FCO -What to see and where to stay
 

I need your help in deciding where to stay
near Rome Airport.
To make a long story short, we're arriving in Rome a day and half earlier than our travelling companions.
Where would you suggest we stay near FCO
(town, hotel) for this day and a half prior to going into Rome to meet our friends.
We'd rather not spend this time in Rome as we would like to share this experience with our friends as it's our first trip to Italy.
I've tried searching the site but haven't been successful. Unfortunately this is very short notice as we're leaving next Wednesday.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
thanks Maggey

If you have a generous budget, La Posta Vecchia:


http://www.lapostavecchia.com/

Thank you ekscrunchy !
It looks absolutely beautiful but think
it's more than what we'd like to pay!
Any ideas in the 300 euro range?
thanks again Maggey

What are you planning to do in that time? I'd suggest if you need to stay close to the airport (but I'm not sure why you do) how about doing Ostia Antica and staying in Ostia (sort of a busy resort town). Or if you really don't want to go to Rome without them, how about going to Orvieto for a night or somewhere like that. Frankly I'd go nuts just staying and hanging out at a hotel for a day and a half when I've just arrived in Italy!

MAggey I kind of figured it would be out of both our budgets. Looks amazing, though!

Are you SURE you want to stay near the airport? What about taking a small trip south to the town of Sperlonga...I have heard good things about the Hotel Grotta di Tiberio in that beach town..

thanks for your suggestions!

Actually, it doesn't have to be
near the airport. But as we dont't
have a car I was concerned about getting back into Rome.
I agree - I dont want to sit around a hotel for this time ! I'll check out your ideas. thank you so much again.
Any other thoughts you have are much appreciated ! Kind Regards Maggey

You will have no problems getting in and out of Rome from the airport; the train station in the airport goes right into Termini...There is so much to do in Rome, I wouldn't worry too much about getting there a day earlier than the friends. There will be lots to do together.

Take the train into Rome Termini. Then take the train to another town like Orvieto, or maybe even Florence. It's easy to train there and back, and you'll have a great time in a great place before seeing Rome. Surely seeing the Rome train station will not count :).

Sorry, Maggey, I know you did not ask for this, but this concept just blows my mind!

Do these "friends" not like you? Otherwise, how could they possibly want you to "hang" around somewhere in Italy & just wait on them while you pay big bucks (euros) for your expenses? :-(

Surely, they will INSIST, & you will graciously accept, that it is silly for you not to go into Rome & enjoy until they arrive. And then they will be happy to let you enjoy sharing your newly discovered knowledge. Sorry, in my world, this is so strange????

Julie

Easy, folks. My first impression was similar -- why not just go do some of Rome? But we don't know the circumstances. If two couples have spent a year or more planning to go and see Rome together for the first time, but something went awry with the plane reservations, I can fully understand both couples wanting to wait to "experience" Rome together for the first time. That first glimpse of the Pantheon or the Colosseum or the Spanish Steps, just won't be the same if the whole idea was to "discover" them together. How annoying after all the planning for couple A saying "OH, look isn't that spectacular?" and couple B responding "Yes, that's what we thought yesterday".
If that's the situation, I really DO get it.

You and your friends both make a list of the 10 things you want to do in Rome. Compare lists. Discuss the common items and differences. Those that are on your list but not theirs (perhaps due to time or interest) then you can do yourselves.

I'm not sure how long you are staying in Rome but you can spend years and never finish exploring.

FCO is an airport. If you want to watch airplanes then go to your local airport some time. Ostia Lido is an ok day to go to the beach when you don't have time to drive south or north to get away from the city crowds.

Definitely stay in Rome, or take a train to one of the nearby cities mentioned above.

I can understand Maggery's wanting to wait for her friends. I did the same thing last year. My twin arrived in Paris the day before me, so she and her husband spent the night at Senlis. They wanted to go into the city together.

Maggey. I agree with the advice to take the train into Rome, then catch a train to Orvieto or Florence. With just one full day, I'd probably lean toward Orvieto. And the train to/from Rome is only an hour or so. Very easy.

Ostia is a resort town as Patrick noted. It would be fine for the day. If you are going in the summer it will be very crowded.

You don't have to explain your plans, just ask questions to make your stay easy and enjoyable. Look on venere or some of the other websites for hotels along in the beach in the area, then you can taxi back to the airport to meet your friends.

Again - thank you for your advice and suggestions!

NeoPatrick expressed in words much better than I regarding our much anticipated trip to Italy!

This was an unexpected change of events
and we hoped to find something close
to Fiumicino where we could spend a day
before heading into Rome.

Ciao ! Best Regards Maggey