Rome Neighborhoods Without the Sights

November 17, 2023 10:43 AM

Best neighborhood in Rome for eating pasta and going to the playground/park? Traveling solo with a toddler so we'll be eating nice lunches, going on long walks (in a stroller), visiting playgrounds and parks. Need easy access to the airport. November travel,

I'm looking for a lively neighborhood but not a party neighborhood, more residential than touristy (we are seeing 0 of the major sights), good access to parks and playgrounds, and good food but not trendy (I'll be with a 20 month old). We'll be 3-4 days and having easy access to the airport is a must, so I need a place with just one connection to get to the airport . I've stayed in Travastere years ago but don't remember it having very convenient access to the airport but maybe I'm misremembering.

Bonus, same question for Florence as I might be able to go this winter.

Grazie

posted by perrouno to Travel & Transportation around Rome, Italy (4 answers total)

Best answer: We were discussing this at work recently, because a colleague was going there for the first time with his daughter, and two of us go there all the time, one colleague was married to a Roman before, and they remain friends. We agreed that Monti is a lovely district. It's near the Termini (main station), mostly residential, and has a lot of green space and good local eateries. There's even a playground near the Terme di Traiano. Rome is generally not very good at playgrounds. Because of the proximity to the Termini, the public transportation offers are excellent, which is otherwise not a given in Rome.

From Monti, your walks can take you interesting places, including some of the archeological sites, which you shouldn't dismiss, because children can roam freely there. I wouldn't choose the Colosseum, but many of the other areas are very child-friendly. And the great churches can be interesting for a toddler. With the stroller, you can easily reach the historical centre, which is mostly pedestrian.

I brought my eldest daughter with me to Rome on a work trip when she was two, and it must have left a lasting impact*, because she brought her son when he was two. It doesn't really matter that the playgrounds aren't ideal because it is a very child friendly city. Everyone is nice, the food is child-friendly, there are huge car-free areas, and many of the sights are interesting for children, my daughter was very interested in all the angels everywhere, and enjoyed a lot of the food, not only the pasta. As you say, with a toddler, you want to focus on getting your main meal at midday, and then just take something back home for dinner or cook at home if you rent an apartment. Because Monti is residential, there are supermarkets with ready to eat meals like salads.

Trattoria Luzzi is a famous place in the area that still has fair prices and excellent service, but there are many little unknown places that serve a good lunch for people working in the offices and local residents. One tip for traveling with a toddler: it can be a good idea to eat the same place several days in a row, if you like it. The staff will help you handle the situation when they feel you appreciate their work.

One last thing: last time I was there for work, no kids, we did a lot of research on what was the best transportation to the airport, and we actually landed on an express bus, rather than the airport train. But the express airport train is perhaps more comfortable with a toddler. What I think is that you should look at the options and not automatically take the train.

*well, we've been there together dozens of times since then, also with her younger sibling
posted by mumimor at 12:37 PM on November 17, 2023 [6 favorites]

I recently went to Rome with a 5 year old and liked staying near the Villa Borghese gardens. We stayed at the Tribune Hyatt and it was good. We ate breakfast there everyday that my kid loved and the dinners on the rooftop were very good (pastas, pizza, etc.).

The Villa Borghese gardens has a playground and lots of space to run around. I did a walk through the park with a stroller and walked to the children's museum on the other side of the park (you need to reserve tickets in advance for museum). The hotel is right by the subway. The train stop (Puccini) connects at Termini. Unless you stay near the Termini station, most trains connect at Termini to get to airport.
posted by ichimunki at 3:38 PM on November 17, 2023

This was the Children's Museum on the other side of the Villa Borghese gardens. I brought my Babyzen Yoyo which was the perfect stroller size for Roman sidewalks (or lack thereof).
posted by ichimunki at 3:47 PM on November 17, 2023 [1 favorite]

If this were me, I would be staying somewhere in the Gianicolo/Monteverde part of Trastevere, near the gigantic and beautiful Villa Doria Pamphilj, plus Villa Sciarra, Orto Botanico, and also the little "Belvedere di Gianicolo" park that has a great panoramic view of Rome. Very residential area, that far out into Trastevere. There is a regular train that takes 27 minutes to go from Fiumicino to Roma Trastevere station.
posted by xueexueg at 4:21 PM on November 17, 2023 [2 favorites]