Stay near Colosseum or Piazza Navona?

If you're at all like us, you will spend time in your room in the late afternoon, recovering from a day of sight-seeing and getting ready to go to a late dinner (to eat closer to when the locals eat). FWIW, access to the Metro isn't as important in Rome as in Paris. Rome is much more compact.

For me, I would ask myself whether, if staying at the Lancelot, I would spend evenings in the Canali's neighborhood (yes, plenty of cafes, atmosphere); and, if staying at the Canali, I would visit the Lancelot's neighborhood in the evening (not particularly, but perhaps I am uninformed). as a bonus there are several rooftop terraces for drinks in the evening in the Navonna area

Don't forget to use Google Maps Streetview. They have excellent coverage of Rome and you can get a very good sense of each n'hood you're interested in. FWIW, the n'hood right around Lancelot is pretty charming. Lots of little stores, flower vendors, restaurants. It's right by the awesome Chiesa San Clemente with its three layers of history and there's a great park just to the north, on Monte Oppio, frequented only by the locals. Here's a video clip of that park from our trip to Rome this past May: Monte Oppio But you're definitely NOT in the thick of things as you would be near Navona. On the plus side, you won't be surrounded by other tourists unless you head toward the Colosseum. It all depends on the experiences you want. But here's a thought. Since you're going to be in Rome for 9 nights, why not split the time between the two? That way you get to experience two very different areas. If you decide to do that, I would suggest starting at Lancelot, since it's a quieter area and better for getting over jetlag. It's also right next to the awesome Le Naumache restaurant. Check out their website. Notice that there's no English page. THAT's a good sign.

Yes, being able to go the room is very nice. I couldn't tell...which neighborhood makes this more convenient? Is one of these areas more pedestrian friendly than the other? In addition to the hotel itself, the neighborhood feel & amenities will play a big part in the decision. I've been on google earth (great idea) but it's a bit difficult to get the feel without being there. I can imagine spending some days just focused on sites - biking the Appian way or going to Vatican, grabbing dinner after, & then heading to our room for a drink on the terrace to relax (both hotel rooms have terrace). On another day I could see going to a site that doesn't take much time in the late morning after enjoying breakfast on our terrace (assuming hotel will allow us to take it up to our room), or not going to sites at all and spending the day just walking around, checking out the neighborhood, shops, good local restaurants, & markets. As mentioned in initial post, we like a mix of sightseeing and R&R. We chose to go in late April because we like being able to walk to things & dine outdoors and aren't usually into big crowds. We know with Rome comes crowds but hopefully not as bad in spring? Also want to feel safe walking at night if safety differs between these 2 neighborhoods at all. @Otariidae - You mentioned teh atmosphere near Canali...what is the atmosphere like in each area? Or at least near Canali? Can you expand on your comparison of the 2 areas...what are the pros/cons of each? @Michael - Of the 2, I was surprised the Lancelot neighborhood is the one that you noted as most charming. From google earth, it looks more "vehicular" but maybe that was just the street the hotel is on? Sounds like you've been to both neighborhoods. Could you expand a bit more on what you personally like & dislike about each area?

TJ: I haven't stayed at these particular hotels, but I've lived in Rome on and off and have visited many times. The area around Navona gets my vote, although when I was there in July there was quite a bit of construction going on in the streets right around it. I would consider the Pantheon area (only two streets away from Navona) instead. You can walk most of Rome quite easily, so access to metro stations is not that important. There are also busses, including the minibusses that get you nearer to the sites on narrow streets. Just make sure to validate your tickets! I've only taken a cab in Rome twice in 30 years. Both the Navona and Pantheon areas are close to the bridge to the Vatican and Trastevere. If you have time, visit the Jewish Quarter near Teatro Marcello. Have a great trip.

Your relaxed game plan is perfect for Rome: time for mandatory famous stuff; time just to hang out with no agenda. I've spent many evenings in Rome, but I've never been in the Lancelot's neighborhood (it must have a name) at night. I scootered through twice during the day on the way from the Coliseum to Laterano and I parked for a quick sandwich. The neighborhood seemed to be upscale, quiet, safe. If I were to live in Rome it would be part of my apartment search. This neighborhood and others take more time to discover than I gave it. It is a short walk to the Coliseum/Forum, but not so short to the other must sees. Buses may solve this problem, but I don't know. Very generally, the area between Popolo, Spagna, Trevi, Farnese and the river includes many of the cafes, wine bars, restaurants, small shops and atmospherically quiet little cobblestone streets that visitors such as I enjoy wandering around. For me, everything in this area is very walkable. Walking in Rome can be grueling; but, at night this area can be something out of a romantic movie. The Pz Navonna is dead center to all of this. As long as your hotel is on a small street a few blocks off Navonna you will not hear the hubbub, which in any event dies down pretty early (except! Cmp dei Fiori). I am not crazy about the way RS presents an evening stroll – it is not at all this crowded – but his video displays at least some of the flavor. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AF4UejSTcs. I've never heard that Rome (unlike San Francisco) is unsafe in the areas where visitors are likely to be. Weather prediction is at best a statistical approximation. Here is a site that you can play with. As I read it, it claims that Rome may be slightly nicer than Seattle in the average April. http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/compare/ITXX0067?sfld1=Rome,%20Italy&sfld2=Seattle,%20WA,%20US&clocid1=ITXX0067&clocid2=USWA0395

We stayed at the Lancelot in April 3 years ago with family. Liked the general area so much (quiet, residential, small local supermarkets/stores) that we returned the following November for a weeks stay on our own in a small apartment on the other side of the Colosseum. We are not in the first flush of youth but found we were able to walk almost everywhere we wanted to go including the Vatican. It also helped to walk off all the extra calories! The point about walking around Rome is that there is so much to see on the way that you do not notice the time/distance and before you know it you are at your destination. Bought a strip of 12 public transport tickets between us and came home with six. We used four on our trip to Ostia Antica and two on a tram from Trastevere at the end of a long day.

Based on the first sentence of your post I recommend The Lancelot. The staff is great, the hotel is nice, breakfast is really good but most of all...you'll meet a bunch of folks using RS and having similar experiences as yourself. It feels like you are with a tour except you can go do your own thing. The neighborhood is the least "touristy" thing I saw in Rome and very livable.

My husband and I stayed at the Hotel Lancelot six years ago and loved it. We will be staying there again the 14th of September for four nights. We again have a terrace room on the 6th floor. The terrace is very large with beautiful plants and a fantastic view of the Basilica and Colosseum at night. Very relaxing with a glass of Brunello or a martini. The staff is very helpful and the food is very good. This time we are arriving at the airport at 0930 and taking the hotel shuttle to the Lancelot. We plan on perusing the neighborhood based the the posts above, have lunch, and then nap for a short time before having dinner at the hotel. Hopefully, this schedule will help with jet lag and we will be ready for the Borghese Gallery the next day.

My family and I stayed at Hotel Triano. The people there were helpful and nice

A lot of good info and great ideas to think about. We're leaning toward Piazza Navona area. Partly because the room cost was less, the reviews all rave about the friendly staff, and of course because the area appears more charming with the cobblestone streets and piazzas everywhere. And having that top floor terrace makes us feel we will still have our refuge. The reply on the temp in late April being only slightly better than Seattle got my attention! For some reason I was thinking Rome would be sunny & low 70s during the day. According to websites, I was thinking May's weather. Average HIGH temps for April are upper 60s with lows in mid 50s...brrr! We're there the last 2 weeks in April, spilling just a couple of days into May. I'd been picturing being able to wear jeans, skirts, or capris with a short sleeve shirt, a light jacket, & maybe a scarf. Those of you who've been there in the April (especially late April) timeframe, how cold did it feel there during days & evenings for your visit? Should I plan to skip the skirts & capris (but still wear pants of course!) and bring a medium weight jacket & long sleeves?

Just a thought, but since you have a very reasonable amount of time in one spot, have you considered renting an apartment instead? As far as hotels, I have not stayed in either but in their neighborhoods and both are great but for a first timer, Navona might be best. If renting a place to stay, I love the Monti area. An apartment may make sense in this case since you usually get a full kitchen, laundry, etc. For extended sats it may be cheaper too, especially when you consider all the meals you can have at the apartment. I have rented a couple with terrace views of Rome too. Have a great time in this most amazing city!

Check out weatherbase.com for statistical average temperatures/ rainfall for Rome and thousands of other locations.........We haven't been to Rome yet, but we did use two different hotels last time we were in Paris. It took about an hour of our time, the first hotel stored our luggage until we were able to check into the second hotel and even offered to call us a cab. (I suggest you act like you are leaving the city, not switching hotels LOL). We enjoyed experiencing two different neighborhoods---Michael has a good idea.

We stayed at the Canali and loved it and the location is the best. Stayed on the top floor with the terrace out back. It was nice to have that extra space to relax and have a glass of wine or 2. The hotel is located about 2 minutes or less from Piazza Navona, very safe area, friendly staff and walking distance to most attractions. The only negative is that there is no elevator and you must climb 4 flights of stairs to get to your room. But...it is well worth it!! Can't wait to go back...

It doesn't have to be "Colosseum or Navona". It can be "Colosseum AND Navona." I'm going to repeat my recommendation to split your time between both places. Nine days in the same room/n'hood would get old to me. I would start with 4 nights at Lancelot, then 5 nights at Navona. Happy travels.