BamaVol

Is anyone familiar with this place? It looks nice. It's recently restored. It's a little far out but I think I like the location. The price for a week is quite a bit less than most of the hotels I have been considering and it's an apartment rental without the usual hassles I associate with vacation apartment rental: no one there to help with problems, big deposit, must pay in cash, etc. I realize it probably doesn't deliver the same experience as a rental surrounded by locals, but I'm really just looking for comfortable lodging priced reasonably.

sk3

Hi BamaVol. I don't have any knowlege of this apt but I checked out the site (thought maybe it would be good for my sister's family).

I too like that you don't have to chunk down a deposit and that there's someone there during the day. And it does look great, recently redone, etc.

My next concern is proximity to a market or bar (for coffees and snacks). I love the idea of all the extra space you'd get in an apt rental vs a hotel room, but I don't necessarily want to be cooking. And no matter where I stay I definitely want to indulge my love for Italian coffee each morning. So I just checked out Google's street view - do you use this? (It's amazing, I love it!) On a cursory search (virtually walking down the nearby streets) I saw bus routes real close, but no markets/restaurants/bars real close. I see the site advertises that Tripadvisor recommends it. Have you checked out those reviews? Any mention of where people got supplies, etc?

If there aren't nearby cafes (and I mean within a a couple of blocks!) I'd veto it - but that's me.

But it does seem that you could get a bus within a block from the apt and so get into the centro storico very easily. And it could be calming to return at night to this place as opposed to staying in the thick of it.

Here's a google street view a block from the apt, can't make out the bus line tho, but that's easily remedied by checking here.

I'd check Slowtravel for their thoughts. Those guys are the pros with apt rentals and longer stays (we're the kings of miles and points tho!)

Let us know what you find out (the prices for this place seem terrific).

sk3

I just found the Tripadvisor reviews. People are sharing that there are markets nearby, and the reviews look good. I'll forward this to my sister.. thanks for posting BamaVol.

BamaVol

It was actually Tripadvisor that directed me there. IIRC, it shows as the #1 choice in its category.

Thanks for the pointer to Google streetview. There's a bus further down the street with a 495 on the front. I'm guessing that's the number I'm looking for.

BamaVol

Just to follow up, we had an amazing week in Rome and the apartment was a player in that. The management team makes this place an unreal bargain -read the tripadvisor reviews - going to the airport personally and retrieving passengers with delayed flights, etc!!! There have been a slew of very favorable reviews lately and this place is going to be full every night before you know it, so book early.

Google earth actually made me nervous - it looks like the apartment is surrounded by decay and neglect, and this is completely untrue. It is surrounded by nature in a "remote" valley (2 km from the Vatican). It was such a pleasure waking up to the sound of birds chirping and church bells ringing (Sunday only) while only a 25 minute walk/ride to the centro storico.

Coffee is a 5-10 minute walk, if that's a dealkiller. Likewise, good restaurants are in the same vicinity. The bus stop is 1 block and the metro station is a 12-15 minute walk.

One thing I wish I'd mentioned in my review is the street market on Thursday morning. It was too late for us to stock up since we were leaving the next morning, but the fresh vegies looked incredible and I did buy a vest. There are other street markets in Rome, but this is close to the apartment and just up the road from the Conad grocery store.