A Brief Trastevere Itinerary, One Of Rome’s Most Authentic Districts

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We’ll bring you around to one of the most fascinating Roman districts: discover in this brief guide how to reach Trastevere, where to sleep, things to see and where to eat, end the day in one of the many locals!

The name “Trastevere” comes from the Latin “Trans Tiberim,” that stands for  “beyond the Tevere.” Once inhabited by the Etruscans, the district was invaded by the Romans with the purpose to take control of the river on both sides.

Trastevere is located on the east shore of the Tevere, south of the Vatican City. Too much history, right? Let’s start and plan at the best your Roman vacation!

How To Reach Trastevere By Public Transport

1. By the train Fiumicino – Trastevere

If you arrive at Rome with a flight to Fiumicino, once landed, catch the train from the airport station. The more convenient train is Fiumicino-Trastevere, line FL1. The ride will last around 26 minutes. The first train leaves at 6:00 am, the last around 11:00 pm. The cost of the ticket is € 8.

2. By bus

If you arrive by train at Roma Termini, you’ll find the bus in the square beyond the station. You’ll want to take the line 170 or the line H, they both go toward Trastevere. Even if you arrive with a flight to Roma Ciampino, you will have first to reach Roma Termini, and then take the bus for Trastevere.

Where To Sleep in Trastevere

Take a hotel in Trastevere so to be ready to go down in the alleys. We’ll help you to choose where to sleep in Trastevere with a simple and clear list of some hotels and B&B, the best for the price and the opinions left by previous guests.

Residence Belli Inn
Via Goffredo Mameli 47. Comfortable position, spacious rooms, Wi-Fi and restaurant, friendly personal and good correlation quality-price.

B&B Lost in Trastevere
Via Luciano Manara 39. Comfortable position and garden. A cheaper choice for who doesn’t want to spend too much.

Locanda di San Pancrazio
Via di Porta di San Pancrazio 32/A. Lodge in a traditional inn! Comfortable position, quiet zone, this B&B is at a few footsteps from the Gianicolo and Maria. Ideal for who loves privacy and quiet.

Hotel Le Clarisse 
Via Cardinale Merry del Val 20. With an ancient style, but decidedly appreciated by the guests. A long list of positive reviews, the hotel Le Clarisse is located a few minutes from Trastevere and has an airport shuttle, tea and free coffee in room, safety deposit box, laundromat.

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What To See in Trastevere

Some say that Trastevere is a charming district in Rome, a zone in which history, romanticism, art, and elegance are all mixed up. Thanks to the cobblestone, the restaurants, the medieval buildings, and the nightlife that offers different choices without the need to go somewhere else.

Today Trastevere also has an excellent cultural and natural profile: the botanical garden, the walk on the Gianicolo, the House of the Memory and the History, a festival of cinema during the summer. After all, here is where Sergio Leone was born.

My first tip is to just walk among the ancient alleys to familiarize yourself with the soul of the place, to become a part of it and discover your preferred corners. Stop at the artisan shops, particularly at Vicolo del Cinque, Via della Scala, Vicolo del Bologna.

Piazza Santa Maria is an inevitable stop that includes a visit to the adjacent Basilica. Beautiful during daytime for its fountain, one of the most ancient of Rome but also at evening for the nightlife that surrounds it.
To admire the medieval mosaics illuminated by the sun.

I also suggest Piazza Santa Cecilia and its Basilica with the frescos of Pietro Cavallini. Above all, if you are a lover of painting and art history. You’ll like the 1600 statue in white marble of Saint Cecilia, carved by Maderno and considered one of the most representative works of the Baroque sculpture.

You can take a walk toward Piazza San Calisto and Piazza Trilussa, and from there on the Tiber embankment. It is here that street artists hang out to play music for the passers-by. And it is also one of the so many places in Rome that you will recognize if you have seen the movie “La Grande Bellezza.”

If you plan to go to Rome in spring, opt for an appetizer, the sunset in Trastevere, a glass of wine or Spritz, the animated streets of the district, and you’ll get all the relax that Rome has to offer.

If your stay in Trastevere is for a brief vacation, we can stop here. Otherwise, remember that we have told you what to do in Trastevere but not what to do in Rome.

The rest of the city is at your disposal: from the markets in Rome, the artworks, and the architecture that leave amazed the visitors. To know more about Rome check out this travel guide by Lovin Italy.

Trastevere is as a unique neighborhood of the capital because it enjoys of an autonomous and authentic identity, but, based to the time that you have and to the experience that you look for, decide if you want to take a look to the rest of the city. After all, you are in Rome.

Tiber in Trastevere.jpg

Where To Eat in Trastevere

Trastevere is full of restaurants. The hard part is deciding which one to choose. If you are uncertain about where to go to eat in Trastevere, allow us to give you some suggestions.

1. Take into consideration the Inn Zi Umberto, ceiling and beams in wood, a little Baroque, warm and family atmosphere, all combined for serving as a base to good and typical food. Good appetite.

2. Bir and Fud, suggested both for the name (a wordplay between Italian and English) and for what it offers: delicious appetizers and pizzas. The place is small and very warm, but it is worth it. The prices are not lower, but they are reasonable (pizzas among € 8 and € 15.)

3. For an authentic Roman pizza, you could opt for the Pizzeria ai Marmi, but know that it is also known as The Morgue. Nothing awful: it is called this way for its marble tables. Very rustic, but with a pleasant atmosphere and an unforgettable pizza. Give up on the elegance if taste is your priority!

4. If you don’t want pizza but something typically of Trastevere, try Da Enzo (al 29)? According to some, it is a “sincere cuisine,” that preserves the tradition of the simplicity. Genuine, fresh, a little elaborate and slightly more expensive than others. But about this last characteristic the owners boast: is a matter of quality, and if you want to eat well, a few Euros more are necessary! Safe and good Roman cuisine. Oh, taste the artichokes, the tater tots, and the salt cod!

4. There would be another option, but we don’t take any responsibility: the restaurant is “La Parolaccia” (Curse-word in English.) Prepare to be a victim of explicit insults or spicy appreciations. The personnel put on a real show every evening insulting every guest!

If you have no self-esteem, this is not the place for you, but if you have a comic soul and you know how to take a joke, this dinner could be added to the baggage of experiences in your trip to Rome!

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Nightlife in Trastevere

Looking for a local? No problem, there are so many of them.

First thing, choose what cocktail to drink because at Freni e Frizioni there is the spoilt of choice. Recommended both for an appetizer and for a drink at night, a good choice among the best nighttime places of Trastevere.

Speaking of drink, have you eat at Bir and Fud. Not only fud (food,) they also have an ample range of beers among which to choose, all of the high quality and some decidedly original. If you prefer the beer to the cocktails, Bir and Fud is the place where to drink something in Trastevere.

If one local is not enough for you then continues to the Birrifugio of Trastevere: a place with a list of beers of different origin, all of quality. We are sure enough that you will find at least one that you have never tasted.

Another one is the Brasserie 4:20, but maybe less original, the style is industrial and “alternative.” High prices but rare beers, you won’t find them in other places. The ideal location for a group of friends.

What are you waiting for? If you plan to go to Rome, book a hotel in Trastevere!

If this post helped you out, show some love and support for the blog and help keep my adventures going by buying me a beer! My adventures are entirely self-funded, so any show of support is greatly appreciated, and allows me to keep writing helpful travel guides and creating travel content to help you all travel the world on a budget.

3 thoughts on “A Brief Trastevere Itinerary, One Of Rome’s Most Authentic Districts

  1. Yes! We visited Rome 2017 and from the Colosseum we walked to Trastevere for lunch. The food was good and so much cheaper than central Rome. If we ever go back, I will definitely be exploring it more 🙂

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