Rome Travel Forum

Hello:

My husband and I are planning a trip to Italy this summer with our 2 sons--ages 6 and 11. We will be going to Rome first, then Florence (we are exchanging homes with another family there) and then Venice. We are looking for suggestions about places to stay in Rome and Venice. We are leaning toward renting an apartment (we found some that you can rent for 3 days) rather than staying at a hotel. That way, we would have more room without an astronomical price. We are open to suggestions on that as well.

My question is: What NEIGHBORHOOD of Rome would you most recommend? We like to eat and shop and will obviously see the sights as well. With the kids, though, we realize that we will have to do the sights at a much slower pace. We love to shop. Someone suggested staying near the Spanish Steps in Rome. It is important to understand, though, that the shopping we typically do would be more home decor and more unique items. We are looking for things that would be unique and that would be things that would be special from Italy. For example, we got a beautiful leather jacket in Florence previously, as well as a beautiful Murano glass vase in Venice. We are also not into brand name places that we can go in the U.S. such as Gap, Old Navy, etc. We also tend to shop for things other than clothes, and we definitely are not into needing to have the latest designer things.

Last year, when we went to London, the kids loved going to Covent Garden and seeing all of the street performers.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Given your criteria, the suggestion of near the Spanish Steps is not a bad one. While there are pedestrian-only streets between the Via del Corso and the Piazza di Spagna that are dedicated to very high end Italian fashion, there are some more unique places nearby as well. I have some prints on the wall that are 18th or 19th century colored prints of Rome and Italy, acquired at a small bookseller somewhere between Piazza di Spagna and the Trevi Fountain...sorry, I no longer have a clue exactly where....you'll just have to find it the same way we did - by randomly walking around ;-).

Unfortunately, it's not very easy any more getting unique things in Italy that aren't already available in the US...and furthermore, with the decline of the dollar, these items are often CHEAPER in the US than in Italy.

Of course, the Piazza di Spagna area is pricey, as it has been a tourist destination for decades, and some of the most expensive hotels in town are here or not far away. The good news is that this location is on top of a Metro stop, if you want to quickly get around. If that doesn't matter so much to you, the Campo de' Fiori area is a highly attractive area to stay in, in that it has a rabbit warren of small streets and piazzas, is in the middle of town (as much as there is one middle), and is a shopping area for the people living around it (including food and flower markets, which, unfortunately, are not the sorts of things you can take home). However, I did buy my first Italian suit there in a tailor's shop some 35 years ago - these sorts of services always exist where people live. The one thing that the Campo doesn't have is a Metro stop, but the buses do go everywhere, and, besides, you can reach much of the city center from here in 30 minutes or less (in all directions).

Bill

my parents stayed in an apartment in Rome last september. this is the webpage where I found it for them
http://www.flatinrome.com/list.asp
the apartment they stayed in was the one in Via Veniero, 8 http://www.flatinrome.com/result.asp?inc=8
They were very happy about location. it was just 1 min walk from The Vatican, and had a metro stop right in front of the building. there was a supermarket quite near so they could buy food and cook in the apartment when they werent feeling like spending money out or were just too tired. the building was old and looked a bit creepy but the apartment itself was renovated and clean. Overall they were really happy with it. The owner of the apartment was a nice and honest person too. They can arrange a pick-up service for you from the airport.
About the shopping, there are some souvenir shops around the Vatican area, although they're too expensive compared with the price of the same products in other parts of the city.
Hope this helps

Check out this website:

www.Venere.com

If you know your general neighbourhood, you can click it and the hotels will come up either by price, popularity, or region. I've used them to travel to Europe 3 years in a row--getting hotels in Rome, Sorrento, Dubrovnik, Split and Rovinj, Croatia, as well as Venice, Paris and Milan. I have never had a bad hotel from their website--and they also have apartments and B and B as well.

I just came back from Rome 2 weeks ago, and we stayed out in the 'burbs this time, buying a 3 day metro pass for 11 Euro. It turned out to be a great idea, our neighbourhood was local and the rates were cheaper, and we had a kitchen. The place was called Residence Aurelia Antica, and my friend got it from Expedia for a rate of $150.00 a night for 3 people. That might suit your family better than cramped quarters in the city.

Have a great trip! Love those 3 cities in Italy (as well as the whole rest of it!)

Regards,
Anja