Hotel near Roma Termini...area safety?

For about 9 years I have stayed once or twice a year near Termini. (The times I ran the marathon I stayed in different areas). I have stayed by myself, with my daughter and also with my husband. I've never had any problems. I have gone out at night and returned safely. I have gone for early morning runs with no problem. I do make sure that I am aware of my surroundings but things can happen anywhere. If you don't fill comfortable then maybe pick another area.

Well, I led a group to Rome in 2005 and half our group staid across the street at the Hotel Torino and nobody there had any issues. Don't think of it as near the train station, think of it as near the opera house, which is just down the street.

The Termini Train Station is a bastion of pickpockets, petty thieves and con-artists. I wouldn't necessarily judge the hotel by Termini. Best Western Hotels are generally very good hotels. When anywhere as a traveler, you have to expect the unexpected no matter what city or country who are visiting. Take taxis if you feel uncomfortable.

The incident you had could have happened anywhere in Rome (or any other big city).so you need to be careful of those scams anywhere you choose to be or anywhere you decide to dine. Those scammers target tourists and they can be anywhere there are tourists.

I’ve stayed in that area a few times in the past. Not my favorite area to stay in Rome, but it’s convenient to the trains, if you plan to take trains to various places, cheaper than the Centro Storico, and it is safe.

The incident you had could have happened anywhere in Rome (or any
other big city).

You bet. Happens in my own city all the time, and too often not as non-confrontationally as how it happened to you. I wouldn't worry about that area, even at night. Keep your valuables where light fingers can't get to them (everywhere, day and night) and you'll be fine. Violent crime - as in robbery by force - is rare in Rome.

You might remember this from your last trip but after dark is a great time for a stroll about the Eternal City! IMHO, it takes on a different personality when many of those interesting piazzas, bits of architecture and sculpture are artfully illuminated. :O)

Thank you all for your responses, you each set my mind at ease and I'm going to stick with this hotel. I lived in NYC for a year, cities generally aren't an issue for me at all, but my first experience in Rome still lingers! Can't wait to explore the city for longer than a day!

I've stayed near Termini a few times, and never felt unsafe.
The only incident was in 2013 when a young teen tried to take my friend's crossbody bag as we walked to the station from our nearby apartment.
I saw her go for it as I was slightly behind my friend, and yelled loudly at her, then said why was she not in school?
She just smirked at us as if to say I'll get the next person.
You'll be fine, just be aware, and not only near train stations.

why was she not in school?

Because she was bought in Eastern Europe and brought to Italy to learn how to steal, not how to read.

If she ever entered a school, teachers would have to call the social services and her masters (that sometimes are these teens' parents) would immediately move her to France or Spain (or to another country where pickpocketing teens can't be put in a real jail before an appeal sentence).

Moving her from country to country till she's 18 could not be the worst option. Another way to protect the investment is marrying these young women asap, so they are pregnant year after year and can't be easily kept in prison.

Were 6 minutes walk away at Mondial Best Western this week. Very safe, walked everywhere but kept our valuables in hidden pocket and out of sight. Great area.

Dario is giving you the sad reality, that, although politically incorrect, is factual.

Foreigners commit over 90% of pickpockets in both Milan and Rome. Many of them are minors from the Roma nomad community immigrated from Eastern Europe. Since they are citizens of the various Balkan countries part of the EU, they can no longer be considered “illegal immigrants”, and therefore they cannot be expelled so easily.

Italian authorities are making a great effort to integrate the Roma community in the Italian society, but it is not easy to instill western values in communities with such different traditions. The authorities are still struggling convincing those parents that the law requires that kids should go to school.

Theft is an unfortunate lifestyle, but it’s not unique to Rome or even Italy. I don’t want to get off topic here so thanks again for all your help. Sounds like I’ve got nothing more to worry about at this hotel than I would at any other.

Thanks Dario and Roberto.
I know about the young girls; I'm just sad that it would only take two generations or so, if it were possible, to get the young ones educated and be more contributing members of society.
I'm sad for them that a lot of them will never know how it feels to be treated well, and live a better lifestyle.

Back to Rome: as I said before: I have never felt unsafe there, day or night, in seven visits there.

I stayed at a hotel near there earlier this month. I thought the area was ok - there were definitely other people walking around at night, but it wasn't an area where I felt super relaxed walking at night. I definitely tried to keep my wits about me! That being said, during my trip there were some nights that I just didn't want to hassle with going out in the dark for dinner so I found it really handy to have food delivered to my hotel. I used Uber Eats in France, but in Italy, I used a local app called Glovo.

If we're coming into Rome by train and just need a place to stay one night before moving on or heading home, we usually stay at the Best Western Hotel Canada on Via Vicenza, about a 5 minute walk from Roma Termini. The hotel and rooms are beautiful inside, and we've never felt unsafe in that area, even walking to go out to dinner. Just always be aware of people and your surroundings.

I stayed in a hostel near Roma Termini some 8 years ago and while there were some unsavory men calling after me and the area was really dark and somewhat scary on my arrival, nothing terrible happened.

We stayed near the Termini Station with a RS Tour a couple of years ago. I believe the hotel was right across the street from the opera house. To me, the neighborhood felt as safe as any other large city, we had no problems. You had the usual assortment of people hanging around the train station, but nobody bothered us. Just be sure to ignore those people inside the station who want to “help” you find your tickets/platform, etc. We thought it was convenient to be so close to the train/metro, and made for an easy trip to the airport on departure day. One downside was that the area didn’t seem to have as good of restaurants as other neighborhoods.

Thanks again to the most recent folks chiming in here, feeling much better about staying there.

Hope to get out and explore at night, walk into some neighborhoods and fine some good eats! Haven't got much else planned, we will be there on Sunday the 7th leaving on Wednesday 10th morning to head north to Florence. Have seen all the major sights once, and probably will have another look at them but hope to find some different things to explore and do as well. Love the history and architecture, so its all great in that regard. Not a big museum and/or art fan, so likely skipping that sort of thing. I do love art when it is on ceilings and such where it was meant to be seen. Can't wait!

We are back from a lovely 2 weeks in Italy, and I wanted to say that staying near the train station was perfectly fine! No issues at all, felt plenty safe at night, and it was convenient.

I'd probably stay there again for a night or two, but if I go back to Rome someday after exploring it so much I think I'd like to stay in the area just south of the Pantheon.

The area can be a bit sketchy. We stayed at a hotel within walking distance to the train station and I don't recall feeling unsafe, but I also had my 6'-2" husband with me. I dont think I would stay in this area by myself though. The area directly around the station is full of unsavory folks trying some sort of scam, begging, hawking junk, etc. While walking to our hotel we were followed by a beggar mother and child. Coming from Germany/Austria before it was a bit chaotic and dirty feeling.

Putting beggars and homeless citizens in the same basket of scammers and drug dealers is not the kindest thing to do.

Putting beggars and homeless citizens in the same basket of scammers and drug dealers is not the kindest thing to do.

This is true Dario, but Europe is no different than the US.

Even the apparent homeless or poor can be scammers. I saw in mid afternoon on the Via Veneto in Rome a very old lady with a stool begging for money. When returning back towards my hotel about 6:00pm, a block away, the same lady carrying her stool got into a very nice sedan driven by a guy who could have been her grandson or nephew. People should know that scammers come in all shapes and sizes.

This lady should totally learn how to be more discrete, you must be the tenth person telling me the same story about her, the car and the wise guy behind the wheel. Nevertheless, you did not describe a crime, hardly a scam.