sarge56

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!

golfernz1

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.

bardo1

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

tedgale

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.

IdyllicItaly

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.

sarge56

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.)

tarquin

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

sarge56

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?

Alec

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

annhig

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!

sarge56

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?

sarge56

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.)

annhig

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].

soogies

saving for me

kybourbon

>>>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.

Alec

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

sarge56

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!!

kybourbon

>>>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

Alec

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

A_Brit_In_Ischia

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