by Amy Knauff
Full disclosure: I live in Trastevere myself, so I’m biased about the area. Having said that, I can honestly say that if I were visiting Rome for the first time (or second… or third…) , I’d love to stay here.
You only need to look around at the architecture to see that Trastevere is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city. It truly feels like it’s from a different time, with buildings of all different sizes and built at different times crammed next to each other on narrow, winding cobblestone streets.
There’s not much vehicle traffic on most of the small streets so it ends up being a largely pedestrian area. It’s got loads of excellent restaurants, coffee bars, gelaterie, and wine bars (there are plenty of subpar touristy ones too, so you have to know what to pick). It has its own train station with a train that goes to Fiumicino airport every 30 minutes, so if you’re flying into/out of FCO, it’s super easy to get there. And best of all: it’s within walking distance of pretty much anything you want to see in the center of Rome (less than 40 mins by foot from the Vatican, 20 mins from the Colosseum, 10-30 mins to other tourist sights in the historic center), while still being slightly off the tourist (read: expensive) track. If you like to walk, you may never have to set foot on public transport during your stay.
I’ll be honest about the downsides of Trastevere, too: there’s no metro stop particularly close to the area, so if you’re coming to Rome in/out of Termini station, you have to take a bus, which can be a pain. I wouldn’t bother staying in Trastevere for just 1 night if your exit/entry point is Termini – too inconvenient. Trastevere is known for its nightlife (it’s pretty quiet in the daytime), so some areas can be really loud and crowded – which is a lot of fun, but just make sure you don’t book a place, say, right on Via della Lungaretta, which is packed with people walking, talking, and generally making merry until late at night.
Trastevere can be divided into two parts – or three, some might say. The two sections of the main area of Trastevere are west and east of Viale Trastevere, the big street with the tram line that cuts the neighborhood into two parts. The area west of Viale Trastevere (around Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere, the hub) is the more popular area for going out at night. The area east of Viale Trastevere (around Piazza di Santa Cecilia) is the quieter, more residential side of Trastevere, so it feels more “authentic” somehow. It still has some restaurants and night spots, and therefore some noisy tourists out and about, but it’s not packed with them like the other side is.
The third part of the neighborhood is close to Trastevere train station, going away from the historic center and the river. It’s still considered Trastevere, but it’s the less picturesque, slightly more modern part of Trastevere. The buildings tend to be taller and a little newer, the streets are more trafficked and less cobblestoney, and it doesn’t have quite the same charm as the “main” area of Trastevere. Having said that, it’s still convenient because, of course, it’s near the station, and the tram line 8 takes you right up to the “old” Trastevere (5 mins), across the river, and into the historic center (10-15 mins).
We work with places to stay in all three of these areas of Trastevere, and some of our favorites are:
La Bernardon Guesthouse – double rooms for 80 euros a night with ensuite bathroom and breakfast, close to the San Cosimato outdoor market and near via Roma Libera, where there are lots of good wine bars and restaurants:
La Casa di Kaia from 51 euros a night for a double room with shared bathroom, just a block from Santa Cecilia church and on one of Trastevere’s quietest streets:
Burns B&B – one double guestroom, with friendly American host Marisa, for 85 euros a night with ensuite bathroom:
Truly Trastevere Studio Apartment , a typical charming old Trasteverean apartment, for 95 euros a night:
Ecostudio Trastevere Apartment, right in the heart of things but luckily spared from the street noise, for 90 euros a night:
Appartamento Fabrizi – a one-bedroom apartment, located in a truly unique apartment complex, for 105 euros a night:
Suite Trilussa – a classy studio apartment around one of Trastevere’s favorite squares for 115 euros a night:
