kwren

We'll be arriving at FCO on a Saturday afternoon in September, staying at or near the airport and waiting for a bus to pick us up at the airport the next day to take us to Abruzzo to a week-long cooking school. We would love to visit Ostia Antica that Sat. afternoon and wonder what the best way to get there is. I haven't seen any recent threads on this (although there were a couple of very old ones).

Also, any recommendations for a hotel near the airport? Or should we consider staying near Ostia? Maybe a hotel at or near the site has cheap shuttle rates from the airport and we could walk to Ostia Antica as opposed to staying at the airport and paying exorbitant taxi rates to get there?

Suggestions appreciated! Thanks!

leuk2

It's quite simple. Train from FCO to terminale train station, then go down stairs to the metro station, and take the train to Ostia Antica

111op

I haven't done this myself -- I guess the question here is whether there's a way to Ostia Antica from FCO without going back to Rome as the two appear to be quite close.

The answer seems to be that there's a bus but a taxi may be the easiest way:

http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/h...e-storage.html

A_Brit_In_Ischia

Given quite where the site is c.f. the airport...

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/142305908

... going all the way into Rome and back out again isn't a great idea - and, at €14 each by train to Termini, considerably costlier for two than most taxis might ask?

But if staying very near the airport, perhaps simplest to have the hotel sort things out (particularly the return journey), as it must be a popular outing for their guests?

Otherwise, this is what I found some time back when enquiring on the Cotral bus site (probably worth checking again for yourself, as things change?)

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/129832761

Hotels and other stuff at Lido di Ostia - from where the site's an easy €1.50 bus or train ride:

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Tourism...Vacations.html

... with this perhaps useful to see where they are re the train line etc:

http://www.atac.roma.it/files/doc.asp?r=7

Or at Fiumicino, although I've not done the trip from there:

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Tourism...Vacations.html

For your visit, try this excellent pamphlet....
http://www.ostia-antica.org/touristguide.pdf

Peter
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde

Rostra

You have a 4 leg journey, airport-hotel, hotel-Ostia Antica, OA-hotel, hotel-airport.

Unless you stay right at the airport you will need a taxi on the 2 legs (airport-hotel-airport).

I would take A_Brit's suggestion for a Lido di Ostia hotel.

Taxi to Lido hotel and because of your time constraints hold the taxi while you check-in and then go to OA.
Or just take the train.

Take the train back to Lido and taxi to airport the following day.

And I would definitely print-out that PDF A_Brit posted, it is just as good as the 'Ostia Antica' guidebook sold on-site, it only lacks the color photos and a nicer map.

kwren

Thanks for the tips and pamphlets recommendations!

I'll definitely look into Lido di Ostia.

Saraho

ttt

Saraho

bookmarking

fishnz

We stayed at the airport Hilton.
A easy way to get to Ostia Antica from the airport is to catch a local bus from the airport and go into Ostia Lido train station.They are not frequent so check times.The ticket costs 1.20 EUR if you buy it before getting on the bus (bars, tobacconists and newsagents in the Airport). We went about 10 am. If you wish to check for up to date bus information the company is Cotral. Italian website is
http://www.cotralspa.it/. From there you go to the first platform to catch a train travelling to your left,go two stops to Ostia Antica.Trains are very frequent every 15 odd minutes.Cost 1.50 EUR. Arriving at Ostia Antica you go up over the blue overpass to the freeway and go straight ahead to get to the park.
Make sure to hire the audio guide at the ticket office it is brilliant.Don't forget to take your passport to leave at the office as security for the audioguide. There are some great mosaics to see on the floors of quite a few of the ruins.
There is a great little book for just 6 Euro at the bookshop opposite the cafeteria which has pictures of sites with a plastic overlay to show the parts of the site as they used to be. The most impressive overlay was the one of the theatre to find that it wasn't just a crowd looking out into an empty space as now but into a wall higher than the top seats which was fully set up as a stage. This can be bought a the souvenir shop near the cafeteria where you can get a great selection of food from a smorgasbord for a very reasonable price.
We spent 5 hours there and felt it was adequate.
To return you must cross over the train line via subway and catch a 2 stop train travelling to your left again. The bus travelling back to the airport stops right outside the train station. You do not cross over the road.We left about 4.30 pm but again check times.
Remember the park is closed on Mondays.

You might find it amusing to read this blog from a person who tried to do this trip without finding this page.
https://italiannotes.com/an-unsucces...icino-airport/
So don't go into Rome and back out to Ostia Antica it is not necessary.

fishnz

We stayed at the airport Hilton.
A easy way to get to Ostia Antica from the airport is to catch a local bus from the airport and go into Ostia Lido train station.They are not frequent so check times.The ticket costs 1.20 EUR if you buy it before getting on the bus (bars, tobacconists and newsagents in the Airport). We went about 10 am. If you wish to check for up to date bus information the company is Cotral. Italian website is
http://www.cotralspa.it/. From there you go to the first platform to catch a train travelling to your left,go two stops to Ostia Antica.Trains are very frequent every 15 odd minutes.Cost 1.50 EUR. Arriving at Ostia Antica you go up over the blue overpass to the freeway and go straight ahead to get to the park.
Make sure to hire the audio guide at the ticket office it is brilliant.Don't forget to take your passport to leave at the office as security for the audioguide. There are some great mosaics to see on the floors of quite a few of the ruins.
There is a great little book for just 6 Euro at the bookshop opposite the cafeteria which has pictures of sites with a plastic overlay to show the parts of the site as they used to be. The most impressive overlay was the one of the theatre to find that it wasn't just a crowd looking out into an empty space as now but into a wall higher than the top seats which was fully set up as a stage. This can be bought a the souvenir shop near the cafeteria where you can get a great selection of food from a smorgasbord for a very reasonable price.
We spent 5 hours there and felt it was adequate.
To return you must cross over the train line via subway and catch a 2 stop train travelling to your left again. The bus travelling back to the airport stops right outside the train station. You do not cross over the road.We left about 4.30 pm but again check times.
Remember the park is closed on Mondays.

You might find it amusing to read this blog from a person who tried to do this trip without finding this page.
https://italiannotes.com/an-unsucces...icino-airport/
So don't go into Rome and back out to Ostia Antica it is not necessary.

HappyTrvlr

We went to Ostia Antica at the end of our trip to Italy. We visited the ancient site, then returned car at FCo and spent the night at the FCO Hilton. Ostia is very mear the airport.