Accommodation - Rome or Ostia Antica?
 

We are planning a 3-month self-driving trip in 2012, starting from Rome. One of the things we wanted to do in Rome was visit Ostia Antica. After reading on this forum that Ostia Antica deserves a full day plus overnight, and not wanting to drive in Rome, my thinking was that we could leave the Ostia Antica visit till the end of our time in Rome, stay a night there, and pick up a car from Lido di Ostia next morning.

Following this line of thought I checked up on accommodation in Ostia Antica, and found a highly recommended B&B near Fiumicino (B&BRetro) on Tripadvisor. It was so favourably reviewed that I began to wonder - why not base ourselves there for our whole Rome visit?

What do people think? Is it an easy enough option for transport in and out of Rome, or would we be doing ourselves a disservice by not being in a more central hotel in Rome?

I would not want to have to go back to Ostia Antica every night after touring Rome. It's small and has little to offer besides the Roman site itself. I'm not sure where you read on this forum that it deserves an overnight (I usually post on the Ostia Atica threads and don't recall ever having seen that recommendation - and if it exists, I disagree with it).

Nor would I want to have to park a car in Rome, though, so if that's the choice, I might consider it.

I would highly recommend you stay in central Rome and just make a daytrip to OA.

I completely agree with StCirq. I've never read a recommendation for staying overnight in OA, anywhere. I work with visitors to Rome and read just about everything I can find, and haven't read that.

Ostia Antica isn't the most pleasant place in the world outside of the site of the ruins. It's not pretty nor the least bit interesting. The train to and from Rome can be horribly crowded on weekends when beach goers are returning to the city.

It's just not a good idea. You will not experience Rome by staying in Ostia Antica.

NOT advisable to drive in Rome. Period. I'd get a centrally-located apartment or hotel. Then train to OA. Rent car from there.

Buon viaggio!

As has been noted above, one full day in Ostia Antica would be fine, no need to overnight, and trekking back and forth on public transport each day to see Rome would get tedious (30mins train to Piramide Metro, then transport from there). I think you'd be sorry you didn't base yourselves in Rome for a decent amount of time to see all it has to offer. Then you could set off driving the rest of your trip (that's assuming you are collecting a vehicle in Rome).

I, on the other hand, enjoy driving in Rome - but I like to live dangerously! As St Cirq notes, tt's the parking that's hideous.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. The "stay overnight" recommendation was on a thread headed "Ancient Roman port of Ostia Antica" on June 23rd, and the poster was responding to the IP's question about whether a 4-hour stopover at Fiumicino airport was sufficient time to visit Ostia Antica.

However you have all clarified that for me. No, I won't be driving in Rome. My idea was to leave Ostia Antica until the end of my Rome visit, and pick up the car there to head north to ...Viterbo...?...Orvieto...?

Thanks again