Is Testaccio a good place to stay in Rome?

Testaccio is a good base if you want to eat like a Roman in a real neighbourhood. It lies just south of the Aventine Hill, so the Circus Maximus, Trastevere and the Orange Garden are a walk away, and Piramide station on Metro B reaches the Colosseum quickly. It suits food lovers, repeat visitors and anyone who prefers local streets to tourist crowds.

The area is lively and down to earth. The Mercato di Testaccio sells fresh food and street snacks under a single roof, trattorias serve classic Roman pasta and offal dishes, and Trapizzino started here with its stuffed pizza pockets. In the evening, the bars and clubs around Monte Testaccio fill up, and the old slaughterhouse now hosts exhibitions and events.

The downside is that Testaccio is outside the historic centre. The Pantheon, Piazza Navona and the Trevi Fountain are a bus or metro ride away, and the streets around Monte Testaccio can be loud late at night. Hotel choice is small, and many rooms are in guest houses rather than full hotels.

What makes Testaccio special is how Roman it feels. You can shop at the market in the morning, visit the graves of Keats and Shelley, peer through the Knights of Malta keyhole on the Aventine and eat a proper carbonara at night, all from a hotel that costs less than one in the centre.