Rome for 10 days
 

We are spending 10 days in Rome in January. Will likely stay in a self catering apartment during our time there.

Any recommendations as to what area of Rome would be best to stay and explore?

Any help and opinions would be very much appreciated.

Tim

See my Rome trip report. (a few links down).

We just got back.

Rented a great apartment in the Campo de Fiori area for 8 days. It's a perfect location. Apartment was perfect also.

I've included LOTS on details on what to see, where to shop and eat.

To boil it down:

1. The Spanish steps area is very "practical" esp access to the metropolitana, high end shopping and main sights.

2. The area of the centro storico around Piazza Navona is a tad less convenient but WAY more atmospheric.

3. Campo de' Fiori, a haunt of my misspent youth, has nothing that the P.zza Navona does not also have.

4. Everywhere else, incl. Trastevere, is a little too far for convenience, IMO.

Sorry, the link didn't work. Just type "wanderer" in the search box, and my "Rome Trip Report" comes up right under your post.

We did not like the Spanish Steps area, and found it far from everything we wanted to see, but that is a personal thing. We also found it much more crowded and more pricey than everywhere else.

I like the centro storico area - seems more authentic, with many more locals there. The one reason we like Campo de Fiori is with the Campo, we had our own little "neighborhood" - a fish shop, a cheese shop, a pastry shop, a butcher, a bread shop, and numerous cafes and restaurants, a supermarket, and public transport right around the corner, and of course the morning market in the Campo. Perhaps Navonna has the same.

tedgale
We'll be staying in Trastevere at Hotel Santa Maria in May 2007. Please say more about "Trastevere, is a little too far for convenience,".. Do you mean in terms of its' location to major sites or in terms of its' neighborhood - shops, cafes, restaurants, supermarket, and public transport?
I'd appreciate your insights about staying in Trastevere

We will be in Rome in January for a week and are also looking for an apt. Our focus is on Trestevere and Campo de Fiori area. Good luck on your searches..you will be overwelmed with choices.

We have an apartment booked in Trastevere for week in February. Trastevere is very close to the Coliseum and Vatican, Piazza Navona and Pantheon. If it is your first time in Rome it might seem far from certain things but if it isn't (as is our case) then it is a really great neighborhood with great stores, restaurants, and atmosphere. I also guess far is relative from where you actually want to be close to. Rome is really a walkable city.

Forgot to include this:

http://www.rome-is-home.com/

We really enjoyed our stay here.

Trastevere is a great location - I don't think "too far", but not as central as Campo de Fiori or Piazza Navona area.

I really love Trastevere and it is one of my favorite haunts in Roma. I wouldn't hesitate to stay there, but it needs to be pointed out that it does add at least 10 minutes worth of extra walking at the beginning and end of the day for most tourists who are in Rome to do non-stop sightseeing.

Look at a map of Rome. You will see that some of the sights you are most likely to want to see are not far from the river, so crossing the bridge to get to Trastevere is not a lot to add on. But some of the most popular tourist sights -- nearer the Spanish Steps and the Borghese Gardens -- are quite a healthy walk. Most people I know who stay in Trastevere take time to learn use the bus system.

Also be aware that while the Vatican looks close, it is a good 25 minute walk from Santa Maria to San Pietro.

Trastevere is great for people who really prize a quieter Roman neighborhood and a more village-y feel. As well as the abundance of good, affordable restaurants. For people with a very long checklist and ambitious sightseeing agenda, they may prefer not to have to spend those extra steps getting to and from their apartment.

The best source for information about renting self-catering acommodation in Italy is www.slowtrav.com. It covers other parts of Europe too and other aspects of travel. There's a particularly good section on Italian train travel.

Depends on what you like. Spanish Steps or Via Veneto would be my last choices. Campo di Fiori or Trastevere would be my first. More local character, fewer tourists.

Here's a 2-bedroom apt we rented and a trip report if you're interested.

http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/vr/review.asp?n=1530

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34645892

gohedwig: Forget about anybody telling you Trastevere is "far away." It isn't. It's great. Lots of atmosphere, fewer tourists, better food, still WELL within walking distance to everything.

I agree about the Trastevere area. It is great, I really enjoyed it!

Thanks to everyone on your feedback about Trastevere - sounds like a great place.
Does anyone know the tram, bus or metro # that serve this area? I'm staying near the Piazza di Santa Maria.
Thanks again for your help

Unless you have mobility problems, you can walk to anything you want to see from Trastevere.

One the one occasion we didn't walk, we took a taxi one way (walked the other) and it was very, very reasonable (and alot less crowded than the bus!!)

Gohedwig,

If you don't get an answer to your question here, it is still worth pursuing and you can surely get the number on the Slow Travel. Most people I know who do an extended stay in Trastevere make use of the bus (no metro) to see more of Rome or in rainy weather.

Have a great trip!

wanderer,

From Trastevere, how long did it take you to walk to or from the Borghese Galleries in Roma?

Never mind, wanderer. I just looked back at the thread and realized you've never stayed in Trastevere.

The Borghese Gallery is walkable but it is a long walk from Trastever. I never do public transit in Rome so I can't help on that end but you could cab it to Piazza Barberini then walk up Via Veneto and enter the park at the top of Via Veneto. It is a nice walk. The Capucine Monk church (it has another name- but it is the church with the bones of the monks) is on the way and worth a stop. Via Veneto is not what it use to be but we like to stop and do lunch in one of the cafes on our way to the museum. You could also cab or bus it to Piazza del Popolo then enter the park at the Pincio and walk through the park to the museum.

It is more than 4 miles from Piazza Santa Maria to the Borghese Galleries (the last part straight uphill), and the mileage is similar for Pizza del Populo, Spanish Steps, etc. Many people find Roma one of more difficult places to actually walk in Europe, dodging motorcycles, dealing with uneven pavement or being on busy boulevards so thick with bus fumes the air is unbreathable and the noise is unbearable.

I have happily stayed in Trastevere and would do so again. I'm pretty free with my cab budget, so getting home at night from restaurants near Piazza del Populo isn't a problem. Plus, Trastevere is filled with excellent restaurants. I like returning to Trastevere in the evening just because it is out of the way.

But for travelers who come to Roma with a detailed touring itinerary, trying to hit all the sights on foot, I would recommend staying nearer Piazza della Rotunda or Piazza Navona, also quite beautiful places to be, filled with atmospheric corners and ancient streets.

I am delighted to have set off this firestorm among the Trastevere enthusiasts and apologists.

For the record, my comment was: that it is "a little too far for convenience, in my opinion".

Mild enough commentary.....

My spouse reminds me that my in-laws took a family trip to Rome circa 1960: they were warned to stay out of Trastevere, as it was the "thieves' quarter".

Now it's graffiti-covered but safe.

...And too far for convenience, in my opinion.