I'm traveling with my Mom in April 2009 in celebration of her successful kidney transplant. I'd like to stay in an area that has plenty of restaurants within walking distance of reasonably priced hotels. So far, I've been advised that the historic area near the colisseum IS NOT a good choice for what I'm looking for. So, can anyone give me a neighborhood/area suggestion?
Posted by
Pittsfield, MA, United States
103 posts
Scout out the Campo di' Fiore neighborhood. My husband and I stayed in that area in June 2008 and loved it. It's lively, offers many restaurants and excellent shopping, a daily fresh produce market, centrally located for easy walking to sights or getting on the bus at Largo Argentina. I highly recommend it. In fact, when we go back to Rome - we'll stay there again.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23276 posts
The area near the train stations has lots of restaurants and close to transportation.
Posted by
Northborough, MA
636 posts
I'll second what Linda said. Staying in the Centro Storico, near Campo dei Fiori, is wonderful. We stayed at Hotel Smeraldo, and we would stay there again in a heartbeat.
Posted by
OP
Washington, DC, 20009
8 posts
Thanks, you all have been very helpful.
Posted by
Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada
122 posts
We stayed in the Campo dei Fiori/Largo Argentina area recently and there are plenty of restaurants in the area. However, even more can be found in the Travestere area. This area is alive with restaurants, entertainment, markets, etc. It was wonderful and within walking distance of our hotel in Argentina. Might be worth checking out.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
If you decide to do Trastevere, get a place that's close Ponte Garibaldi, but not right on Viale di Trastevere which is a main traffic artery. Trastevere is a delightful, hip, medieval village of a neighborhood with a good bit of night life. Tons of restaurants. It can get a little rowdy at night, so factor that in. (We loved it when we stayed there for a week in May of this year.)
The main pedestrian pathway in Trastevere is via della Lungaretta. Getting a place right on that street could also be a little loud, although April won't be anywhere near as rowdy as during the summer.
Also, Trastevere is not close to any of the subway stops, so public transport would have to be buses/trams or taxis (which are a surprisingly good bargain in Rome compared to some other Italian cities).
If you have Google Earth on your computer, you can get an idea of where this cool neighborhood is. Type "via della lungaretta, roma, italia" in the Google Earth window and check it iout.