Staying in Rome can be very expensive! Most first time visitors want to stay right in the middle of the action, which of course is the tourist area and therefore commands higher prices.
On our first trip to Rome, we picked a Frommer’s recommended hotel near the Piazza Navona and paid $150/night- five years ago. We hated it. The unhelpful Australian owner enjoyed picking fights with guests, the breakfast was stale crackers in a sterile cafeteria-style dining room, the room was tiny and lackluster and I was surprised that our bed wasn’t advertised as a waterbed due to its proximity to the standing-room-only bathroom.
Who wants to spend beaucoup bucks on a hotel like that?! One that you probably won’t even see the likes of for most of your trip- except to sleep and shower.
Not me baby- I like to save my hard earned money for the f-o-o-d!
I recommend that you think outside of the box and outside the city center.
A charming bed & breakfast or Rome apartment in one of the neighborhoods can be a great alternative! You’ll enjoy more local flavor and if you do your homework, you’ll get a much nicer place, with better amenities, a stylish address and a nice owner who really cares about your visit- for less than that other hotel.
Venere is a popular site and obvious choice for accommodation, but here are some lesser known options that caught my eye.
- VRBO, Vacation Rentals By Owner, lets you deal directly with the owners of the apartment. Scads of available rentals for Rome organized by neighborhood or number of bedrooms. Easy to read symbols and lots and lots of photos make this one really user friendly.
- How can you go wrong with a name like Rome Sweet Home? This one has over 500 self-catering apartments. Reserve online 24 hours a day- or you can call them directly- they speak 5 languages.
- Rental in Rome has some of the most beautiful apartments at some downright bargain prices. Most are higher quality than others I have seen, so book early- these get scooped up quickly. They boast 700 locations and offer studios, lofts, penthouses, villas- even castles and offer short and long term rental.
- Slow Travel, affiliated with Slow Food, has a classified section for vacation rentals in Rome. Members also review apartments and b&bs- creating quite an extensive list.
- BBplanet, has over 1200 listings for bed and breakfasts, apartments and farm holiday houses in Rome. Check availability right online!
- O-Solemio offers both bed and breakfast and apartment rentals in both the city center and the Roman countryside. You may not get the hundreds of listings that some of the others offer- but the quality seems high. And hey- you only need one right place, right?