How to choose the best areas to stay in Rome

Rome is a large metropolis that gathers in about 1300 square kilometers thousands of wonderful places, rich in charm and history. Even if we consider only the historic center, we realize how large, varied and populated its territory is. The area of ​​the historic center is a real jewel full of monuments, churches, museums, hotels and holiday homes always full and frequented by millions of tourists every year. But we can certainly say that Rome also has a widespread center, in the sense that even the neighborhoods bordering the historic center are rich in beauty and stimuli. These areas are also sought after by Romans who want to buy a house, because they are rich in stories, anecdotes, but also commercial areas, offices and places to eat, drink well and have fun. Let’s find out together what are the criteria with which to choose the best areas to stay in Rome when you come to visit the Capital of Italy:

• Proximity to the Historic Center

There is no doubt that if you visit Rome the best choice is to stay close to the Historic Center. All the major monuments and points of interest are located in this area and it is absolutely an added value to be able to wake up in the morning and immediately begin visiting the city without having to plan and make long trips on public transport. The Historic Center is also full of life from early in the morning till late at night. You will surely find something to do, to eat, to drink and to admire even if your hours are not the canonical ones. Imagine visiting Rome in the summer, when it is very hot and it is not advisable to travel many kilometers under the scorching sun. Maybe during the day, you can choose to visit churches and museums, which have daytime opening hours. But you can choose to take a walk around the squares and alleys after sunset or maybe at night, to enjoy these wonderful places with the evening lights but still without moving too far from the place where you will be staying, with the convenience of being able to return to the base without much effort.

• Walkability and presence of public transport

Rome is not famous for its public transportation system. The subway network is limited and does not allow you to easily reach all areas, this is because the subsoil is so rich in archaeological finds and wonders that it has always been difficult to quickly design and build underground routes. As a result, most public transportation is forced to cross the streets of the center, which are already congested by private city traffic. If you stay within a couple of kilometers of the historic center, getting around is not complicated, given that the network of bus and tram lines is numerous and has a good frequency of departures and arrivals. But if you leave the perimeter of these neighborhoods everything becomes more complicated. The ideal is always to be able to move on foot to reach the points of interest that you decide to include in the itinerary of the visit. If you stay in the Historic Center this is guaranteed, but it is also fully feasible if you stay in the neighboring neighborhoods such as Trastevere, Testaccio and Prati.

• Presence of commercial areas and places where you can eat and drink well

As we have already said before, Rome has a sprawling center. This also means that each neighborhood offers large commercial areas where you can find everything you need for a comfortable stay, even in vacation homes and B&Bs. There are supermarkets and grocery stores, pizzerias, restaurants, fast food, bars and pubs. There are places that offer services, pharmacies, travel agencies and public offices, but also hospitals and Emergency Rooms. In short, you will not find yourself isolated in any area of ​​Rome. What can change is the quantity of certain types of places such as restaurants, bars, pubs and pizzerias and the possibility of accessing them even without a reservation. In the center of Rome there are many more places ready to welcome tourists, the only problem is that the quality is not always guaranteed. Our advice is to choose the places to eat in advance, selecting whenever possible those frequented by locals, that offer typical local products and foods and that have positive online reviews left by Romans themselves.

Best areas to stay in Rome based on the criteria seen 

Visiting all of Rome during a vacation is impossible. It would take months, if not years. Even just creating and following an itinerary that includes its iconic monuments requires a great deal of commitment for every tourist. Getting around to visit the Colosseum, St. Peter’s Square and the Vatican Museums, all the papal basilicas, the Pantheon, Trinità del Monti, Piazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain, the Imperial Forums, etc. involves long walks and lines for access. But there is so much more, including parks and public villas, belvederes and places of entertainment. Let’s see which are the best areas to stay in Rome during a vacation:

The Historic Center

If you book in advance and decide to invest a significant portion of your budget in comfort, the advice is to stay in the historic center. Luckily, there are hundreds of hotels, B&Bs and vacation homes in the center of Rome to choose from. But it is certainly convenient to choose accommodation in this area to be able to dedicate more time to visiting the city at different times of the day and night, also allowing yourself to return to the base to rest every now and then. The Historic Center is divided into 22 Rioni (quarters numbered with Roman numerals from I to XXII), but those found in the most central part are those from the first to the twelfth:

1. Monti
2. Trevi
3. Colonna
4. Campo Marzio
5. Ponte
6. Parione
7. Regola
8. Sant’Eustachio
9. Pigna
10. Campitelli
11. Sant’Angelo
12. Ripa

If you want to stay in the historic center of Rome, Insideat has a food tour of Rome to offer you. By taking part in this food tour you will be able to discover an authentic and genuine Rome, tasting the food and wine specialties of the city while visiting the places frequented by real Romans. The tour consists of a walk to discover the rarities, history and secrets of the Eternal City among the alleys of the Rioni. You will visit the historic Jewish quarter (Ghetto) and you will be able to admire the suggestive views of Campo de’ Fiori. Here are some typical foods that you can taste: the crunchy artichoke alla Giudia, pizza with mortadella and one of the best artisanal gelato in the city. Take part in our food tour of Rome and eat like a Roman!

1. Trastevere

The Thirteenth District of Rome is Trastevere, an ancient neighborhood rich in history that, unlike the twelve districts listed above, is located on the right bank of the Tiber. It is impossible to come to Rome and not visit Trastevere, considered by many to be the most authentic neighborhood in Rome. In fact, Roman families who boast ancestry of several generations still live here. But many artists also reside here. The Trastevere neighborhood is very close to the historic center and in some ways is part of it, after all it is divided from it by the Tiber River, but continuity in terms of charm and beauty is guaranteed. Reaching the center from Trastevere on foot is very easy. This makes it one of the best areas to stay when visiting Rome. The neighborhood is full of places open both day and night. There are shops and small stores, bars, pubs, restaurants and gelato shops where you can taste the most genuine things you can find in Trastevere. Insideat can accompany you to discover this district during the best Trastevere Food tour available today in Rome. Our guides will immerse you in the alleys of the neighborhood and discover scents, stories and curiosities. Imagine tasting the fragrant and thin Roman pizza, or the best supplì (fried riceballs with mozzarella and ragu) in Rome in Piazza Trilussa. With us you will try the local cured meats and the artisanal gelato of one of the best gelato shops in the Capital.

2. Borgo and Prati

Rione XIV is called Borgo and is adjacent to Rione XXII which is called Prati. They are also located on the other side of the river (the same side as Trastevere), but are attached to the historic center thanks to the magnificent bridges over the Tiber such as Ponte Sant’Angelo, Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II and Ponte Umberto I. We are talking about the districts where Castel Sant’Angelo, the Palazzaccio, Il Passetto di Borgo, Piazza San Pietro and the Vatican Museums are located. These are two extremely elegant and lively neighborhoods. In this area there are dozens of 4- and 5-star hotels, comfortable holiday homes and B&Bs. Getting to the historic center is convenient and quick even on foot and in the evening the streets are full of open places to taste top-quality food and drinks. Surely during your vacation in Rome, you will want to visit the Vatican and Castel Sant’Angelo. Did you know that these two points of interest are connected by a secret passage? It is called Passetto di Borgo and is mentioned in the film Angels and Demons, based on the book by Dan Brown. It is presented in a famous scene of the film as a secret passage used to access Castel Sant’Angelo. If you want to see the Passetto di Borgo up close, you can take part in the Angels & Demons walking tour, a walk in the historic center of Rome that touches wonderful places such as Piazza Navona, St. Peter’s, the Pantheon and Castel Sant’Angelo, mentioned in Dan Brown’s book, to end with a Roman dinner at our location near the Vatican Museums. An overnight stay in a 4-star hotel is included (breakfast not included).

The Rione Prati is also home to the Insideat headquarters, where we hold our cooking classes every day. During these culinary events our guests can take part in an immersive experience in Italian cuisine, learning to make fresh pasta, tiramisu, gelato and pizza in a wood-fired oven. If you want to take part in these classes, click on this link.

3. Testaccio and San Saba

Testaccio is the 20th Rione of Rome, while San Saba is the 21st. They are both located south of the historic center and are home to some of the most beautiful monuments and places of interest in the center of Rome: the Pyramid of Cestius, Porta San Paolo and the Non-Catholic Cemetery, the Baths of Caracalla and Monte Testaccio (Testaccio Mound). Monte Testaccio is an artificial hill formed by an enormous deposit of shards of ancient Roman amphorae. It is estimated that the ancient Romans accumulated around 80 million of them in this area over around 250 years. These were amphorae used to bring oil and other foods to Rome via the ancient navigable routes of the Tiber. Many of these broke, so they were deposited in this area not far from the river and covered with earth. Over the centuries, the population began to walk on them and from there the sentries could scan the horizon to manage the defense of the city. Think that in 1849 Garibaldi tried to defend the city of Rome from the French, installing cannons on Monte Testaccio and digging caves on its slopes. Exploiting these caves, buildings were built in which houses, bars and restaurants are still located today. While all around there are hotels, holiday homes and B&Bs. From these districts you can easily reach the area of ​​the Circus Maximus, the Colosseum and the Mouth of Truth, but you can also move comfortably towards the rest of the Historic Center. If you decide to stay in the Testaccio district, you should know that Insideat accompanies guests to discover the hidden culinary treasures of the neighborhood. Here you can taste the real Roman supplì, but also taste excellent cured meats and cheeses. There will be no shortage of pasta, which you can try served with typical sauces. We will also propose a local dessert and much more. All this in the splendid scenic setting created by the Pyramid of Cestius and the lively Testaccio market where you can come into contact with the merchants and locals who go there every day to do their shopping. Book your Testaccio food tour now to live an unforgettable experience with Insideat!

Insideat offers its guests the opportunity to participate in immersive cooking classes and visit the center of Rome during food tours dedicated to Italian food and wine excellence; for the complete offer, you can consult the catalog on the website and sign up for the newsletter.

For personalized itineraries and events, you can receive more information by writing to: info@insideat.eu