Short break in Rome - accommodation suggestions ?

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stevewestern

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We (me, wife and 14yr old daughter) may be heading to Rome for a few days late October - early November.
We've never been, so can anyone who has recently give a few suggestions about cheap-ish accommodation, and then general tips - good places to eat, ways to travel around, places to see.
Money is limited, so nothing too expensive, and I'd rather eat local food with a plastic tablecloth than silver service - you get the idea...

Many thanks for any help !
 
Went 15 years ago so out of date, but avoid the tourist areas for food, overpriced, go to the side streets and where the locals are. Colesseum is a must do, keep an eye on pickpockets in main areas.
 
I'll add [ it was 2005 when I was there ] be very careful on public transport - pickpockets were in plentiful supply then :(
 
The cheapest places to stay are around the Termini area but stay city side around Via Cavour or Via Internationale. Some nice cosmopolitan areas around there. Rome is on seven hills and most of the better accomodation is in the valley so if you opt for the cheaper then get accustomed to steep walks back to the hotel in the evening.

There are plenty of reasonable places to eat all over but avoid going directly to the main tourist spots like Panthenon, Trevi, Spanish Steps but just go one street back for better prices.

The only place you might want to use travel is going to Vatican City but the three mile walk is far more interesting. Rome is easy to walk but take a good walking map.

Allow half a day (morning) for the Coliseum and in the afternoon you can go the short distance to the Forum. Don't just do the bottom where the monuments are but go on the top too for stunning views. If it's hot take water into the Forum (very dusty)

A nice day out is Trastavere over the river. Plenty of nice cafes and shops. Do the Panthenon, Piazza Navarro, and Vatican/St Peters (that's a day out too)
 
Harriers9 said:
The cheapest places to stay are around the Termini area but stay city side around Via Cavour or Via Internationale. Some nice cosmopolitan areas around there. Rome is on seven hills and most of the better accomodation is in the valley so if you opt for the cheaper then get accustomed to steep walks back to the hotel in the evening.

There are plenty of reasonable places to eat all over but avoid going directly to the main tourist spots like Panthenon, Trevi, Spanish Steps but just go one street back for better prices.

The only place you might want to use travel is going to Vatican City but the three mile walk is far more interesting. Rome is easy to walk but take a good walking map.

Allow half a day (morning) for the Coliseum and in the afternoon you can go the short distance to the Forum. Don't just do the bottom where the monuments are but go on the top too for stunning views. If it's hot take water into the Forum (very dusty)

A nice day out is Trastavere over the river. Plenty of nice cafes and shops. Do the Panthenon, Piazza Navarro, and Vatican/St Peters (that's a day out too)
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Brilliant - many thanks Philip !
I'll get looking, and my wife thinks you are wonderful btw !
 
IF you have time (and you like Roman History) its worth taking a train out of the city to Ostia Antica. The ruins there are probably the best in Italy (including Pompeii) but by the time you've got out there and looked round you're looking at a whole day
 
I stayed in a B&B in Trastavere and ate in that area every evening. There are many, many restaurants and I didn't have a bad meal at any of the ones I tried, and a few excellent ones. While you'll pay less if you don't try to eat overlooking something like the Trevi fountain, don't expect to find anything genuinely cheap.

Aside from to / from the airport, I walked everywhere. The famous places have been mentioned and of them all definitely see the Colloseum and Forum / Palantino. There are also loads of museums and galleries, all of which have to be paid to enter, I particularly liked the
Palazzo Massimo alle Terme and the Colonna gallery, as much for the building itself as the art it holds. Didn't get to see half of what I wanted to though and I was there a week.
 
AirBnB always.

I went a couple of years ago and for the price of a reasonable hotel, there was a flat where I could have stayed *in* the Coliseum.

Ended up in a lovely flat about 400m from the sites down a nice quiet street.
 
Last September I stayed in a small hotel very close to the Vatican. All nice and good and not too expensive but the noise from bloody mopeds all night was a bit annoying. But it was pretty close to everything I wanted for the sunrise; no more than 30min walk.
Perhaps look for one on pedestrian access only streets.

The other alternative is staying out of town in a nice villa on the hills, which will be lovely and quiet but you will have commuting in to contend with.

Hotels.com is what I use. They have plenty of choice. As above AirBnB is worth looking into always - well the listings with professional photography, character, quality bedding and plenty of positive reviews. I'd be careful with the rest and I'm extremely familiar with the company here in UK.
 
Thanks for all the replies - much appreciated !
I'll be talking to my wife later, so all this will make me look good (which is not a usual occurrence..)
 
We stayed at the Dei Melini, not far from San Angelo and the Vatican and a reasonable walk for the main attractions. If you have good legs, Rome can be done by foot and map.

Our hotel (in 2015) gave excellent recommendations for restaurants. As it was on the 'other' side of the Tiber prices were reasonable.
 
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