Photo: trolvag, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Stay in the centro storico if you want Rome's main sights within a short walk and a quiet night's sleep; stay in Trastevere if lively evenings matter most. The centro storico is on the same side of the river as the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. Trastevere is across the Tiber, about 20 to 25 minutes on foot from the Pantheon, and has no metro station.
How do the two areas compare?
| Centro storico | Trastevere | |
|---|---|---|
| Character | Palazzi, piazzas and churches; elegant shops | Narrow lanes, ivy, a village feeling |
| Walk to the Pantheon | Up to 10 minutes | About 20 to 25 minutes |
| Walk to the Spanish Steps | About 10 minutes from Campo Marzio | About 35 minutes |
| Public transport | Metro Line A at Spagna and Flaminio | Tram 8 and buses; no metro |
| Evenings | Restaurants and wine bars; calm by midnight | Bars and crowds until late, especially Thursday to Saturday |
| Best for | First visits, families, short stays | Return visits, night owls |
What is it like to stay in the centro storico?
You wake up inside the postcard. Coffee at the bar, the Pantheon before the tour groups, lunch in a side street, and home for a rest before the evening. Because everything is close, you never plan a day around transport.
The part of the centre you choose matters. Around Campo de' Fiori the night is almost as lively as Trastevere's. Campo Marzio, towards the Spanish Steps, is noticeably calmer.
What is it like to stay in Trastevere?
Trastevere is beautiful, particularly in the morning, when the lanes are empty and the washing is out. In the evening it becomes one of the busiest parts of the city, which is either the attraction or the drawback. You will cross the river for most sights, on foot over Ponte Sisto or by tram to Largo Argentina.
Can you have both?
Yes, and it is what we would suggest. Stay in the centre and walk to Trastevere for dinner: from Campo Marzio it is about 20 minutes to Piazza Trilussa, by way of Piazza Navona and Campo de' Fiori. You have the evening there and the quiet when you come home.
Sources
- Walking times are our own, measured at an easy pace. Transport details from ATAC, Rome's public transport operator.
.jpg){kind=link}