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Who lives in EUR
EUR, short for Esposizione Universale Roma, was laid out in the late 1930s and 1940s in the south of the city and is unlike anywhere else in Rome: broad avenues, monumental white buildings, green parks and a small lake. Today it is a working business district and a settled residential area, popular with families who want modern, spacious flats and a calmer, more ordered environment than the dense historic centre. To see how EUR fits the wider city, start with our international schools in Rome directory.
The area draws Italian professional families, employees of the companies and ministries based there, and international households who value the space and the metro link. It feels suburban and planned rather than ancient and tangled, which is exactly what some relocating families are looking for.
Schools in and near EUR
EUR sits in the south of Rome, the part of the city served by its main southern international schools. Southlands International School, founded in 1976 in nearby Casalpalocco, follows the English National Curriculum for younger years and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in the senior years, and is one of the few truly international schools in the south of the city. The B.I.G. British International School, also in Casal Palocco, offers a British curriculum for younger children. Both are a short drive south of EUR.
Rome’s larger, longer-established international schools, including St George’s British International School, Marymount International School and the American Overseas School of Rome, sit to the north of the city and are reachable but a longer commute. For the full list with curricula, stages and admissions detail use the Rome schools directory, then narrow by stage with our guide to primary schools in Rome. The school finder quiz can shortlist options based on your priorities.
Commute and catchment
Italy does not operate catchment areas for international schools, which admit by application, so living in EUR does not tie you to a particular school. EUR’s standout advantage is the metro: Line B runs through the district with several stations, putting the historic centre and Termini within roughly 20 minutes by train, which is unusually quick for Rome. That makes it practical for a working parent commuting into town while the family is based in the calmer south.
For the southern international schools in Casalpalocco, most families drive, a short hop from EUR, or use school transport where offered. A car is useful for the school run and for reaching the northern schools, but for getting into central Rome the metro is the easier option.
Housing and cost of living
Housing in EUR is dominated by apartments, from rationalist 1930s blocks to comfortable post-war and modern buildings, generally more spacious and better laid out for family life than the historic centre allows. Rents sit in the mid to upper band for Rome, reflecting the modern stock, the parks and the metro access, though EUR is typically more affordable per square metre than the most sought-after central and northern family districts.
Before committing, model the full picture of rent, schooling and transport with our relocation cost calculator, and read the wider relocation guide for the visa, healthcare and setting-up steps. Treat any specific rent figure as indicative and verify current asking rents before you budget.
Family life
Family life in EUR is greener and more spacious than in central Rome. The district is built around parks and the Laghetto dell’EUR lake, with jogging and cycling paths, the Piscina delle Rose outdoor pool in summer, museums and the large Euroma2 shopping centre. The wide pavements and ordered layout make it genuinely buggy and bike friendly, a rarity in Rome, and there is plenty of everyday family infrastructure from supermarkets to clinics.
The trade-off is character: EUR is admired and disliked in roughly equal measure for its monumental, planned feel, and it lacks the lived-in charm of the old neighbourhoods. For families who prize space, order and the metro link over historic atmosphere, it is one of the most practical parts of Rome to settle.
Budget your move to EUR
Model apartment rent, school fees and transport together before you commit to the area.
Open the relocation cost calculatorLiving in EUR: FAQ
EUR is served by the international schools of southern Rome. Southlands International School in nearby Casalpalocco, founded in 1976, follows the English National Curriculum and the IB Diploma, and the B.I.G. British International School, also in Casal Palocco, offers a British curriculum for younger children. The larger schools to the north, including St George’s, Marymount and AOSR, are reachable but a longer commute. See the Rome schools directory for detail.
EUR suits families who want modern, spacious apartments, parks and a direct metro link rather than the historic centre’s charm and density. It is one of the greenest, most ordered and most buggy-friendly parts of Rome, with strong everyday infrastructure. The trade-off is its monumental, planned character, which not everyone warms to.
EUR is on Metro Line B, with several stations in the district, putting the historic centre and Termini within roughly 20 minutes by train, which is fast for Rome. For the southern international schools in Casalpalocco most families drive a short distance, while the northern schools and a car are useful for wider trips.
EUR rents sit in the mid to upper band for Rome, reflecting the modern apartment stock, parks and metro access, though it is often more affordable per square metre than the most sought-after central and northern family districts. Model housing, school fees and transport together with the relocation cost calculator before you commit.
Family life in EUR centres on green, open space: parks, the EUR lake, cycling paths, the Piscina delle Rose summer pool, museums and the Euroma2 mall. Wide pavements make it unusually pram and bike friendly for Rome. The main caveat is the district’s monumental, planned feel, which lacks the lived-in charm of the old neighbourhoods.