Anna

My friend and I are planning to visit Rome, but we found an incredibly priced hotel near the University of Rome, and the Termini Station.<BR><BR>However, we are concerned with safety - is this area safe for 2 women? This is our first time their, so we would love anyone's advice!

Mike Miller

I have always stayed at Hotel Italia Pensione which is on Via Venezia off Via Natzionale about 6 blocks from the Termini. I have found this area to be safe but around the Termini I would advise some caution. Because of the size of the station, there are certainly some undesirable folks there, rip-off artists, pickpockets, etc. as well as "unofficial" taxi drivers. Never give your business to any driver who comes up to you and asks if you are looking for a taxi, always go to the taxi stand for a cab. My advice is to take precautions such as neck or waist wallet to safeguard your cash, credit cards and passports. My wife always brings a small purse which attaches to her belt. Then we only put the money we will spend for the day in it.

Anna

So, would the area around the train station be unsafe? Or are you just saying to be careful in the station?

kelvy

Hi Anna, I travelled solo to Italy for 2wks in October of this year, spent 5 nights in Rome and stayed at Hotel Alpi, about a 5 minute walk from Termini right on the Piazza Independenza (corner of PI and Via Castelfidardo). Enjoyed the area and didn't get any vibe about it being unsafe whatsoever. (I'll add that I am a "big city" girl, so my comfort level might be higher kuz I'm accustomed to having lived in Chicago, etc.) I'd often head down the street 10-ish or so at night to a fun bar nearby that had web access, chitchat w/the locals, send some emails to friends...no problem. I was glad to have stayed out of the city center as I've heard the noise and general congestion ratchets up the closer in you get...but if you are only in Rome for a few days you may want to stay in closer to where all the action is. (I had a room on the front of the hotel right off the PI and it was very quiet at night). I found cabs to the city center to be supercheap - say $4-5 USD from the Alpi to Piazza Colonna area, $6 to Borghese, $11 USD to the Vatican was the most I paid for a cab in Rome - plus the hottie cabdrivers are easy on the eyes and fun to talk with as they zip you to your destination! Just use your common sense, pay attention and do all that other stuff you'd do to be safe in big city that's new to you, and you'll be fine.

Dottie

We're always consious of cost and so stayed at a B&B in Rome that was within walking distance of most of what we wanted to do. We took public transportation (bus) a few times and had no problems with that except the buses are packed. We jumped on once and had to stand in the stairwell, my husbands backpack was still outside when the doors closed. It provides us with a good laugh to this day. When traveling on the trains, be sure to have your ticket stamped. The police stopped us once and we were ticketed because we had not done so. I loved Rome!!! Have a great time!

Emily

Hi Anna,<BR><BR>I am a woman and I lived in Rome for 6 months, very close to the University of Rome (the area is called San Lorenzo) and Termini station. I walked by myself all over the place, and only felt uncomfortable once, when it was literally 4 AM and I was right by the train station. I shouldn't have been alone, it was definitely creepy, so I hailed a cab and had him take me the extra few blocks home. If I had been with one other person, I would have felt fine. Violent crime is SO much lower in Italy than here. <BR><BR>I might agree with the other folks who said that you should stay closer to the center, but that area is fairly central, considering. All of the buses and metro lines start/end at Termini, so you have a lot of transportation options. If you are really on a tight budget, and this is your only option other than that youth hostel in BFE, I'd say go for it.<BR><BR>Plus, if you're in San Lorenzo, you will be in a much much less touristy area of the city, one in which people actually live. If you're up for the bar/pub thing, there are quite a few around there that are fun and full of students (university students in Italy, btw, range between ages 18-35).<BR><BR>Anyhow, if you have any more questions, feel free to email me. Have fun!

Pauline

I stayed at an hotel for 3 nights, on via Cavour (about 200 metres from the Termini, this past May. I wasn't out walking the streets after about 9pm but certainly didn't feel 'unsafe' when I was out and about.

Joanne

Anna: We stayed in the San Lorenzo area on our first visit to Rome and it was fine. Wouldn't recommend the hotel, however, as it has changed hands and apparently made a turn for the worse. We were very comfortable staying there and sometimes arrived back at the hotel very late. There were places to eat nearby and good bus connections. Our biggest worry was being run over by a college student on a Vespa!<BR><BR>Have a wonderful trip--Rome is spectacular. We are returning yet again next May.<BR><BR>j