We will be in Rome the middle of July and would like to take 2 day trips out of the city and see some hill towns, Please help us

Orvieto, north of Rome, may be our favorite small town in Italy. It's got a little bit of everything you go to Italy for - religion, history, shopping, views, and food. Not a bad way to spend the day - although I thought it was even better at night!

Yes, I would agree with Toni-if you are looking for hill towns, Orvieto is the obvious choice. If you were looking for something different, then I would suggest the Villa D'Este-Tivoli-it's fabulous, with the multiple fountains-(even a singing fountain), the beautiful 16th century gardens-it represents the best in Renaissance culture-highly recommended.

I agree with the first responder that Orvieto is a great day trip - a super cathedral, interesting town with good food shopping and (I understand) a number of fine restaurants.

Other possibilities which I would like to explore myself are Viterbo and the Castelli Romani. You didint say whether you were travelling by train or car - if by car, I believe you could visit Bomarzo, Villa Lante or perhaps some Etruscan sites in conjuction with a Viterbo visit.

I may be the only person who was left cold by Tivoli - we (I guess my husband too) found that style of garden design rather dull.

There are other "day trip" possibilites that are wonderful and dont actually involve leaving the Rome area, including a day walking the Appia Antica and catacombs, a visit to Ostia Antica, or perhaps visits to some of the churches outside the historic center - St Pauls or San Lorenzo outside the walls or St Agnesi and the adjoining early christian baptistery (Santa Costanza?) up Via Nomentana are all fascinating and a little off the normal tourist track.

I'm an Orvieto fan too.

If you have a car, you could do Bagnoregio, too, on the way or way back.

We also loved Ostia Antica, but that can be done in a half-day.

It sounds like it will be Orvieto for us. Now I need a great restaurant for lunch, Thanks