a nice family and took care of us at every turn.

https://www.vrbo.com/305032?k_clickid=417d4394-564e-bde8-3b2e-0000404da1a6&ksid=417d4394-564e-bde8-3b2e-0000404da1a6&ksprof_id=213&ksaffcode=11363845&ksdevice=c&gclid=CLWzjtzMiNMCFVUvgQodxFQCaw

I'd say if you use the specialized websites like Vrbo/Homeaway it should be safe.

But how many days are you staying in Rome?

In my opinion apartments are a great bargain only for longer stays (more than 3 nights), because too much time goes with the process related to waiting for the landlord, check-in/out, getting familiar with the apartment/rental requirements (including learning how appliances work), cleaning up at check out, meeting the landlord for check out, etc.

For just 2 or 3 nights, I wouldn't bother. But that's me.

An apartment can be a great value for a family, especially if there are two bathrooms and a washing machine. :)
There are lots of reputable sources for apartments; read the fine print and the reviews, and follow your gut.
We used Coach House Rentals in London and they were great. I think they have properties in Rome, too.

On my first trip to Rome with a friend we rented a lovely apartment right near Campo dei Fiori in a lovely historic building. It was nice coming back after a busy day of sightseeing and not having to worry about noise from other guests. It was very convenient to be able to make some breakfast before starting the day, and if you weren't up to it, there were some very nice local bars for your morning cappuccino. I highly recommend renting an apartment.

I LOVE Air BnB myself, but it's your first time and if you're nervous or need someone available to answer a lot of questions, help with taxis, etc a hotel is probably best. If you're completely fine being self sufficient then apartments are often better deals and a great, more "local" experience. The one thing is that not every apartment has a place to leave your luggage before or after checkout so this is best discussed during the rental process. A lot of apartments have much later check in times than hotels, like 2 pm (I've seen some 4 pm ones too) though often check out is 10-11 am (some places are cool about late check outs), which is worth noting. To be fair, Rome has many options in the center if you get in WAY before check in time and it's an apartment w/no place to stash your bags, so it's not that big of a deal, but something to keep in mind. I've never stayed at an apartment found on Trip Advisor specifically but I do see many of the same apartments listed on TA as Air BnB, Venere, Home Away etc.

In my opinion it depends how much assistance you need or if you prefer the self catering nature of an apartment. That would be the tie breaker for me. I’ve used Air BnB before and found it to be a quite secure site and the apartments have been accurately represented.

There were 5 of us so staying in a hotel was not an option as we would have to rent 2 rooms. I found out about Apartment 19 here on the Rick Steves forum. It was awesome and affordable. It's in the Trastevere area in a real and vibrant neighborhood. We walked to all the sights but you're really close to the bus and tram stop.

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p300175