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when in rome

Hey all you travelling readers (and italians ones, if there are any) I’m looking for cheap, central and […]

Hey all you travelling readers (and italians ones, if there are any)

I’m looking for cheap, central and clean accomadation in Rome (I’ll be there from saturday to tuesday). Any advice?

I’ll take other bits of advice also, especially if it involves pasta or gelato!

13 Comments

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  1. 1
    Melissa Bradley

    From my friend Andrew, who goes to Italy on every vacation….

    M. — Here is a place I’ve stayed a couple of times. Plusses: 1. Cheap(about as cheap as any non-sleazy hotel in the center of Rome); 2. Very
    convenient to the central train station, but outside the zone of sleazy train station hotels; 3. Very nice management. 4. The building is old
    and cool and is adorned with the Barberini Family Bee (i.e. from their Coat of Arms); and 5. Most importantly, it is smack dab across the street — a narrow, picturesque, stone-paved street — from one of the most amazing little churches in all of Rome, Santa Prassede. This little church contains
    Byzantine mozaics that are crude (compared both to ancient Roman or 12th-13th Century “Cosmatesque” mozaics), but very evocative. Santa Prassede and her sister were early martyrs who are supposed to have endured
    great hardships/painful death for the Cause. The only problem is that neither Prassede nor her sister (whose church is a few blocks away), really
    existed — they were both officially “de-recognized” by the church some years ago. Nevertheless, the church is an amazing (and very rare) remnant from Byzantine Rome. (I took Peter there, and he liked it so much, he came back for early morning Mass!)

    Negatives are: 1. Hotel is not luxurious; 2. While they theoretically accept credit cards, they are very likely to tell you that (a) the machine does not work; (b) they don’t know how to use it; or (c) credit card use will result in an additional charge. All of this leads, after much
    hand-wringing, to: “”Signore, if you will simply pay in cash, that would be the best solution. There is an ATM down the street, etc.” 3. Hotel lacks an elevator, being, as it is, housed in a centuries-old buidling. If you have a lot of luggage and your room is on the top floor, it’s a chore to schlep up the narrow, curving staircase. (Bonus, though, is that if you do
    have a room up top, you can probably open the shutters in your window and gaze lovingly down on . . . Santa Prassede church!)

  2. 2
    Michael

    Christina, if you don’t mind pensione’s, I did a dig in Rome and stayed in a nice one near the American Academy in Rome in Gianicolo, the little neighborhood on the hill above Trastevere, which has a beautiful park and a great view of all of Rome.

    HOTEL VILLA BASSI – Via Giacinto Carini 24. Telephone: 06-5815333

    I also honeymooned in Rome, staying in an apartment in the Campo dei Fiore, which is an excellent place to stay as well because of its proximity to the great cafes and restaurants in the bohemian Trastevere (across the river). Sorry I don’t know of specific pensiones or hotels. If you go for that kind of thing, Trastevere is a great place to hang. Hope this gets to you soon enough. Rome is so small and the bus system so easy, that it really doesn’t necessitate being centrally located I don’t think.

  4. 4
    Greg

    Check out the Nova Hotel. It is in downtown Rome, absolutely great location. It is nicer than the typical Italian (or European for that matter) hotel, but still affordable.

  6. 6
    Rajesh

    everything in rome is great.
    only one suggestion…
    dont preplan.

    rajesh dahiya
    graduate student
    (north italy)

  7. 7
    Gaspar

    Where to eat cheaply AND deliciously:

    Il Boom
    Via dei Fienaroli 30a (Trastevere)
    tel 06 5897196 – closed on sunday

    Enoteca Corsi
    Via del Gesù 88 (Largo Argentina)
    tel 06 6790821 – only midday

    Osteria dell’Angelo
    Via Bettolo 24 (Piazzale Clodio)
    tel 06 3729470 – closed on sunday

    Settimio al Pantheon
    Via delle Colonnelle 14 (Pantheon)
    tel 06 6789651 – closed sun mon

    All accept major credit cards. Enjoy!

  9. 9
    jeff

    my first trip to Italy!! will be in rome the first week of april ’03 and would greatly appreciate ANY advice for pensiones, apartments (where, how much), getting around, hot spots, food, and anything else you may think helpful. thanks!

    jeff

  10. 10
    lin chan

    you are amazing , how much would you
    charge to do my website.?
    i am on my way to rome.. and found it
    frustrating.. would you recommend
    the hotel santa prassede..

    i am a painter living in singapore
    and my husband is an architect.
    i am trying to rent my painting studio
    for good nice people. but how can you tell these days.? lin

  11. 11
    lin chan

    you are amazing , how much would you
    charge to do my website.?
    i am on my way to rome.. and found it
    frustrating.. would you recommend
    the hotel santa prassede..

    i am a painter living in singapore
    and my husband is an architect.
    i am trying to rent my painting studio
    for good nice people. but how can you tell these days.? lin

  12. 12
    Lisa

    In July 2000 I stayed at Hotel Santa Prassede for two weeks. It was clean, quiet, comfortable, cheap and extremely convenient. The hotel is a few blocks from the Terminii making travel in and out of Rome very easy. The hotel is situated half a block from Via Cavour which means you can travel via a major bus line all night long. There were lots of decent, inexpensive places to eat and shop in all the adjacent neighborhoods which are well worth exploring. Unlike the more strictly touristy areas, i found this area very low key with friendly people everywhere. There was a laundramat with an internet portal close by. There were lovely and important churches literally across the street. The hotel was walking distance to the Colliseum, the Forum, the Museo Archiologico, and the Baths of Diocletian. There were lovely places to sit and contemplate the Roman sunsets such as the English speaking, Irish Pub around the corner, or the nearby Piazzas — della Repubblica and Santa Maria Maggiore.

    I had a throughly magical stay and can’t wait to return.

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