lattelysh

My boyfriend and I are stopping in Rome for one night after our flight before heading out to the coast. I am looking for a neighborhood to stay in that represents the real Roman culture - sidewalk cafes, lots of Romans (not tourists) doing their thing. I have been in Roma before and encountered that type of neighborhood feel but unfortunately have forgotten where it was. My bf has not been to Italy before so I want him to see that culture. We will not have time to do any Rome sighseeing this time as Rome is merely a stopover so I am not concerned with staying near attractions, Termini station, etc. I am just looking for a nice evening night out of walking around and ending up at a Italian restaurant/cafe before heading to the rest of our trip. Any hotel recommendations/restaurants would help too. thanks!

suec1

Trastevere? I've never stayed in that area but its not hard to get to either by walking, taxi or bus. I'd guess you know Rome is fairly compact so you could stay in a hotel in another area and then go there for the evening. If you are arriving by train or taking the train to the airport, you could stay near Termini for convenience and lots of hotel choices and then go to Trastevere for the evening.

lattelysh

thanks! how is trastevere compared to piazza navona? i understand trastevere is pretty close to walk to from piazza navona area where there are more hotels. i'd like to avoid staying near the Termini area if possible.

LowCountryIslander

You may want to check out Hotel Smeraldo. I don't know what your budget is, but this hotel is basic/no frills hotel, but clean and very well located (IMHO). It's just a few minutes walk from Campo dei Fiori, Trastevere and Piazza Navona.

I stayed there a couple years ago during the Christmas/New Year's holiday and the room rate was reasonable. The staff can sometimes be less than friendly, but I didn't need them for anything more than checking me in and out and retrieving my room key.

As I mentioned above the biggest plus for this hotel in my opinion is location and price.

LowCountryIslander

Oh...I've also stayed at the Hosianium Palace, which is more expensive then Smeraldo, but within easy walking distance of the areas I mentioned above. It's also on a quiter street than the Hotel Smeraldo.

suec1

I think in Trastevere there will be more of a local crowd as opposed to Piazza Navonna that is swimming with tourists (but more hotel options). There is another area Monte? around Via Marmota which is also supposed to be an up and coming local scene - maybe some else can post more info and correct spellings! Also you could stay at hotel in the Vatican area and there would be easy access to Trastavere.

I never used to stay in the Termini area but for some of my more recent trips where Rome has been more of a transit point I have chosen to stay there. I like being able to walk to my hotel and use the train to and from the airport without having to access a taxi or bus. I drag my bags to the hotel and then head out to more pleasant parts of town but I can understand why some people chose to avoid the hotels in that area.