Booking your stay in Rome - neighborhoods and honest advice

In a nutshell: Rome's hotel stock skews midrange and upmarket, so prices are higher than you might expect for a European capital. The trick is matching the neighborhood to your style: ancient monuments at your doorstep around Ancient Rome, piazzas and street dining in the Centro Storico, designer shopping by the Tridente, art and food in Trastevere or the nightlife of Monti and San Lorenzo. Book as early as you can, prefer locally run places, and the full area-by-area guide has the details.

Where to stay if you love...

• ✦Monumental history and romantic ruins - Ancient Rome: close to the Colosseum, Forum and Capitoline Museums, quiet at night, not cheap
• ✦Piazzas, cobbled lanes and street dining - Centro Storico: everything on your doorstep, expensive and can be noisy
• ✦Designer shopping and iconic sights - Tridente, Trevi and the Quirinale: upmarket, little action after dark
• ✦Art, architecture and eating out - Vatican, Borgo and Prati: good range, prices rise closer to St. Peter's
• ✦Cosmopolitan vibe, bars and nightlife - Monti, Esquilino and San Lorenzo: hostels and budget hotels near Termini, student nightlife in San Lorenzo
• ✦Medieval streets and a party vibe - Trastevere: gorgeous and full of bars, noise can be a problem on summer nights
• ✦Authentic feel and traditional trattorias - San Giovanni and Testaccio: residential, good food, a bit far from the sights
• ✦Parks, peace and modern architecture - Villa Borghese: upmarket, quiet after dark, few budget options
• ✦Urban grit, street art and nightlife - Southern Rome: few hotels in Ostiense, EUR specialises in smart business hotels

Honest booking advice

• ✦Book as early as possible for the best deals - demand is high and rates rise steadily
• ✦Prefer a locally run B&B or guesthouse over an apartment managed by a faceless rental agency
• ✦As an alternative to Airbnb, try fairbnb.coop or ecobnb.com
• ✦Midrange and top-end places dominate, so budget travelers should look to Monti, San Lorenzo or the areas around Termini