Rescue

My wife and I are looking for some help to find a nice place to stay within walking distance(1-2 miles)of Ostia Antica ruins. We are in the early stages of planning our trip to Italy in May 2008. Would two days be enough to explore all the sites? Info on a few good restaurants would be great too. Thank you, Louie and Vera.

J62

There really is not a lot out near Ostia Antica.

Your best bet is really to stay IN Rome and take the train to Ostia Antica. Another option is to stay in Ostia Lido, the seaside town. I don't know hotels in Lido but it's on the same local train line so you can catch a train back to the ruins as well.

I think 1/2 to one day is enough time to explore Ostia Antica. It is an expansive site so it takes a lot of walking to cover the whole thing.

With an audio guide (rent on-site) or hired guide you can see all the noteworthy ruins in much less than 2 days.

Here's a Rome subway map showing Ostia Antica on the gray line to the s/w. You can connect directly to the Rome subway system, so getting in/out of the city is very easy.
http://subway.umka.org/maps/rome.gif

daveesl

You can see the ruins and the necropolis in 1 day. I think 2 would be much, unless you are an archaeologist.

Ostia Antica Park Hotel is about 1.5 miles from the park. Good and bad things about this one...

1) Good - Extremely clean and very modern. Rooms are large. Prices are pretty low. Bus stop in front of hotel. Good place to leave from if taking a car trip south down the coast.

2) Bad - Desk staff is not helpful and can be downright rude. Room INet is expensive, lounge is free when working. Restaurant varieties do not exist. Quite a trek if you are walking from train station to hotel with luggage.

There are very few restaurants in Ostia Antica, it is a small working class town.

My advice is to stay in Rome and take the train out.

dave

palatino82

I stayed at the Ostia Antica Park Hotel in 2006 and just want to report that the male receptionist (Luca perhaps) was the most helpful and professional I've encountered in Italy.

nancy

A couple of years ago, while staying for a week in Rome, we took the train towards Ostia Antica with a stop at St Paul's Outside the Wall. Wonderful day out. St Paul's was added to my most favorite churches.

If you're staying in Rome for several days, it's a very nice day trip. You can easily tour Ostia Antica in a half day.

Barb19

Check out this website:

http://www.rodrigodevivar.com/

We stayed at this hotel about two years ago for one night and it was charming. It is quite near the ruins, I can't remember if we walked, but I think it is within walking distance. I don't think you need more than one day in Ostia. We stayed there the day before we went home because Ostia is very near the airport.

Hope this helps.

5alive

It is a very easy train ride out. I would stay in Rome. Besides lack of hotels there really isn't many places to eat either.

Pay attention to posts by Walter (Paradise Lost) as you use the search engine on this site. He is one of the most knowledgeable on this board about anything ancient Roman.

There is a fairly extensive post with all details of the train ride etc that he started.

5alive

small grammar correction:

There really <aren't. many places to eat...I definitely am tired. Cheers.

Rescue

Thank you all for responding to our post. It is great to have so many helpful travelers willing to give needed information to fellow travelers. The reason we are thinking about staying near Ostia Antica 1-2 days, other than to see the ruins and to rest from the long flight from (N) California is that we will have a rental car and will be driving to the costal town of Termoli. We have family in a Ururi, a little town about 8 miles from Termoli. I want to see the home where my Great Grand Parents lived. After staying there for a few days we will meet up in Rome with a our friends from California and show them some of Italy for a few more weeks. This will be our third trip to Italy, and our 30 wedding anniversary. Thanks again, Ciao, Louie and Vera.

daveesl

In that case, Ostia Antica Park Hotel would suit your needs. That is the same reason we used it. You can at least drive to a restuarant and to the ruins.