Italy - Convenient and modest hotel and area in Rome for sightseeing

Hello: I am going to be in Rome for three days pre cruise next June. I have never been there and am quite ignorant of the area.
I am interested in finding a low cost hotel and have no idea which area would best suit our needs. We are planning to do the Vatican and the Colosseum at the very least. We hope to use Viator tours which does not pick you up but meets you in the vicinity of the Vatican.
While I do have Starwood points, Starwood is either not in a convenient area or insane with how many points they want per night.
Can anyone suggest both the area we should be looking at and any hotel in that area that would be modestly priced yet near places to eat and stroll? thank you in advance for any suggestions.

We stayed at the Smeraldo in the Campo de Fiori district in 2002. Before the cruise we had a very small room - which wasn't a problem for us. The room after the cruise was much more spacious. The location is great because it is very close to the Piazza Novona.

In 2008, we rented an apartment that was around the corner from the Pantheon. We used Rome, Sweet Rome for that trip.

The Vatican is and the Colosseum are in 2 opposite directions and I felt that they are rather far apart. If you decide to do the Colosseum on your own, you might want to purchase tickets at the Forum for entrance into the Colosseum.

You have time to request a scavi tour. These Are the excavations under St Peter's. I thoroughly enjoyed that tour. You have to send an e-mail or fax to request the tour. I haven't been able to book one, but I understand that the Vatican Garden Tour is also very interesting.

2nd the Scavi tour, very intimate group setting and very interesting.

We stayed at a hotel/apartment called the Residenza Maxima which was across the river near the Trastevere train station from most of the main attractions in Rome but very near a tram (number 7) stop that would take you to the much more touristy interesting areas. The hotel was okay certainly nothing luxurious or fancy, but it was within our budget, some rooms have kitchenettes and there is a grocery store and other normal neighborhood shops nearby.

Probably the least expensive areas to stay in Rome would be near the Roma Termini train station – or over in Prati by the Vatican. Both feature good transportation options. These two links, which feature the best-ranked accommodations according to venere.com and booking.com guests, may give you some ideas on where to look. The articles include photos, a map, and links to the hotels for booking. They should help you ascertain “where” in Rome your future accommodation might be:

The Best Hotels and B&B’s in the Prati-Vatican Area ( http://tinyurl.com/hotels-prati)
The Best Hotels and B&B’s near Roma Termini ( http://tinyurl.com/hotels-termini)

If you want to spend a little more money, you could stay in the Colosseo (or Monti Area). It’s quite historical and has many residence options. Or, for a unique stay, head to Trastevere. We love this part of town. With many restaurants and small cafe’s, it has a late-night atmosphere that many younger people enjoy. We just spent a couple weeks in a friend’s apartment and tremendously enjoyed Trastevere:

The Best Hotels and B&B’s near the Colosseo and the Monti Area ( http://tinyurl.com/hotels-colosseo)
The Best Hotels and B&B’s in Trastevere ( http://tinyurl.com/trastevere-hotel)

If you want to stay in the “centro” area, the downtown part of Rome, it will cost more. But for first-timers to Rome, there’s no substitute for staying near the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, or Piazza Navona. When you’re down here, you’re in the middle of all the sites. You can walk to almost anywhere and late-night strolls through the older parts of town are wonderful – See pictures at Rome at night ( http://tinyurl.com/rome-night). For the best-rated hotels in these areas, look at these articles:

The Best Hotels and B&B’s near the Trevi Fountain ( http://tinyurl.com/hotel-trevi)
The Best Hotels and B&B’s in the Pantheon Area ( http://tinyurl.com/hotels-pantheon)
The Best Hotels and B&B’s near Piazza Navona ( http://tinyurl.com/hotels-navona)

If price is a concern, at the bottom of each article is a link that allows you to sort the accommodations in each area by PRICE. Just be sure to read the many reviews if you choose to book via this route. As you can see, there are many options and many price points for hotels in Rome. I use both these booking sites to sort through my options when we travel in Europe. Good Luck in your search!

Can anyone suggest both the area we should be looking at and any hotel in that area that would be modestly priced yet near places to eat and stroll? thank you in advance for any suggestions.

Could you provide an approximate $$ amt/night rather than "modest" as the latter varies greatly from person to person.

TKs

Hope I'm not too cheap but hoping to come in with taxes under $200 per night. We are not fussy as long as it's clean and convenient.

How many are the "our" and "we"? I've been to Rome by myself and you can find functional rooms fairly cheaply as a single (i.e. a single bed, room not much larger than enough room to turn around in, but including breakfast, and really, if you're by yourself and out-and-about on the town, how much room do you really need?). Rooms for 2 people begin to be more expensive and rooms large enough to fit 2 adults plus a child or two starts to get even more expensive, even if only because it cuts down on the available options.

For example, I stayed for a couple days after a conference (the conference was on the other side of town nearer to the Vatican) as I was over there already. The Marcella Royal is to the east of Barbarini, is a perfectly functional hotel (definitely not a luxury hotel, but it fit my needs for the two nights) and is a convenient part of town. Would it have fit my needs for when I came a couple years ago for a week on my honeymoon? No. But perfectly fine for a couple days (or quite possibly longer) though. There are a number of areas that should be fairly cheap (in respect to other hotels in Rome, and it sounds like you have your expectations about right) but just aren't particularly tourist draws as they aren't next door to attractions. That area east of Barbarini in particular there's not much 'touristy' directly in the area, though there is food and drink around, but it's a 5-15 minute walk to Barbarini, Spagna, Republica, and Termini, some of which are tourist draws themselves or metro spots where you can get to pretty much everywhere.

:D I am happy to report that "we" and "our" refers to my granddaughter and myself. This is her high school graduation gift and a wonderful opportunity for us to spend some quality time together. She will be 17 in October.

Hope I'm not too cheap but hoping to come in with taxes under $200 per night. We are not fussy as long as it's clean and convenient.

It's not that you're being too frugal, it's that Rome's hotels/B&Bs are relatively expensive.

$200 per night with taxes would mean you should be looking for a room at about €135 per night. There won't be hotel taxes like you're used to seeing in the States, the VAT is relatively minor and will most always be included in the room rate you'll see on the hotel's website. There is now a Rome Tourist tax, but that will only amount to €2 per person per night at a modest place, or €3 per person per night at a 4 or 5 star property (which you will not be able to get for €135 a night). [I came to €135 but guessing the € would be worth $1.45. But who the heck knows what the $ to € will be next spring - I'm basing this on its historical trend. And your trip is for next spring, right?].

The good thing is that you're doing your research and booking well in advance. I've noticed more and more small hotels are using 3rd party booking engines (I've come across "HotelEasyReservations.com" for instance many times). And sites like that are using a professional dynamic revenue management system, meaning as the rooms book up and the arrival date approaches, the rates go up. So I'd definitely advise you to book as early as possible - with the usual caveats: don't prepay anything and make sure it's fully cancellable. Then you'll have that in the pocket so to speak, and if you later find something better you can always just cancel the first res and make a new one.

But back to your initial post, you may be discounting using SPG points too quickly. I've stayed many times at the Excelsior, and yes, alot of points were required (and the point requirement has gone up recently). But being that your choice is for a very small and humble accommodation at $200 a night vs a stay at the Excelsior with a 35 sq ft room (at the minimum) lavishly appointed and with gorgeous public spaces (and sure to be the stuff of lifetime memories for your granddaughter) - it is something to consider. And I disagree that the Rome Starwoods are not in a convenient area (unless you're referring to its properties outside of Rome - and I would agree those are to be avoided for a 3 night stay). But all 3 of the Rome city properties would be excellent bases for your stay. You might want to also consider using points for one night (or 2) and using the SPG half rack rate award for the other 2 (or 1) night. This is just what I did for many years - a combination of paid and award nights so that my average nightly rate was €200. And being that as an SPG Gold and frequent visitor to the Excelsior I was receiving great upgrades and many times to suites, the €200 avg was terrific.

But getting back to finding a room for €135 a night - it is doable if you manage your expectations. I'd be happy to do some searching for you and make some suggestions (hopefully!). Another option to throw your way for a room for 2 ppl in high season of next spring for €135 - is a stay at a convent or monastery.

But I really do recommend you to reconsider the Starwoods. If you have the points this is most definitely the city where they can be of most use, IME and IMO of course.

ontheway:
I've been searching this forum for posts where I've made hotel suggestions before, and where I've seen suggestions for B&Bs and tried some mock bookings with the dates you've posted in the AA forum. Just wanted you to know a couple of things I've just come across.

Firstly, it's not uncommon that the smaller hotels won't have loaded in their rates for next year yet. So if you see something you like don't be dismayed if you find "No Availability". Also what you could come across if they haven't loaded in their 2012 rates is that you'll see rates listed - but exorbitant ones. These are the rack rates, the maximum amount they're allowed to charge (so a room that would cost about €120 normally will be listed as costing €450). If you've come to that website because you read a good report on TripAdvisor and that it was mentioned as being reasonably priced then figure the €450 rate is the rack rate - and in both cases just email them to inquire. IME making bookings for friends and family these smaller places are more than happy to make the booking earlier than they planned to, and I've benefitted by getting the current year's rates a few times. Also, IMO, you'd want to be in correspondence with the proprietor directly anyway, so that you can inform them that this is a "special visit for you and your granddaughter". While this may seem pointless at a small little B&B, I tend to think that if you're checking into the Hassler or a pensione you can only benefit by having prior direct contact with the innkeeper. For a small B&B there might only be 3 rooms, but given that the proprietor knew of your special stay months in advance, I'd imagine he'd give you the best of the 3 rooms.

The other thing I've just come across is that a few of these quaint B&Bs that have been suggested here over the years (with a very limited number of rooms), only provide rooms with one double bed - which I'd imagine wouldn't be preferrable for you and your granddaughter. Meaning, you may be limited not only by your €135 cap but by your requirement for a twin room (a room with 2 beds).

The convent/ monastery idea is a good one. There's a good book called Good Night and God Bless with very informative listings available on Amazon, or simply google "convent monastery stays Rome". I'm in the planning stages for this, too. I was not at all happy with my last hotel in Rome near Termini. A more residential area with local shops and small affordable restuarants would be better. Better because for the money the room would be nicer, but mainly the class of people would be nicer. Can anyone post about staying in Travestere?

ontheway:

I'm currently striking out with finding places that have rates loaded for next spring. Here's another thought: what about an apartment?

It might seem far too big for your needs and the booking process and cancellation issues are definitely factors to consider, but for less than €135 a night it could be a great option.

I've researched a bunch for myself and this first one I'm sharing because it's showing a nightly rate of €110 for 2 ppl for the first 3 nights of next June and because it's SUPERBLY located.

Here's its location on Google - and this really is a wonderful location to be based:
http://maps.google.it/maps?q=Via+dei+Falegnami,+70,+roma&hl=it&ll=41.897486,12.488065&spn=0.019454,0.045276&sll=41.89402,12.476413&sspn=0.00234,0.005659&z=15&vpsrc=6

Here's its lising on the rental agency Sleep in Italy's site - this is the agency renting this for €110:
https://www.sleepinitaly.com/en/show-falegnami-campo_dei_fiori-roma/appartam.php?id_appartam=31

And here a few threads from the SlowTravel site that mentions this apt and this rental agency:
http://slowtalk.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/862600685/m/583006851001

http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/vr/review.asp?n=1894

http://slowtalk.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/862600685/m/442003771001/r/455006702001

Here's a couple of threads from Fodors that mention it:
http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/falegnani-apartment-in-rome-anyone-ever-stay-there.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/ciao-bella-dds-1st-italian-trip-or-how-we-ate-our-way-through-italy.cfm

Here it is on TripAdvisor:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/VacationRentalReview-g187791-d1447825-Convenient_2BR_near_Campo_dei_Fiori_Falegnami-Rome_Lazio.html

As with alot of these apartments it's also listed on other agencies' sites, here's one (but the rates are higher as you'll see):
http://www.romesweethome.com/apartments-rental/rome/campo-de-fiori/falegnami-apartment.asp

Let me know if you're open to considering an apartment stay and I'll share some more choices.

The convent/ monastery idea is a good one. There's a good book called Good Night and God Bless with very informative listings available on Amazon, or simply google "convent monastery stays Rome". I'm in the planning stages for this, too. I was not at all happy with my last hotel in Rome near Termini. A more residential area with local shops and small affordable restuarants would be better. Better because for the money the room would be nicer, but mainly the class of people would be nicer. Can anyone post about staying in Travestere?

Staying adjacent to a train station in any city is never a good idea, IMO, though of course there are a ton of places near Termini.

I've never stayed in Trastevere, or Testaccio or the Monti area for that matter, but all 3 of these areas would give you a feel for living among Romans (with "the more residential area with local shops and small affordable restaurants"). And RinR's suggestion above for the Prati area would be good too for that goal. You should check out the Slowtravel site if you haven't already. Do a search there for Trastevere (note the spelling) and you should find alot of info for accommodations and restaurants. (I post there under the name Jady).

The Monti area is a favorite on that site and I had come across a hotel that was very well reviewed - so I have all the bookmarks. To the OP, this was a place I had in mind for you and your granddaughter but they don't have 2012 rates yet. It's called the Sunset Roma.

First, here it is on Google, and yes, that's the Colosseum you see at the end of the street:
http://maps.google.it/maps?q=via+dei+serpenti,+97&hl=it&ll=41.897102,12.489846&spn=0,0.022638&sll=41.90496,12.500725&sspn=0.074867,0.181103&layer=c&cbll=41.89698,12.489891&panoid=f9qDGGnn19HcukxB3Lh3pg&cbp=12,130.54,,0,0&t=h&z=16

And here's its official site (it takes awhile to load and it has an annoying soundtrack):
http://www.sunsetroma.it/#/EN/presentazione

Here it is on Budget Travel:
http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/content/article/2009/10/28/AR2009102804051.html

And on you can see its reviews on Venere:
http://www.venere.com/inns/rome/inn-sunset-apartment/?ed=16&em=05&ey=2011&pval=1&ref=1276852&rval=1&sd=04&sm=05&sy=2011

And TripAdvisor:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187791-d567691-Reviews-Hotel_Sunset-Rome_Lazio.html

Expedia:
http://www.expedia.com/Rome-Hotels-Sunset-Apartment.h3405155.Hotel-Information

Getting back to Tizzette and her displeasure with staying near Termini - personally I wouldn't want to be any closer than this next hotel. (I don't think it's the grandmother/granddaughter ideal - but maybe I'm wrong. Tizzette you might like it). I have it bookmarked because its reviews were stellar and I personally like the minimalist decor. It doesn't have its 2012 rates loaded either, btw. It's called Suite Dreams.

Here it is on the map:
http://maps.google.it/maps?q=Via+Modena+5,+Roma&hl=it&ll=41.902517,12.494717&spn=0.009726,0.022638&sll=41.89707,12.48991&sspn=0.019294,0.045276&z=16&vpsrc=6

Here's its official site:
http://www.suitedreams.it/eng/hotel.htm

Here's its TripAdvisor page:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187791-d1051216-Reviews-SuiteDreams_Hotel-Rome_Lazio.html

And its reviews on Venere:
http://www.venere.com/hotels/rome/hotel-suitedreams/

Hope I'm not too cheap but hoping to come in with taxes under $200 per night. We are not fussy as long as it's clean and convenient.

You might consider the Albergo Cesari (http://www.albergocesari.it/inglese/hotel.htm), great location, clean, excellent staff.

sk3: You are AMAZING!!! I am so very appreciative of all you info. I pretty much have written off starwood for now, but did investigate tons of yor information. I looked for prices for the SuiteDreams. but it said no availaility. As you suggested, I e mailed them with questions and look forward to hearing back.
I am truly ignorant of the locations that would be best as our main objective is to see the Vatican, the collosseum, and if possible, Pompei. I have seen Pompei with another grandchild but I wasn't in Rome. Of course I also want to see Trevi Fountain, etc.
I cannot thank you enough for all the help you are giving me. In case you didn't suspect :D I am no youngster, and while I love to travel, some of it gets overwhelming. You are just terrific and if I can ever repay you ( I am a very good cook!) I'd be happy to do it.
Demaria: I will look into your suggestion as well and I will report back to you all.

sk3: You are AMAZING!!! I am so very appreciative of all you info. I pretty much have written off starwood for now, but did investigate tons of yor information. I looked for prices for the SuiteDreams. but it said no availaility. As you suggested, I e mailed them with questions and look forward to hearing back.
I am truly ignorant of the locations that would be best as our main objective is to see the Vatican, the collosseum, and if possible, Pompei. I have seen Pompei with another grandchild but I wasn't in Rome. Of course I also want to see Trevi Fountain, etc.
I cannot thank you enough for all the help you are giving me. In case you didn't suspect :D I am no youngster, and while I love to travel, some of it gets overwhelming. You are just terrific and if I can ever repay you ( I am a very good cook!) I'd be happy to do it.
Demaria: I will look into your suggestion as well and I will report back to you all.

You're very welcome ontheway! And so sweet with your offer of a homecooked meal (and I'm sure it would be molto delizioso!) But your "thank you" is more than enough. I regard this site as a community of sorts, and I've benefitted so very much from what I've learned here - especially from Alice11, RinR and bdemaria (and I've never offered to cook for them!) And bottomline I enjoy sharing what I've learned about Rome so I thank YOU ontheway for giving me the chance to pay it forward in your direction. :)

Now back to your trip!

It IS overwhelming planning a trip, I agree. And there's SO much available on the internet - it's bound to make your head swim. Here are some suggestions - keep it simple. If you haven't already, get a good guide book. I like the DK series. And get a map. The following are what I got for my first trip in '02 (the links are for Amazon's listing, but you should be able to find these in brick and mortars, like Barnes and Noble):
http://www.amazon.com/Eyewitness-Travel-Guides-Adele-Evans/dp/0756669529/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1313828430&sr=8-3

http://www.amazon.com/Streetwise-Rome-Map-Laminated-Folding/dp/1931257027/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

That second link is for the map - I like that one vs a big paper fold out because I can glance at it a little more discreetly (you'll see many, many tourists standing around unfolding their big paper maps!), and it's waterproof and it goes back in my purse easily.

Regarding what area you should stay in: in a very rough way we could say that the historic center of Rome and the Vatican area comprise (very roughly) a circle of sorts. Using a clock metaphor the Vatican would roughly be at 10:00 and the Colosseum is roughly at 5:00 and lets put the Pantheon roughly in the center. So naturally the best place for you to stay would be at this center and that's where bdemaria's hotel is located. But Rome really is easy to get around (vs Los Angeles for sure, and so much smaller than Manhattan) - that you could stay really anywhere within that rough circle and still be located just fine for your 3 day trip. The trick is to find something nice, clean, well reviewed, that's within your budget.

I have lots more to share, but I'll stop here for now. I'll leave you with this link for Rome's official tourism site in case you aren't already looking it over:
http://www.turismoroma.it/?lang=en

And from that site here's its "not to be missed" list:
http://www.turismoroma.it/itinerari/da_non_perdere?lang=en

And I'm interested to hear what SuiteDreams replies so let us know. :)

SweetDreams suggested I check this year's prices and they were fine. Someone else suggested Hotel Depetris which I checked and was also fine, I think, so mulling it over at the moment. Very excited.
I am also amazed at the prices for transportation from the port to the airport. I live in NY so I"m used to great transport even by taxi. A taxi from Brooklyn to the heart of manhattan runs about 50-70 dollars. Takes about an hour or more. From what I've read, the taxi's there run over 200 USD from the port to FCO. I will surely try to share a ride with others or whatever, but it just seems insane. thanks again

SweetDreams suggested I check this year's prices and they were fine. Someone else suggested Hotel Depetris which I checked and was also fine, I think, so mulling it over at the moment. Very excited.
I am also amazed at the prices for transportation from the port to the airport. I live in NY so I"m used to great transport even by taxi. A taxi from Brooklyn to the heart of manhattan runs about 50-70 dollars. Takes about an hour or more. From what I've read, the taxi's there run over 200 USD from the port to FCO. I will surely try to share a ride with others or whatever, but it just seems insane. thanks again

RinR has a great entry on this topic with money saving details (i.e. how to get there by train for €4.50):
Traveling from Rome to Civitavecchia (http://www.roninrome.com/transportation/traveling-from-rome-to-civitavecchia)

If you do opt for a car service I've used one for my FCO to Rome transfers and recommend them highly - Rome Shuttle Limousine (http://www.romeshuttlelimousine.com/). I've also seen many similar recommendations for them here, on SlowTravel, on TripAdvisor, etc. For FCO to Rome they're the same price as a cab but without the stress (€40) and for Rome to Civitavecchia their price is €110.

Here's the FCO-Rome page: http://www.romeshuttlelimousine.com/en/airport-transfer.php
And here's their Rome-Civitavecchia page: http://www.romeshuttlelimousine.com/en/shuttle-services.php

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...our main objective is to see the Vatican, the collosseum, and if possible, Pompei. I have seen Pompei with another grandchild but I wasn't in Rome...

I think you may want to reconsider a visit to Pompeii on this trip. I personally think with a 3 day trip to Rome that there's too much to see in Rome itself to allow for an all day adventure outside of Rome. Traveling to Pompeii will take a few hours in both directions - and I just think it's too ambitious. For just a quick and very easy half hour train ride you could get to Ostia Antica. Or for a similar half hour you could get to Tivoli and visit Villa d'Este and Hadrian's Villa. Heck, it would be easier and faster to plan a day trip to Florence then it would planning a day trip to Pompeii.

But you just have 3 days right? You fly on May 31, arrive on June 1 and embark on your cruise June 4. Do I have this right? If so, then firstly you should be prepared that you might be feeling a little worse for wear on your arrival day, June 1, and so shouldn't count on packing that day's itinerary to the brim (I'm no youngster either, and jetlag and the rigours of travel wipe me out). There are definitely low key activities and plans you can make for that day, but it really leaves only June 2 and June 3rd for your major full day plans.

Regarding the Vatican, my opinion is that you could spend a whole day devoted to it. The Scavi tour that's been recommended to you by others here really would be a fantastic thing for you and your granddaughter to experience. And in order to visit the Sistine Chapel you need to gain access to the Vatican Museum - and that museum is massive. And you'd want to spend time in the basilica itself. And factoring time for a nice lunch - this all will certainly take up the bulk of a day.

Check out this post for a bunch of Scavi and Vatican related info:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/13560630-post2.html

And this from Slowtravel should shed some light on why we're all recommending you to book the Scavi tour:
http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/rome/scavi_tour.htm

And for your Colosseum visit, the ticket gains you access to the Colosseum and the Palatine and Forum. In lieu of visiting Pompeii, I highly recommend you take a tour that at least encompasses the Palatine and Forum. It's cool to just see it all, but it will make a world of difference to have someone explain everything to you and your granddaughter and bring to life the fact that you're standing on the spot where Rome was founded and following the footsteps on the Via Sacra of Caesar and Cicero, emperors and gladiators, etc - and in this way will be as memorable for this granddaughter as the Pompeii visit was for your other granddaughter. All this will all certainly fill a big chunk of that day.

Then of course, you'll want time to just set off and explore Roma and check out the Pantheon, Trevi fountain as you mention, Piazza Navona, the Campidoglio, etc. The Spanish Steps also - and your granddaughter might find the teenagers that congregate around there in the evening interesting to check out - to see what her Roman counterparts are like. And speaking of teenagers, I'd imagine your granddaughter would be interested to do some shopping, to see what's in Roman stores. And of course you'd want to just hang out at cafes in scenic piazzas and then there's all the time you'll be taking for your meals. I just don't see where you'll be able to find the time to take a day trip away from Rome.

One last note for now in case you're unaware, June 2 is a national holiday, Festa della Repubblica, and you may find watching the parades interesting. (That also will probably be the wrong day to plan your Colosseum visit).

We depart NY on May 30th arriving in Rome on the 31st. I planned to do the Vatican on Friday, June 1st in hopes of avoiding a Saturday crush.
The transport I was looking at was Citaviccia to FCO and I couldn't find that one.
I believe I will take your advice regarding Pompei and you did catch my attention regarding my granddaughter seeing other teens and wanting to shop. My purse remembered but the brain did not, lol.
I find it exciting that there is a celebration on the 2nd. Will touristy things be closed?
Taking notes on all this wonderful info.

...I planned to do the Vatican on Friday, June 1st in hopes of avoiding a Saturday crush...

Just to prepare you regarding a visit to the Vatican. (And I'm assuming you mean the Vatican Museums versus a visit to St. Peter's). The museums will be crazy crowded, weekday, weekend, off season, etc. (I visited the museums only once, on a weekday in January and it was the most crowded situation I've ever been in. Talk about insane. In fact, that's why I've yet to revisit it on my subsequent trips).

However, this past year they've offered access on Friday nights so if they repeat this for next year that might be an option for June 1. You could check out the basilica earlier in the day perhaps and then save the museums for the evening - they may or may not be less crowded - but just throwing this info your way. Here's a link to the Vatican's site and you can see the ad for their Friday night special:
http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html

And here's the booking page for Vatican Museums Under the Stars (http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/do?action=booking&codiceLivelloVisita=17&step=1)

And here's a thread on the topic from Slowtravel
Friday Nights at the Vatican Museums (http://slowtalk.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/862600685/m/832006644001?r=832006644001)

I am also amazed at the prices for transportation from the port to the airport. I live in NY so I"m used to great transport even by taxi. A taxi from Brooklyn to the heart of manhattan runs about 50-70 dollars. Takes about an hour or more. From what I've read, the taxi's there run over 200 USD from the port to FCO. I will surely try to share a ride with others or whatever, but it just seems insane. thanks again
Part of the problem is the distance. Brooklyn to Manhattan is 10-15 miles, depending on where exactly it is you're coming from/going to. Citavecchia, even though it's "Rome's cruise terminal" just isn't that close to Rome itself. From Citavecchia to central Rome can easily be 50 miles, depending on the route taken (it can be closer to 40 miles if you're in the western portion of Rome and take Via Aurelia, but haven stayed for a week near Via Aurelia for a work conference, I can tell you that way will probably still be slower).

I've done more research and at least found quotes from Citaviccia to FCO for closer to $160, so I'm somewhat relieved that a more realistic return to FCO is possible.

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The Termini area is very convenient as you can get to the Colosseum, the Vatican, the Spanish Steps or the Historic Center very easily - however, it is far not as charming as the Historic Center. The later is great to stroll around and enjoy the charming Rome one would expect to see, but is a bit far from the other sights and there is no metro.

i am staying in the Monti area. Supposedly, it is close to the Colosseum and Forum and convenient to transportation. Guess I'll find out when I get there.
Wanted to give a final report: We are staying at the Hotel Grifo. It's a three star with very good reviews on Tripadvisor. I got a very good rate: room with a bathroom inside, all private and total for three nights is 312 euros.
I am taking the Terravision bus from FCO to termini and then a taxi to the hotel. It will cost half what a taxi all the way would cost.
I will take the train to Citaviccia and hopefully be able to get a taxi from the train to the port.
I have no choice but to take a taxi from Citaviccia when we return to FCO. Perhaps I will find someone to share the taxi with.
My schedule is now:
Thursday afternoon: colosseum and forum and pallatine hill
Friday: Spanish steps; trevi fountain; piazza navone;
Saturday: republic day; vatican gardens; museums; sistine chapel.
I will fill in the empty times we may have with shopping and additional sites, but that is our basic itinerary.
Many, many thanks to everyone.

Great thread. Thank you sk3 for all the info.

So I had the bright idea to utilize the extra segment Aeroplan allows and do a <24 "layover" in rome. We arrive FCO at 5:15 PM in June 2012 and leave the next day at 2:50 PM. I was hoping we could see a few things, perhaps from the top of an on-off site-seeing bus.

It will be my wife and two kids, the youngest (boys 11 & 13) really wanted to see rome. It's going to cost s fortune for just a day (80 euros to get from the airport and back, tons of SPG points or at least a couple hundred euros for the night, etc), but I want to try to make the most of it but still try to spend as little as possible.

Any advice for us? Should we hire a private tour guide with a car or something for four hours that following morning? Maybe they can take us to the airport as well?

TIA.

Maybe you could save some money getting in to Rome by a shuttle bus but in my opinion for 4 people there is no pint doing that. The most convenient would be by taxi and then you could stay anywhere in Rome.
I would suggest staying somewhere in the Historic Center and instead of a guided tour just stroll around the little streets and enjoy the atmosphere. The following day you could fit in the Colosseum and then back to the airport.
In the very center, right at the Pantheon, Hotel Abruzzi is a reasonably priced hotel that has quadruples.
http://www.hotelabruzzi.it/

I can recommend the Hotel Italia, located in a good area within easy walking distance from the train station (Roma Termini) and near various tourist sites like the Trevi Fountain and Spanish steps and the subway.

I stayed there in 2008, am staying there again in 2 weeks, and recently recommended it to a friend going on a cruise who is staying there right now and is very happy with the recommendation.

As others have said, Rome can be quite pricey.

Thank you Zoe67 - good advice, we'll take a taxi :)

Reindeerflame, I appreciate the suggestion, but it was 250 Euros for 4 people. We ended finding A Home For Holiday (http://www.ahomeforholiday.it/) for 100 Euros for the four of us including breakfast. It got great reviews on TripAdvisor (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187791-d1021940-Reviews-A_Home_For_Holiday-Rome_Lazio.html) and I hope it will be a decent location (http://maps.google.it/maps?q=via+su%C3%A8ssola,1++roma&hl=it&ie=UTF8&ll=41.881879,12.509587&spn=0.010592,0.026157&sll=41.87624,12.519951&sspn=0.010273,0.026157&vpsrc=0&hnear=Via+Suessola,+1,+00183+Roma,+Lazio&t=h&z=16). Feedback welcome.

Now if I could only find a good price for one night on a decent place with a good location in Paris (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/france/1267023-affordable-lodging-one-night-family-four-great-location-suggestions.html)... :)

i am staying in the Monti area. Supposedly, it is close to the Colosseum and Forum and convenient to transportation. Guess I'll find out when I get there.
Wanted to give a final report: We are staying at the Hotel Grifo. It's a three star with very good reviews on Tripadvisor. I got a very good rate: room with a bathroom inside, all private and total for three nights is 312 euros.
I am taking the Terravision bus from FCO to termini and then a taxi to the hotel. It will cost half what a taxi all the way would cost.
I will take the train to Citaviccia and hopefully be able to get a taxi from the train to the port.
I have no choice but to take a taxi from Citaviccia when we return to FCO. Perhaps I will find someone to share the taxi with.
My schedule is now:
Thursday afternoon: colosseum and forum and pallatine hill
Friday: Spanish steps; trevi fountain; piazza navone;
Saturday: republic day; vatican gardens; museums; sistine chapel.
I will fill in the empty times we may have with shopping and additional sites, but that is our basic itinerary.
Many, many thanks to everyone.

I just read a nice little blog post from Context Travel's Paul Bennett with some nice details of the Monti neighborhood where you'll be staying:
Rediscovering Rome (http://www.contexttravel.com/blog/rediscovering-rome/?utm_source=Context+Travel+List&utm_campaign=99b0cec660-Context+Newsletter%3A+Family+Travel&utm_medium=email)

Great thread. Thank you sk3 for all the info.

So I had the bright idea to utilize the extra segment Aeroplan allows and do a <24 "layover" in rome. We arrive FCO at 5:15 PM in June 2012 and leave the next day at 2:50 PM. I was hoping we could see a few things, perhaps from the top of an on-off site-seeing bus.

It will be my wife and two kids, the youngest (boys 11 & 13) really wanted to see rome. It's going to cost s fortune for just a day (80 euros to get from the airport and back, tons of SPG points or at least a couple hundred euros for the night, etc), but I want to try to make the most of it but still try to spend as little as possible.

Any advice for us? Should we hire a private tour guide with a car or something for four hours that following morning? Maybe they can take us to the airport as well?

TIA.

Thank you Zoe67 - good advice, we'll take a taxi :)

Reindeerflame, I appreciate the suggestion, but it was 250 Euros for 4 people. We ended finding A Home For Holiday (http://www.ahomeforholiday.it/) for 100 Euros for the four of us including breakfast. It got great reviews on TripAdvisor (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187791-d1021940-Reviews-A_Home_For_Holiday-Rome_Lazio.html) and I hope it will be a decent location (http://maps.google.it/maps?q=via+su%C3%A8ssola,1++roma&hl=it&ie=UTF8&ll=41.881879,12.509587&spn=0.010592,0.026157&sll=41.87624,12.519951&sspn=0.010273,0.026157&vpsrc=0&hnear=Via+Suessola,+1,+00183+Roma,+Lazio&t=h&z=16). Feedback welcome.

Now if I could only find a good price for one night on a decent place with a good location in Paris (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/france/1267023-affordable-lodging-one-night-family-four-great-location-suggestions.html)... :)

If saving some money will benefit you more than having a little addtional time in Rome then instead of a cab or car service for €40 each way you could use the Terravision (http://www.terravision.eu/rome_fiumicino.html) bus for €4 per person each way. (That's what the OP of this thread decided to do). This bus will go directly from FCO to Termini and from there you could take the Metro A line, direction Anagnina to the Re di Roma stop. Cost for the metro €1 per person. (Bringing the total cost for the 4 of you from FCO to your B&B to €20).

Hopefully you'll guess correctly and come up at this Re di Roma Metro access (http://maps.google.it/maps?q=via+su%C3%A8ssola,1++roma&hl=it&ie=UTF8&ll=41.881712,12.51325&spn=0.000016,0.011319&sll=41.87624,12.519951&sspn=0.010273,0.026157&hnear=Via+Suessola,+1,+00183+Roma,+Lazio&t=m&layer=c&cbll=41.881712,12.51325&panoid=x_Fw7YG3QWYd2HGGsKceOA&cbp=12,306.81,,0,4.01&z=17) and then walk to your hotel (http://maps.google.it/maps?saddr=Via+Cerveteri,+2,++Roma&daddr=via+su%C3%A8ssola,1++roma&hl=it&ie=UTF8&sll=41.881895,12.511905&sspn=0.00242,0.005659&geocode=FeQQfwIdlu--ACm7RaNx7GEvEzFMxgMWbSV2iQ%3BFbcRfwIdlOG-ACm3vBaz62EvEzHQrXWgmk8JEw&dirflg=w&mra=ls&t=m&z=18).

Based where you are, and with such limited time, you could make good use of the metro and buses. Instead of buying a €1 ticket for each ride, it might make sense to buy a "BGI" ticket for €4 which is good for unlimited use until midnite of the day of its validation.

Thinking about your itinerary for the time you have - if your flight was on time and you didn't have checked luggage you might get to your B&B by 6 if you were lucky. (However, if you're checking bags there may be quite a wait at FCO to collect them).

With your 2 preteen boys it would seem that if you were to buy just one entrance ticket, the Colosseum/Palatine/Roman Forum ticket would be your best choice. The ticket is valid for 2 days for these 3 sites (but you can only enter each site once) and costs €12. And the 3 sites will be open to 7:30PM in June. So if you can get there in time maybe you'd want to "dip your toes in the water" so to speak and meander through the Roman Forum or Palatine on your first night, saving the Colosseum for your next morning when you'll have more time. This official booking site (http://www.ticketclic.it/gb/html/musei/colosseo.cfm)allows you to purchase advance tickets so you'll avoid the lines, and you're only charged an additional €1.50 per ticket for the service.

Then in that evening you could take in alot of Rome's beauty by devising your own walking tour from the Forum. Get a map to get your bearings and set off for all the "bullet points".

And of course, you'll need to eat! For a great all purpose "where to eat in Rome" site consult Katie Parla's blog (http://www.parlafood.com/). Or make it even easier on yourself and download her app (http://www.parlafood.com/rome-for-foodies/).

I agree with zoe67 that Rome is best explored on foot versus your idea of hiring a private guide with a car. There are guided tours you can take of the Colosseum/Palatine/Forum but with your limited time and goal to keep your budget limited maybe just renting an audio guide at the Colosseum for €4.50 is a good idea. (It's a handheld phone-shaped device so you could all share it).

It's kind of a nutty thing you're doing... but then again, you'll be giving your boys a taste of something they wouldn't otherwise see and won't soon forget....so not nutty at all! I hope you all have a wonderful, whirlwind Roman experience filled with gelato and pizza and adventure. :)