rickg523

Area around Termini not so hot.
Check out Piazza Navona/Pantheon/Campo di Fiore area. Walkable to everywhere. Lovely area, great restaurants in all price ranges.
Hotel rooms are going to be pricey. But with 6 people, would you consider a rental? You can find some pretty nice places in this desirable area for 250 to 400 a night. 400 would get you 3 bedrooms and a rooftop terrace. Most places have a 3 night minimum. AirBnB and Homeaway have mediated payment and you can find properties with Flexible cancellation - full refund (minus admin fee) if you cancel more than a week in advance. Extra benefit - most places big enough for six have a washing machine. You have to make your own bed though.

Perche

This is good advice. Termini is far from everything, and is slummy. Congested, smog. Not the nice historic beautiful area that people come to for Rome. There are budget options, but for $2500 for three days, OP should be able to do much better than Smart Hotel. I think of Smart Hotel, which is near La Sapienza, the University district, as a transformed college dorm.

OP and his group should stick together if staying there, as it is not a safe area. He shouldn't worry all that much about the people who look homeless and drug addicted around Termini, because a lot of them are actually plain clothes cops. When there is a mugging or purse snatching, it's not unusual for the guy lying in the street to suddenly get up, start running after, and tackling the perp. There's a lot of crime around Termini, so there are a lot of plain clothes police looking somewhat seedy, but they do seem to be pretty effective at catching some of the muggers who congregate around Termini.

I don't have any problem when I am around there, Esquilino, La Sapienza area, which does have its hidden charms, but I'm not an obvious target, although a couple of guys did try to mug me there a couple of years ago when I was walking with a suitcase. OP is traveling with elderly people who he says would have a hard time walking, and as an obvious tourist. And it's a shame, because in the central historic area, except for around the Colosseum, Rome is one of the safest cities to visit. Staying near Termini is just not the way to go.

Plus, regardless of what the hotels say on their websites, That area is too far away to walk to anywhere, unless you are a strong walker, OK with walking cobblestone streets for 30 minutes to an hour, and know how to avoid getting lost. It would be taxi cab everywhere, because in just three days it will be hard to figure out how to use the buses, trams, and metro. In his shoes, I'd seek to take your advice.

ewrfox

I have seen a airbnb near the Lepanto metro station. The house does not have an ac.. How is the weather in October? And how is that area?

PWMTrav

So you have $833 per room, 3 nights or 4? In the $200-250 range, there's a lot out there. If you can go to 299 a night, Grand Hotel de La Minerve seems to fall in that range depending on your exact dates. Nicer place, right by the Pantheon.

rickg523

I haven't stayed in that neighborhood, but walked through it. It's nice there. Quite residential. (I was looking at place there for my next trip, also for multigenerational party of 6, but chose a different property across the river in Ponte. That place was on via Germanica near the Cariatidi Fountain.)
You'd be close to the Vatican and maybe 10-15 minutes stroll from Navona/Pantheon. Trevi Fountain is maybe 5-10 minutes from Navona, Campo di Fiore and the Jewish Ghetto about the same. Ancient Rome (Forum/Coliseum) would be about half an hour further on foot in one direction and the Spanish Steps about the same in another direction.
I mention these sites because they are the things you should experience on a first trip to Rome. Definitely the "beaten path." You won't be alone at any of them. Check the condition of the Spanish Steps before heading up there. I believe they may be under renovation. Coliseum and Trevi are completed and ready for you. If you can walk to them you will also get a taste of the true Roman experience, which is on the streets of this incredible city with its people.
I'm an American city dweller and I can say, that compared to American cities, Rome, even around Termini, isn't particularly dangerous if you use standard city street sense. I'd compare it to the area around Port Authority in Manhattan. Scruffy, not the place you'd want to stay if you're visiting Manhattan or Rome, but only inherently dangerous if you're inattentive or wandering about very late at night on empty streets.
Keep poking around on Airbnb and Homeaway. If you haven't used them before, study the descriptions closely and read the reviews. If there are a lot of reviews stating the reservation was canceled by the manager, move on. Flexible cancellation works both ways, and properties that exhibit that review a bunch are actually occupied by the owner and subject to his schedule changes. There are many many rentals in Rome that are strictly vacation rentals. You can book those with good confidence.
Lastly, I'm not even sure you can run residential A/C in Rome in October. Something you want to check. Also with your party, make sure there's an elevator in the building. Remember, their 1st floor is what we call the 2nd floor.
Hopefully, Perche will respond again. I visit Italy regularly. But he *really* knows Italy. Search the Italy Forum and you'll find a ton of great tips from him.

ewrfox

I did check Grand Hotel de La Minerve and it pushes the total to 4K plus. So that's a no go. The airbnb (Lepanto ) I saw, the total comes out to little over a 1000.. My only concern is the temperature in Rome and the area. I have also seen a flat next to the San Giovanni metro station. Both places have good reviews on airbnb .. How is San Giovanni area? I decided it's best to stay near the metro to get around. Another potential is a flat next to Ottaviano Metro.

rickg523

Since I was also looking for a place for six people, but in June, I only saved places with A/C. And my trip included a couple in their 60's as well, so I made elevators a requirement.
I thought I may have kept a couple of listings that could work for you, so I checked my favorites list. Take a look at HomeAway listing #721263, between Lepanto and Ottavanio stations. A/C, elevator, rooftop terrace. (This is the one I mistakenly said was called Casa Topazio, a different place). It might suit you. For my dates in June it was listed in the €200/night range.
I have only passed through San Giovanni on my way to the Catacombs, so I don't know that area.

Perche

I wouldn't stay in out of the way areas like Lepanto, San Giovanni in Lateran. Whatever you save in hotel, you'll outspend in taxi.

You want a place where at the end of a long day, you can go downstairs, and have a pastry, sit in a place with a sidewalk cafe, enjoy a glass of wine or a nice coffee. Lepanto has nice neighborhood places, but you still have a 25 minute walk to get anywhere, so it will require multiple taxis. San Giovanni, you'd be staying in an area that is not like the historic area of Rome, with beautiful ancient sites, but crossing streets with eight lanes, with a traffic aisle in the middle because the light will change before you can cross the whole street. So then you wait, and cross the rest of the street in a hurry. In most of historic Rome, car traffic is banned or limited to those who live there.

In Giovanni, to go to Piazza Navona and Pantheon, which you have to do, or to Trevi, or Spanish Steps, it's going to be a 45 minute walk for the six of you, or two cabs, each way.

i'd forget about the Rome metro, except for more experienced travelers. It's not very well developed. There are two lines, basically crossing each other like an X, lines A and B. That doesn't take you to many places. For example, to get from Giovanni just to the Colosseo, you'd need to change from line A to line B. It's not easy to figure out on the first day.

They've been trying to build a line C for many years, but it doesn't offer much yet. The reason is because as they tunnel underground, they keep running into archeological sites. Italian law requires that they be excavated and preserved. And there isn't the money to do that. There is one stop where they are thinking of making it a museum in the train tunnel, where you can get off and see the artifacts. But for the most part, this is to like taking the A train or the IRT in NYC. It's in another language, and it's easy once you know it, but would be mystifying for a group of six multi-generational travelers.

I know that within a $2500 budget you can stay within the central zone, e.g., pantheon, navona, spanish steps trevi, if you spend slightly more. Take a worse hotel for a better location.

I wouldn't worry too much about air conditioning in Rome in October. Average high is going to be in the 70's, low in the 60's while you are sleeping. With global warming there can be huge swings, but you won't suffer.

Someone mentioned Spanish Steps, they are not yet completely done, but halfway done. A few months ago they were completely non-visible. Now, they have completely whitened as if new the bottom half. The top half is still blocked out by fencing so you cannot see it. But the bottom half, you can see. You just cannot sit on it yet, but with some imagination you can see what it would be like when done.

Fountain of Trevi has been completely whitened, and looks amazing. The Colosseum is almost unrecognizable since the cleaning. It was always kind of brown. Strange now, to see it so white. I haven't heard anything, but "Imbianchando" or whitening, or cleaning off decades of pollution, will probably go to Piazza Navona next, so it should be seen. They also finally pretty much finished up Piazza del Popolo.

With crowds down, and things being almost finished, it's a good time to go, but I think you can stay nearer to the center (Pantheon) with your budget, even if the hotel is not the greatest. For only 3 days, I'd put up with a lesser hotel than being in the outer neighborhoods.

PWMTrav

Are you looking at 3 rooms? And 4 nights or just 3?

With the size of your group, you should look hard at AirBNB. See if there's something near the Pantheon or one of the other central landmarks that fits your budget and holds 6 people.

KLouis

The OP has asked repeatedly about the weather in October: Usually fine and sunny, with an occasional shower, with very pleasant temperatures during both night and day. Absolutely no need for AC. Obviously, this is all "statistical", meaning that if during your four days in Rome you happen to have three with rain, well, you'll have been on one of the two far sides of the Gauss bell.

Perche

Agree!

JBD

I just came across something that ticks all your boxes. It's a rental with 3 bathrooms and 5 bedrooms so more than enough room. It's almost centrally located (if considering the Pantheon to be truly center), and much more centrally located than the other places you've so far mentioned. It's near the Barberini metro stop (Line A). And critically, the apartment faces towards an interior courtyard so you'll have a quiet night's sleep.

I first came upon it on Airbnb, and then recognized the logo it uses as a profile picture and saw the telltale item that there were also 830 other reviews on Airbnb for its other properties - and then realized this Airbnb "host" is actually the rental company Rome-Accommodation. (I see more and more rental companies, and also B & B's using Airbnb to list its properties).

I've been reading about Rome-Accommodation for at least 10 years since I saw posters of Slow Travel using them and who recommended them highly. I almost rented from them once, and emailed a lot with them, and spoke with them on the phone, before deciding on something else. Their correspondence was terrific and it was easy to talk to them. The upside to renting with them is they have a brick and mortar office in central Rome, they specialize in Rome, they manage 48 apartments there and 9 of those have 3 bathrooms. Meaning, worse case scenario if something goes wrong, you're dealing with a professional and established local Roman rental company versus a sole owner of an apartment that say, if a water pipe breaks in the unit, they wouldn't have the alternative apartments to put you up in.

So you'd have the choice of using their website directly to book it, or you could book it through AirBnb, and it's also available on Tripadvisor's site (and maybe more, but that's all I found - but regardless of which booking engine you use, you'll be dealing with the Rome-Accommodation rental agency - it's just the rates and policies that will differ).

You didn't specify your exact dates, only giving us "the second week in October". I see on their own site availability for checking in on October 4th and out on October 16th. On Airbnb's site it shows availability from the 4th to the 15th. And on Tripadvisor it shows availability from the 3rd to the 14th. Hopefully your 4 nights are somewhere within those dates.

The best deal would be if you book directly from them, their rate is 1,916 EUR for a 4 night stay.
Airbnb's rate is 2,115 EUR.
Tripadvisor's rate is 2,844 EUR.
None of these rates includes the 3.50 EUR per person per night tourist tax.

The cancellation policy for its own site is also better than Airbnb's and you don't have to prepay like you do on Airbnb.

An added upside to this unit is that it's on Via Degli Avignonesi (though it doesn't give the number), and a restaurant that's been recommended by people in the know for decades is located on Via Degli Avignonesi, 22: its name is "Colline Emiliane". (Via Degli Avignonesi is a small, narrow street, which parallels a major road, Via Del Tritone).

However, one downside to your group perhaps is that the apartment is located on the first floor and there is no elevator. Also you should be aware that this street is on a hill. So you'd be walking downhill to go to the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, etc., and uphill to get to the top of the Spanish Steps, or to get to the metro at Barberini which you can take to go to the Vatican. (But you'll of course come across hills with a lot of other locations that you're considering. This is why the Pantheon area really is the ideal, because not only are you in somewhat equal proximity to Rome's main attractions, you can avoid Rome's fabled hills for a good chunk of your site-seeing).

But it certainly seems to meet your other requirements.

Here are all the links -

For Rome-Accommodations official website: https://www.rome-accommodation.net/en/
(Like I mentioned, I've read great reviews about them on Slowtravel, but when googling Rome-Accommodation reviews you unfortunately just get a bunch of listings for Rome accommodations).

Here's Rome-Accommodations physical address and office phone number: https://www.rome-accommodation.net/en/contacts/

Here's the apartment's listing on their own website: https://www.rome-accommodation.net/e...di-spagna-ap17
And what's great here is they also show a detailed floor plan of the unit.

And here's Rome-Accommodations Terms and Condition page with its cancellation policy: https://www.rome-accommodation.net/e...nd-conditions/

Here's its listing on Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/271275

Here's its listing on Tripadvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Vacation...ome_Lazio.html

Read all the reviews on those sites for this particular rental, and read the other reviews for its properties in Airbnb to gauge this rental company for yourself.

With this listing you'll certainly have a lot more information about what to expect from the unit and the people representing the unit than you will from the typical Airbnb listing that is hosted by the owner and has just a handful of reviews.

And lastly regarding its location: being that your stay is a short 4 nights and your budget for 6 people is 2,500, IMO this is easily the best choice of locations you've mentioned so far, and I'm obviously very impressed with the apartment's pictures and its reviews.

Perche

Good idea. I just ate at Colline Emilane, last week. I know the street well Via degli Avignonese. I had to stay just off of Piazza Barberini, around the corner from there. The restaurant is good, one of the few good ones in the neighborhood. Almost all the rest are tourist traps, but not them. The only problem is, they don't serve Roman food. They serve food from Emilia-Romanga, a different part of Italy. Not a problem, as long as you realize that. The name means the hills of Emiglia.

That area, Piazza Barberini, that whole plaza is sort of traffic central. It's a really, really wide street, with a really wide foot plaza in the middle, and a huge taxi stand. The street towards the center is indeed a major one, but it is full of Department Stores with the same brands you'd find in the USA. In other words, it's a very commercial, busy, traffic area. But hey, if that is it, it is better than staying near Termini or an outer zone. Let me give one more recommendation for a place to look for apartments in Rome (it's hard for only 3 nights because of minimum stay requirements), but this is a reputable agency also: http://www.cross-pollinate.com/rome/p/1

ewrfox

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll take a look. How is Uber in Rome, I read it's cheaper than taking a Taxi around?

Perche

Forget Uber, you are on vacation, not trying to save 5o cents. Cabs in Italy, as long as they are the white, official ones, are legitimate and honest, and cheap. They won't pick you up on the street. You have to walk to an official taxi stand, or if in a restaurant, have them call for a cab. The meter starts when they leave the taxi stand to come to the restaurant, not when they pick you up. The only problem with taxis at night is that sometimes, there just aren't any. The taxi stands are empty. There is an official number to get one sent, but usually despite repeated calls, no one answers. But at usual hours, you can always call for a cab. If I'm not near a cab stand because I'm in a neighborhood I don't know, I just go into a bar, order a prosecco, and ask them to call me a taxi. Sometimes it takes them half an hour to get someone to answer, but I always eventually get a taxi. Uber is still small, and the usual response is, "unavailable."