mayerfan83

We are considering bookine a hotel in the trevi fountain area. A frined told me that the best place to get a hotel in Rome is Campo Dei Fiori, but another told us Trevi is best. We are a young couple in our 20's. I dont want to stay in a place thats a tourist trap with jacked up prices on food and drinks. What do you think?

nessundorma

Campo dei Fiori would be much better - but be careful how you choose. The Campo itself is a very rowdy place full of ritual drinkers, and there is a very busy market that sets up in the morning. So just make sure you are sleeping out of earshot.

mariamack

We stayed at an apartment right around the corner from the Trevi fountain. We are also in our 20's and we liked the area. There is a metro stop pretty close to the fountain and the bus will get you to all areas of Rome. The Trevi fountain is a popular attraction in Rome, so it is pretty crowded. I really don't remember if the price of food was different there than in other touristy parts of Rome. We would probably stay in that area again if we were to go back to Rome.

CheBird

I might get hanged for this because everyone seems to love Campo De Fiori so much, but we found it to be on the seedy side. And definitely pretty rowdy at night. The most convenient location we have found during our stays was on Via del Corso, a few blocks north of the Emanuele monument. You're right in the middle of everything, including shopping. The Trevi is a quick walk one way, Pza. Navona and the Pantheon are a nice walk the other way, the Colosseum and Forum are a short walk away.

The Trevi area is bustling, but you're a bit further from some of the more popular sites (except the Spanish Steps). But you walk so much in Rome, anyway, really what's another several blocks?

We also stayed on Via Veneto during one trip and felt very out of the way to everything.

Nikki

I stayed in an apartment near the Trevi Fountain also. While the plaza containing the fountain itself is very crowded and touristy, the streets around it are old Roman streets with shops, restaurants, a produce stand, churches, and gelotti galore. There are many bus lines near by and the metro stations at Barberini and the Spanish steps are not too far.

These places are not too far away from each other in any event. I would go for a reasonably priced lodging in either any location in the historic center of Rome, including the two you mention.

Nikki

That's gelato galore. Fingers quicker than the brain.

AngelaS

I agree with CheBird - we also thought the Campo was pretty seedy at night - not particularly safe either. I would suggest staying a bit off the beaten track and then walking to sights - you'll also get a better hotel rate.

nessundorma

Based on the follow ups to my post, I'm going to withdraw my advice. I personally don't care for either area, but I've never been much beyond points near the Trevi Fountain itself -- so perhaps streets away from the fountain are fun places to stay, and not a tourist trap.

Some of the area near the Campo dei Fiori can be quite atmospheric, but I agree the Campo dei Fiori itself is not to everybody's liking (for good reason) and even seedy.

For a youth scene, I would recommend parts of Trastevere -- but it adds extra steps to sightseeing in central Rome. If a bit of extra walking doesn't bother mayerfan83, Trastevere might work.

dwzemens

Campo de Fiori area is seedy at night? I beg to differ.

My wife and I spent five nights in Rome in the fall of 2004. I am no Rome expert, but yielded to the advice I found on Fodor's and chose this area to stay in as it is very central.

We stayed in a convent, the Casa di Santa Brigida. It is located on the Piazza Farnese, one block removed (toward the river) from Campo Fiori. Each night we walked through the Campo Fiori at some point on our return - we never felt the least bit unsafe in this area, or any other area of Rome that we visited, which included all of the Centro Storico and the Vatican.

I think you need to carefully consider the suggestion that this area is "seedy". It was a terrific, central area to stay. We walked everywhere, from the Vatican to the Forum, and both my wife and I thought this was our best vacation ever.

I *highly* recommend the area surround the Campo Fiori. Do your homework and make your own decision.