Quiet neighborhoods in Rome near the center: where to stay and sleep well

Noise in Rome comes from three things: nightlife, traffic and tourist crowds. The quietest neighborhoods are residential, with few late-night bars and streets where Roman families live.

The trade-off is distance: the deeper you are in the historic center, the harder it is to find silence. The best neighborhoods sit just outside it, with good connections.

Monteverde climbs from the Tiber towards the Gianicolo hill, right behind Trastevere. It's a residential neighborhood with Villa Doria Pamphilj, Rome's largest public park, and Villa Sciarra.

Pros: calm in the evening, Trastevere within walking distance, and from Roma Trastevere station the FL1 train reaches Fiumicino Airport in about 27 minutes.

Cons: no metro and some hills. The Colosseum is about 4 km away, so for the big sights you'll use buses, trams or trains.

Prati is a neighborhood of wide streets and late-19th-century buildings, a short walk from St Peter's and the Vatican Museums, served by metro line A.

Pros: orderly, safe and well connected. Cons: far from Trastevere and less lively in the evening; rentals near the Vatican are often expensive.

The Aventine is a residential hill of villas, churches and the Orange Garden (Giardino degli Aranci), near the Circus Maximus.

Pros: one of the quietest areas near the center. Cons: few shops and restaurants, few rentals, and almost none for large groups.

Testaccio is the working-class neighborhood of the food market and Roman cooking, below the Aventine and near the Pyramid.

Pros: authentic, great for eating, served by metro line B at Piramide. Cons: on the streets with bars it can be noisy at night, especially at weekends.

Monti is the district between the Colosseum and Via Nazionale, full of small shops and trattorias, served by metro line B at Cavour.

Pros: everything on foot, the Colosseum included. Cons: it's very busy and some squares are lively at night; apartments are often small and in buildings without a lift.

If your trip revolves around the Vatican, Prati. If you want maximum calm near the Circus Maximus and have a high budget, the Aventine.

If you want Trastevere in the evening and silence at night, with room for a family or group, Monteverde. Our apartment is here, 800 m from Roma Trastevere station: 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, up to 6 guests.