Is San Giovanni a good place to stay in Rome?

San Giovanni is a good base if you want good-value rooms, an easy metro and the Colosseum within walking distance. Metro A runs from San Giovanni and Re di Roma to Termini, the Spanish Steps and the Vatican, and the basilica and the Scala Santa are on the doorstep. It suits families, budget travellers and anyone who wants a calm, local base.

The area is lived-in and practical. Via Appia Nuova is lined with shops and department stores, the Via Sannio market sells clothes, leather and vintage finds, and the side streets have bakeries, pizzerias and neighbourhood bars. The Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme and long stretches of the Aurelian Walls are close by.

The downside is that San Giovanni has little atmosphere outside its great churches. The main roads are busy with traffic, the streets are mostly plain apartment blocks, and evenings are quiet. The Pantheon and Piazza Navona need a bus or a metro ride and a walk.

What makes San Giovanni worth considering is how much it gives you for the price. You can visit Rome's cathedral before breakfast, walk to the Colosseum and the Forum, reach the Vatican on the same metro line and come back to a quiet street, from a hotel that costs much less than one in the centre.