Rome regulars- I need help! Soon please!
 

I am looking at two different apartments and need to book quickly. One is way south in Trastevere:

http://www.rentalinrome.com/trasteve...0612&numPers=2

One is NE of Termini:
http://www.rentalinrome.com/stazione...0612&numPers=2

I am not very familiar with either of these areas. What is most important to me is walking distance to most sites. It appears that the apt near Termini might be better for that- but is it too close to Termini?

I love the Trastevere apartment, and it does appear there is a Metro stop very close by. I've never done the Metro (though I have taken buses in Rome). I suspect if it is convenient to use the Metro, I could just as easily take the Trastavere apt. I'm just concerned that it is too far away from everything.

If you know these areas, please weigh in. (I will also need a market nearby, as I'm staying 3 weeks in whichever unit I pick. As well as restaurants/shops.)

All input appreciated. Most interested in folk who know these areas well.

THANKS, FODOR FRIENDS!

Hi
The first time I visited Rome was with a tour group and the tour director was paranoid about us getting into trouble near Termini train station. I recently went back on my own and stayed three streets away and had no problems at all, did not feel unsafe at any time. So the apartment NE should not present any problems, I also used the hop on hop off buses but found them to be too slow and ended up using the metro also without any hassles. I did not get time to go to Trastavere and although I had planned to I also read where it was not such a good area to stay in. Would be interested to hear what others have to say about it. Have fun.

If "<i>What is most important to you is walking distance to most sites."</i>, then neither of those two apartments are for you. I see the same agency has many options that ARE walking distance to most sites...

http://www.rentalinrome.com/piazzanavona.htm

http://www.rentalinrome.com/campodefiori.htm

The Trastevere apartment is on the frequent-service Number 8 tram line, which takes you across the river to the Largo Arenula, its terminus.

There is no metro stop in Trastevere. Perhaps you are seeing the Trastevere train station, from which, incidentally, there is a very convenient train to Fiumicino.

If taking it FROM Fiumicino TO Trastevere, you get it at the same in-airport station as the more familiar Leonardo Express to Termini. It takes 20-25 minutes to Trastevere, making a few suburban stops. I LOVE that train.

With a bus/ tram/ subway pass -- which IMO EVERY visitor should try -- you can go everywhere, if you decide the distance is too great for walking.

I greatly prefer surface travel to the subway, which has such limited route options.

The Termini apt option just doesn't do it for me.

I love the Trastevere and Testaccio neighborhoods and have stayed there for at least the last five visits to Rome, staying one to two weeks. I agree totally about the weekly bus/tram/subway pass which costs 24 euros and can be purchased at some tabacchi and at Termini as well as other locations. The weekly pass is known as the CIS
(for Carta Integrata Settimanale).

While not the most famous attractions in Rome, Trastevere offers many treasures, including the churches of Santa Maria in Trastevere (stunning mosaics), Santa Cecilia (statue of her beneath the altar and Roman street beneath the church with a stunning chapel to her also below the church (beyond the Roman street section) and frescoes by Cavallini on an upper floor with limited access), San Francesco with a Bernini statue of a saint in ecstasy, and, going up the Janiculum Hill, Bramante's Tempietto: http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/tempietto.html This small masterpiece is said to be the reason he was appointed chief architect of St. Peter's.

Many sections of Trastevere are pedestrian only and there is an abundance of very reasonably priced restaurants, cafes, enotecas, etc.

A futher note about Tram #8. It runs very frequently, every 5-10 minutes, and is never delayed by traffic because it runs on a fixed track.

So, the Tram takes me to exactly where on the other side of the Tiber?

idyllic- does the CIS cover tram/bus/metro for that 1 week? Is there a monthly or quarterly ridership pass?

bardo-thanks. I've spent at least 40 hours looking at apartments. :( Due to the 3-week rental, need for at least one bedroom (no studios), and I'm arriving with 2 cats.. I am more limited than I normally am when I visit.

R-i-R was at least nice enough to send me some other options when my first choice refused to let me bring my 2 cats. :( (And they are old and so well-behaved. shame.)

Tram #8 goes from Trastevere rail station to Largo Argentina every 3 mins. Largo Argentina is just on the edge of the ghetto, and where you can see rescue cats living in temple ruins, very picturesque and a frequent stop for me.

http://www.romancats.com/index_eng.php

thanks, tarquin. I am familiar with the Torre Argentina and that sounds perfect, as I know you can catch a bus there and actually walking to Piazza Navona and Piazza Venezia are both doable from there!

How early/late does that tram run? And can I assume it runs both ways every 10 mts?

Trams run from around 5 am to around midnight. Very frequent during the day, fewer late at night and very early morning.

sarge, i just got back from Rome and given the choice for a 3 week stay [you lucky thing] Trastevere wins hands down. Great restaurants, loads of atmosphere, the lovely churches, the tram, BUT out of the tourist throng.

you and your cats will love it!

Well, now that I know the tram runs that early and that late, I think that might be the decider. :)

Looks like there is also a bus (780) that runs along Trastevere?

Oh, and- my nephew is going home after a week in Rome, so it's nice to know that if I can take a train directly back to Trastevere from Fiumicino. (His flight is at 6:45am, so I'm going to get a car service to take us to the airport. Nice to know I don't have to take the train back to Termini.)

sarge - not sure about that but there is a bus map that you can buy at any of the tabacchi that sell bus tickets or at bookshops for €3.

if you are there for 3 weeks, a month's pass might be worth it - have a look here:

http://www.roninrome.com/

[Ron doesn't live in Rome any more but his information is excellent].

saving for me

>>>I love the Trastevere apartment, and it does appear there is a Metro stop very close by.<<<

The map wouldn't load for me. What street is it? As pointed out, no metro on that side of Rome.

I can't imagine the 780 bus being very useful unless you need to catch a bus at Piazza Venezia to somewhere else. Tram 8 would get you almost as close if and you can catch most of the same buses at Largo Argentina. If you wanted to go to Termini, it would make more sense to take bus H (few stops). You could also take the FR1 train from the Trastevere to the Ostiense station (1 stop) and hop on the metro there (Piramide metro B stop) or bus 75 from Trastevere station to Termini.

You can see the FR1 train on this map from Fiumicino to Tiburtina. You can also see that you can catch the FR5 train at Trasetevere and get off at S. Pietro (4-6 minutes -1€) which puts you in walking distance of St. Peter's. If you catch the FR3 at Trastevere to Valle Aurelia (10 minutes - 1€), you can grab the metro A line there.

http://www.atac.roma.it/files/doc.asp?r=4

Tram map
http://www.atac.roma.it/files/doc.asp?r=5

You can get a monthly transport bus. Make sure what areas/zones it includes. On the metro/train map above, some passes are only good to the stops designated in red, but you can get more extensive passes.

Map of bus lines (central Rome)
http://www.atac.roma.it/files/doc.asp?r=3

Find a bus number and enter here (trova linea) to get route map and times (below map):
http://www.atac.roma.it/

>>>Trams run from around 5 am to around midnight.<<<

Weekends have extended hours. Tram 8 until 3am.

Single fare (BIT) is now €1.50 (valid 100 min instead of 75 min previously).

ky- Thanks BUNCHES!! Those are exactly what I needed! Now I've got a very good idea about how to get where I want to go- and it seems the Trastevere apt could not be better located!

THanks for also pointing out the red stops. I will be in Rome for longer than 3 weeks, so I will probably end up buying a monthly pass, and that is good info.

Thanks, ALL, for the input!!

>>>Single fare (BIT) is now €1.50<<<

That's metro and bus fares, not FR trains. The train from Roma Trastevere to Roma S. Pietro or Roma Valle Aurelia is 1€. You can look at them on Trenitalia. It was .90€ until this year. Roma Trastevere to Roma Ostiense is 1€ also as is all the way from Trastevere to Tiburtina. The fare is 1€ between any of the stops on FR trains until you get to the stops designated in red on this map.
http://www.atac.roma.it/files/doc.asp?r=4

You can get a pass that covers Rome or you can get a pass that covers Lazio (all the way to Civitavecchia, Viterbo,Tivoli,Bolsena, etc.). If I were staying there a month, I would probably get that and take a lot of day trips although it costs quite a bit more (35€ vs 108€).

Zone map:
http://www.atac.roma.it/files/doc.asp?r=1643

Pass prices (mensile - month):
http://www.atac.roma.it/files/doc.asp?r=1644

But if you already have a BIT ticket, it's also valid on FR train within Rome limit.

Still rather coy about its exact location - however the map on their Flipkey listing does at least work!

http://www.flipkey.com/rome-condo-rentals/p159529/

That would also be on route 3 - mostly trams, but with the stretch between Trastevere station and Piramide currently served by buses labelled as "3B" - which you could use to start an outing along these lines....

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/riding_tram_3

Peter

ky - we used our BIT tickets to get all the way from San Pietro station to Ostia - just €1.50 each way. Was this wrong? the ticket inspector on the train was happy.

ooops - i see that's what Alec said.

Trastever is the heart of Rome (I am born in Rome) the most romantic area and soo nice by night whit a lot of restaurants and pubs. Termini is the central station of Rome and very chaotic not nice by night. From Trastevere you can also thake busses if you prefer but the Metro is good too. Hope I helped you. For your next trip come discovering central Italy I live now on the borderline between Umbria and Tuscany near by Assisi, Siena, Florence ...wanderful places! enjoy Rome !!!

Brit's link shows the apartment on Viale Trastevere which is a very busy street so could possibly be noisy. I would search reviews about noise before renting.

>>>But if you already have a BIT ticket, it's also valid on FR train within Rome limit<<<

It's only valid for one ride in one direction on the FR (FS trains - there are also Cotral trains such as the Rome-Lido line) train. Even if you get a day ticket (BIG), it's only valid for one train (FR/FS) trip, one direction (unless there have been some recent changes).

>>>ky - we used our BIT tickets to get all the way from San Pietro station to Ostia - just €1.50 each way.<<<

If you didn't change FS trains, but you could have purchased a Trenitalia ticket from S. Pietro to Ostiense for 1€.

Roma S. Pietro
10:01 Roma Ostiense
10:16 00:15
Regionale 12233
1. 00 €

Roma S. Pietro
10:13 Roma Ostiense
10:24 00:11
Regionale 23699
1. 00 €

NOTE - The BIT ticket is valid 100 minutes, but says one train OR one metro journey is permitted.

I can't get the ATAC link to work when I post it so I'll just copy the info here.

***BIT - Integrated Time Ticket
How much does it cost?

€ 1,50
Please remember that....

How long does it last?

It is valid for 100 minutes after validation

Where can I buy it?

- ticket offices and shops
- bit via sms
Where can I use it?

It can be used within the Rome Capital of Italy (Roma Capitale) area on all

local public transport:

ATAC (buses, trams and on the underground service),

Cotral and regional railway services (Trenitalia travelling 2^ cl., Roma-Lido,

Roma-Giardinetti, Roma-Viterbo).

Please remember that...

In order for it to be valid, you must always validate your ticket at the beginning of your journey and when transferring onto the metro (your ticket must be re-stamped within 100 minutes of the first validation stamp and is then valid until the end of your journey).
Only 1 metro or train journey is permitted.
Validation stamping machines are installed: on buses, trams, trolleybuses and trains on the Rome-Pantano and Rome-Viterbo lines, in stations at the turnstiles leading to the metro, the Rome-Lido regional train line and Trenitalia SpA regional trains.

You must keep your ticket with you whilst travelling on public transport and when passing through metro and regional train stations and be ready to show it, on request, to ticket inspectors.
In the event that the validation stamping machine is not functioning correctly, go to the ticket office or the guard as soon as you get on a Trenitalia train. When travelling on public transport within the Municipality of Rome (buses, trams, trolleybuses, metro A and B), Co.Tra.L. coaches and ex-railway lines now run by Met.Ro. you must validate your ticket by pen, writing the date, time, station or number of the vehicle.***

Whilst not giving a precise address, it's hard to see how those sites could be any clearer about which street the apartment's on?

"This luxury apartment is located on Viale Trastevere, a short walk from Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere and the historic center."

"One of our fine Rome apartment rentals, this luxury apartment is located on Viale Trastevere, a short walk from Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere and the historic center."

Peter

Thanks, everyone, for your input. Yes, it does appear to be on a busy street. But it also appears that there is quite a bit of foliage to buffer (look at the balcony.)

Either way, I'm a not a light sleeper. And all the reviews are great. (rating 10 out of 10). So, I think we'll be happy.

And, of course, I'll report back here about the apartment once we've spent some time there! :)

Really, thank you for all the information on the transportation. I've ridden the bus before, I understand I need to validate. And ky-I understand it's a separate ticket for the FR train to St. Peter's or any FR train we might want to take to another part of town. Very much appreciate your input!

Grazie!

If you buy the week-long or month-long bus/metro/tram pass, you don't need to validate anything. You just need to sign it and carry it with you.

Excellent news, idyllic! Where can I buy a month-long pass?

B.I.G. (one-day ticket)
Price: € 6,00
Valid 24 hours for unlimited metro, bus, and train travel within the city of Rome.

http://www.060608.it/en/trasporti/mu...s-tariffe.html

You can buy the monthly pass at the ATAC office at the Termini train station. It was outside the station in a trailer like building when I was there last.

I have bought the week-long passes at Tabacchi but I doubt you can buy the monthly pass at a Tabacchi but it might be possible.

In Trastevere, there is a very convenient tourist office at Piazza Sonnino in Trastevere. It's the second to last stop in Trastevere (before Piazza Belli) before you cross the Tiber in the direction of Largo Argentina. I'm sure they can advise you there.

Good stuff. Saving.

I think though that the €35 city-wide 'Mensile Personale' passes are just that!

You'll maybe get this to open, in which case look carefully at the bright yellow section of the ticket:

http://www.atac.roma.it/page.asp?p=14

.... otherwise there's similarly a June / Giugno 2012 one amongst these:

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/144725077

Unless your three weeks all fall in the same calendar month, you'll probably need something else as well - or instead?

Almost as maddening as here, where they run from one 15th to the next...

Peter

On another topic, do you always travel with cats? I am curious because mine limits the length of my time away from home.

tarquin, I am planning on living in Europe for 18-24 months. So, I couldn't leave them home. :) (Actually, I have 4. I simply cannot take all 4 with me. I'm taking the two 13-year-olds and trying to find someone to foster my two 3-yr-olds. They are a pair of inseparable brothers and were adopted as feral kittens. They would not do well traveling.)

If you only have one small cat, then it shouldn't be that difficult to travel with it. But I find that not many vets will fill out the international passport paperwork for a pet. I am paying $100 per cat to have a vet complete that paperwork. And its like only 2 pages!

(I should state that many airlines will permit you to put 2 cats in the same carrier, but they must be able to stand up completely and turn around in the carrier. So, you'd have to make sure you had a large enough carrier for that.)

I read that Lufthansa will let pets in carriers in the cabin for overseas flights, as long as the total weight of carrier and pet does not exceed about 17 lbs. Otherwise, your animal goes in a special cargo hold. Some airlines simply won't let you bring animals in the cabin for overseas flights (they are required to go in the pet hold.)

Just takes some research on airlines and policies. If your cat is small and travels well, you should be able to take him/her with you. But that passport paperwork would have to be filled out every time you go. It is only good within 10 days of your flight (for EU). And, of course, you'd have to find an apartment/hotel that allowed pets. I think the cost to take your cat would run anywhere from $100-350, depending on the airline.

Certainly worth investigating, if your cat is mellow enough to adapt. (Is your cat-sitter expensive? I suppose you'd have to weigh the cost of taking them, vs cost of cat-sitter.)

Hope you'll look into it if you want to plan an extended stay in Europe! :)

Sarge,I should have told you that I live in the UK. My principal problem would be getting my boy rabies tested 24 hours before coming home, apart from finding pet-friendly accommodation of course. It will be interesting to hear about your travels coi i vostri gatti.