warner1108

Hi folks,

Visiting Rome for the first time in June and have plans to hit the usual stops: Colosseum, Vatican, Basilica, and a cooking class.

however, we also have a couple of free days. One day is going to be 100% free to relax and maybe roam.

On our other free day, we’re looking for something that would only take a short amount of time and wouldn’t require a bunch of travel (for this reason, Pompeii was eliminated from our itinerary).

So, we’d LOVE to hear your hidden gems!!

HappyTrvlr

An excellent nearby day trip is to Tivoli to see fountains.

Jean

You could see the excavations at Ostia Antica.

https://www.ostiaantica.benicultural.../ostia-antica/

As for the quest for "hidden gems," you'd have to give more info on your specific interests. There are dozens of amazing things in Rome that aren't mentioned in most guides.

Not so unknown anymore... The Scavi tour under St. Peter's.

Excavations Office

Sassafrass

i highly recommend the Capuchin Crypt.
https://www.italyrometour.com/the-church-of-the-bones

While certainly not hidden, The Borghese is a true Gem. Is it on your list? If not, it definitely should be at or near the top.

warner1108

the crypt is something I think might scare our younger kids.

but off to Google I go to learn about The Borghese!

warner1108

how easy is this to get to from central rome?
would we use train? Taxi?

warner1108

we considered this, but it looks to be a 45 min cab ride from central Rome. Is that accurate?

k_marie

From Rome Porta San Paolo ( Piramide), San Paolo or Eur Magliana, train up to Ostia Antica station. The station is directly opposite the Park. You can walk to the Park from the station across the footbridge

https://www.ostiaantica.benicultural...ological-park/

bvlenci

There's a commuter train (the Roma Lido train) that goes to Ostia Antica from Porta San Paolo (metro station Piramide). It's part of the Rome public transportation system, so you can use a regular bus ticket or tourist pass to get there. You might even be able to make a free transfer from a bus or metro, but I'm not sure.

You should give us a little more information about your family and your interests. Apart from the church with the skeletons, which has no significance beyond the creepy aspect, the excavations under the Vatican might be off the program, because they have a minimum age (14 I think).

Ostia Antica has been popular with every kid I've ever taken there. It's one place that might be better seen with a guide, because it's not well marked. The last time I was there (in 2019, I think) I was pleased to see they had an audio guide. However, it was practically useless. You were supposed to enter the number you saw on a sign in front of a place of interest. After the first two signs, we never saw another, except for one that was lying in the middle of a road. I hope they've improved that.

Another place that my little granddaughter liked was the Gallery in Palazzo Doria Pamphilj. It's a Renaissance palace, still owned by the descendants of the Doria Pamphilj family. The rooms are gorgeously furnished in period style, and the family's art collection is still hanging on the walls.

My granddaughter's favourite museum was the National Roman Museum at Palazzo Massimo alle Terme. She had a big interest in ancient Greek and Roman mythology and she really liked the sculptures there. They also have a collection of ancient jewellery and household goods, which interested her. And there is a mummy of a little girl buried with her doll. It's not known why she was buried with Egyptian rites; the rest of her family was buried Roman style. I wondered if she had died soon after their arrival from Egypt, when the old way seemed like the only right way.

Here's a very recent thread that might interest you:

https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/rome-beyond-the-obvious-things-to-see-things-to-do-1713558/

warner1108

[QUOTE=bvlenci;17448939]There's a commuter train (the Roma Lido train) that goes to Ostia Antica from Porta San Paolo (metro station Piramide). It's part of the Rome public transportation system, so you can use a regular bus ticket or tourist pass to get there. You might even be able to make a free transfer from a bus or metro, but I'm not sure.

You should give us a little more information about your family and your interests. [/eQUOTE]

Kids are 17,15,12

Interests: while they enjoy museums, they don’t enjoy them enough to ass any more on.

they like history, so perhaps Ostia Antica is a good bet if we can get there easily.

I think the Tivoli estates might be neat, but I don’t know if we have enough time (we’re already scheduled to visit the Appian Way and Aqueducts, so it might be a Sophie’s choice).

Fra_Diavolo

History being an interest, they might enjoy a visit to the Basilica of San Clemente. https://basilicasanclemente.com/eng/...e-excavations/, where they will pass under the present-day church to the medieval church below and finally to the Roman temple of Mithras. It's like a time machine.

Sassafrass

When you said the crypt might scare your younger children, I thought they must be pre-schoolers, or elementary age. LOL. Unless they have very controlled and limited TV, I bet they’ve seen much scarier things on TV or in movies. However, based on that concern, you might want to look closely at a website of the sculptures in the Borghese because some do have very adult content. I do not think either place has recommended ages, but you could check. I would not want you to be surprised at the Borghese.

warner1108

oops. Yeah, I probably chose a poor word.
instead of scary (like a horror movie) I meant to communicate that they’d be “unsettling,” kind of like not being a fan of visiting a funeral home.

yestravel

I was going to recommend that. Also agree that Borghese is fabulous.

alandavid

Basilica of San Clemente & Capuchin Crypt are both good & my teens liked. They take less than an hour each to see.

IMO, with teens, you run the risk of being "museumed out,"
Find something active for a day.
My rec: Guided e-bike ride on the Appian Way. There's a version that includes a stop at the catacombs as well.
We used StarBikes tour and they were excellent. Start point is just a few blocks from San Clemente as well.

Ostia Antica is a decent option if you're not visiting Pompeii.
Short train ride to Orvieto is a great way to see a classic hill town (funicular ride from the train station).

Does your trip include leaving Rome?
2 nights in Sorrento is a great option if you're up for leaving the city.

Sassafrass

Absolutely not saying you should go. You know best what might disturb your kids. I did take a group of students, age 14-18 on a HS trip to Italy. They found the crypt interesting and in a way, kind of a way to honor and remember the dead. It is not at all like a funeral home, more like a “Day of the Dead” memorial. It is certainly not a must see sight, but can be an easy to do, quick visit place.

OTOH, the Borghese is one of the most beautiful buildings and the collection of sculpture so fine, it is number one on the list of galleries I recommend in Rome. Funny thing though, the kids might find it less interesting than the crypt.

Orvieto would make a great, easy day trip.

Without knowing how much time you have overall, or the rest of your trip, it is hard to make good recommendations. I do think your kids are the perfect ages to see Pompeii. If you actually do have two full days completely free, I might try to fit it in by seeing it on the way to Sorrento (take the train and stash luggage at the entrance to Pompeii, spend a night in Sorrento, take a ferry down the coast the next day and back to Rome by train. It is easier than it sounds. You probably have hotels and everything in Rome already booked though.

BTW, do not miss going inside and having perhaps a brief tour of the Pantheon. Without it, Brunelleschi may not have figured out how to build the dome in Florence, and that became the basis for solid dome building ever after.

Jean

Those interested in history would probably enjoy some time at Castello Sant'Angelo. It's about 2000 years old. On the banks of the Tiber, near Vatican City.

https://www.thegeographicalcure.com/...le-sant-angelo

warner1108

yes, we have other stops after Rome.

we were thinking about Ostia Antica, but weren’t loving the 45 min ride there and back, but it’s been suggested enough that it may be worth it.

Vttraveler

I can't tell exactly what you are already planning when you say you will hit the "usual stops." You didn't mention the Forum and Palatine Hill. I'd recommend those and the Baths of Caracalla.
Our teenage son also enjoyed hanging around the Piazza Navona and the square in front of the Pantheon and counting the cats at the nearby cat sanctuary.

yestravel

[QUOTE=Vttraveler;17450061]I can't tell exactly what you are already planning when you say you will hit the "usual stops." You didn't mention the Forum and Palatine Hill. I'd recommend those and the Baths of Caracalla…z”

I loved the Baths at Caracalla. It was empty which was nice. Also they have the VR which is cool to do,