Any Comments on -->Idéal Hotel in Paris?

[madamtrashheap]

I haven't stayed in any of the places you've found in Rome, but I know exactly where they are:

www.vaticano68.com/ & www.domusanna.net/ are both very close to the Vatican, it's more a residential area on the side these hotels are on, and I'm surprised they are so cheap as the area surrounding the Vatican is notorious for being expensive - accom, food, etc. If you want to be on that side of town, either place is fine and they are close enough to the Metro stops (either Cipro or Ottoviano). Walking to the Colosseum from there would take around 45mins at a stroll pace. The reason I mention this is that Rome's Metro system isn't very complex - it has two lines, A and B...so no getting lost! You'll find you walk to most places as it's the best way to explore the city.

www.iltrasteverino.it seems nice enough, and is in an area that is far more residential and a little further away from the action than the other two. In fact you'd probably consider it out of town as public transport access would only be with busses. I'd skip it.

With the whole "included breakfast" thing, just be aware that Italian breakfasts consist usually of coffee, bread/croissant and that's about it. It totally depends on the accommodation - some make "American-style" breakfasts (their term, not mine) but worth keeping in mind as it might not be enough to keep you going through the day.

Here's a site that may help with locations in Rome: www.romeguide.it/CARTINADIROMA/cartinadiroma.htm

[WillTravel]

Vatican-area B&Bs are frequently an excellent value. The neighborhood is called Prati. One hotel that I've seen recommended is Pensione Paradise:
www.pensioneparadise.com/
Prati is a very nice residential area with grocery stores, cafes, etc. So long as you are a few blocks from the Vatican, the prices are cheaper than in central Rome. But Prati seems to be less popular, probably because you will end up taking the buses or metro quite a bit, unless you want quite long walks.
A Rome B&B site is here: www.b-b.rm.it/

For Paris, I was just reading about this cheap hotel in the Marais, which is central and has a reputation as a hip neighborhood:
www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/europe/france/paris?poi=135721
I had to laugh, though, at its location on the "'Street of the Bad Boys". On the plus side, gay neighborhoods are often great places for women.

[GoJoel]

I know you didn't mention being open to hostels but I stayed in one that was really quiet and safe, and it was about a street over from a central metro station (3 min. walk). I actually stayed at the Fourcy hostel, which is one of the MIJE hostels (there are 3). So if you're looking for something central, economical, and quiet, I would definitely recommend it.

[crystal]

In Rome we stayed in the area around the Termini station.
Although some might find it a bit dodgy being so close to the train station we found it OK and had no problems. It wasn't particularly noisy either. Around that area is the Pop-inn hostel and we stayed at Papa germano's. We got breakfast included. You can search this site for more in that area.
www.guideforeurope.com/bookeurohostels.html

The one thing I liked about this area was that we were so close to public transport. The metro was right on our doorstep and it was easy to get into and back out of Rome. This will be important if you only have 2 days. There are two metro lines leading to just about every major site and once you have cracked that you should be OK.

I guess the key to craming everything into two days is to arrive early at the sites and plan what you want to do. You are not going to be able to see everything (but it gives you an excuse to go back :-) ).We didn't find long queues at the Colosseum but we were there in rainy Febuary so it's gonna be a lot busier in summer. I would say if you want to do St Peter's it's gonna take you a full day. On the plus side we did find it easy to find our way around the city and find most of the 'big' sites easily so images of you and your sister fighting with city maps should be kept to a minimum!

Have a great trip!!!