Where to Stay

Villas, Homes and Apartments
Just outside of Rome are a number of villas for rent, ideal for large family vacations. A typical villa will sleep six to ten people in comfort. Amenities vary but you can usually count on well-maintained grounds, adequate heating and cooling and best of all, a household staff. At a minimum the staff typically includes a cook and a maid. Beautiful gardens and wine cellars are not uncommon. Make sure that your villa is convenient to Rome and the train station. You may also want to consider a rental car for drives through the countryside..

Smaller families might consider renting single-family dwellings in the suburbs. There are some agencies that arrange for houseswapping where you and an Italian family switch houses for vacation. In essence, you get a place to stay for free.

If you want to stay closer to the heart of Rome, an apartment might be the ideal rental. Many are available near most of the major attractions, making transportation on foot easy.

Before making a deposit make sure you are comfortable with the amount of information you have about the place. Finding out your villa is near a new highway under construction is not the sort of surprise you want awaiting you when you arrive for vacation. Get the owner or property manager to supply you with as many photos of the property and the surrounding area as possible.

Bed and Breakfast Inns
Research the neighborhood of the inn to verify that it is safe and that it is convenient to the places you would like to explore. Because the inns are often converted older homes, luxury items may be sparse or non-existent. Check to see if baths are private or shared.

Hotels
Rome is a major tourist destination with a great deal of its revenue coming from the travel trade so, hotels are in abundance and in close proximity to favorite sites. Budget hotels offer few luxuries but these days even the cheapest hotel may offer internet access. The prices are comparable to pricing in other major cities (i.e. expensive) with even the simplest hotel asking near triple digits for one night's stay. Nevertheless, the location of the hotel and the old-world charm of the building may offset the price.

For the luxury traveler Rome offers exclusive five star hotels where you can expect additional amenities such as on-site pools and fitness clubs.

Hostels
For a long time the preferred choice of college students backpacking through Europe, the hostel is now used by a variety of travelers looking for a clean, safe but thoroughly cheap place to sleep. There are no amenities to speak of but a bed can be had for half of what people pay for a taxi ride from the airport to the city.