Stay in Rome
 

hey all,

I am planning to travel to rome in december I have booked my stay near the colosseum tentaively, need some opinion whcih woudl be safe/good area to live in ... Would love to get soem recommendations on teh restauranst out there to eat tooo!!

I would suggest staying near Piazza Navona/Campo di Fiori or the Pantheon. These are all pretty close to each other and in a central location filled with great restaurants, cafes and gelaterias. The colloseum area is okay but not very central to the rest of Rome's sights.

Tracy

I, on the other hand, would highly recommend the Coliseum area-everyone stays in Navona/Pantheon area-so you are there with the crowds of tourists-the further away you move from that part, the more you get the sense of an authentic Roman neighborhood-called a "rione" in Italian-and there's no better place for that than around the Colisseum-remember, from there, you can easily walk to Navona/Pantheon, or hop on bus 64, or any bus going down from the Col'eum along Corso Vittorio Emmanuele to Navona. There is no place like this at night-to view the Fori Imperiali at dusk-the light turns the ancient structures a golden/pink color-truly amazing. And of course, gazing/strolling around by the Colisseum at night is one of my favorite things to do-a real Roman moment.

Your subway stop(Colosseo) is right next to the Col'eum and will take you to the Vatican and other parts of the city (if you want to take it-I prefer the bus or walking).

here are some recommended restaurants/bars in the area:

OPPIO CAFFE- via delle Terme di Tito
FANTASTIC view of the Col'eum/Fori Imperiali at night-on the terrace (equipped with heat lamps when it's cold) with live jazz and blues every night-pizzas, pastas -open late-great for an early evening aperitif or late night after-dinner. Price for pizza/pasta-around 25 Euros

ICE CLUB-I meant to go this past September, but didn't make it-a REAL ice bar-made of ice-20 meters from the Fori Imperiali, at the corner of Via Cavour-with REAL ice benches and tables, and Roman columns-coats and gloves given out to keep the chill factor down-this sounds like a fun place to go for a drink! (specializes in vodka, naturally!)

DA PANCRAZIO-Piazza dei Biscione-situated on the ruins of the theatre of Pompeo, excellent Roman cuisine-with fab artichoke ravioli (my favorite)

HOSTARIA ANTICA ROMA-a bit further out, on via Appia Antica-but worth it-outdoor garden, on the ruins of an ancient columbarium, gnocci with clams, various recipes from ancient times (like flan cake-which I've never had)- Via Appia Antica 87

The area around the via dei Serpenti (with the Colisseum just down the street) is filled with good little restaurants, a great gelateria (Il Gelatone), wine bars, etc., as is Via Cavour-you can't go wrong in this area!

We preferred the area around Piazza Navona and Pantheon also. We stayed across the river in Prati which was nice, but we would have preferred to have stayed in the Navona/Pantheon area instead. But it seems as though you are booked to stay at the Collosseum area for sure.

You can't go wrong either way, I suppose.
We stayed at Hotel Pomezia, which is walking distance to the Pantheon, Navona and Fiori. It may be a bit pricey (for us), but it was worth the hassle of finding transport, as Rome isn't as convenient as say, London.

Hi

My wife and I stayed near Termini in July last year and we didn't feel that it was a problem. The city center of Rome is not that big so it is easy to get around by bus, taxi, metro...or by walking. I have posted a trip report with some pictures and links on my homepage http://gardkarlsen.com/rome_italy.htm .

I went to the Ice Club last week by the way and it is OK...it is certainly a bit strange to go into a bar where it is -5 degrees :-) But the drinks were expensive..at least to start with...and the selection was limited. I have shown the location of it in this Rome Google map: http://gardkarlsen.com/rome_italy_map.htm

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

Ciao a tutti,

I'm a Belgian girl living in Italy. I've had a great experience with renting an apartment in Rome with www.halldis.com/rome . They rent apartments from 3 days, but also for long stays like over a year, they're great.

Have fun in Rome!

To steine, it is becoming very suspicious as to why you have replied to three Italy posts just to promote this apartment agency.

I think for December a trip to the Ice Club would be miserable!

I'm not sure the drinks are really the point at the Ice Club, but that such a club exists at all in Rome, where you sit down at an ice table, order an ice vodka from the Ice Bar! I do want to check out this place next time around.

I would say stick with your hotel...IF you weren't going in December. It's going to be very cold and uncomfortable walking long distances.

If you're not locked in at the Colloseum hotel, I would also recommend something in the central area.

Thanks All for your suggestions..
Thanks Girlspy for the eat list:) will try the ice bar!!!

Hm. Regarding Da Pancrazio, I'll immediately admit it was many, many years ago that I've eaten there, but already then, this place had been famous for decades. And it was horrible - one of the few REALLY bad meals I've ever had in Rome. I repeat, this was many years ago. But honestly, I wouldn't ever give it a second try. And one thing is certain: it's nowhere near the Colosseo, but - in the Pantheon/Navona/Campo de' Fiori area!!

I loved staying in the Trastevere area. I found the Piazza Navona area too be too crowded with tourists. The restaurants are too expensive and the food served leave a lot to be desired.

I'll take the time to respond, although I'm literally running to get ready to go to the new FAB Embassy of Sweden party down on Georgetown's harbour-da Pancrazio IS near Piazza Navona, however, so what? Where you are staying, trust me, I've walked from Santa Maria Maggiore through Piazza Venezia and down the Corso VI to Campo dei Fiori/Navona without breaking a sweat, and you are NOT staying EVEN as far away as I was-certainly not by bus, OR by walking!

Their website is under renovation,-but you can have a look at it here-it has atmosphere galore, in a small square with Roman arches, the Teatro dei Pompeo, and their fresh artichoke ravioli-well, what can I say? It's their specialty, and my very favorite of ALL pasta dishes.

Try it-unlike the Franco, I've been spending weeks in Rome within the past year and a couple of months, so I DO know what's good and what's not.

www.dapancrazio.it

I was in Rome two years ago in December and stayed with my friend who lives down the street from the Pantheon. Of course, this was a great location. But then we finished our trip at a pension on Via Boschetta, off of Via Nazionale, not to far from the Coloseum. It was a great street with wonderful small enotecas and artisan and designer shops. It is aparently a trendy area and I woudl not have probably ventured there otherwise. My daughter and I walked all over and came back late at night without a problem. I am from NYC so Rome does not feel large to me and quite walkable. I guess it is all relative. In Rome dinners tend to be long and endulgent so a long walk afterwards always works fine for me.

Just wanted to add one more thing...when I was in Rome in December the weather was a bit rainy and cold the first three days but nothing that was unbearable. The other days it was cold but really pleasant. NOthing that a winter coat, scarf, and gloves could not handle. Just bring an umbrella, two pairs of shoes, one waterproof, several socks, and clothes to layer.

We went this past Christmas.

Risab is right about the clothes, but I would specify that the layers include a set of long underwear. There are some great high tech fabrics from REI-type places or the silk ones as well. My husband did not bring any but wore his running pants under his jeans for warmth.

It is not just the outside temperatures in Rome that are an issue. It is that you are outside for awhile in transit and then you go into an unheated marble church or outdoor ruins.

As Girlspy points out, being near a Metro stop gets you quick access to many sites. For me, picking a hotel is more about what area of the city you want to be in.

The Metro stops running in the evenings. I am sure someone else can post the time on that.

Also, be aware if you are going at Christmas: Between Christmas and New Year's only half of the taxis are running. This is a tradition in Rome. So taxi stand lines are long, and calling a taxi by cell phone doesn't always give results even with a fluent speaker in Italian doing the calling. When you eat at a restaurant, if you need a taxi afterward, be sure to ask your waiter to call. Restaurants have better response.

Hope this helps.

We flew back from Rome this week. The metro stopped running at 9.