When choosing a hotel room for a short stay in one of Europe’s major travel destinations, location is always the key for me.

Yes, I want a clean room in a friendly place. But I start with location, which, for a budget room, usually is near a train station or a subway stop.

Some of the best sources for budget lodgings are guidebooks such as the Rick Steves series and online sites where you can read the reviews from other travelers, including TripAdvisor and Booking.com. Both have worked for me.

Rome is one of the more expensive cities in Europe, but don’t let anyone tell you that you must spend $350-$400 a night. I recently slept two nights in Rome at Hotel Mediterraneo, a fine old establishment where single rooms start at less than $200. (I found a room on the Internet at $160.)

The Mediterraneo has a genuine Italian art deco style (built in 1936), a real hotel lobby with helpful desk folks, and a small rooftop indoor/outdoor white tablecloth restaurant with panoramic views. I ate a quiet, tasty dinner the first night, pasta with sausage and cheese sauce and a half bottle of wine for 25 Euros (about $35).

Location, location, location

What I liked best about Hotel Mediterraneo was its location, less than two blocks from the main train station – I arrived in Rome by train from Genoa – and a walk of about 20 minutes on my sightseeing day to the entrances of the Roman Coliseum and Ancient Roman Forum (ticket, 12 Euros), and about 40 minutes from busy Trevi Fountain, pictured above.

The second night, at my request for a simple pizza, the hotel suggested Est, Est, Est, a small restaurant around the corner. Triple Est was casual and fun, the pizza ordinary, but the two draft beers icy cold (at a total of 17.5 Euros, about $25).

The next morning, I walked the two blocks to the train station, headed for the cruise port of Civitavecchia.

I bought my train ticket at a station kiosk, touching the British flag on the screen for English, and using my credit card to pay 4.5 Euros (about $6.50) for the one-hour train ride to the coast. By the way, I had inquired about the cost of a ride from Rome to the port by car. I was quoted a price of 92 Euros ($130).

David Molyneaux is editor of TheTravelMavens.com