Borgo and Prati: where to stay and eat near the Vatican

Why stay here

Staying in Borgo or Prati means you can walk to St Peter's for the first entry of the day and be back for an afternoon rest. Both areas feel calmer and more residential than the historic centre, with plenty of trattorias where Romans actually eat. Prati is on metro line A, so the Spanish Steps and Termini station are a few stops away, and Piazza Navona is a pleasant walk over the river.

Borgo

The streets of Borgo Pio, Borgo Vittorio and Borgo Santo Spirito run parallel to **Via della Conciliazione**, the avenue Mussolini cut through the old quarter in the thirties to frame the view of St Peter's. Above Borgo runs the **Passetto**, the fortified corridor that linked the Vatican to **Castel Sant'Angelo**, Hadrian's mausoleum turned papal fortress and now a museum with a rooftop terrace. Cross **Ponte Sant'Angelo**, lined with Bernini's angels, to reach the centre. Borgo has many religious guesthouses, pilgrim shops and small hotels.

Prati

Prati's straight streets were laid out in the late nineteenth century and named after Roman heroes. **Via Cola di Rienzo** is the main shopping street, with department stores, the historic food shop **Castroni** and the gastronomia **Franchi**. The covered **Mercato Trionfale** near the museums is one of Rome's largest food markets. Around Piazza Cavour stands the huge **Palace of Justice**, and on the riverfront the little **Museum of the Souls of Purgatory** is one of Rome's oddest collections.

Eating and drinking

Prati is a food neighbourhood. Look for pizza by the slice near the museums, wine bars along Via Properzio, old coffee bars on Via Fabio Massimo, gelato on Via dei Gracchi and family trattorias on Via Germanico. Avoid restaurants with picture menus and touts right outside the museum exit: walk a few blocks for better food. Our places to visit list has named suggestions.

Getting around

Metro line A stops at **Ottaviano** and **Cipro** for the museums and **Lepanto** for central Prati. Many buses run to the Borgo and along the river, and tram 19 crosses Prati. Taxis wait at Piazza Risorgimento. Validate tickets as soon as you board.

Safety

Both areas are safe, though pickpockets work the crowds near the museums, on the line A metro and on busy buses. Keep phones out of back pockets and bags zipped. Street sellers and unofficial guides gather around Piazza Risorgimento and the museum queue; politely ignore them.

Where to stay

Choose Borgo if you want to be steps from St Peter's and do not mind quieter evenings. Choose Prati for more restaurants, shops and the metro. Budget travellers find religious guesthouses and small hotels; mid-range and luxury options include historic palazzi on Via della Conciliazione and boutique hotels with rooftop terraces.

Evenings

Borgo empties after the basilica closes, which makes an after dinner walk to the floodlit colonnade one of the most beautiful moments in Rome. Prati has more life, with wine bars on Via Properzio, aperitivo spots near Piazza Cavour and rooftop terraces with dome views. For later nightlife, cross the river to Campo de' Fiori or Trastevere, around twenty to thirty minutes on foot.

Families

Prati's wide pavements, playgrounds near Piazza Cavour and Parco Adriano around Castel Sant'Angelo make it a relaxed base with children, and many hotels offer family rooms.