When in Rome....

Three good friends of mine (and one new friend we met through the trip) are traveling to Rome for the first leg of our journey before we meet up with our class. We are meeting next week to finalize some of our plans, but there is a lot up in the air still.


Issue 1: Hostel or Hotel? I am leaning towards hostel because we have an awkward number of people- 5, the cost should be less, and it is part of the European experience! Right?

Issue 2: Is three days in Rome adequate? Can we accomplish everything in 2 days and take a day trip to Naples on our last full day? Would that be rushing our Roman adventures?

Issue 3: What to do in Rome? I obviously want to hit up the big landmarks (especially Vatican City!) and eat lots of amazing Italian food and gelato... but what places are a "must see" that tourists often forget?

Lastly, when booking a hostel or hotel, does anyone have any area of town they recommend? I just want to stay somewhere close to public transportation!

...26 days and counting!