We are looking for a place to stay in Rome in early May 2015. We aren't sure what areas are best and convenient since we will only have 3 full days. We want to see the Vatican, the catacombs, Borghese and will be in Rome from a Friday to Monday. We would prefer to pay no more than E100/night.
Another question--since we arrive at the airport at 10:00 pm, what is a safe and efficient way/means to get to where ever we end up staying in Rome?
Ginny & Tom
Rome hotels are priced similarly to New York City hotels, and May is High Season. You're going to be hard pressed to get a room for EU100, however, you may be able to find something on Airbnb.com which is a website for bed & breakfast type places. You can, of course, also go to Trip Advisor and see if there's anything there.
If your main focus is going to be the Vatican, the Prati district is a great location and there are all kinds of city busses to get you to the other areas. (The Termini area near the train station tends to be a little less expensive)
You can take the "Leonardo Express" (train from the Airport) to the central train station in Rome: Termini. From there, use the instructions you receive from your hotel/bnb for which bus, etc., to take from there, or take a taxi.
Wish I knew of a decent hotel room in Rome for eu100 for you (or me)! Maybe someone else has an idea.
We have always had success with the Cross-Pollinate.com website. They are an American couple living in Rome and own a hostel called the Beehive. They have many places at and below your price range. These are B and B's, gueshouses and apartments. Since they are not traditional hotels, there is no front desk or daily housekeeping but some have owners living on site. Some have kitchen priviledges. Most have private bathrooms. A variety of neighborhoods are available. Maps are included. The owners of C-P respond promptly to emails about information. We have used them in Rome, Florence, Venice, Barcelona and Paris in the past and we are returning later this month to Rome, Florence and Venice using their places. Hope this helps.
Thanks Claire from me. I knew about the Beehive, but didn't know about the other places they manage. The Beehive is booked SO far ahead, and I hope Ginny & Tom get on this immediately. May can sell out almost a year ahead of time!
If you are arriving at 10pm, then my recommendation would be a taxi. The taxi is a fixed rate so you don't have to worry about any ripped. The daytime rate is 48E but, I think, the nighttime is higher - maybe 60E. Just double check with the starter in front of the airport. Sunday should be your day for the catacombs because the traffic on the Appian Way is restricted on Sunday.
A hundred Euro for two people in a decent hotel even in the Termini area is a tough target in early May. The Termini area is our preference when in Rome.
@ Donna. The Beehive people are wonderful to deal with. When there are reviews for all these places to stay, they get top reviews for how everything is handled. They respond to questions very promptly and are helpful for general Italy questions. And their website is very easy to navigate. My understanding is that if there is a cancellation at the last minute due to damage to the property or similar reason, they will find another place for you which doesn't happen with some other rental sites. I highly recommend them.
For what its worth, I am currently staying at the Locando Otello in Rome. 1 minute from Termini. 260 Euros for 4 nights - 3 people. Family owned old fashioned hotel and a really nice host. It isn't modern or anything but the people are nice and its a lovely room. If all you need is a bed, I'd get in touch with them. So far anyway, 2nd night and everything is nice.
For taxis at Termini, walk to the front of the station. That's the official taxi rank. There are taxis at the side exits but they will rip you off. Leonardo trains usually stop at the rear of the station, so it may be a 5-6 minute walk.
