Where to stay · Rome · Italy
Where to stay in Rome
7 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: NikonZ7II, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Centro Storico. The Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Campo de' Fiori inside the bend of the Tiber. Best alternatives — families: Prati; budget: Testaccio; nightlife: Trastevere.
Key facts
- First visit
- Centro Storico
- Families
- Prati
- Budget
- Testaccio
- Nightlife
- Trastevere
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Centro Storico | The Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Campo de' Fiori inside the bend of the Tiber |
| Families | Prati | Wide boulevards, local shopping and the Vatican on foot |
| Couples | Centro Storico | The Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Campo de' Fiori inside the bend of the Tiber |
| Budget | Testaccio | Working-class food district around a much-loved covered market |
| Luxury | Tridente and the Spanish Steps | Designer shopping streets between Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps |
| Nightlife | Trastevere | Ivy-covered lanes, trattorias and evening crowds across the Tiber |
| Food lovers | Centro Storico | The Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Campo de' Fiori inside the bend of the Tiber |
| Solo travellers | Trastevere | Ivy-covered lanes, trattorias and evening crowds across the Tiber |
| Shopping | Tridente and the Spanish Steps | Designer shopping streets between Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps |
| Quiet stays | Prati | Wide boulevards, local shopping and the Vatican on foot |
Rome neighbourhoods in detail
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, couples, culture and food lovers
Centro Storico
The historic centre inside the bend of the Tiber packs the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Campo de' Fiori and dozens of churches into a maze of cobbled lanes. Almost everything, including the Trevi Fountain and the Roman Forum, is walkable, though the area has no Metro station and hotels are small and priced for the location.
- Good
- Walk to most major sights; Atmospheric at night when day-trippers leave; Endless cafés and trattorias
- Watch out
- No Metro station; buses are slow; Expensive and often small rooms; Touristy restaurants around the main squares
- Nearby
- Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Campo de' Fiori, Trevi Fountain
$$$$ · Best for luxury, shopping, couples and first-timers
Tridente and the Spanish Steps
The three streets fanning out from Piazza del Popolo — Via del Corso, Via del Babuino and Via di Ripetta — frame Rome's smartest shopping district, with Via dei Condotti's fashion houses running down to the Spanish Steps. Spagna and Flaminio stations on Metro line A make it easy to reach the Vatican, and the Villa Borghese park sits just above.
- Good
- Elegant streets and top hotels; Metro line A at Spagna and Flaminio; Close to the Villa Borghese park
- Watch out
- High prices; Quiet after the shops close
- Nearby
- Spanish Steps, Piazza del Popolo, Villa Borghese, Via dei Condotti
$$$ · Best for couples, nightlife, food lovers and solo travellers
Trastevere
Across the river from the centre, Trastevere's ochre houses and cobbled lanes surround the 12th-century basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere and its golden mosaics. It is the city's most atmospheric area for dinner and evening drinks, especially around Piazza di Santa Maria and Via della Lungaretta, and the Janiculum Hill above gives a sweeping view over the domes.
- Good
- Lively evenings and good food; Village atmosphere by day; Walk across the river to the centre
- Watch out
- Noisy on weekend nights; No Metro; trams and buses only; Crowded at dinner time
- Nearby
- Santa Maria in Trastevere, Janiculum Hill, Porta Portese, Villa Farnesina
$$$ · Best for first-timers, food lovers, solo travellers and couples
Monti
Rome's oldest residential district, the ancient Subura, lies between the Colosseum and Via Nazionale. Via del Boschetto, Via Urbana and Via dei Serpenti are lined with vintage shops, artisan boutiques and wine bars, and locals gather on the fountain steps of Piazza della Madonna dei Monti in the evening. Cavour and Colosseo stations on line B are close by.
- Good
- Walk to the Colosseum and Forum; Local feel with good restaurants; Metro line B nearby
- Watch out
- Hilly streets; Some lanes are noisy at night
- Nearby
- Colosseum, Roman Forum, Santa Maria Maggiore, Trajan's Market
$$$ · Best for families, first-timers, quiet stays and shopping
Prati
Built after Italian unification, Prati's grid of broad, tree-lined streets lies just east of the Vatican. Via Cola di Rienzo is a long shopping street, the covered Mercato Trionfale is one of the city's biggest food markets, and Ottaviano and Lepanto stations on line A reach the Spanish Steps in minutes. It is calmer and more residential than the centre.
- Good
- Short walk to the Vatican; Calm streets and family-friendly hotels; Metro line A
- Watch out
- Few ancient sights nearby; Less atmosphere in the evening
- Nearby
- St Peter's Basilica, Vatican Museums, Castel Sant'Angelo, Mercato Trionfale
$$ · Best for food lovers, budget and nightlife
Testaccio
Built around the old slaughterhouse below the Aventine, Testaccio is where Roman offal dishes such as coda alla vaccinara were born. The Mercato di Testaccio has lunch counters among its stalls, Monte Testaccio is an ancient hill made of broken amphorae with clubs at its base, and the Non-Catholic Cemetery where Keats is buried lies beside the Pyramid of Cestius.
- Good
- Traditional Roman food; Lower prices; Piramide station on Metro line B
- Watch out
- Few hotels; A walk or bus ride from the main sights
- Nearby
- Mercato di Testaccio, Pyramid of Cestius, Aventine Hill, Non-Catholic Cemetery
$$ · Best for budget and solo travellers
Esquilino and Termini
The streets around Termini station have the widest choice of budget hotels and hostels, direct trains to Fiumicino and both Metro lines. The area is diverse, with Asian groceries around Piazza Vittorio and the Nuovo Mercato Esquilino, and it includes the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and the National Roman Museum at Palazzo Massimo.
- Good
- Good-value hotels and hostels; Direct airport train and both Metro lines; Easy for early departures
- Watch out
- Station surroundings can feel rough at night; Less charming than the centre
- Nearby
- Termini, Santa Maria Maggiore, Palazzo Massimo, Piazza Vittorio
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Centro Storico | $$$$ | Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Campo de' Fiori, Trevi Fountain |
| Tridente and the Spanish Steps | $$$$ | Spanish Steps, Piazza del Popolo, Villa Borghese, Via dei Condotti |
| Trastevere | $$$ | Santa Maria in Trastevere, Janiculum Hill, Porta Portese, Villa Farnesina |
| Monti | $$$ | Colosseum, Roman Forum, Santa Maria Maggiore, Trajan's Market |
| Prati | $$$ | St Peter's Basilica, Vatican Museums, Castel Sant'Angelo, Mercato Trionfale |
| Testaccio | $$ | Mercato di Testaccio, Pyramid of Cestius, Aventine Hill, Non-Catholic Cemetery |
| Esquilino and Termini | $$ | Termini, Santa Maria Maggiore, Palazzo Massimo, Piazza Vittorio |
Getting to your hotel
From Fiumicino, the non-stop Leonardo Express train reaches Termini in about 32 minutes, and regional FL1 trains serve Trastevere, Ostiense and Tiburtina. Ciampino has no rail link of its own: buses run to Termini in about 40 minutes, or a shuttle connects with trains at Ciampino station. Taxis charge fixed fares to the historic centre from both airports.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Rome for first-time visitors?
Centro Storico. The historic centre inside the bend of the Tiber packs the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Campo de' Fiori and dozens of churches into a maze of cobbled lanes.
+Where should families stay in Rome?
Prati: Short walk to the Vatican.
+Which area of Rome is best for a budget stay?
Testaccio ($$): Working-class food district around a much-loved covered market.