St Peter's Square at Night

Tom, I wouldn't have safety worries about that walk + metro ride. What I am concerned about is that the Ottaviano metro stop might be closed during the time of your visit. I've not yet seen actual closure dates yet but it's supposed to happen sometime later this spring. So have a Plan B?

https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/rome-spagna-ottaviano-metro-stations.html#:~:text=Rome%20is%20to%20close%20two,to%20close%20for%2050%20days.

Kathy,

Thanks for the heads up. Ugh. I was counting on using both stations during our visit. Spagna once and Ottaviano multiple times as we will be in the Vatican multiple days. Our visit to Rome will be May 27 to the 30th. I'll need to watch the closures carefully. This is only going to put more pressure on the busses and Taxis/ Uber.

Thanks again.

Elaborating on the link that Kathy provided, Rome's tram lines will also be closed starting May 2024 for five months for upgrades at one of the terminals. To be replaced by shuttle busses. I, for one, was anticipating relying on Trams 3 and 8 while in Rome in June. I wonder if shuttle busses will work as reliably.

If you’re in Rome four nights and will visit the Vatican multiple days, I wouldn’t stay in a hotel by the train station and more so given the problems with the tram and metro. Maybe stay someplace close to Piazza Navona.

Tom, the Cipro metro station is unaffected. You could use that one for one of your visits; it's not far from the Vatican museum entrance. Lepanto, which is abt. 7 blocks east of Ottaviano, is another option. Prati, the nice neighborhood it's located in (we stayed not far from Lepanto once) is safe and more residential than some other parts of the city.

We've also stayed just 2 blocks or so south of the Aberdeen and didn't think it was a bad location. Sure, it was a bit of a walk to some attractions but it was close enough to some others, and Rome is such an interesting city to walk anyway! Catch the B-line metro at Termini to get down to the Colosseum area, if desired. I would agree that the Piazza Navona area would put you closer to the Vatican, though.

I'm pleased that you want to take a stroll on Ponte Sant'Angelo at night. We made a point of crossing it at least once a day when we stayed in Prati: a favorite in Rome! There is a nice evening/night view of St Peter's dome from Ponte Umberto i? You might cross that one going one way and Ponte, Sant'Angelo going the other. A shot taken from that one:; Ponte Sant'Angelo is the bridge in the foreground. I've taken a shot or two of my own from that bridge.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jon_w1/16429928087/