Remote working in Rome? Recommended cafes and other tips for digital nomads

Current restrictions notwithstanding, many of From Home to Rome’s current guests at this time are not in Italy for tourism – or at least, that’s not their main reason for being here.

As part of a bigger trend that emerged when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Italians and foreign citizens alike are now free(r) to work from any location they like, with companies temporarily shutting down their premises to stop the spreading of the virus. With some businesses, full remote working is now the way to go, with no plans to go back to the old ways of the commuting & cubicle lifestyle.

That’s why Rome is increasingly being chosen, among other major cities, as a place to relocate while work-from-home is so fashionable: imagine being done with your job for the day and having the Colosseum, the Vatican Museums or Appian Way right around your corner (well, so to speak!). Sounds neat, right?

Because of this, at From Home to Rome we came up with a list of useful resources (albeit a small one, given that the situation with the virus is ongoing and what is open today may be closed in a week or so!) to help remote workers make the most of their time in the Eternal City and to – how shall we put it? – get to know Rome in a different way.

Let’s start with this: a few tips about free Wi-Fi connections in Rome

There are more than a dozen publicly funded Wi-Fi networks in Rome: Digit Roma, WiFimetropolitano or Wifi Italia are just some of the most common ones. The requirements to access them vary from provider to provider. In some instances these will be only available to owners of an Italian SIM card (Italian mobile phone number), while other times they will be limited to European Union citizens. To be sure, once you find a free Wifi among those listed is available to you just follow the prompts and see what is needed to be granted access.

Free Wi-Fi in cafes or bistros: know the rules!

If you’re used to the UK/US cafe scene, things work differently in Italy (and Rome, for that matter) and etiquette, particularly towards the owners of the cafe, is essential. The presence of a Wi-Fi network available to the public will be advertised on the door or more generally on the premises. If you can’t see it, chances are it’s not there at all – mobile phone providers in Italy are famous for their generous gigabyte allowances and most shops rely on those for their business.

As a matter of fact, you might want to buy a local SIM and use it as a hotspot for your tablet or laptop computer and skip the need for Wi-Fi altogether!

Once you’ve sorted your need for a reliable connection, know the ground rules before you make yourself comfortable: don’t hog the Wi-Fi, don’t be stingy and don’t spend all of your day inside the same place. Meaning, a café is (obviously) not an office and you are expected to order a number of beverages or some snacks/food if you wish to continue your stay there. Roman baristas are not shy when it comes to tell you you have been acting rudely in that way, and it’s safe to say that if that’s the case, you will know!

You will notice how cafes are usually small affairs with just a handful of tables – be mindful of the fact that other people might be wanting to sit and eat or drink right there – which is the cafés’ raison d’être, isn’t it? So start small and maybe begin showing up consistently in the same place for just an hour or so. The owners will start recognizing you and if you’ll reach a “regular” status things will be easier! We promise!

With that in mind, here are some places we recommend checking out if you need to work while in Rome and you’re craving that old fashioned human connection.

AntiCafé Roma

This works differently than any other café we are going to list, as AntiCafé doesn’t force you to order anything past the first drink or pastry, and you can even stay until they close down, but you’ll want to support this lovely space that is in the San Giovanni district, walking distance from the subway stop by the same name.

Via Veio, 4

Zazie nel Metrò

With places in the center so few and far between, this hangout in the hip Pigneto district is a great option, as it’s also extremely well connected to the old city (walking distance from the Pigneto subway stop, tram line 19 or bus no. 50, among others).

Via Ettore Giovenale, 16

Lo Yeti

Another great option in the Pigneto area, particularly if you don’t mind a little background noise (this place doubles up as a bookstore, and it’s popular with young families).

Via Perugia, 4

Barnum Café

An expat favorite right around Campo de’ Fiori, they have a strict policy of leaving tables to non-working clients during their lunch service.

Via del Pellegrino, 87

Ex Circus

Walking distance from Barnum, therefore extremely convenient should you find that they’ve run out of tables, here is another awesome café that mostly caters to expats and travelers alike.

Via della Vetrina, 15

Senior Jag

Do you happen to be near the Tiburtina train/subway station? This place could be right up your alley, then (in more ways than one)! Make sure you double check their opening times before you go, or look for alternatives in the same area.

Via Cupra, 33/33A

Rino Montesacro

For a change of scenery, don’t overlook the abundance of choices along the Via Nomentana way, for instance near the LUISS university, or further north in the Montesacro district. Rino is one of a handful of cafes/bars that has opened their doors to digital nomads.

Viale Gottardo, 62/64

What about public libraries?

If you’re thinking that a library could be a great alternative for your work, particularly in terms of security (from constant sanitization to the availability of lockers) you would generally be correct. Except that if you’re reading this blog post in March of 2021, under current restrictions all libraries in Rome are closed to the public, except for lending/returning items.

Co-working spaces in Rome

The current closure of public libraries brings us to the next best thing: co-working spaces. Like most cities worldwide, there are a number of options in Rome, some of them open to daily usage (particularly for online meeting purposes). There are just so many businesses to choose from, but at this time we would like to recommend the following:

Workin’Co

For those in Trastevere and the Monteverde areas, this is right by the Villa Pamphili park, so with the added bonus of having an awesome green area right at your fingertips.

Viale di Villa Pamphili, 74

Binariouno

Again, it’s all about location: if you’re in need of a co-working space that’s easy to reach, it doesn’t get any more convenient than this one, located in the train station at Termini (hence the name, which translates as “Platform One”).

Via di Porta S. Lorenzo, 5

B-Side

A beautiful co-working space in the Prati district, easily reachable for those staying by Vatican City, and conveniently located withing walking distance from the Lepanto subway stop.

Via Boezio, 6

Having a hard time finding a place to work?

Our list is not as exhaustive as we’d like it to be (this would have turned this post into a whole book!) but in the event you can’t find a place to work, you might want to check out an app called Nibol. Its usage is on the rise, and it provides information on cafes or other hangouts that can be used to work remotely.

And if you’re really desperate…

None of the addresses we gave you works? Let’s not forget that all our managed properties have a free, reliable, fast Wi-Fi connection. You can count on From Home to Rome even when it comes to working!