micron

Hi everyone,
I'm reposting this tagged Italy - forgot to do this with the original post! I'm trying to decide between two apartments in Rome for late September 2017. We are three sisters travelling together and are in our mid-late 50s. I have been to Rome before but my sisters have not. I see lots of advice about staying around the Piazza Navona area, perhaps north west of the piazza. Alternatively there are many who say Trastevere is a good option to experience a more local neighbourhood vibe. This is my preference when staying in cities or towns in Europe. I like a nice apartment to come home to and to feel like you are living as a local for a week. My once concern about Trastevere, where the apartment on my list is located, is that you have to cross the foot bridges to get to the central area where many of the sights are and I read that it can be seedy in the evening (one poster on this site said she thought there were druggies panhandling on Ponte Sisto and felt uncomfortable). Obviously as three women we want to stay somewhere we feel safe and can walk about in the evening. The Trastevere apartment is also up near the botanical gardens and there is a prison nearby. If anyone has experience of this part of Trastevere I'd love to hear opinions. The photos of the street it is in look quite nice. Is Trastevere really all for the younger crowd? Would we feel a bit out of our comfort zone around that area if we were to go out to eat at night? Here is the link to the apartment:
https://www.homeaway.com.au/holiday-rental/p739116vb

The other apartment is near Navona:
http://www.sleepinitaly.com/rome/nav...arco-pace-four

Both get good reviews. So far all of us prefer the ambience of the Trastevere apartment as it is lighter and more open and very homelike. The Novona one looks well set up, and a review commented that the beds, linen and towels were all good quality. I know everyone has their own opinions and I am happy to hear them

We are fit and like to walk so being a bit further from say Navona, Trevi, Pantheon would probably not be an issue, but I know from experience that walking the cobblestones all day can really take its toll. I imagine that we might spend sometime in the apartment just relaxing and having a day in the local neighbourhood. I've been to Villa Borghese Gardens and would like to visit again with my sisters so this would likely be as far as we would walk. We are fine with buses and we could also catch a taxi with 3 of us. Advice would be nice.
Thanks

tuscanlifeedit

I think the streets near the Trastevere apartment are nice, but very quiet. I am comfortable there but it's not a lively part of Trastevere. Not much in the way of shopping, browsing, etc. Shops in general will probably be scarce in the immediate vicinity.

I'm not going to give an opinion on the "druggies" and panhandlers. Rome isn't the most gentle city and Trastevere is fine, but not the most gentle neighborhood. There are young people about. Some of them don't look like middle class suburban kids in America. Many of them look much cooler than that and some of them look rougher. Your tolerance may differ from mine.

Via dei Coronari is the perfect street for me in Rome. I like that it is handy to many things I enjoy. Food and shopping are plentiful. Buses are right around the corner. It's not that far to the Metro.

I've stayed in many areas in Rome, and I prefer the second neighborhood on your list. But if you're looking for something quieter and off the beaten track, the first might suit you.

I caution you not to expect the same sort of feeling that you might find in the heart of Trastevere. The streets around that apartment are much quieter. However, just a few blocks south or east put you smack in lots of action.

Leely2

I would prefer the location of the first apartment, a little tucked away but still an easy walk to many things. I have also stayed very near the location of the 2nd apartment you list, on vicolo della Volpe right off via dei Coronari, and that was fine. Nowadays that area is a bit too crowded for me.

I have been to Rome several times and have walked all around by myself at night, including across the bridges, and felt fine. For what it's worth (not much!), I am younger than you and your sisters and live in a city, so that may color my perspective.

Have you read OReilly's report on her recent trip to Rome?

annhig

I've not stayed in Trastevere [yet!] but we did stay in an apartment near the Piazza Navona a few years ago [actually quite close to the via Coronari] and I loved it. I never felt unsafe or worried and there were always lots of people around.

I actually prefer that to a quiet neighbourhood where there may be fewer people around especially in the evening.

Actually I'm sure that both of them will be fine, but one thing I noticed - in the Trastevere apartment there didn't seem to be the option to split the beds, whereas in the second one, you could split one of them into twins. That may not be a problem for you and your sisters of course, but I thought that I would mention it.

buzzcolin

I was in Rome in October last year and although you find lots of tourists around the Spanish steps, Trevi and of course the Vatican, the area between the Navona flat and the river was very quiet. As a fit woman in her 60's I would not even hesitate. The Navona flat is far closer to everything and when you have been out all day the last thing you want to do is walk a long way to find a restaurant. Also in my opinion, that flat has much more Italian charm than the other one which to me is far away from everything. I have made a note of that Navona flat and will consider it when next I visit the eternal city. I love to go walking in the early morning and from there I could be at the river and the Bridge of Angels in a few minutes. Wonderful!!

micron

Thanks for these great insights. I've looked at google earth maps for the Navona apartment and the streets do look lovely and I think it would probably be quiet enough to get a good sleep. It's the layout of the Trastevere apartment that appeals to us - all open so we can socialise, cook etc (no small separate kitchen to have to go into to cook - I like to cook and I will buy food at the market). One of the beds does turn into two singles (I checked that). The Navona apartment is a little bit bigger but it doesn't look bigger (I think it is the second bathroom that adds extra metres).

We don't mind quiet streets as long as it is not absolutely deserted. Based on the way I have travelled in the past, having a very comfy apartment that feels like home does add to the experience and we all just liked the look of the Trastevere apartment. However, the Navona apartment is also very nice and I am quite influenced now by buzzcolin's post as someone in our age range. I don't think the Trastevere apartment is really far away from everything though as it is near the river and only 15 minutes to Campo de Fiori.

My husband wants us to choose the Navona apartment (the Trastevere one is near a prison and he thought the streets around it looked too quiet). But the reviews for the Trastevere one all say the location was fab and that they liked coming home across the river to a quiet haven after spending the day in the central area. But then, if we went the Navona apartment perhaps we could return to it for a rest during the day. Decisions, decisions and I am not good at them! My sisters have voted and now left it to me to make the choice.

Thanks for all your help everyone, the advice here has been very constructive.

micron

Oh, and also, I read somewhere that Trastevere was supposed to have the best authentic restaurants and the apartment is only 10 minutes (if that) from the heart of Trastevere so we would be close to places to eat in the evening. I noted that there were also a few restaurants right in the immediate area.

But, point taken about the better location of the Navona apartment overall. I will ponder on this a while longer....

tuscanlifeedit

Don't worry about the prison. They're locked in. You won't even notice it.

It's not far from everything, it's just quiet.

You mentioned restaurants in the immediate vicinity. I'm unaware of those.

micron

Just some showing on google around the apartment but I may have interpreted it incorrectly. It would be nice if there were a local bar or cafe or bakery, fruit shop etc a few minutes away but I'm not sure how I can find out what is in the very immediate vicinity. If it were only apartments and houses, universities etc (as in totally residential) I might not be so keen on it. When we stayed in Paris we stayed in the Marais, not in the popular area and windy little back streets but it was 5 mins from the underground and there were bakeries and markets very close by and what appeared to be locals who lived in the area. What I hated when we visited Quebec in Canada and stayed in the old town was that it was not a "real" town, it was just lots of old houses turned into hotels and restaurants. Similarly for Strasbourg in France, in the old area, just for tourists. That's not what I'm looking for. I want to feel I am in an area where people live all year, shop, eat, take kids to school and parks etc. Asking too much....

buzzcolin

If you are still pondering the only advice I can give you is go with your heart and gut feel. If the cooking aspect is important then the Trastevere apartment will be the best so that you are not isolated while cooking. If you would prefer two bathrooms between the 3 of you then go for the other one. I have looked at both of them on Google earth and they both look like nice neighbourhoods. We are great walkers but found the hop on hop off bus in Rome amazing. It saved your feet when you were tired and if you feel like walking you still can. We walked to the Vatican from our apartment and then as it was late caught the bus back. You also get a different perspective of the city from up there. I am sure what ever you choose you will have a wonderful holiday.

annhig

But then, if we went the Navona apartment perhaps we could return to it for a rest during the day. Decisions, decisions and I am not good at them! My sisters have voted and now left it to me to make the choice. >>


Micron - I think that this is an important consideration; you don't want to be feeling that you can't go back to the apartment in the day time if you want or need to. And for me the second bathroom would be a definite advantage!

Also there are definitely plenty of shops and cafes around the Piazza Navona apartment and there is a least one little supermarket nearby, as well as bakeries etc. and to the west [near the Via di Panico] is a very "local" area with plenty of "authentic" restaurants.

Good luck with your choice, anyway.

frencharmoire

Why don't you keep looking?

I would like an apartment with 2 bathrooms for that size group, but I would also want the experience of travel that I enjoyed most, which in your case seems to be a neighborhood with a true locals (rather than tourists) feeling plus an apartment whose layout works for group cooking -- something you might definitely not want to miss doing in Rome with all its lovely markets.

If you decide to stay in Trastevere, you can easily learn to take the tram. It's very very simple, so if you find yourself in the middle of the day wishing you didn't need to walk so far to get back "home", hopping the tram (or bus) will solve that problem. (Also, since you are group, a taxi ride will hardly break the bank). If you stay in Trastevere, you are much closer to Testaccio, and the great food shops there.

Although it is not far to walk to the Campo de'Fiori from the Piazza Navona area, that area has fewer good markets and food shops than Trasevere (or Prati -- which has a real locals feel once you get beyond the Vatican, but which is 18th-19th c. in architecture rather than 2000 years old!)

frencharmoire

what about this place?

http://www.romeloft.com/14391-traste...ace-apartment/

or if you haven't already rejected the Prati neighborhood, this apartment is an excellent location, right near the best food shops, good restaurants and public transportation

http://www.romeloft.com/15868-saint-peter-stylish-loft/

Elizabeth_S

We spent 8 weeks in an apartment in Piazza San giovanni della malva (a little closer to ponte sisto - shows on the apartment map). Your apartment location is just a few minutes walk from Della Malva which is full of cafes and restaurants (and virtually every street around it) is full of cafes/restaurants/wine bars/shops/etc. in two months we didn't take a bus or a cab -- walking in Rome is easy and that location is equi-distant from most major sites. We walked across Ponte sisto at all hours and never had a concern (practising safe city behaviour of course). We loved that area and would stay there again in a minute.

annhig

I'd forgotten that that was you, Elizabeth. I'd love to do that [and possibly take a language course at the same time] but DH is not as enamoured of Rome as I am. Venice now....

NYCFoodSnob

<i><font color=#555555>"there are many who say Trastevere is a good option to experience a more local neighbourhood vibe"</font></i>

Many people say many things. Rome offers a lot of neighborhoods, and, as a frequent visitor I can assure you, locals live in all of them.

Trastevere has its old world charms, depending on where you plant yourself, but I would probably never stay there. The area where the college kids hang out is a nightmare every night. Trastevere has become "trendy." That's a code word for me, one that says stay away. I know, I'm showing my age.

<i><font color=#555555>"as three women we want to stay somewhere we feel safe and can walk about in the evening"</font></i>

Anything can happen in Rome. It's a big, dirty city full of petty thieves. I stay in the center. I walk the streets at night, alone. I have been accosted twice in almost 30 years of visits. Eventually, you learn how to deflect attention and protect yourself. If you want to experience city-center life at night, you have to invite a little risk.

<i><font color=#555555>"they liked coming home across the river to a quiet haven"</font></i>

Finding a "quiet haven" in Rome is very difficult. It's probably in the countryside. To determine if such a thing exists in the city center, you need a specific address and a specific room number. The Vespa situation is out of control, and they drive in every alley, down every street, at all hours. There is no room with a view that is noise free unless you enjoy closed windows and if the windows have sound guard.

I've been saying it for years, if solid sleep is a concern, be sure to take high quality ear plugs and, perhaps, a safe sleeping aid medication. It's the only way I know how to thrive in Rome.

micron

More helpful comments everyone I could keep looking but it is very time consuming and I just get more and more confused as to what to choose. Thanks for the link to the Trastevere garden apartment. It looks lovely and a good location closer to the tram and the centre. It is just that bit outside our budget (both my choices are at the top of our budget). I haven't considered Prati, it looked a bit far north.

Elizabeth, thanks for your comment, it's nice to hear from someone who stayed near to where the Trastevere option is. Lots of people have experiences of more central Trastevere but I've not seen any comments about that specific area. NYCs comment about the college kids is something I'd read about for Trastevere around the university that is there, which is close by to the apartment. I guess we will go with our gut as buzzcolin says. The two bathrooms are not a big attraction for three sisters who lived in a 100square metre house with 4 kids, one tiny bathroom and separate toilet. Its more about sitting around relaxing and perhaps cooking together. But a separate kitchen is not a deal breaker. I agree, it is the location and the experience that we need to focus on.

Elizabeth_S

micron - if that means you've chosen the Trastevere apartment I'm sure you'll be happy!

micron

I think so Elizabeth. It is my sisters' first choice but they haven't been doing the research into location and hearing the pros and cons of each of the two choices! They are not confused, they are going with the "look" of the apartment rather than location. They trusted me to only give options of places that were in suitable locations. And I was only going on what I'd read and the map and the Trastevere one didn't look too far removed from the centre. I worked out it will add about 15 minutes to anywhere we want to walk. Its the same time walking as the Navona one to get to the Vatican and about 10 minutes longer to get to the Roman Forum. And we will certainly catch taxis if feeling worn out, or buses if they are convenient. I don't know anything about the electric buses and the buses that appear to go along the road by the river near the apartment so will read up on these later.

Someone earlier in this thread said "Have you read OReilly's report on her recent trip to Rome?", which I have and this swayed me further to Trastevere. It will be the third week in September so High Season. I don't know what the implications of that are for either area as both look quiet on google maps! Where is the area the college kids hang out NYC?

I know that either one will be great so I shouldn't stress about it. I have emailed the guy who looks after the Trastevere apartment and waiting for his reply. It would be just my luck for it to be now unavailable!

jscarbary

It sounds like you have made your decision, congrats! Just as a note I have to say that the last time we were in Rome we were in apartment on the edge of Campo dei Fiori. All but one dinner was in Trastaverre in seven days. The food was amazing everywhere we went! Have a great trip!