I have seen a lot of recommendations on the board of what not to do -- don't try to do Pompeii in a day, etc. But what are some of the nearby, recommended day trips from Rome. We're going to be there for ten days, so I think we'll want to get out of the city some. I see a lot of posts for Capri and the Amalfi Coast. Are those too far away? Should we try and squeeze in a day there, and just overnight there?

The only daytrip we took from Rome was Pompeii and we didn't have any problems at all. We were in Rome in March and woke up early to take the Eurostar to Naples, where we caught the CV to Pompeii. We had plenty of time to see the sites before we caught the trains back to Rome that afternoon. Granted we were there during off-season, but we were able to see all of Pompeii and left feeling extremely satisfied that we decided to make the journey.

Tracy

Hi
I have the following info in my Rome file:
www.ostia-antica.org.
If your time in Rome is short, save 6-7 hours of travel and visit Ostia Antica instead of Pompeii. Do take a picnic and eat among the ruins. The only source of food is outside the property.


Ostia Antica is closed Mondays.
?While not as well preserved as Pompeii, if Pompeii?s a 10 on the archaeology scale, Ostia?s an 8 or 9 ...and holds other advantages not held by Pompeii. Pompeii in its day was a summer place of illas cooled by the breezes off the Mediterranean. While it has much of interest it?s far less typical of Roman cities. To the contrary, Ostia was a working city, the port of Rome. With few if any villas, it has instead a wealth of the Roman equivalent of what you?d find in a modern day small city: apartment blocks, taverns, groceries, warehouses, churches, public toilets, civic buildings, theater. Pompeii perished in a relative instant nearly 2000 years ago. Ostia, on the other hand, continued to thrive for another 300 years or so until silting of the Tiber river mouth grew to the point that the city was too far from the water to be a port. This extended life provides more historical depth and added architectural diversity to the site compared to its better-known cousin to the south. It?s quiet, which Pompeii is not; it?s shaded, which Pompeii is not; it?s relatively untouristed, which Pompeii is certainly not. And it?s easy to get to, which Pompeii decidedly is not."

askias-

Pompeii is doable, it'll just be a very long day. Capri & the AC are even farther away than Pompeii, you cannot really tour them as a day trip from Rome.

Other daytrip spots from Rome are:
Ostia Antica, Orvieto, Tivoli.

It doesn't compare to Pompeii (nothing does) but ancient Rome's old port town of Ostia Antica makes an excellent and easy half-day trip. Take the suburban train from Piramide and the entrance to the ruins are a quick 5 minute walk from the Ostia Antica station. You 'll see ruined homes, bathhouses, shops, trading centers, churches, etc. You might also consider the hilltown of Frascati or the ruined palaces in Tivoli and Bagnaia. But Ostia Antica is probably the most convenient without a rental car and makes a decent Pompeii proxy.

Florence is only 1hr30 mins away on the Eurostar train. Sure, you won't see everything, but you can have a lovely day there.

I second Orvieto for a hill town experience.

There are 3 good options:
Ostia Antica
Orvieto
Tivoli

If you go to the Amalfi coast you need to spend the nite. Appian Lines does have a 12 hour bus trip to Pompeii and Sorrento if you like busses.

Thanks everybody for your responses. We did Milan, Florence, Venice and Ravenna in an earlier trip, so we're really trying to stay focussed on Southern Italy this time. Sounds like a third trip to the Amalfi Coast will be needed next year!