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Help with Rome base: Trastevere on Via Natale del Grande?

Posted by (Media, PA) on

First post here, and thankful for all the great info!

I'm in the fine-tuning planning stages for our first family trip with daughters (23 and 20) to Italy - we will have 15 nights this May/June, flying from Newark, NJ into VCE and back out of FCO. It's an ambitious itinerary (Venice 2 nts> Monterosso CT 3 nts> Florence 3 nts> Montepulciano 3 nts> Rome 4 nts) but we're very good travelers. Flights and apartments, car rental and even a couple trains are booked, but now I'm rethinking where to stay in Rome. I travelled via train through northern Italy 20+ years ago as a student (staying mostly in hostels), and my husband and I visited Rome in 2014 for a very short packaged stay (no planning). I have great memories dining and strolling in Trastevere, and loved RS's episode there, but would be grateful for your knowledge about location:

The apartment I've reserved is on Via Natale del Grande. It seems to be about 20-30+ minutes walking to all the sites we plan to see (Colloseum, Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Trevi, Vatican etc), but 45 minutes from Termini (we will be going to Pompeii for a day). It's near what looks like a former movie theater "Cinema America Occupato," which has lots of graffiti on the exterior. We're very fit and I plan to walk everywhere unless exhausted or rainy, but I also appreciate the convenience of being centrally located for breaks if needed, which is why I'm second-guessing my Trastevere apartment pick.

Questions:
-Is Via Natale del Grande within the main area of Trastevere? How doable are trams from that location?

-Is the area safe but also vibrant enough for 2 young women who might like to get a sense of Rome's night scene without us?

-Other apartment choices are near Trevi Fountain and Pantheon . . . would that location be more ideal for 20 yo's at night?

Thanks very much!

Posted by
2768 posts

I didn't know this street offhand so looked at a map. It seems to be good location and I would stay there without hesitation.

  1. Yes, it is in what I would call the main area of Trastevere. Basilica Santa Maria in Trastavere is sort of the heart of the neighborhood, and you are not far from that. I don't know about the trams specifically. I prefer to walk in this area and haven't stayed there - just visited for dining, walking, etc several times. I've been there in the daytime, dinner time, and later night on different days and love the area. It's an easy, safe walk from the Pantheon/Navona/Campo di Fiori area where I have stayed.

  2. Yes, plenty safe and vibrant. There are international colleges around and there are plenty of bars with young-ish feel, especially at night. Also plenty for families and less-young folks.

  3. For 20 year olds at night, Trastavere is better than Pantheon. For me (30s, likes walking around pleasant streets, restaurants, and low-key wine bars) I'd maybe pick Pantheon area for the convenience, but Trastavere is great too. I would avoid Trevi Fountain like the plague. It's not a bad area at all (it's safe, convenient, etc), it just gets extremely crowded and looses the charm.

Regarding your day trip to Pompeii, this may be the time for a taxi to Termini. Public transit would get you there easily - Termini is a common destination. However, on such a long trip time is of the essence - you want to get there early in the AM and not wait around for a bus. When you return from Pompeii, see how tired you are. Hopping in a cab may be a relief after a long trip.

Posted by
37 posts

Mira-Thank you for the reassurances and younger perspective! The more current reviews I read about this area, the more comfortable I am about my first choice. Of course, with 5 months to go, who knows!

Posted by
3112 posts

There's a tram stop about a block from that street (check Google maps). The #8 tram will take you to Piazza Argentina and Piazza Venezia, from where you can walk to some sights and change to buses to other sights. The walk to the lively part of Trastevere is short, and the walk across the Ponte Sisto to Campo dei Fiori isn't too long. Strikes me as a great location for nightlife that people in their 20's would enjoy. And yes, I would consider that area to be pretty safe.

Posted by
1245 posts

Yes, it is fine. We stayed there last year (different B&B), and the tram stops are every couple of blocks. You can walk everywhere from there, we actually walked all the way to St. Peter's because we couldn't find the right bus stop to get there. Lots of nightlife and great food!

Posted by
2768 posts

Oh! I missed the part about graffiti. If you are going to Rome you need to make peace with street art or graffiti. It’s very common and unlike in parts of the US it does not imply anything about the area. It’s just...everywhere, it in no way means an area is bad. Somehow it looks worse on google street view than in person, too. You just have to get used to it, at least enough to not let it scare or bother you.

Posted by
37 posts

Grazie Mille for your replies. I’m checking off this box, and will try not to look back at this part of our trip again. Trastevere here we come!

Posted by
227 posts

The Monti district is a good option. Closer to main train station and historic sights, Colloseum etc.

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