What section to stay in Italy?

This location looks fine, close to some buses, and the walk from there to Barberini Metro is downhill. It's only a couple of blocks from our usual tour hotels on Via Firenze, from where I have walked to the Villa Borghese. Similarly, our tour groups normally walk home via Rick's "night walk" a.k.a. Heart of Rome walk to the same area. Nearby, I like the book listing for Hostaria Romana on Via Rasella, but you usually need to reserve.

I think you are correct about being a bit off the beaten path. I looked at a map. Try to get around Largo Argentina area or Campo Di Fiori or Piazza Navona area. Do not book right on Campo Di Fiori, but just a few streets away. That way, you get proximity to attractions, but not too much noise at night. Same for the other major attractions like Piazza Navona. Just a street or two away from P. Navona is good. Think of the Pantheon as ground zero. Then,book just a few blocks away. Lots of good choices in Rome.

Sounds like you would be happier in the Piazza Navona/Campo dei Fiori/Pantheon area, my favorite is Piazza Navona. Via Zanardelli and Via del Rinascimento have good bus service to other parts of the city.

We stayed next to the Pantheon and loved that area. We stayed at Albergo Del Sanato, and used the rooftop bar every evening before dinner. We like doing what you do, and be able to walk back closely after an evening out. Piazza Novana wiuld be a pkace I wouldn't mind staying, it was out favorite piazza.

Via Giosuè Carducci is in a quiet-ish area, but good bus service from via Bissolati on the #492 to the Piazza Navona/Pantheon area, which the Metro from Barberini does not serve. Indeed the #492 goes all the way to Piazza Risorgimento, right by the Vatican.

There are some good restaurants nearby (Osteria 44, Al Forno della Soffitta, Cantina Cantarini) and the best gelato in Rome is just up the street at Come il Latte. If you like the room it is not a bad location. Just do not plan on eating in the glass-enclosed cages imitating restaurants on via Veneto. They look pretty but they are tourist traps.

Google maps says it's 650 meters to Piazza Barberini (there's a metro station there). I stayed nearby, about 300 m. from that piazza, in another direction. It was fine. I did use the metro and bus to get some places - but in Rome sights are spread out. It's quiet at night, there are several good restaurants close to the piazza, and the Trevi Fountain is about 600 meters away.

Thanks for the replies. I do like the room at Blue Inn at least from the photos and the great reviews plus a super cheap rate since I booked it back in early February. If we are in Piazza Navona or Trasteve late are the taxis still running. I read some posts it's hard to get taxis in the heart of Rome area. I imagine we will be out late some nights and not wanting to walk a mile or more back to our hotel on Via Giosue in via Veneto section. And while on the subject of taxis, anything to watch out for in terms of not getting ripped off. Are fares within the main areas of Rome reasonable.

Taxis run all night. The best way to get a taxi is to walk to a taxi station and get one that is waiting. This map might come in handy. Or you can have the restaurant call one for you. You pay from the time the cab leaves the taxi station, so if you have the restaurant call, you will pay for a few minutes of response time. You can also use a taxi app and order one from your smartphone. The app is called "it Taxi."

I think the cabs are reasonably priced. The fares do go up late at night, but we can get home to Parioli for about €15-17 after dinner and that is much farther than the Via Veneto area.