17 Aug Where to stay in Rome: best neighborhoods
Did you choose the best (or just right for you) neighborhood in Rome?
Rome is a big city, with a population of nearly 3 million inhabitants. If you want to save up some money on accomodation there are some neighborhoods where you can have a pleasant stay without spending a fortune, especially if you decide to rent an apartment or a room in a B&B.
Consider also that most of the things you will probably want to see are on the east side of the Tiber River (except for the Vatican and Trastevere).
A nice neighborhood very close to the city center is San Giovanni (Metro A: San Giovanni) and where real people live, or the adjacent area called Re di Roma (Metro A: Re di Roma): here you will find many eateries, clothes and shoes store, and even an outdoor clothing market in via Sannio (near Saint John Basilica) where you can buy military surplus, leather jackets, cosmetics, second-hand clothes and many other bargains… And if you are around, do not forget to taste the best suppli in town in Piazza Re di Roma at La casa del supplì!
I like very much the neighborhood of Trastevere, where you can find cozy B&B, lots of restaurants and romantic views; here Woody Allen also filmed some scenes of his movie “To Rome with Love” (2012). The only con of being in Trastevere is that there is no real Metro (apart from Trastevere train station connected to Tiburtina train station, which I don’t suggest at late hours), so you will need to use the tram or the bus to get around and travel across the river. If you decide to stay here avoid accomodation too close to the most popular places, such as Santa Maria in Trastevere, since this is a local hang out place and it can be very noisy at night.
Another great choice is the rione of Monti, which is very close to the Colosseum. I like it for its “hipster” atmosphere, the little cafés, the antiquarians, the vintage clothes and jewelry stores. Great places to stay in Monti are Via Baccina, Via Panisperna, Via del Boschetto, Via dei Capocci. If you stay here, it’s a must to have a cup of cappuccino in the morning in the little Piazza della Madonna dei Monti. You will not find major attractions here but the atmosphere is definetely unique, so just relax reading a good book or watching locals go by. Besides, you are a few minutes walking from the Roman Forum, the Colosseum and Michelangelo’s famous sculpture made for the pope Julius II – the Moses, located in the church called “San Pietro in Vincoli”.
A little more pricey, the area around Campo dei Fiori is also lovely place to stay. It’s the oldest open air market in town. The square of Campo dei Fiori also gets very crowded and full of young people hanging out at the various pubs located here, but if you find accomodation somewhere nearby, this is definitely a great choice. You’re close to the beautiful Palazzo Farnese from the XVI century, today site of the French Embassy, the elegant via Giulia, opened by the Pope Julius II around 1508, and you can walk easily to Castel Sant’Angelo, former mausoleum of the emperor Hadrian.