What's the best area in Rome to stay in?

Myriam - For many years I've suggested -
http://www.hotelforte.com/en/index.htm
Located Directly at The Spanish Steps the Hotel ie excellent - My friends Emanuel and Emanuella run the front desk and take very good care of their patrons. Easy walking to The Via Veneto, The Trevi Fountain, and The Roamn Forum. Many excellent Cafes and restaurants on the side streets by the Steps, in addition to up on The Via Veneto.
Please check out the website and enjoy Roma!!

Ciao, Greg

I've stayed in several different areas of Rome but my favorite for what you've described is Campo de Fiori--it not far from the Pantheon and Pizzza Navona so that area would be good as well.

Either of the areas you mention fit the bill, you could include the area of Trastevere nearest the river bend as well. My personal preference runs to the Trastevere, but most of my time in Rome has been spent on business, and I catch the Tram and Train each day to head to the business parks towards the airport. We stay at the Hotel Trastevere, have a number of restaurants in a relatively quiet neighborhood, with a good active Piazza (St. Maria in Trastevere).

Keep in mind that much of central Rome is an easy and enchanting walk, we rarely ever use the Metro, maybe the bus and trams for longer hops to Termini, maybe the Vatican.

Look at Hotel Due Torri which is in a quiet location on a tiny street off Via Scorfa. It is a short walk from Navona, Pantheon, Campo Fiori, etc. Has an elevator and the staff and breakfast are great.

This is a frequently asked question and we all have our personal opinions. And we all have our own definition of charming, sketchy, etc. For us, convenience generally (not always) trumps everything else. We prefer the Termini area towards the Opera House simply because it is easy to walk to and from Termini with luggage and avoids dealing with Rome taxi cabs. Second the transportation hub is in front of Termini and easy to use. And, there some nice local restaurants in the area BUT you do add ten to fifteen minutes of extra walking time to most sites. But that is less important to us. And the hotels we use we think are very charming.

The spanish steps area meets all of the things you have listed. However, if you are traveling on a budget it is not the best option.

I prefer the Piazza Navona/Campo de Fiori/Pantheon areas. These places are pretty central, safe & are interesting at night too. They are not close to a metro station but in Rome, it's not important to be close to the metro as it is in other big cities. Have a great trip.

I love Trastevere. It is just out of the way enough to be out of the tourist "hot zone" and just close enough to walk to most everything that you will want to see. Rick Steves has a night stroll across Rome that starts(ends) in Trastevere. Trastevere has a great night life and numerous restaurants and bars to choose from. I consider it a safe area to roam at night.

I agree with the majority who say Trastevere is the place to be. I rented an apartment for 2 weeks in October and just loved the area. You could eat at a different restaurant 3 times a day for a month and not do them all. (My favourite is Carlos Menta). The neighbourhood is very safe, day and night. Not many chain hotels there, but lots of nice inns. Walking 20 minutes to the Vatican, 15 minutes to the Jewish Ghetto, probably 30 minutes to the Colloseum. Trams, buses and taxis are all reasonable.

Here's another vote for Trastevere. Our apartment looked out on the Carlo Menta restaurant that's mentioned above. Found it through VRBO. Let me know if you want more info.