ROME
Italy
QUICK TAKE
Rome's centro storico is walkable but exhausting — cobblestones, crowds, and August heat are real. The best strategy is staying somewhere with character, booking Vatican and Colosseum tickets months ahead, and leaving time for neighborhoods that aren't in guidebooks.
WHERE TO STAY
FOR THE FIRST-TIMER
STAY IN
Centro Storico (Campo de' Fiori or Piazza Navona area)
WHY
You'll walk everywhere — Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona all on foot. The evening passeggiata culture makes sense when you're in the middle of it. Worth the premium for a first visit.
OUR PICK
Hotel Campo de' Fiori or G-Rough
~$300-500/night
FOR THE FOOD/NEIGHBORHOOD EXPLORER
STAY IN
Trastevere or Testaccio
WHY
Trastevere is the classic 'local' pick — ivy-covered streets, good trattorias, lively at night. Testaccio is grittier and more authentic, with Rome's best food market and the restaurants where Romans actually eat.
OUR PICK
Hotel Santa Maria or Relais Le Clarisse
~$200-350/night
FOR THE LUXURY/POINTS TRAVELER
STAY IN
Via Veneto or Piazza di Spagna
WHY
The grand hotels are here — St. Regis, Hassler, de Russie. If you want the suite upgrade, rooftop bar at sunset, and classic glamour, this is the move. Just know you're in tourist Rome, beautifully executed.
OUR PICK
Hotel de Russie or Hassler Roma
~$600-1,500/night
SKIP THESE
- × Termini Station area
Gritty, not in a good way. Budget hotels here are depressing and you'll feel far from the Rome you came for.
- × Vatican-adjacent hotels
The area dies at night and you'll only visit the Vatican once. Stay somewhere livelier and metro over.
- × Airbnbs in residential EUR
Mussolini-era suburb with nothing around. Cheap for a reason — you'll Uber everywhere and miss the point of Rome.
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TEXT US YOUR DATESLast updated: January 2025 · Prices are approximate