Where to Stay When in Rome: The 5 Best Areas & Places
1. The Historic Centre
2. Forum Romanum – Monti
3. Vatican – Prati
4. Villa Borghese
5. Trastevere
Below we describe 5 areas / neighbourhoods in Rome which are all places featuring some of the city’s great sights, qualities and vibe. Read on to see which one best meets your demands and wishes – depending on your personal preferences – and decide where you want to stay during your Rome visit. When in Rome – whether you are travelling solo, as a couple, as a family with children, as a first-time visitor, or on a tight budget – what are the best areas and places to stay in for you where you can indulge your interests in the Eternal City?
Best places to stay in Rome | Photo: djedj / Pixabay
One of the most fascinating areas to stay in Rome is the Historic Centre in the small ‘pocket’ east of the Tiber River – it is really one of the best places you can pick both for historic sights, beautiful architecture and a great vibe. Stay here when you enjoy being in an area where you have a number of major historic sights and monuments in Baroque Rome within a convenient walking distance.
The price level is maybe not the most budget-friendly, but you can have excellent coffee and a delicious ice cream in stunning Piazza Navona next to the spectacular fountains!
Pantheon is believed to be constructed by Trajan and Hadrian in 125 AD. It is fabulous and the best preserved building in Rome, as well as, with its diameter of 43.3 m, the largest unsupported dome in the world! With a bit of imagination you will be able to ‘feel’ ancient Rome inside the rotunda where you will also find the tomb of Raphael (1483-1520).
One of the absolutely most vibrant and adorable squares in Rome is Piazza Navona with its three remarkable fountains: the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, the Fontana del Moro and the Fontana del Nettuno. At the same time it is a charming and lively square with a good selection of restaurants, as well as multiple café options and gelaterias.
Campo de’ Fiori is another picture-postcard piazza and daily market in the neighbourhood. The name Fiori – Flower goes back to the Middle Ages where the site was still a meadow. Later, it served as a horse market – and even as the location of dreadful executions. Today, it has basically been ‘reduced’ to a food market, although with the possibility of finding the odd souvenir to take back home!
The always crowded Spanish Steps, as well as the Baroque Trevi Fountain are other sights that are well within walking distance, too. Throw a coin over your left shoulder at the fountain to be sure to return to Rome again some day.
Best areas to stay in Rome | Photo: xlizziexx / Pixabay
Do you love ancient Rome and all the archaeological traces the Romans left behind? In that case, when choosing between the areas, you may well want to stay near Forum Romanum in Monti where you will be best located for the ancient archaeological places in Rome. Discover the ruins of great ancient Roman constructions in Forum Romanum and marvel at the Colosseum amphitheatre, ancient epicentre of gladiatorial combats.
Just a stone’s throw away, in Monti, you will find all you need of enticing boutiques, great restaurants, and trendy bars for the evening.
There are loads of archeological ruins and ancient history to explore in Forum Romanum which you enter through the impressive Arch of Titus, erected after Rome’s victory over Jerusalem. Continue to the Via Sacra, the ancient artery through the Romans’ marketplace (the Forum) between the two hills Palatine and Capitol.
Forum Romanum features a wealth of ancient governmental and court buildings, temples, arches and open-air market constructions. To mention just a few of the significant constructions, don’t miss the Temple of Castor and Pollux, the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine, and the Arch of Septimus Severus. You can easily spend half a day here if you want to discover it all!
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Just next to the Forum, one of Rome’s seven hills, the Palatine, is found. It was in ancient times inhabited by emperors, as well as Roman aristocrats. According to the legend, it was on the Palatine Hill that Romulus and Remus lived in a cave – and were found by the famous Capitoline she-wolf. Before leaving Palatine, take a look inside the Capitoline Museums featuring classical statues, sculptures and other archaeological objects found in the neighbourhood.
Another interesting ancient complex in the area is Trajan’s Market dating back to 107 – 110 AD, a giant semi-circular construction, originally housing both shops on the lower level and administrative offices on the upper level.
The basilica Santa Maria Maggiore, as well as Domus Aurea (Nero’s Golden House), are also noteworthy sights in the area.
Best location to stay in Rome | Photo: Bernd Marx / Pixabay
Where to Stay When in Rome – 5 Best Areas, Neighbourhoods & Places
If one of your main reasons to come to Rome is to pay a visit to the Vatican City State, you may well opt to stay in Prati (or alternatively other areas surrounding the Vatican such as Borgo). It is a more local and tranquil district than the more central areas in Rome – but still with great options for local Italian food!
You will stay in Prati if you want to spend a few days exploring the Vatican City, the Vatican Museums and St Peter’s Basilica.
On the western side of the Tiber River you will reach the Prati neighbourhood. It is a more residential area – but still featuring good restaurants, bars and local shops. The advantage is that you in Prati will be close to the Vatican City and St Peter’s Basilica!
In the Vatican City you will also head for the Vatican Museums including the magnificent Sistine Chapel. It is one of the most significant art collections in the world with masterpieces by Raphael and Michelangelo who has created the unparalleled Renaissance ceiling in the Sistine Chapel.
The Vatican City State is the smallest sovereign state worldwide having diplomatic and religious independence – with a population under 1000! The City State also holds the huge St Peter’s Basilica. With its size it can easily provide room for 20,000 people. As one of the largest churches in the world, it is an obvious pilgrimage site for Christian people.
Rome best places to stay | Photo: xlizziexx / Pixabay
Where to Stay When in Rome – 5 Best Areas, Neighbourhoods & Places
In the northern part of central Rome, you will find Villa Borghese with the most lovely gardens (located together with Galleria Borghese) – one of the good places to stay in Rome. This is one of the areas you can opt to stay in when you like to start and end the day in a tranquil place (where you can also have the best of sleep at night!) – maybe with a stroll in the park. At the same time, it is a posh residential neighbourhood and an area where you will not stumble across tourists on every street corner.
Surrounded by nature in the middle of Rome – this is what you will experience around Villa Borghese. Galleria Borghese is a renowned art museum displaying the fine collection initiated by Cardinal Scipione Borghese in 1576.
Besides being a museum, the site is also a lovely public park with fountains, sculptural monuments, flowers, and even a zoo. You can easily spend a whole day here chilling out in the lush park – which by the way used to be a vineyard!
Just outside the park you will reach the neoclassical Piazza del Popolo, ‘the people’s square’, with the ancient gate of the Aurelian Walls – today named Porta Flaminia.
The square is symmetric and intersected by Via Corso, leaving the two Baroque churches Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto on each their side. A third church construction, the Basilica Santa Maria del Popolo, adorns the piazza as well. Moreover, the Egyptian obelisk placed in Rome by Emperor Augustus, as well as the Neptune Fountain, are both iconic elements in Piazza del Popolo.
Not far from Villa Borghese you will find the famous Spanish Steps.
Best area to stay in Rome | Photo: Pixabay
Where to Stay When in Rome – 5 Best Areas, Neighbourhoods & Places
If you prioritise a vibrant nightlife, this is the neighbourhood for you! It is one of the best areas to stay when in Rome if you like the bustling city – and one of the places where you can easily combine sightseeing during the daytime with an entertaining evening in the affordable restaurants and trendy bars (it is also apt for the first-time visit – and when being in Rome on a budget!).
Trastevere has many accommodation options, restaurants & pizzerias, charming narrow alleys and small curious shops, and is a great neighbourhood for tourists and locals alike – day and night!
The Trastevere district is located west of the River Tiber – just across the river. It is a charming and vibrant neighbourhood that has it all – both for locals and visitors. Blend in with the locals and daily life here – it is maybe the best area in Rome to stay if you are ready for a lively nightlife!
The Santa Maria in Trastevere is together with the Basilica Santa Cecilia in Trastevere noteworthy churches among the handful of churches to visit here. Also the Renaissance Villa Farnesina built for Agostino Chigi in the beginning of the 1500s deserves that you pay it a visit due to its unique frescos, among these frescos by Raphael.
Close to Villa Farnesina you will find the huge botanical garden, the Orto Botanico di Roma, a unique garden with a wealth of different plant species. From the Belvedere del Gianicolo you can enjoy panoramic views of the city of Rome.
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Where to Stay When in Rome – 5 Best Areas, Neighbourhoods & Places
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