We will be in Rome for 4 days in the middle of may and we were wondering if Ostia Antica is really worth a visit? Also, will it soak up a whole day or just part of a day? And how long the trip is? Also, if anyone can point out any other sites to visit as small side trips, any things to visit that most people miss?

Thanks

We finally did it last summer and thoroughly enjoyed it. First we went on a Monday, following the directions I had downloaded from somewhere saying that was a good day to do it as so many other museums are closed. BAD IDEA. Ostia Antica is closed on Monday also, so we returned a couple days later.

You can get a train there from the Ostia train station, as I recall it's only about a half hour and they run very frequently. When we got to Ostia Antica we bought sandwiches at the little newstand just over the road pedestrian bridge. Later we found out they've added a very nice cafeteria inside the grounds, but we enjoyed having a little "picnic" in the shade.
The ruins are quite interesting. We bought a guide book, but they had just put up number signs for an audio tour they were developing, so that might be a better bet. We did spend most of the day there -- it is immense. How long you spend depends on how "into it" you get. I found the written "stories" about buildings more interesting than the actual ruins themselves. There is a small museum which is mainly statuary recovered from the site.


There was also a new boat station there, and supposedly it is sometimes possible to get to Ostia Antica by boat from Rome on the Tiber.

Hi jr77, There is sooooo much to see in Rome, you may not have time for side trips! However, there are full day bus trips to Pompei (and that is awesome and much more interesting than Ostia IMO). Another side trip is Tivoli. Pretty house and gardens if that's your thing. I'd "bag" Ostia. Enjoy!

I thought it was great, and really interesting, and I think that it didn't hurt that I was there on a day that was utterly beautiful, weather-wise.

BC

Depending upon your sense of adventure and how easily you navigate trains, you may want to sign up for a bus tour just for the transportation. In November, we took the train to Ostia, changing once on the way. At our change station, Piramide,we were directed to a rickety old cart of a train that was filthy. From the train station at Ostia it is about a 10 minute walk to the site. The site is wonderful, and well worth the visit. All the reading we'd done on Roman building methods was right in front of us-- the bricks, concrete, and arches. The theater was constructed in a way that would amplify the voices of those on the stage. The apartment buildings were three stories. In square area, the town was not unlike our own small town in Georgia, although Ostia had far more residents. But the forum, like our town square, the shops and homes, all seemed very familiar. We could almost see the Roman soldiers clip clopping down the cobblestones on horses, the heavy gates swinging open for them. We could imagine acting in the theater, which is a wonderful size and would be a lovely summer venue. I had brought along some information about the town so we did not get the audio tour. Occasionally we ended up looking at the same thing with an ongoing tour, and found that the tourguides really didn't add much to the material we already had. (But they did have those warm, comfy busses!)

I pasted this from an earlier trip report about Rome. Since you'd be going in May, you could change that to "those air-conditioned, comfy busses!" I hope you do visit it. If history is at all appealing to you, you will love it. There's nothing much to miss, as it is all there in one place. The cafeteria Patrick mentioned has excellent expresso and others have mentioned that the food was okay. We loved the gift shop, and purchased reproduction coins for the collector in our family, and I brought back some beautiful decorative tiles for my kitchen.

We also went on a Monday and found it shut! Went the following day and spend a good half day exploring it. From what I remember, it's a lovely site with lots of trees to provide welcome shade.

Donco mentioned Tivoli, we went there specifically to see the gardens which are my thing. One of the gardens was closed for restoration and the other closed due to a strike! Neaby Hadrian's Villa is well worth a visit though and another huge site.

We loved Ostia Antica, and spent a whole day there. We just hopped the train and took our time, then walked into town and had a meal at a wonderful trattoria. There were some archaeologists and students restoring some mosaics when we were there and that was fascinating to watch. It is must larger than I anticipated, and I was glad I wore hiking books. The town's (and site's) web page is www.ostia-antica.org and you'll find schedules, pricing, event listings there. Buon viaggio!

Hi jr,

>..any other sites to visit as small side trips?<

Orvieto is also interesting. About 1 hr by train from Rome TE.

Orvieto I would agree is an awesome day trip. There is a great article in the Jan 2005 Issue of "italy" magazine. I bought mine at Borders, it is a UK magazine that is all about Italy. I don't know if the article is online - but their web site is www.italymag.co.uk

My wife and I visited Ostia Antica during our five days in Rome in September 2004. We enjoyed it very much. The train trip was quite easy, and it was a welcome break from the more hectic pace of Rome.

It will eat up most of your day. It is a large complex of ruins. Very large, but very enjoyable. I would recommend it.

Dave Zemens
Rochester, Michigan

Thank you all for the help.

Joe

Hi, Joe
I think Ostia is a great destination for a daytrip,or even a half-day trip,really. You can leave early in the morning and be comfortably back by lunchtime.If you do ,go to the Tavola Calda around the corner from Volpetti,the best fancy food store in Rome,which is on Via Marmorata,about three blocks from the station where you catch the train to Ostia. (next to the Piramide) I took a Context Rome half-daytrip to OA with Darius who is an archaeologist working on a dig there,he really made the place come alive for me. (and for what it's worth,I think it's every bit as compelling as Pompeii.)

Well, worth it. We tried going our first time in Rome but there was a train strike. It is easy to get there once the trains are running! Rick Steves may have good directions on his web site.

There is so much to see - you may want to take a walk through and decide where to stop and take a more leisurely pace on what interests you most on the way back. I agree with other posts - the amphitheatre and mosaics from the baths are some of the high lights. There should be lots of wild flowers also - we were there in late April.