My wife & I visited Rome almost 20 years ago. We stayed near the top of the Spanish Steps. We are planning to return with our two teenage daughters (13 & 16) for four nights in late June 2017, and we’re looking for a good neighborhood to stay. We anticipate visiting the usual tourist sites but want to balance that with exploring, discovering and just hanging out in parts of the city not surrounded by tons of tourists. That said, we will most likely walk everywhere so we’d like to stay in an area that is interesting and trendy but also centrally located. We will most likely just sleep in our accommodation but will spend a lot of time in the immediate neighborhood.
Our original thought was to stay in the Trastevere neighborhood, but we think it may be too far south away from the city center. We have narrowed our search to the below areas, but are open to any ideas & comments.
- Trevi Fountain, Pantheon or Piazza Navona
- Campo de Fiori or Jewish Ghetto,
- Monti.
Yes, we know the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Navona even Campo di Fiori are major tourist sites. However, if we find a place to stay a few blocks away (not next door to the site) would we be disappointed with the constant tourist crowds? Also, is everything around each site targeted to tourists and not the culture we have come so far to see?
We are kind of leaning towards Monti or the area southeast of Campo de Fiori – Jewish Ghetto. Accommodations are less expensive but would this be a good choice for a family? Are parts of these neighborhoods a little seedy? We understand Rome is relatively safe, but are these areas age appropriate for teenage girls? Would we enjoy eating, hanging out and interacting with others - just trying to get a sense of the vibe?
Final thoughts – Apartments seem to be way more economical for four than a hotel. We are expecting to spend under $200/night (perhaps $160). Any recommendations are appreciated.