Tips For Gay Travel In Rome - Italia

Gay Lifestyle In Rome - Italia

Over the years, Rome has not developed as good of a reputation for being a gay-friendly area compared to many other Europeans capitals. This is in part due to the influence of the church which remains to be extremely rooted in the area. In the recent years, the gay community has overcome the conservative mindset and slowly become more and more visible within the city.
Rome experiences a variety of different seasons. The best time to travel to the great city would be during either the spring months or the autumn months. October seems to be a traveler favorite because the weather during this time is very mild and warm, which allows for tourists to easily walk around without collapsing from heat exhaustion. The summers can be very humid and hot with temperatures breaking into the 90’s. While the winters can be chilly as the temperature dips before 30’s and 40’s. Overall you can visit the city at any time of the year and it will be beautiful but it is highly recommended that you visit during the spring or autumn to make the most of your visit.

Most LGBT clubs in this area require a ArciGay or ArciLesbian card. If you have this card, most clubs will allow you entry for free. Without it, sometimes they may be forgiving but more often than not you will be forced to pay a small fee.

In Rome there are no truly dedicated gayborhoods. Instead, there are small gay establishments located throughout the city. They are relatively easy to find and you can go just about anywhere in Rome and find a club or bar that suits your tastes.

Estate Romana/Rome were named the home of Euro pride in 2011. During this time gay travelers came from all across the world to experience the style and history of Rome as well as party.
Keep in mind that after 23:00 you will have to take a taxi or a bus.

Gay Scene in Rome - Italia

Rome is one of the world's most known cities, and it is the fashionable capital and largest city in Italy. It holds ancient, epic ruins such as the Coliseum, the largest amphitheater ever built in ancient Rome. History is abundant is every corner of Rome that you travel to. A traveler will find ancient relics dating back hundreds of years.

Rome is privy to the typical Mediterranean climate of the Italian coast. Mild springs and autumns with chilling winters and harsh humid summers. The best time to travel to this great city is during October when it is sunny and warm.

As a modern city, Rome has all the comforts of an efficient mass transit system. You can venture underground and take the subway system that covered most of the city. Above ground you can take the buses and trams to find your destination. Stay on alert as you travel, Rome is known to be full of pick pockets just itching to get your wallet. The poplar via Veneto is often targeted.

Gay Nightlife in Rome - Italia

San Lorenzo – Just a ten minute walk down via Marsala. It’s near the University so lots of young trendy folks around. There is a club or two and plenty cheap foods. Try the pizza at Formula One or Il Podista, enjoy chocolate and more at the warehouse decked out Said Chocolate Bar and hang out for drinks on the rooftop of the Apartment Bar. A couple of other bar options include Soul Kitchen and Rive Gauche 2. The latest on the scene here is Marmo (in English, Marble because it’s located on an old marble gravestone cutting factory site). Hanging lanterns and a large outdoor decking area makes this hidden (you walk through a factory door that your would never guess a bar lays behind!) gem the place to be for a cocktail and snack.

Madonna dei Monti – The Monti neighborhood is probably THE hipster area of Rome. There are some great mens fashion shops and cafes worth visiting during daytime, but visit the plaza at night to see the real fun. There’s a local drink shop where most people just buy a cheap beer to enjoy while sitting at the fountain.

Pigneto – This neighborhood (just further south from San Lorenzo) is one of thew newest hotspots for Rome locals. Wine bars and restaurants are the main fare here. There’s a speakeasy here called Spirito (think roulette tables and a rooftop bar that you access from a sandwich shop!) plus the Bottiglieria Pigneto is popular with locals. CoHouse is the new kid on the block here. A converted warehouse it houses a rotating schedule of chefs and after dinner is an exclusive cocktail bar. On the weekends, you’ll find your hipster crew brunching all day at Necci.

Trastevere – Viccolo de Cinque street between the Ponte Sisto and Ponte Garibaldi bridges is crowded and lively on the weekends. In fact, the entire area around Piazza Trilussa is. Cheap food, people drinking on the bridges, on the church steps — you’re sure to have some fun if you hang out in Trastevere. Try the Akab Club for electronic and occasional indie rock nights. Baylon is super cool for cocktails (and cute waiters) and they do awesome brunch and snacks (including some began specialities). A couple of other hipster hangouts include Freni e Frizione (Brakes & Clutch in English, it’s a bar in an old garage where the aperitivo – mainly organic & vegetarian – is popular with locals, students snd tourists alike and the cocktails are delish) and Akbar where art, food and cocktails collide!

Garbatella & Ostiense – Garbatella has evolved from a 1920s public housing development to a vibrant, artsy, hipster area. And Ostiense the same – its origins lay predominantly in industrial sites. Both full of bars that are illed with locals but friendly to visitors, in the summer especially, they are perfect for hanging and a good dose of people watching. Check out Porto Fluviale in Ostiense and the Gazometro area (old gas station) along the river, for the summer stands, street food, live entertainment and markets and Casetta Rossa in Garbagella for cheap eats and drinks in the funkiest, laid back setting of makeshift beach tables, hammocks and umbrellas set up on the grass for chilling.

Gay Hotels In Rome - Italia

The Beehive – This hotel, called lovingly a ho(s)tel by its’ owners, is clearly a labor of love. The hotel is just a 2-minute walk from Termini and even has a small garden and café, making it a perfect place to hang out before catching a train. The Beehive has both private and dormitory-style rooms, plus a handful of luxury-styled rooms. The on-site café serves organic and healthy breakfasts every morning and the staff are more than helpful in finding cool and interesting things to do in Rome. The property is also styled with artwork from local artists and, every month, the hotel opens up and hosts a “storytelling” event—where expats, Romans, tourists and locals share stories around a particular theme. It’s a cool community effort and really makes the place stand out as one of the best in Rome. 

Rome Times Hotel — It doesn’t get much more centrally located than the Rome Times Hotel. It’s right by the elegant shopping strip of Via Nazionale and only a 10 minute walk from some major sites like the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain. Rooms appointed with HD satellite TV, bath tubs and free wifi and an extensive organic breakfast (catering to gluten and lactose-free). Oh and did someone say rooftop bar?

The Corner — With 11 smart rooms, this place is not just a hotel or a B&B but the owners refer to it as a townhouse! Located in the Aventino neighborhood (with great city access and to cool districts like Testaccio and Ostiense), The Corner features a street level bistro, rooftop bar complete with hanging birdcages, and the rooms are state of the art with a tablet controlling just about everything. One of the attic roof rooms has its own jacuzzi. 

M&J Hostel – A long-running hostel set up and owned by a local Italian, Marco, the M&J is a bit of an institution in the area. The bar and club downstairs stays open late and is the starting point for a bar crawl through Rome’s nightlife. Dorms are basic, but decent—you’d stay here for the social atmosphere and the crowds of other young travelers, really.

The Yellow – This hostel (also with private rooms) has a popular bar on its ground floor, making it a social place to hang out and meet others. The crowd here is generally pretty young—a lot of backpackers. The Yellow produces their own printed map of Rome with cool tips and recommendations.

Eating Out In Rome - Italia

Italy is easily one of the world’s most delicious countries, and their capital, Rome, sure knows how to make some great food. Traditional Roman food includes things like carbonara and cacio e pepe, but that doesn’t mean the other Italian food you’ll find in the city isn’t just as good.

Take a food tour — I went on a 3-hour walking tour through Testaccio—a great little neighborhood south of the Colosseum. It was one of the best food tours I’ve had and was the best way to get introduced to the city that loves to eat!

Testaccio food market — One of Rome’s oldest markets, this place is so spectacularly hyper-local with some of Rome’s oldest Italians.
Water is everywhere. And thank god for it, because it is HOT. There’s even an app for finding the nearest free water spout!
Cantina & Cucina — Full of hipsters, no joke. Vegetarian-friendly menu.

Formula One pizza in San Lorenzo — best pizza in Rome? I thought so! Plus the whole place was packed full of students at nearly midnight.
0km market near the Roman forum — Get lunch at one of the stands! There are hot meals in the back corner, otherwise cheese and fruit sampling throughout.

Local Tips in Rome - Italia

Heart Rome - Blog by my friend Maria which includes some great foodie tips, everything from the best restaurants and gelaterias, to where to find Rome’s best pizza…

Use Trenitalia.com for buying train tickets…which is often cheaper if you buy online!

Browsing Rome - An insider’s look into life as a Roman, with comprehensive guides and stories from the Eternal City

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