For the
latest advice
on Covid-19
visit gov.ukPlanning a trip to Italy might
seem improbable just now,
but being optimistic the first
thing I’d suggest is to stay a
little off the beaten track: The
Corner Townhouse is a gorgeous
boutique hotel in a belle époque
villa just outside the ancient city
walls at Piramide (the 2,000-year-
old white pyramid wedged
into the walls). Its location
— a 10-minute walk from the
Colosseum or a five- to 10-minute
bus ride into town — is the reason
why it’s so affordable. Out here,
you’re in a residential area — and
past the Piramide is one of Rome’s
most fun areas, Ostiense.
Via Ostiense itself has plenty
of bars, such as T Bar, where an
early evening buffet is the perfect
start to a night out. While you’re in
Ostiense, take the opportunity to
visit the Centrale Montemartini,
where (supposedly) second-
rate statues from the CapitolineQ // I’d like to plan a
weekend break to
Rome next year. For a
solo traveller, on a
budget, how can I have
a fully immersive
like-a-local
experience?
Museums are arranged around an
old power plant. It’s incredible
— and rarely visited by tourists.
On the other side of the
Piramide is Testaccio, another
great neighbourhood. Go
around lunchtime to see a team
of locals feeding the stray cats
by the Piramide as you walk
to Monte Testaccio — a ‘hill’
made from a Roman terracotta
dump. Afterwards, make for the
Mattatoio — a modern art gallery
— and finish with a trail of Roman
remains in the neighbourhood.
On your last night, head to the
Jewish Quarter in the centre of
Rome. It’s touristy, but locals pile
into Sora Margherita, a rowdy
restaurant where the tables are
shoved close together, the menu’s
spoken not written and plates
are slammed down, but the food
is divine. thecornerrome.com
tbarostiense.it soramargherita.com
JULIA BUCKLEY IMAGES: GETTYNEED ADVICE FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP? ARE
YOU AFTER RECOMMENDATIONS, TIPS
AND GUIDANCE? THE TRAVEL GEEKS
HAVE THE ANSWERS...ASK THE EXPERTS
TRAVEL GEEKS
FROM LEFT: Fontana dei
Quattro Fiumi (Fountain
of the Four Rivers), Piazza
Navona, Rome; Vaxholm,
Stockholm archipelago140 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel