Best Neighborhood To Stay In In Rome
 

Hello- 2 of my girlfriends and I will be traveling to Rome at the end of July and we're looking for some advice on where to stay. Ideally we'd like to be centrally located so that we can walk to the major sites, but not in an area that's incredibly overcrowded with tourists. We'd still like to have the authentic Italian feel with plenty of restaurants, shops, cafes etc.. around. We're 26 years old so we are interested in hitting the town a night or two, but do not need to be near clubs (restaurants with amazing food & wine are more our style!). Also not crucial to be by Termini as we plan to travel by foot as much as possible and will be taking a taxi to and from the airport.

Thanks!

I always stay in the historic center (centro storico) area around Campo dei Fiori or the Pantheon. A good budget option in that area is the Hotel Smeraldo. I have also stayed at the Hosianum Palace Hotel, which is very centrally located and on a quiet street in the Jewish ghetto, a very historic area. Both are an easy walk to great restaurants. Probably the Smeraldo is more in the thick of things, but they are only a five minute walk apart. The center of Rome will be full of tourists in July. Just try to book what you can in advance so you can avoid the lines and take some time in the afternoon to have lunch in an air conditioned restaurant and/or rest in your room and go back out and enjoy the night life. Last time I was there in July there was an event on the river banks.

Hi Becky,

it's difficult to go wrong with any part of the centre of Rome, but I tend to agree with Palatino that the area between the Campo dei Fiori and the Piazza Navona is probably going to be what you would enjoy most, though as with the rest of Rome, there are bound to be plenty of tourists around. Between the Piazza Navona and the river nice local restaurants, cafes and bars abound.

For shops, the Corso is as good an area as any, but you might also like to look at the via del Governo Vecchio and the via dei Coronari which have some very interesting shops and businesses.

Have fun!

We have stayed at the Smeraldo (mentioned before) and the Residenza Canali ai Coronari, Via dei Tre Archi 13, situated at the "top end" of Piazza Navona.

We were at the Smeraldo for a single night prior to going to Fulmincino for a return flight to Dallas. Therefore, while the staff was friendly and capable, (and the rooms small) we cannot speak to the breakfast room, etc.

We were at the Residenza Canali this past spring and the only negative is that there is no lift available, so at the end of a long day walking, you need to know in advance that there will be more steps in your future! In any event, the staff is friendly and while the breakfast room is small, the food offered there is fine. Also, there is an excellent restaurant right around the corner and the taxi stand is right at the end of the street. Would recommend either of these properties, given the caveats offered.

Monti.

It is like Haight Ashbury in 1967, but without Joan Didion and the Hare Krishnas.

Plenty of drugs and juvies, though.

I wouldnt stay anywhere else.

Thin, slouching towards Santa Prassede

I recommend Trastevere.... west of the center of the City, across the river. Great restaurants, lots of night activity, and every easy 7-minute tram ride into the City center.

We like the Hotel Due Torri--on a small deadend street, quiet, charming, between the Piazza Navona and the Tiber river. Near whole Piazza Navona-Campo dei Fiori area (5 minutes to Piazza Navona), a 20 minute walk from San Pietro and the Vatican.

Buon viaggio!

I have stayed in the Monti district. Loved it! Just outside the hotel (Hotel Griffo) were restaurants, bakery, gelato shop, flower stand, chocolate shop, boutiques..it was a very Italian neighborhood. Very short walk to the metro and within walking distance of most of the major sights. Sitting on the hotel rooftop terrace was fantastic.

If you really don't want to be smack dab in an overload of tourists, at the end of the July then you are going to have to move out of the tourist neighborhoods being described above. With the possible exception of some parts of Trastevere, all the others in the vicinity of the Campo de'Fiori, piazza Navona and now Monti are TOURIST CENTRAL. People howl and scream when that is emphasized, but since you brought it up, I thought it was better to be honest with you.

If you're foodies willing to get off the beaten track, Testaccio might appeal to you

http://www.neverendingvoyage.com/tes...track-in-rome/

I was about to say the same thing. If you want to be central, yet avoid the worst of the hordes, I'd look for something a little north-west of Piazza Navona.

Testacccio is very hip, but it's not central.

You can use www.booking.com to find central hotels by entering your destination as "Rome Centre City" (or words to that effect). This will give you a list of the most central hotels. You can see the locations on a map, and you can sort the list by guest rating, or by price, whichever is most important to you. When I sort by price, I go down the list until I find an acceptable guest rating, which, for me, would be something in the high 7s.

If you sort by guest rating, go down the list until you find an acceptable price. Keep in mind that places with very few ratings can be skewed high or low by one or two people. All of the ratings are by people who have actually stayed there, and reserved through booking.com . When you've narrowed your choices down, read the guest reviews, because sometimes the reasons for a higher or lower rating may be things that are not important to you.

Everyone has their favorites, but I really liked the Jewish Quarter, although I didn't stay there. We would like to make that our base for our next trip to Rome, possibly staying here: http://www.blackandwhitesuite.com/

Trastevere as mentioned above

I stayed in Prati in November and would stay in that region again as it is safe and great for Restaurants and cafes although you cannot beat trastevere for food.

Prati is 10 min walk to Vatican and 20 min walk to via del corso - the start of the main shopping area and we ended up walking down this street to the Spanish steps, trevi fountain and then to the colosseum...

I used Uber taxis for other trips to Trastevere as I am told it is not on the metro.

I have taken the food tour of the Testaccio area. It is a great area, but not within walking distance to any of the major sites. I can't comment on the night life there as I only spent the morning and afternoon in the area. Easy metro ride from Monti area.

Though our hotel is central and close to many tourist sites, it's location on a small cul-de-sac and the fact that it shares a neighborhood with "real" residents, shops and restaurants, has made it so the crowds have never been oppressive to us and we HATE crowds. The last time we were in Rome in July was during the economic downturn in the U.S and the Piazza Navona was frighteningly empty in the evening.
We use all possible tricks to avoid hordes--mostly getting up very early, going to places early or late, having long leisurely lunches and a nap before going out again. That said--staying in the Jewish ghetto area could be interesting.

Has anybody stayed in Aventino? That's on my mental list for next time in Rome. It's just southwest of the Roman Forum, Colosseum, etc., not too far to walk. But seems to have a peaceful, neighborhood vibe.

That said, for first-timers I prefer somewhere around Campo dei Fiori/Piazza Navona. Very central, you can walk to practically any sight. And there is so much to see along the way. But it will be busy with other tourists in July. Interestingly, because all Italians go on vacation in August, business hotels can be a good value then.

We love the Piaza Navona area, and have stayed at Hotel Genio several times. We also stayed at Residenza Canali once, and had a very small unattractive room. All those stairs were not fun, either!

I love the Aventino--the first time I was in Rome I promised myself that was where I would stay the next time. Maybe 6 times later I never have. For me, it's a nice place to live, but too far away to want to visit. Most of Rome is not walkable from there (at least for me). It would be buses and taxis.