Last Updated on February 19, 2025 by admin

High on every visitor’s list is the question of where to stay in Rome. 

Lots of people struggle to decide between two neighborhoods: Trastevere and Monti. Don’t get me wrong – they’re both great for different reasons – but there is so much more to the city than these two areas! 

I’ve got them both on the list, but I’m writing this post to give you a bit more insight about some of Rome’s other great neighborhoods that might be a better fit for you and your family or group. 

Another reason why I wanted to write this post is because sometimes I see the prices of hotels in the city center and they quite literally take my breath away. In addition to being cool, lesser-known areas to look for accommodation in Rome, some of my recommendations have the added bonus of being more budget friendly, too.

I’ve tried to think of the different reasons why people come to Rome, and have slotted in my choices based on the common types of visitor to the Eternal City. I’ve also shied away from the most crowded, touristy areas, just because they’re already so well known.

Let’s get to it – here’s my list of where to stay in Rome for every type of traveler.

Where to stay in Rome (for every type of traveler)

Foodies and families (and foodie families): Testaccio

Metro: Piramide (blue/B line)

As someone who prioritizes food when traveling, of course, the foodie traveler was the first category that came to my mind. It’s true that there is excellent food to be had throughout the Eternal City – you’d be hard pressed to find a neighborhood that didn’t have at least one or two great places to eat.

That said, I didn’t spend a single moment hemming or hawing over deciding which area of Rome is the best for foodies – it’s definitely Testaccio.

Once home to a massive slaughterhouse that supplied the city with meat and the offcuts of said meat that would turn into some of Rome’s most beloved dishes, Testaccio has, in my opinion, the highest concentration of good restaurants in town.

Of course, there are some places I like over others, but you almost can’t go wrong. If you want to try the vast majority of Rome’s best-known dishes in one neighborhood, Testaccio is the spot for you.

In addition to its many excellent restaurants, the Mercato di Testaccio is a proverbial pastiche of Roman street food that makes the perfect stop for lunch and a little shopping (for food and other items – there are a couple of great little places to pick up gifts or souvenirs).

The neighborhood has the added bonus of being family-friendly, too. If you have kids that like or need to run around, and if you want to sit and have a spritz on the sidelines while they do so, then Testaccio is a great choice. Every evening, Piazza di Testaccio turns into a kind of makeshift play area, with little kids biking and scooting around the square while their parents sip a drink at the benches that line it (get a takeaway drink from Oasi della Birra or Testaccino). There’s also a little playground in another square called Piazza Santa Maria Liberatrice.

History lovers: Monti

Metro: Cavour (blue/B line)

If you’ve come to Rome to soak up all the ancient history you can, I think you should stay in Monti. 

Given its city-center location, staying in Monti might not be cheap, but it will give you easy access to the heart of ancient Rome, including the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Fora, all of which you can walk to. You can also jump on the metro, and in just two stops you’ll be at Circus Maximus. After visiting the Circus, you can take an easy stroll to the Baths of Caracalla (which, in my opinion, are hugely underrated). 

Want even more of ancient Rome? Stay on the B line to Piramide, and switch to the “Metromare,” the little train that takes you to the coast.  A few stops before the beach, you can get off at Ostia Antica and visit Rome’s ancient port, where the oldest ruins can be traced back to the 4th century BC. 

In addition to being a great neighborhood for accessing so many of Rome’s most well-known ancient sights, Monti is extremely pretty, and also happens to be full of little boutiques, cool second-hand stores, and lots of great restaurants. 

Catholic visitors: Prati

Metro: Lepanto, Ottaviano and Cipro (orange/A line)

Prati is the neighborhood that abuts Vatican City. If you’ve come to Rome to visit Catholicism’s heavy-hitters, this is the place for you. You’ll have easy access to St. Peter’s Basilica (and its necropolis and dome), as well as the Vatican Museums, and Castel Sant’Angelo.

Night crawlers: Trastevere

Metro: None, you’ll have to rely on trams and buses

I find some parts of Trastevere to be loud, crowded, and sometimes overwhelming, but there’s also something great about it.

I spent a lot of time there when I lived in Rome in my early 20s, so maybe it’s nostalgia, but wandering around Trastevere on a hot summer night is magic. People hang out later to get embrace the cooler evening air that descends, stopping here and there for a glass of wine, a cocktail, or some of the best food in the city.

The neighborhood is well and truly full of places to stop for a drink, so it’s a great place to stay if you want to go out in the evening. I like:

Latteria and L’antidoto for natural wine

Ma chè siete venuti a fà and Luppolo Station for craft beer

Freni e frizioni, 404 Name Not Found and La Punta Expendio de Agave for cocktails

The Hole for a pub vibe

Bar San Calisto because it is perfect. Open from 6am to 2am, it’s full of old men playing cards and having coffee in the morning, hipsters drinking lager and table wine in the afternoon and at night, with a few eclectic neighborhood regulars thrown in all day long.

Travelers who need green space and runners: Parco degli Acquedotti

Metro: Numidio Quadrato, Lucio Sestio, Guilio Agricola, Subaugusta (orange/A line)

Rome is full of beautiful parks, which you might not realize if you only stick to the city center. With the exception of Villa Borghese, the stunning green space that occupies a central area, lots of the other parks are either very small or out of the way.

In my opinion, the most beautiful park in the city is Parco degli Acquedotti. Less manicured than others, the aqueduct park is full of locals walking, running, laying on the grass, kicking balls around, and just generally soaking up the beautiful scenery.

I love Parco degli Acquedotti in the springtime, when the fields become polka-dotted with poppies.

If you like to start or end your day with a jog or you need green space in your life, stay near this park. Given that it’s not in the heart of the city center, this area has the added bonus of being a bit gentler on the wallet, too.

Architecture lovers: Garbatella

Metro: Garbatella (blue/B line)

When my husband and I were looking to move in 2023, Garbatella was most definitely on our radar. 

Located in Rome’s south, it’s one of the city’s most visually unique and attractive neighborhoods.

Constructed in the 1920s, Garbatella was built to emulate an English garden city, making it walkable and giving it a village-y feel.

The homes were built for people who worked in the factories on Via Ostiense. You can still see the lot numbers on some of the buildings today. Some of the buildings were also built for homeless families after World War II. 

You can find a huge range of architectural styles in Garbatella, including Roman Baroque, Rococo, and Rationalist.

Travelers coming to Rome for an event at the Olympic Stadium: Ponte Milvio

Metro: None

The Ponte Milvio neighborhood is known to locals as being a posh area in Rome’s already-considered-posh north. 

I like Ponte Milvio – it’s got good food, tons of bars, and an international vibe. If you’re coming for a sporting event or concert at the Olympic Stadium, stay in Ponte Milvio to experience a different side of the city.

There’s no metro in Ponte Milvio, but there are plenty of buses to get you to Prati, Trastevere, and other parts of the city. You can also take advantage of the walking/cycling path that runs along the Tiber river by picking it up right near the bridge.

Digital nomads or people wanting to stay off the beaten path: Pigneto

Metro: Pigneto (red/C line)

Controversial take, but Pigneto might just be the best neighborhood in Rome. It’s pretty well known as a great spot to go out amongst the international crowd that lives here, but it’s not fully on the tourist radar, so you can enjoy it without battling crowds.

There’s lots of good food in Pigneto and plenty of nightlife. In fact, the neighborhood’s big draw is it’s “zona pedonale” or pedestrian area, which is lined with cafes and bars that all have outdoor seating. In the morning, vendors sell fresh fruit and vegetables, and in the afternoon and evening, the bars open and the merry-making begins.

If you’re a digital nomad, setting up shop in Pigneto is a stellar idea, thanks to its multiple remote-work-friendly cafes.

Adored by the likes of Roberto Rossellini and Pier Paolo Pasolini, who set some of their most famous cinematic works in Pigneto, the neighborhood still has an artistic, bohemian vibe today thanks to the many galleries and boutiques you’ll find there.

Pigneto is also home to several LGBTQIA+ friendly spots, including Magnebevo e sto al Pigneto, Malo Glitter Bar, and Libreria Tuba. If you want to dance, head to Largo Venue on Friday night for Latte Fresco.

Rome’s best-kept secret: San Lorenzo

Metro: Termini (orange/A line) or Castro Pretorio (blue/B line)

Ok, I know I just said Pigneto might be the best neighborhood in Rome, but it’s got to be a tie between Pigneto and San Lorenzo (which are actually next to each other in Rome’s east). 

San Lorenzo is the neighborhood where Rome’s largest university, La Sapienza, is located. As you can imagine, this means lots of cheap and cheerful places to eat and drink and a general vibe of youth. Street art lovers will enjoy the series of murals painted on walls and buildings.

I also happen to think that San Lorenzo has some of the best restaurants in town.

There are a couple of excellent craft beer spots (Artisan and Luppolo 12), too many great pizzerias to name, some old-school spots that still serve things like pasta e fagioli for less than 10, and modern, upscale places like Pastificio and Mazzo. Culinarily speaking, there’s truly something for every budget. 

If you don’t mind a bit of walking, you’ll be able to get around the city very easily, thanks to the fact that San Lorenzo is close to both an A-line metro stop (Termini) and a B-line metro stop (Castro Pretorio, although you can also pick up the B line at Termini).

General advice on choosing where to stay in Rome

Metro access

I know that not all of the neighborhoods I’ve recommended to stay at in Rome have metro access, but I do suggest staying near a metro station when possible. This is because the metro is generally more reliable and faster than other forms of transport, which frankly just get jammed up in the city’s snaking street traffic. 

Avoid the historic center if you’re on a budget

Like I said above, looking at the prices in the center are like a gut punch, especially during the high season. If you’re on a budget, don’t be afraid to stay a bit further out – especially if you’re on a metro line! 

For a more Roman experience, look beyond the Aurelian Walls

The city center of Rome is enchanting. It’s incredible to think how much history is there, how many famous figures have trod on the sampietrini, and just how significant the city is to the world. I fell in love with it at 17, and I remain smitten to this day.

Very clearly, I am not the only person who feels that way, and owing to a huge uptick in visitors since the pandemic, the city center has often become really difficult, and, unfortunately, depending on the time of year, or even time of day, unpleasant, to navigate. 

If you have the time and curiosity, stay outside of the center. You’ll get an actual impression of what it’s like to live in Rome, not just what it’s like to come and check a “must-see” list. 

Do you have a favorite neighborhood to stay in Rome? Let me know in the comments!

This post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you click on one and make a purchase or booking, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting Luggage and Life! I research and write all of the content on this site without the help of other people or AI, and your financial support is a meaningful way to contribute to the continuation of my work. Grazie mille!

If you’re not here to spend, no problem! I’m also extremely grateful for likes, shares and follows, and feel free to join my Facebook group!