Hotel suggestions in Rome

hotel pantheon dot com (no gaps)

Well spoken of by a friend (who doesn't like slumming it). Centrally located, just round the corner from ...er... The Pantheon.

I quickly read JWMs post and though he's a great help with his hotel near The Parthenon.

We had a cheapie (but very good one) just around the corner from the main railway station, on our 3 day visit.
I will watch this thread because we must go back.

Simple Hotel Majestic :>
www.rome-hotels-majestic.com/

Thanks James and Symonds for the suggestions.

Both look the part but the Majestic is a bit over budget.

So the Pantheon it will be then.

I'll probably peruse the usual guidebooks, but if anyone would care to help with Top 3 Rome attractions and any overrated places that are best missed on a 5 day stay, I'd much appreciate the help.


Thanks


SJB

Take a look at the Forum Hotel.

Forum Hotel

Ideal position, overlooking the forum, right in the heart of ancient Rome. A few hundred meters from the coliseum.

Breakfast is served from the rooftop terrace.

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Rome is just one big museum really, Pantheon,Colosseum and the Forum are the obvious top 3. We just got tube passes and followed the guide book. Circus Maximus worth going to, not a lot of it remaining but the sheer size is impressive.
We found just keeping your eyes open whilst walking about you suddenly found an ancient building under a modern one.
Appia way and the City walls are impressive.

Most disappointing thing for us was the Trevi fountain , it's quite small and bloody crowded.
There are many churches,squares and steps etc.
We didn't go, but of course there is always the Vatican City as well.

Even a pizza in a pavement cafe next to the main station was amazing. It's mad but subdued compared to Naples, they are truly bonkers.

Vatican and especially St Peter's itself. It is astonishing, even for an atheist such as myself. The audacity of it all.

Sistine Chapel, less so. You probably have to be into the style of art, which I'm not.

Cafes where you grab an "italian breakfast" - espresso, little glass of fizzy water, croissant and a cigarette (not for me) all whilst standing at the counter, then throw your napkin on the ground. Watch the skills of the baristas making the coffees. Wonder why they're always men. See them never write down an order, pretend to remember what everyone had, get it wrong and no-one cares. Chuckle at the Americans (and Canadians, and Aussies, and Brits etc) muttering about not being able to get a "real coffee". Step outside and nearly hit by a totally smokin' hottie on a barely-controlled Vespa. Have her yell at you in Italian, even though it was all her fault. Smile. Ahh - Rome - The eternal city.

Based on experience from a couple of years ago.
The entry tickets for the Colosseum include entrance to the Roman Forum. The queue for the tickets at the Forum entrance were much shorter than for the Colosseum entrance.

Do not get suckered into being guided into the Colosseum so by pass the ticket queue - get the ticket across the road.

The view from the gallery at the top of the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II is excellent.

The walk from the Monument down Via del Corso to Piazza del Popola is also pretty good (as are lots of other walks)

Also the Castel Sant Angelo is worth entering and climbing to the top - it is not far from the Vatican.

Apologies for non consistent spelling of sites - using Google Maps plus Wikipedia to remind me of the memorable places.