Rome where to stay. Which area of Rome is best for a tourist to stay in?

05.04.2020

Rome is known to be one of the largest tourist cities in the world and one of the busiest. Therefore, in order not to spoil your impression of the trip and to protect yourself from all sorts of troubles, it is important to approach the issue of choosing a hotel with all seriousness.

At one time, one of the tourism forums described the ideal hotel in Rome as follows:

1) the main “beauties” and attractions can be reached on foot;
2) not very noisy at night;
3) safe area.

Let's see if this exists in nature.

Which area of Rome is best to stay in?

Rome is a city where the expression “legs fall off” becomes close and understandable, due to the fact that the sights are located at a considerable distance from each other (from the Colosseum to the Vatican several kilometers!), so you need to live in the historical center of the city. You can probably book yourself a hotel on the outskirts in one of the residential areas: it will cost significantly less, but spending an hour or two every day on the road to the center is still a pleasure, and it’s a terrible waste of time, especially if you plan to stay in Rome only for a few days. I understand that residents big cities This won’t scare me, but we go to work, and on vacation I would be terribly sorry for those hour and a half.

Center in Rome is long and lasts from Termini Station and the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore to the Vatican, from Borghese Park to the Colosseum. The territory is quite large (for example, from the Vatican to Termini Station is a good hour on foot), so in the center of Rome it is worth highlighting several areas, each of which has its own characteristics. So, the following areas and quarters will be considered next:

Surroundings of Roma Termini station

Area around Termini station(Roma Termini), perhaps the most budget option. This is where domestic tour operators like to accommodate tourists. It is widely believed that the area is dirty, indecent and unsafe. I dare to challenge this point of view: in fact, the station has long been a place, although crowded, but quite clean and comfortable, valuable not only because it is the largest transport hub in Rome, but also because there are many shops here, on the underground floor , including a supermarket open until late, of which there are not many in the city center. Homeless people can still be found in the park near the bus platforms, but if you remember this and avoid the park, you won’t have to cross paths with them.

In terms of infrastructure, the station is also good: there are shops in the station building, grocery stores around, and small pizzerias where people go local residents and random tourists. In addition, the Termini area is very convenient if you are planning trips out of the city: many trains and buses depart from here almost around the clock (including in the direction of airports), and two lines of the Roman metro intersect here. It is convenient to get to many attractions from here: the forums and the Colosseum are about half an hour on foot, but the Vatican will take about an hour to walk. However, as mentioned above, Roman attractions are scattered throughout the city, and if some object is within walking distance, then some will certainly be quite far away, so when choosing a hotel in Rome, the proximity of attractions is more of a convention than a rule.

How to choose a good place for accommodation in the Termini area? Here it is worth adhering to two guidelines. On one side of the station, in the vicinity of Via Marsala, Viale Castro Pretorio and Viale dell'Università, is located university district, on the other side - streets leading to the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore (Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore) and the Colosseum (Colosseo). It’s quite possible to stay there and there. As for hotels, I advise you to take a closer look, in particular, at Best Western Universo, UNA Hotel Roma, Gea di Vulcano or The Independent Hotel.

I will focus separately on the hotels located near the mentioned Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.

Area of the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore

Surroundings of the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore(Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore) and the streets of Via Cavour are quite an interesting and distinctive quarter. Here you should pay attention to hotels such as Princeps Boutique Hotel, Relais Forus Inn, Aenea Superior Inn or Domus Liberius – Rome Town House. From here it is a stone's throw to the station, but at the same time it is relatively quiet and intimate, and it is even closer to the imperial forums and the Colosseum than from Termini. On the local streets you can find interesting places - for example, a coffee shop “for your own”, or a perfume shop with a hundred-year history that sells unique perfumes. For those who like to cook on their own and crave fresh produce rather than restaurant cuisine (although there are plenty of restaurants and bodegas), the area has an excellent food market where you can buy, among other things, fresh fish and seafood. From this point of view, in general, it makes sense to focus not on hotels, but on apartments, in order to have a kitchen and all the necessary utensils. Near the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore you can stay at, say, the Cavour Centric Apartment or the Merulana Inn. A more detailed list of Roman apartments can be found.

Via Nazionale

Caelium, or the area around the Colosseum

Perhaps the most recognizable landmark of Rome is Coliseum , next to which there is a large number of hotels, some (for example, Colosseo Panoramic Rooms) are not without views of the famous ruins of the amphitheater or forums. The majority of hotels are located southeast of the Colosseum, in an area called Caelius, or Chelio(Celio). Here I advise you to avoid hotels located on large streets with active traffic, and focus on hotels located in the depths of the block. From the point of view of location, the place is nice: the forums are nearby, and to Piazza Navona (which can conditionally be called the core of historical center Rome) about 20 minutes walk through the shopping street Via del Corso, about the same to the Laterano district, the ancient residence of the Pope, but its main advantage, in my opinion, is that this area is not very trampled by tourists and here you can see a quiet, calm, non-tourist Rome. It’s worth keeping in mind, however, that most of the houses here are quite old, and the hotel may well not have an elevator, and if you decide to rent an apartment, there may not be a garbage chute in the house. Therefore, before booking, you should definitely read the reviews of tourists to be sure that your home has all the benefits of civilization. A good option near the Colosseum can be considered, for example, Hotel Romance or apartments N°9 Colosseo Luxury Suite and Residence Maximus.

Lateran

Another interesting Roman area – Lateran, or Laterano(Laterano), where the residence of the Pope was once located (it is, in fact, adjacent to the Caelium discussed above). This is also a place not trampled by tourists, but it is quite far from the center and the Vatican - each walk will be longer by half an hour, or you will have to use the metro. But the hotels here are much cheaper than in the very center, and there are fewer problems with parking if you are suddenly going to Rome by car, which is perhaps not the best idea due to the density of Roman traffic. A list of hotels in this area can be found.

Via Veneto

One of the iconic and expensive places in Rome in terms of cost of living is located northwest of Termini - this street area Via Veneto, via del Tritone and via Barberini. The area is strange for me. Termini Station is within walking distance from here, which is, of course, convenient, but not very prestigious, and therefore should influence prices downward. However, this is not the case and if you decide to stay in one of the local hotels, it will often cost you a pretty penny. Apparently, this is due to the fact that at one time Via Veneto was glorified by Federico Fellini in the cult film “La Dolce Vita”, and in the 60s it was the center of social life in Rome. Now there are a number of expensive hotels and expensive restaurants and shops. The advantages of the area include its convenient location - the train station is close, and at the same time you can walk in 10 minutes to the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain. When choosing a hotel here, be sure to pay attention to the availability of air conditioning and soundproofing, because the noise coming from the street can ruin the whole impression of even a very expensive hotel. If your budget is tight, then you can take a closer look at hotels like Hotel Imperiale or Aleph Hotel Rome, but there are simpler options - the same Rome Kings Suite, for example.

The very center

If the budget for your trip is not very limited, you want to live in the very center and one of the purposes of coming to Rome is shopping, then I advise you to take a closer look at district between Piazza Navona, Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain . The hotels in this area are incredibly conveniently located: all around are attractions, shops and restaurants, and even the Vatican, it seems, is not so far away, but the prices are off the charts, and there are a lot of people until late at night. The most crowded area is the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain, where the view from the window will be an endless stream of people, and when making your way home in the evening, you will often have to push aside the crowd with your shoulder. Adjacent to this area is one of the largest shopping arteries in Rome - via del Corso, where it is also incredibly noisy and crowded and you need to make sure that you don’t have windows facing the street. But all the shopping is nearby! Internazionale Domus, Piazza di Spagna Suites and Daniel's Hotel seem to me to be interesting options for accommodation here.

Hotels near Campo dei Fiori and in the Trastevere area

The more often you visit Rome, the more you begin to appreciate its authenticity and areas where there are few tourists and where you can go to the grocery store and easily chat about the weather with the owner, who from the second visit begins to address you by name and treat you with olives or sun-dried tomatoes . I consider such places area around Campo dei Fiori(Campo de' Fiori) and the area “beyond the river” - Trastevere(Trastevere). It's very cozy quiet places, Rome without embellishment and the eternal crowd hungry for sights and shopping. Campo dei Fiori is a little more “central” and more expensive, Trastevere, one might say, is on the outskirts of the center, but this is where you can see the most Roman Rome. The Campo dei Fiori area is especially convenient if you plan to rent an apartment and cook on your own, because in the morning there is a market on the square where you can buy vegetables, fruits, spices and even cookies, and in Trastevere there are many private shops selling wine, seasonings and homemade sausages. In the Campo dei Fiori area I can recommend hotels such as Hotel Lunetta or Biscione 95, in Trastevere - La Gensola In Trastevere, Residenza Delle Arti or Nina Casetta De Trastevere. More detailed lists of hotels and corresponding maps can be found here:

Near the Vatican

Hotels located in the Vatican area(Vatican), are remote from many of Rome’s attractions (for example, you will have to walk for an hour to the forums and the Colosseum), but the Vatican Museums, St. Peter’s Basilica, Castel Sant’Angelo and even Piazza Navona are within walking distance. In addition, the infrastructure of this area, in my opinion, is better: the houses are newer, and there seems to be more order than in the rest of Rome. If you don’t want to walk or drive anywhere, there is also its own shopping artery nearby - Via Cola Di Rienzo - which has, in particular, the Coin department store with a Billa supermarket, and its own railway station - “ San Pietro" (Roma S.Pietro), - from which trains go to the airport or some Viterbo, and there is no need to drag yourself to Termini. Here I advise you to pay attention to the hotels and apartments located in a semicircle in quiet alleys near the cathedral. But the hotels on the way from Castel Sant'Angelo to St. Peter's Basilica are probably not the best option– this area is noisy, crowded and there are no special views, but the prices are still the same. In general, the area is very calm. Here you should pay attention to hotels like Aurelia Residence San Pietro, Starhotels Michelangelo Rome or Ancient Romance B&B.

What else to consider when choosing a hotel in Rome

One cannot fail to mention the peculiarities of Roman hotels.

One of the most common problems that tourists face is sockets, which differ from the pan-European ones. Therefore, just in case, you should stock up on an adapter in advance, although if necessary, you can purchase it at any hardware store nearby (you can always check with your hotel staff for details on where to go).
Roman hotels are mostly located in fairly new buildings, and the most medieval you can encounter is a cramped elevator that cannot accommodate more than two people, or the absence of one at all. In general, before booking a particular room, you should carefully read its description on booking sites. The description will usually indicate whether the room has a private bathroom (with a bath or a shower), whether there is air conditioning, etc. All this, of course, affects the cost of living - rooms with a shared bathroom and without air conditioning, of course, are much cheaper.
I would like to note separately that in There are practically no teapots in Roman hotels, but in apartments they are most often available.
Refrigerated bars now it seems to be available everywhere (at least, I haven’t seen hotels from 3* in Rome without a minibar).
The Romans don’t spoil tourists with breakfast.. Fruits will most often be maximum apples/bananas, and then only in hotels from 4*. In three-star hotels they like to dilute the milk, and the food is pampered with cereal, buns with butter and sliced bland ham and simple cheese. What is typical is that if you pay twice as much for a hotel, you will get approximately the same breakfast, they just won’t dilute the milk and, perhaps, there will also be scrambled eggs and bacon. Yes, this is not Spain, Scandinavia or Germany with their breakfast variety.
Italian hotel reservation systems tend to glitch: at the “reception” you may not have your reservation (you should take a printout of your reservation with you), and upon departure you may be presented with a bill of about three thousand euros for the use of some television channels, but all these issues are usually resolved quite quickly and are accompanied by violent apologies from the staff.
And finally, I'll say a few words about safety. Rome is as dangerous or safe a city as any other metropolis with a large number of people, so it is impossible to say unequivocally that Rome is dangerous for tourists. Reasonable precautions are needed everywhere: you should store documents, for example, in a hotel safe (ideally if the safe is in the room), you should also put some cash and a second card (if you have one) there, and, of course, you also need to take care of your things, especially in crowded places where pickpockets often operate. And then your vacation will not be overshadowed by troubles, and Rome will only delight you.

P.S.: This article was originally published on i- I talia.ru(cm. ). You can also find another one there useful information about traveling around Italy in general and Rome in particular.

A romantic's dream - Centro Storico

Centro Storico (Historical Center) is exactly the place where every tourist dreams of visiting. A labyrinth of cobbled streets, cozy alleys, surrounded by Renaissance palazzos, Baroque churches and majestic piazzas.

This is a great place to stay, especially for those who come to Rome for a short time and want to take in as many attractions as possible at once. After all, Piazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps with Piazza di Spagna are just a stone's throw away. But you have to pay for the convenience and opportunity to live within centuries-old walls. So, expensive hotels in Rome cost even more here - from 200-400 EUR per night and more.