We have been to Rome quite a few times and have done all the "A" list sights, and some of the "B"s as well We will be there on a Sunday in Oct. I have thought about doing a daytrip with Viatour, to Villa d'Este and Hadrian's Villa but not sure I want to spend the money and DIY seems a bit complicated. So I am looking for other ideas, either a short train ride daytrip OR in Rome. We went out to the Appian Way one time and rented bikes, this did not turn out to be a good idea, but maybe we should go there again and just walk. Restaurant suggestions? Grazie!

Personally, I wasn't impressed with Hadrian's hangout...the fountains at the Villa d'Este were more impressive IMO.

Complicated to get there? Not really and those fountains do so much more than the paving stones on the Appian Way, too, but whatever floats your gondola...

Totally agree! It's simple to get to villa d'este on you own and well worth it!!! Hadrian's villa was ok but nothing like the fountains at d'este!

Want to give me the directions for the easy peasy trip to Villa D'Este? thanks!

I read your post because I arrive in Rome on a Sunday and am researching things to do and places to eat (think I'll picnic in Villa Borghese), but I did come across this that should help you: http://foodloversodyssey.typepad.com...from-rome.html

Have you been to Ostia Antica? Tarquinia?
Also see http://www.fodors.com/news/five-day-...rome-6146.html

suec - we got to the Villa D'este by getting the metro to Mammollo, and then getting the Cotral bus to Tivoli. it's a very short walk from the bus stop [opposite the tourist office] to the Villa just the other side of the road.

however, by the magic of the internet, I learn that you can get there by train as well:

http://gardenofeaden.blogspot.co.uk/...este-from.html

however you do it it's lovely and well worth the trip, with nice restaurants too for lunch after you've toured the gardens.

OK, I can see how to do Tivoli / Villa d'Este on our own. How long should we expect to stay there, inside the gardens? Any restaurant rec's?

For more directions... try http://tinyurl.com/tivoli-daytrip

a couple of hours tops should be enough for the gardens.

when we came out and were wandering around looking for a restaurant, we broke the habit of a lifetime and actually followed some chap to his restaurant round the corner [and up the street] as all the ones we could see were full - what did we have to lose?

in fact nothing as it was a very good lunch on a shady terrace with lovely food and wine. I could see why they had someone dragging people in off the street as it was away from the main drag and wouldn't get much passing trade.

the snag - I can't for the life of me remember the name!

I'm topping this for the weekend crowd as I am still undecided. One article I read mentioned the buses to Tivoli can get very crowded, not sure I want to deal with that. The trains are not very frequent. (OK I know I'm being a bit fussy).

I am also looking at a day trip to Spoleto, we have been to Orvieto. I looked into Frascati but there did not seem to be much to do in the town.

Any more comments or suggestions.

Yorkshire, those are two very useful and informative links about Rome - gracias...

Not sure what you are willing to spend. We did enjoy Hadrian's villa but we wouldn't have without our guide. It is massive and having a guide helped us figure out what all the buidlings where and what they were used for, how they looked in Hadrians time. We worked with Daniella Hunt.

We also went to Villa d'este. So gorgeous, but the info Daniella provided made it better. She is very fun to work with.

Again, not sure what you would want to spend but we had Daniella arrange for a driver, so no need for buses and working off the train schedule. We asked to have dinner between the to sites (we went during the time of year when villa d'este is open evenings), so they took us to a nearby town for aperitivo and dinner.

The first thing that popped into my mind was to wander around the Ghetto a bit in the morning and them have a nice long lunch at da Gigetto or at Ba'Ghetto. To me, Sundays in Rome are for walking and exploring while listening to the church bells ringing.

There is an AM train from Rome Termini to Tivoli on Sundays.