Best B&B, Rome

In Rome we stayed at the wonderful Best B&B (Corso V. Emanuele II, 21, 00186, Rome, ITALY; phone +39 335 871 4840, www.bestbb.it), centrally located near the Forum and the Pantheon. There were four B&Bs, and this one was near the Pantheon.

Outside our door there was Internet access, and each morning a wonderful breakfast was delivered on a cart to our room.

Inside were a king-sized bed, good reading lights and a large flat-screen TV. There was a more-than-adequate bathroom but no tub. We had a small balcony with a table and two chairs — great, when the weather cooperated.

There was a market across the street for snacks or even supper if we were too tired to go out again. For those same nights, gelato was right up the street.

We had our own key to the large outside doors and could get in at any time day or night. Be aware, though, that you must bring your luggage up to the first floor yourself and there is no one to answer the front door at night (after 8 p.m.) or during siesta time (from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.). This was only a problem when our luggage was delivered two days late and came at midnight. You always can reach someone 24 hours a day by phone from your room.

We stayed there March 25-29, 2008, and the room price was €150 (near $236) per night. For stays of five or more nights there is free car service to and from the airport — an excellent value.

We took the bus from the corner to the Vatican and walked everywhere else.

Be sure to get tickets ahead of time for the truly wonderful Galleria Borghese. Bring a book and then find a bench in the park on which to read or just people-watch while you’re waiting for your time to go in.

— IRIS BRESSMAN BING, Pennington, NJ