Why You Should Visit Porta Portese Flea Market When In Rome

Porta Portese Flea Market

We aren’t shoppers or collectors, especially on vacation. We carefully and strategically pack our luggage and don’t have the desire to add a bunch of crap to our luggage to ship home. But to us, Porta Portese Market is still worth visiting.

Every Sunday, from 7am to 2pm, the Porta Portese Market is packed with blocks and blocks of vendors selling everything from antiques, jewelry, sunglasses, clothing and personal items.

• It’s free. There is no entrance fee and it’s a great place to people watch. Watching people sort through bins of clothing while haggling with the vendors can be quite a show.

• Stock up on items you couldn’t pack. Since we avoid checking bags, it seems cheaper to us to stock up on soap, shampoo, and maybe a few T-shirts in Rome, rather than pay $75 to check a bag. If we are bringing $30 in items, why not just purchase them in Rome and avoid the check bag fee? As a bonus, it makes our bags lighter and less cumbersome.

• It’s the oldest and largest market in Rome. Porta Portese is a great place to feel “authentic” current Roman life.

• It’s in the heart of Trastevere. Trastevere is one of our favorite neighborhoods in Rome. Not only is it worth a visit, it’s worth 2 or 3 visits. There is enough in this neighborhood to “dig in” and become a bit more familiar with.

As a bonus, Trastevere has some great cafes and restaurants. A walk down Viale di Trastevere gives some great cafe options and puts you in the heart of this great neighborhood.

Location: Piazza di Porta Portese, 00153 Roma RM, Italy

When: Sundays, 7am to 2pm