Rome/Modern Centre

The Modern Centre of Rome, home to the Via Veneto, Quirinale, Castro Pretorio, Repubblica, and Trevi neighbourhoods, is the city's hub of activity, especially shopping and nightlife. It's also home to a huge assortment of hotels, and it's likely that you'll be staying here, despite the fact that most of Rome's historic attractions are elsewhere.

Get in

The Modern Centre of Rome is not hard to find as the Termini Station brings you into the west edge of it. As you leave the station, the Castro Pretorio neighbourhood is to your right, with many smaller hotels. To the left the main roads of Via Cavour and Via Nazionale lead down the hill. Larger hotels here, catering more for groups than independent travellers.

Termini Station is a major bus hub with buses to all parts of town. Beware taxi drivers who operate at the station as it seems to attract the most crooked ones. Get a cab from the rank and ignore the drivers who solicit you outside the station. Always insist that you see the meter is turned on after you get into the cab. No matter what time of day or night the starting price should never be more than €6 (during the day less) and a figure 1 on the meter should indicate that the correct rate is being applied. A legitimate extra fee of €2 is levied for all rides beginning at the station.

See
  • 🌍 Trevi Fountain. Completed in 1762 to a design by Nicola Salvi, this spectacular Baroque fountain features a mythological sculptural composition of Neptune, god of the sea, flanked by two Tritons: one Triton labours to control a violent sea-horse, the other controls a pacified creature, both symbolising the dual nature of the world's oceans. The location of the Trevi fountain marks the terminus of the ancient Aqua Virgo aqueduct, completed in 19 BCE in order to supply the Baths of Agrippa, and is so named on account of its position at the junction of three roads (tre vie). The legend says that one who throws a coin in the fountain shall one day return to Rome. The coins in the fountain are regularly collected to finance charities. The fountain has been made even more famous by the 1954 film, Three Coins in the Fountain, and by a famous scene in Federico Fellini's film La Dolce Vita. According to popular superstition and custom, throwing coins with one's right hand over one's left shoulder into the Trevi Fountain is a practice endowed with good luck. Throwing one coin ensures that the thrower will return to Rome; throwing two coins will ensure that the thrower will fall in love with a beautiful Roman girl (or handsome boy); throwing three coins, finally, ensures that the thrower will marry that girl or boy in Rome itself. (updated Jan 2016)
  • 🌍 Via Veneto (Via Vittorio Veneto). It was immortalised in 1960 by the Federico Fellini film La Dolce Vita. It is also the location of the US Embassy, in the massive Palazzo Margherita. Via Veneto went into a period of decline in the 1980s but has returned to popularity and the roadside cafes are the place to be seen if you are into that sort of thing. (updated Aug 2017)
  • 🌍 Servian walls (Mura serviane) (outside the Termini station). Remains of the first city walls, built in the early 4th century BC and attributed to king Servius Tullius. 
  • 🌍 Capuchin Monastery, Via Veneto (on the right of Via Veneto as you leave Piazza Barberini). Built after 1631, the crypt of the church contains a macabre display - a series of chapels decorated with the bones of 3700 dead friars. The bones are glued to the walls and ceilings in bizarre and striking decorations. 
  • 🌍 Le Quattro Fontane, Intersection of Via delle Quattro Fontane and Via del Quirinale. Four fountains from the time of Pope Sixtus V when much of Rome was redeveloped. A reclining deity is the theme of each sculpture. This is a busy intersection and if you don't look twice you may miss these exquisite examples of Roman mythology. 
  • 🌍 Palazzo Massimo, Largo di Villa Peretti 2, ☏ +39 06 39967700. M-Sa 09:00-13:30, 14:30-17:00. A magnificent collection of ancient Roman sculptures, mosaics and wall paintings, including the famous paintings from the Imperial-era villa discovered under the Villa Farnesina, as well as the dining room from the Empress Livia's villa at Prima Porta. Located across the piazza from Termini, opposite the Baths of Diocletian. €7 standard adult, €3.50 EU citizens between ages 18 and 24. This gives access to all four National Roman Museums in a 4-day period. Higher prices are charged when there are special exhibitions. (updated Jan 2016)
  • 🌍 Rome's National Museum at the Baths of Diocletian, Via Enrico de Nicola 79 (Facing the Termini Station. Next to Santa Maria degli Angeli.). On the site of the Roman baths this museum houses an enormous collection of statues, etc. €7 standard adult, €3.50 EU citizens between ages 18 and 24. This gives access to all four National Roman Museums in a 4-day period. Higher prices are charged when there are special exhibitions. (updated Jan 2016)
  • 🌍 Palazzo Barberini (Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica), Via Quattro Fontane 13, ☏ +39 06 482 4184. Tu-Su 09:09-19:30. This remarkable building, designed partly by Bernini, houses the National Gallery of Ancient Art, and includes some famous paintings by Filippo Lippi and Caravaggio, as well as Raphael's "La Fornarina". €5, several discounts available. Free entrance for people under 18 and over 65. 
  • 🌍 Piazza Barberini. With Bernini's famous Triton Fountain. Via Veneto starts here too. 
  • 🌍 Palazzo del Quirinale (Quirinal Palace), Via del Quirinale (atop the Quirinale, highest of the famous Roman hills), ☏ +39 06 39 96 75 57. Tu W F-Su 09:30-16:00. Home of the President of the Italian Republic, and the Quirinal Gardens. Built in 1573 as a papal summer residence, and has since also served as the residence for the pope and later for the king of Italy. Artistic-Institutional itinerary €1.50; Thematic itinerary €10.00; Reservation in 5 days at least is mandatory which is made: online, by phone or at the Inforpoint (Salita di Montecavallo 15). (updated Aug 2017)
  • 🌍 San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, Via del Quirinale, 23, ☏ +39 06 48 83 261. A very small and beautiful church, the first design commission of Francesco Borromini. 
  • 🌍 Santa Maria degli Angeli, Via Cernaia 9 (Piazza della Repubblica), ☏ +39 06 48 80 812. This church was built inside the former baths of Diocletian. Very light and airy inside. Note the unusual art on the outside doors. Around solar noon check out the sun's image on Francesco Bianchini's meridian line inside. (updated Nov 2019)
  • 🌍 Santa Maria della Vittoria (bottom of Via XX Settembre, close to Piazza della Repubblica). Now invaded by readers of Dan Brown's Angels and Demons, this is an interesting Baroque church containing Bernini's "Ecstasy of St. Teresa". Either side of this chapel are characters in what can best be described as theatre boxes. These are members of the Cornaro family, who paid for Bernini's sculpture. (As of Feb 2015, not visible due to restoration work.) 
  • 🌍 St Paul's Within the Walls (just down Via Nazionale from Piazza della Repubblica, on the corner with Via Napoli). More modern than most Roman churches: it was not started until 1873. This is Rome’s Episcopalian church. Some very interesting artwork, particularly the mosaics by Edward Burne-Jones of the Pre-Raphaelite school. 
  • 🌍 British Embassy, Via XX Settembre 80. At the northern end of Via XX Settembre next to the Porta Pia designed by Michaelangelo. The previous embassy had been destroyed by a terrorist bomb in 1946 and was eventually replaced by this world-renowned modern design by Sir Basil Spence. It was built on stilts so as not to interrupt the view of the garden. 
  • 🌍 Palazzo Colonna (Galleria Colonna), Via della Pilotta, 17 (entrance), ☏ +39 06 6784350, . Sa 09:00-13:15; guided tour in English is at 12:00. One of the most splendid (still private) Baroque grand palaces in Rome. €12 (includes optional guided tour); additional tour to the apartment of Princess Isabelle (when available) €15; extra tour to the terraced garden on the Quirinal hill (weather permitting) €10. (updated Dec 2016)

Do
  • 🌍 Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Via Nazionale 194 (Imposing exhibition centre half-way down Via Nazionale.). Rotating exhibitions, usually three at one time. Exhibition descriptions normally provided in both Italian and English. Avoid Sunday morning, when the Romans go, as queues to get in can be long. €12.50; reductions €10. You can purchase a discounted, combined ticket for the Palazzo and the Scuderie.. 
  • 🌍 Scuderie del Quirinale, Via XXIV Maggio 16, (on the corner of the Piazza del Quirinale). 10:00-22:00. Former stables of the Quirinal Palace, now an exhibition centre that usually hosts some excellent art shows. €10, reductions €7.50. 

Buy

For a little bit of shopping, the Via Nazionale is perfect: souvenirs, clothes, Italian shoes, etc. But the main attraction is without a doubt, the Via Veneto.

Eat

Budget

There are many budget restaurants around.

  • 🌍 Habemus Pinsa, Via Umbria, 19. (updated May 2022)
  • 🌍 L'Insalatona, Via Marche, 62. (updated May 2022)
  • 🌍 Il Fiammifero Strano, Via Lombardia, 32. (updated May 2022)
  • 🌍 Rosemary terra e sapori, Via Modena, 15. (updated May 2022)
  • 🌍 PINSALLEGRA, Via Napoli, 50. (updated May 2022)
  • 🌍 Africa Restaurant, Via Gaeta, 26. Eritrian (updated May 2022)
  • 🌍 La Famiglia, Via Gaeta, 66. (updated May 2022)

Mid-range
  • 🌍 al Piccolo Arancino, Vicolo Scanderberg 112 (near the Trevi Fountain). 12:00-15:00 and 19:00-00:00, closed Mondays. Small restaurant with a lot of Italian guests (but they are tourists, not romans...) and moderate prices. (updated May 2022)
  • 🌍 Il Gelato di San Crispino, Via della Panetteria 42 (just up the hill from the Trevi fountain and turn left). Considered one of the best ice creams in Rome. Check out the meringue ice creams and the fruit sorbets according to the season. (updated May 2022)
  • 🌍 Gelato g Italiano, Via delle Muratte 18a/19, ☏ +39 06 67 96 762. An excellent ice-cream, one minute walk from Fontana di Trevi (updated May 2022)

Splurge


Drink
  • Dagnino Tea Room, Galleria, Esedra Via V. Emanuele Orlando 75, ☏ +39 064818660. If you haven't tried a "Cannolo" or a "Cassatina" then get one here, they are simply great. Don't sit at the tables (it's pretty expensive) just take them away. Good pastries too. 
  • Harrys Bar. You can't visit Via Veneto and not go to Harrys Bar, forever associated with Fellinis' La Dolce Vita. Harrys is now a swanky upmarket {read expensive} bar/eatery where celebs can still be spotted. A piano bar. Sometimes guest artists availed themselves of the piano and entertain the patrons. For example, Australian Pianist Fiona Cohn played there. 
  • 🌍 Druid’s Rock Pub, Piazza Esquilino 1 (the other side of the basilica, just after you cross Via Cavour). The sister pub of the Druid’s Den. 

Sleep

Budget
  • Alessandro Hostels, Via Vicenza 42, ☏ +39 06-446-1958, fax: +39 06-493-80-534. Other branch: Alessandro Downtown, Via C. Cattaneo 23. 2nd Floor, +39 06 443 40 147. All locations are 5 minutes on foot from Termini, include free breakfast, free linens, no curfew, cheap internet, video security, free pizza parties at the Palace pub, internet PCs & Wi-Fi available at both hostels. From €15 for dorms. 
  • Domus Castrense Guest House Rome, Viale dell' Università 25, ☏ +39 06 4469195, fax: +39 06 49385435. Single, double and triple bedrooms with private bath, TV LCD, breakfast, internet connection, telephone and mini bar for this guest house of Rome. €75 for a double room breakfast included. 
  • Evergreen B&B, Via Milazzo 23, ☏ +39 06 44363186. No curfew, no lock-out. Towels and bed linen included. Daily room cleaning. English and Italian spoken. Singles from €40, breakfast included. 
  • Freedom Traveller Hostel, Via Gaeta 25, ☏ +39 06 47823862. A four-minute walk from the central train station, this hostel has adequate dorms, some have nice balconies. Kitchens and communal areas. No curfew, but lockout from 11:00 - 15:00. From €23 per night, including free breakfast, internet and dinner. 
  • Hotel Bed in Roma, Via dei Mille 64, ☏ +39 06 89687664, fax: +39 06 89687665. 8 guest rooms which can be booked as single, double, twin, triple and family. All with en-suite services and shower. Special discounts with the local bars for breakfast. Single €50, double €65 and triple €75. 
  • Hotel Cortorillo Rome, Via Principe Amedeo 79/a, ☏ +39 06 4466934. Two-star hotel with 14 bedrooms divided in single, double and triple, and a single family room with four beds. Single and double rooms available starting from €40-€50 with breakfast included.. 
  • Hotel Indipendenza Rome, Via Magenta 13, ☏ +39 06 44362204, fax: +39 0683391815. 3-star hotel. Single, double, twin, triple and family rooms available. All with en-suites services, LCD TV and free internet access. Double rooms: €54. 
  • Holiday Rome B&B, Via Palestro, 49, ☏ +39 06 4453024, . Bed & Breakfast near Termini. Three rooms with private bathrooms and an air-conditioning system. Price from €45 x person x night. 
  • Hostel Papa Germano, Via Calatafimi, 14/a, ☏ +39 06486919, fax: +39 0647825202. Near the station. Free internet, sat TV, minifridge, telephone, air conditioning, free maps, no curfew, credit cards accepted. €16 for dorms, €50 for private rooms. 
  • Hotel Rubino Rome, Via Milazzo 3, ☏ +39 06 4452323, fax: +39 06 445425. Cheap and cheerful low budget hotel right in the centre of Rome near the train station and public transport, caters mainly to young people. Clean and secure. Singles from €50. 
  • Inn Central Rome, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, 55, ☏ +39 06 64870844, fax: +39 06 64870933. Besides the single, double and triple rooms, this guest house of Rome also presents a cosy independent mini apartment for four people with kitchen facilities. Alla accommodations come with private bathroom. Single room: €60. Mini apartment: €95. 
  • 🌍 M&J Place Hostel Roma, Via Solferino 9, ☏ +39 064462802, . Within spitting distance of the train station. Friendly staff, reasonable dorms and nice private room. This popular hostel has a good breakfast for €3 but no lockout or curfew. Try the bar Living Room for food or nice drinks. Free Wi-fi, tours, and free Mmps Dorms from €12.. 
  • Hotel Sonya, Via del Viminale, 58, ☏ +39 06-4819911, fax: +39 06-4885678. The Hotel Sonya is a three-star hotel in the centre of Rome, a few minutes away from Rome Termini Station and in front of the Opera House. Singles from €70, doubles from €90. 
  • Stargate Hostel, Via Palestro 88, ☏ +39 064457164, fax: +39 0649384134, . 5 minutes away by foot from the termini central station, near the Castro Pretorio metro stop. Bed in a dormitory costs €22 including breakfast.. 
  • 🌍 Independence Square Inn, via castelfidardo 78, ☏ +39 3475730310, . Family run guesthouse, single, double/twin, triple or quad room with private or shared bathroom. Breakfast, LCD tv, A/C. Price from €40 
  • 🌍 YWCA Rome, Via C. Balbo 4, ☏ +39 06 4880460, . This youth hostel is part of the association of the World YWCA (Young Women Christian Association). It is found four blocks from Termini on the Via C. Balbo. A place fallen out of time, since not listed on the typical platforms and offering fixed rates even when everything else is booked (May 2023). You can stay there as a man too, just fill out the booking request form correctly. Breakfast is included, extra fees for Rome tourist tax and the annual membership for 1 year (~10 Euro) - and still very affordable. Not a typical hostel with all the travellers around, but a reliable and friendly place to stay in and located very centrally. Base price excluding tourist tax and membership: €22 per person per night for a bed in a 4-person room. €33 to €38.50 for a double, €55 for a private room (May 2023). (updated May 2023)

Mid-range
  • Alex Inn, Via Emilia 47, ☏ +39 06 97273360, fax: +39 06 97273150. Small guest house in the centre of Rome near Via Veneto. Relatively new and pretty good facilities, and a small terrace off each room. Doubles from €110 including breakfast. 
  • Al Viminale Hill & Hotel, Via del Viminale, 38, ☏ +39 064 7823235, fax: +39 064 7823598, . 3-star hotel on Colle Viminale near Termini Station. Offers its guests 15 rooms with Jacuzzi tub. Doubles from €80 including breakfast. 
  • Art and Relax Suites Rome, Via Giolitti, 137, ☏ +39 339 6166937, fax: +39 06 69290948. The Art and Relax Suites is a cosy bed and breakfast of Rome with 6 double bedrooms with private en-suite services, shower and breakfast. €140. 
  • B&B Trevi Rome, Via del Lavatore 83, ☏ +39 06 69380944, fax: +39 06 69293654. The Trevi Rome is a bed and breakfast with 14 guest rooms divided in double and twin, standard and superior. A third bed available if needed. Rate for a double room €120. 
  • Hotel Atlantico, Via Cavour, 23, ☏ +39 06-485951, fax: +39 06-4827492, . A four-star hotel in a 1912 building on the highest of Rome's seven hills, the Esquilino, giving it good views of the city. From €145. 
  • Hotel Cortina Rome, Via Nazionale 18, ☏ +39 06 4819794, fax: +39 064819220. Three-star hotel of the central street of Via Nazionale with 14 bedrooms divided in single, double, twin, triple and quadruple with private bath (shower included). Also available two apartments 20 metres away from the hotel. €95 for a single and €115 for a double. 
  • Hotel I Giardini del Quirinale, Via Firenze 43, ☏ +39 06 48930388, fax: +39 06 48989945. Upscale B&B very close to Via Nazionale and the Presidential Palace of Quirinale. All the bedrooms offer internet connection, mini bar, air conditioning, telephone with direct line and LCD television. Also available private parking and continental breakfast. From €165 including breakfast. 
  • Hotel Martini Rome, Via Nazionale, 18, ☏ +39 06 4880994, fax: +39 06 4820812. The Martini is a three-star hotel of Rome with a large choice of bedrooms divided in single, double, triple and family; all equipped with private bathroom and bathtub. Double rooms: €160 with included breakfast. 
  • Hotel Romanico Palace, Via Boncompagni, 37, ☏ +39 06-42083881, fax: +39 06-42815558, . A four-star hotel with 64 rooms divided between six floors, on the 7th floor there is a nice 360-degree panoramic terrace with good views of historical centre. From €180 all exclusive. 
  • La Piccola Maison, Via dei Cappuccini 30, ☏ +39 06 42016331. Guest house in Via Veneto. Rooms with international channels, air conditioning, wifi, minifridge and telephone. Doubles from €80 with free wifi. 
  • 🌍 Nuovo Hotel Quattro Fontane, Via delle Quattro Fontane 149/A, ☏ +39 06 4884480, fax: +39 06 4814936, . A 3-star hotel housed in an entirely renovated 18th-century palace. Double room from €120. 
  • Residence At Rome, Piazza Barberini 2, ☏ +39 06 46661058. A guest house on the third floor in a residential building on Piazza Barberini, so the name holds true. No elevator available, and it's a long walk up the stairs with your luggage. There are 8 rooms with en-suite services divided in double, triple and suites, but there are no common rooms or amenities. You are paying for a room and that's all, some have complained about missing air-conditioning during the day, broken bathrooms and noise from the busy square, but it's good value for the location. The average price for a double is €220 per day. 
  • 69 Manin Street B&B Rome, Via Daniele Manin 69, ☏ +39 06 48987856, fax: +39 06 48907904. Cosy Bed and Breakfast of the historic centre of Rome with double, twin triple and quadruple rooms. Toilet with shower and breakfast included. €140 for a double. Same price for a double for single use. 
  • Magnifico Hotel Rome, Via Nazionale, 243, ☏ +39 06 488 4331, fax: +39 06 489 19332. Budget accommodation with six bedrooms divided in single, double, quadruple and suites. All with private bath and modern facilities. Double: €130. Breakfast included. 
  • Target Inn, Via Modena 5, ☏ +39 06 4745399. A town house with 5 classic rooms, 1 deluxe and 1 suite, which can host up to four people. Modern facilities (plasma TV, internet ADSL), car parking, free breakfast, private bath and Jacuzzi bathtub. Average: single €110, double €150. 
  • Hotel Esposizione, Via Nazionale, 66, ☏ +39 06 48913029, fax: +39 06 48913258. Hotel 3 Stars in the centre of Rome near Termini Station in front of Palazzo delle Esposizioni, exhibition centre. Doubles from €110 including breakfast.. 

Splurge

Go next
Routes through Modern Centre
North Rome ← North Centre ←  W  E  → Esquilino-San Giovanni → South Rome
South Rome ← Colosseo ←  SW  NE  → Nomentano → North Rome
END ←  NW  SE  → South Rome → Frascati/Albano Laziale/Velletri
Civitavecchia ← Aventino-Testaccio ←  W  E  → END
END ←  NW  SE  → South Rome → Cassino
END ←  N  S  → South Rome → Minturno
END ←  N  S  → South Rome → Nettuno


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