Rome Hotels

Tony, That is a very broad question. Rick Steves' guides are designed to help you work through location, price, convenience, services. If you do not have his Italy and/or Rome guides I suggest you get one (or both!) as a starting point. Then people on the board can help you with specific questions. "Located by everything" is tough to answer as we don't know what you want to see. It's a big city. Vatican? Colosseum? They are 30 minutes walk apart. Personlly I preferred to stay near Piazza Navona or Campo dei Fiori before we moved here. We found that area to be charming and convenient for many reasons. You can easily get to teh airport from Centro via the Leonardo Express or a cabm which will run you €45.

Look at www.nycerome.com and click on the neighborhood you want on the map. Nothing is really that far from the sites if you stay in the neighborhoods in the center of the map. Rather than stay near the airport, I'd stay in the city. That way you can have fun the evening before flying back. The airport area is suburban boringland. If it's 2 or more of you a taxi ride from rome to the airport is not that expensive, less than 50 euro in total (by train is euro 14/pp) . If your flight is early the traffic won't be a problem at all (25-30 min. ride max), the train ride is also just over 30 min. PS: If you fly back on a flight operated by a US based airline, make sure you tell the taxi driver you need to go to Terminal 5. Otherwise you need to take a bus shuttle. Terminal 5 is a high security terminal (formerly a hangar) a little distance away that looks like a militarized zone.

Tony, I normally prefer to stay in the area near Roma Termini, as it's so convenient both for transportation within Rome, to other parts of Italy and to the airport. What time is your flight? It's very easy to reach the airport from the Termini area, using the Leonardo Express (time 35M, €14 PP). While the cost may seem a bit "steep", I prefer that as there are never any issues or delays with traffic. If you need some Hotel suggestions, posts another note.

There is NO hotel in Rome that is close to everything. There are hotels that are closer to some sites but will be farther from others. You should grab a map and decide which area you would like to stay in. You have many, many choices. The city center is close to a lot of sites and a beautiful place to stay. The downside is that your farther from the colosseum, Vatican and Borghese gallery. It's also a bit far from the termini station. If you stay near the termini you'll be farther from the Vatican and the Pantheon areas. If you stay near the Vatican you'll be quite a distance from the Colosseum, Borghese gallery and the termini station. So, you see, finding a hotel that is located by everything is impossible. Donna

You should also post your hotel budget in dollars or euro. We prefer to stay at a great b&b called Armonio All' Opera located across the street from the Roma Opera House on Via Viminale. It is a 10 or 15 minute walk from Stazione Termini and a 5 minute walk from the Repubblica Metro stop. I also suggest you stay in the city on your last night and take the Leonardo Express to the airport. It is quick and easy. Buon viaggio,

Hotels in the area between the Pantheon and Campo Fiori are located most central. Best restaurants in that area also. The area around the Termini is dreary and charmless. Would never stay there again.

There's a little electric bus, #116, that runs to all the major sites from the Piazza Navona/Campo dei Fiori/Pantheon area (stops at each of these), and stops at the Galleria Borghese. I like to stay in the Piazza Navona area. There are a few major bus centers in the city: outside the Termini station, in Piazza Venezia, and at San Giovanni in Laterano.

Here's an article (with photos) of the 116 bus Zoe describes. Like Laurel, prior to moving to Rome, we also stayed in the Piazza Navona, Pantheon, and Spanish Steps areas. To us it was the most convenient area for visiting "most" sites - or at least in the middle of all. It's also FLAT, which might be a consideration for some folks. In addition, after a long, hot day of touring, it's great to be able to walk out of your hotel - and quite quickly - have access to a multitude of wonderful restaurants. You can't beat walking through this area late in the evening. (And plenty of gelato spots!). If budget is a concern, you might try the Roma Termini area, Trastevere, or the Vatican area - where we lived. There are smaller hotels and B&B's in these locations. (We love dining in Trastevere and have many friends living there). I'm also NOT a fan of staying out by the airport... I've said many times, once you head out to an airport hotel in Rome, your vacation is generally OVER. With the exception of the Hilton connected to the airport, other hotels in the Fiumicino area will still require some form of transport to get you to the airport. I'd rather stay in Rome and enjoy my last evening in this incredible city, then get up early and take a taxi or shuttle for an early flight. I'll sleep on the plane!