Neighborhood by neighborhood, our guide to help you find the best neighborhood to stay in Rome!
Are you planning to leave for the Italian capital, and are looking for where to stay in Rome? The center of Rome is not huge, and you can easily move between the city’s tourist attractions on foot. However, as the days go by, it can be tiring to walk, and relying entirely on public transport can take a toll on your good humor and patience.
Thus, it is worth looking into which would be the best area to stay in Rome. Do you want to be close to transport areas so you can go on a day trip, or do you want to stroll through the small alleys near your hotel? Wherever you sleep, you will have a good stay in Rome, but the location of your accommodation can make the difference. Here is a guide to guide you in your choice of the ideal neighborhood to sleep in Rome.
The Most Romantic: Centro Storico
The Centro Storico (historic center) is what most travelers dream of when vacationing in Rome: a maze of cobbled streets and alleys where Renaissance palaces, Baroque churches, and majestic piazzas mingle. The neighborhood is home to plenty of important sights like the Pantheon and Piazza Navona, and most of the places you’ll want to see in Rome are within walking distance.
The less appealing side of Centro Storico is that it’s expensive: hotels here tend to be plush establishments rather than hostels or moderately priced apartments, but with Airbnb for example, it’s possible to stay in a palazzo historic for a few days, especially out of season. It is therefore not a district to be if you want to save money for accommodation in Rome.
The Most Authentic: Campo De’ Fiori & The Ghetto
Technically part of the Centro Storico, but less chaotic thanks to an absence of big famous landmarks, the cafe-lined lanes around Campo de’ Fiori make up one of the city’s most picturesque neighborhoods, filled with independent shops, bars wineries, and trattorias (typical Roman restaurants).
Southeast of Campo de Fiori is the former Jewish ghetto, a flourishing and authentic neighborhood with some very good restaurants. Choose to sleep in Rome in one of the alleys of the Ghetto to live like the locals for a few days.
The Most “Shopping”: Tridente
The northern part of central Rome – sometimes known as Tridente because of the shape formed by the three streets that stretch from Piazza del Popolo – is where designer boutiques, bars, and restaurants are concentrated chic.
The heart of the district revolves around the Piazza di Spagna, once an essential stop on the “Grand Tour” (originally a long journey to Europe taken by young people from the highest classes of European society), which is still very popular with tourists today: the latter come here to climb the legendary Spanish Steps to the Church of the Trinity of the Mountains, or to sit on it to watch people chat and flirt. A very central area to sleep in Rome!
The Most Chic/Relaxing: Via Veneto & Villa Borghese
Need we take care of you? The grand hotels on Via Veneto all have uniformed doorman, marble floors, and luxurious spas, the price of which you can imagine. This street was once the beating heart of Rome during the Dolce Vita era (the 50s), an incredibly fashionable place. Today, the neighborhood has changed and there are restaurants and bars that are tourist traps, so it is better to eat in another neighborhood.
The Via Veneto winds its way to Villa Borghese around which other luxury hotels are grouped. Not really the best area to stay in Rome if your accommodation budget is tight.
