(staying in Trastevere, not our first visit to Rome)
Is there a specific part of Trastevere that is recommended to stay in (2 women, mother (72yo)/daugther) for 6 nights. We are staying in a vacation rental not hotel. Curious if certain parts lend well to staying in.
Thank you!
Janac, I have visited and enjoyed Trastevere but have not personally stayed there (although I would like to). I've included a link below to a website that I frequent and respect the opinion of. She does a nice job of explaining places to stay in Trastevere. I think all of it is basically safe but it can be quite lively in the evening. She mentions reading reviews very closely for clues as to the quiet or lack thereof in the rental. Also, she recommends staying close to the Tram Line (#8) as it will make it easier to travel beyond Trastevere to the center of Rome. Enjoy your Roman Holiday!
https://anamericaninrome.com/2019/01/where-to-stay-in-trastevere-rome/
This is much appreciated! Thank you so much.
The article supposedly raves about Trastevere, but then suggests lodging on the edge of it.
We stayed there for four nights in Novemnber at an AirBnB - it was upstairs from Ristorante La Canonica Roma - including a Friday and Saturday. My recommendation is that you stay as far away from Piazza di Santa Maria as you can. On the weekend mobs descend - largely young Italians, and the streets leading to the Piazza can be full of people. One might characterize this as "vibrant," but it can be annoying when you have to fight through the crowds to get to or from your apartment.
The wildly successful Tonnarello is a major draw, with sidewalk tables running for what seems like blocks beyond their actual location. Then you will encounter touts exhorting you to dine at their establishment. And keep in mind that drinking in the street is legal in Rome, so there are also groups drinking beer - although I thought they were in general well behaved, and left their empty bottles in neat rows on the pavement.
Rome is suffering from over-tourism, and the problem extends to Trastevere. So if you can stay closer to Viale di Trastevere, or above or below the main piazza, you may be better off. But also bear in mind that it will be a bit of a challenge if you need to cross the river - you won't have many transportation options. Maybe head to Testaccio instead.
We have stayed twice in the general vicinity, in Campo de' Fiori, right across the river. Once was in October (crowded in the piazza...vendors by day, partiers by night) and once late Feb/early March (chill & wonderful). Last time, in 2017, we rented a 2nd floor walkup, window opening out to the Campo market, and even with it being off-season, once the vendors packed up and went home, the young Italians were out not in full force, but happy and they whooped it up well into the evening, not obnoxiously, though.
For our next trip April 2025, we will be investigating Campo, as well as the Jewish Ghetto & Trastevere as possible landing spots for a week or so. As stated upthread, I think all the areas are generally safe but be smart--I would not walk long distances home from restaurants late at night. Thus, do your due diligence--as we will--to make sure there are plenty of reasonable restaurants within a quick 5-10 minute walk of your AirBnB.
Only other question about staying in Trastevere, brought up by Mark, is it's a ways from the normal bus line--the 64 (?) that goes directly to Termini station. But this not being your first rodeo, you may have that figured out. Trastevere is very, very cool overall.
I also haven't stayed in Trastevere before, but from living in an apartment that was about 50 yards from one of our town's most lively squares and PACKED by young people LONG into the evening and also from wandering through Trastevere after dinner later in the evening, I would DEFINITELY echo the suggestions to read the reviews to discover noise issues and stay away from the larger places to congregate. I also stayed in the Jewish Ghetto/Campo de Fiori area, just a 5 min walk to Trastevere, but MUCH closer to the main transport links and other tourist spots on the other side of the river. I would aim for away from the larger piazzas and closer to the transport links if you're going to be in Trastevere.
Thank you everyone! This is the address of where we are thinking of staying:
Via di San Francesco a Ripa, 145, Rome, Lazio 00153, Italy
Our Trastevere stay was in 2019, so things may have changed and you’ll want to check more recent reviews. That said, we loved the area. We stayed on both sides of Viale di Trastevere, one with the RS tour at Hotel San Francesco and on our own for several days on Via dell Arco di San Calisto, a very small street. I know we were in the San Calisto area over a weekend, but didn’t have any trouble with noise or navigating the crowds. We loved the village sense of the San Calisto area and seeing families out enjoying the area together in the evening. We’ve stayed in probably 4 different areas in Rome and this is our favorite. It was an easy walk for us to cross the river, but we also stopped at the tabac on Viale di Trastevere to buy our tickets for the tram. It looks like you are closer to Viale di Trastevere, so I think it will be a quieter area at night, but again, check any reviews.
@Patty - Thank you so much for this information. The place we have reserved is 3 minute walk from Via dell Arco di San Calisto (it says 11 minute walk to Viale di Trastevere) so I think we are very close to where you stayed. I'm glad to hear you loved the area!
Trastevere is where I usually stay (close to family for me) and I stay here. I like it, especially their rooftop bar with view.
I highly recommend taking the food and wine tour in Trastevere!
Eat Italy Trastevere. it is excellent lots of history and includes a variety of food & wine tastings
Could you provide a link to the food tour? Thanks!
