What is the best /easiest way to get to Ponza from Rome in the second week of Oct? Also what is the best way to see the island and what are some highlights? We will be taking a day trip.

Your best bet is to embark at either Anzio or Formia:

http://www.ponza.it/ponza-arrivi/1a.asp

www.vetor.it

www.caremar.it

You may need to check back at these websites towards the end of September for the October schedules. They will be quite different from the current schedules (much reduced in frequency).

A daytrip is not recommended. You should try to spend one night on the Island. Beware of the weather conditions.

Roma Termini to Anzio is 64 minutes by unreserved regionale train (3.20 Euros);

Roma Termini to Formia is 66 minutes by reserved seat Intercity (IC) train (13.50 Euros); or slightly longer by regionale train (7.40 Euros).

www.ferroviedellostato.it

Hoping someone else can add some advice here. Many guide books suggest Ponza as a day trip from Rome.If anyone has done this how long a day as it and did it feel doable?
Thanks

Ponza is not a daytrip, neither from Rome nor from Formia. As GAC said, you need to spend at least one night there. There are no sights on Ponza, just a quaint little village, not too touristy, though exclusively a beach resort nowadays - which makes a trip to Ponza doubtful in October.

If you read my trip report from last year, you can read about our experience. I didn't reply earlier b/c we didn't actually GO to Ponza, but since you don't have a lot of hits....

We stayed in Formia with the intention to go to Ponza. We really enjoyed the Formia/Sperlonga/Gaeta area. Our hotel was gorgeous. There are a few posters who are very helpful with information about the area.

We decided against Ponza and went back to Rome to finish out our trip.

Just a bit of advice - the boat to Ponza has a very limited schedule. It was only running once a day when we were there last September meaning we'd have to stay overnight. Not one single person spoke a bit of English who worked at the ticket desk and their hours were somewhat limited.

Be sure you are able to ask for a ticket in Italian. The staff of our hotel also didn't speak much English. One person spoke broken English and tried to help us with the schedule. Formia is wonderful and there are certainly people who can speak English, but it's not like going to one of the major cities.

The boats do not run if there is any type of inclement weather so be advised of that as well.

Good luck!

We had the same experience trying to get from Ponza from Anzio. We never made it. The boat schedule kept changing, and there was no way to make it a day trip in any case.

So no, it's not a day trip from Rome or anywhere. It looks like a nice place to spend a quiet night, though.

Actually, a very nice place. In fact, it's the best beach I've ever seen, and one of the very few I would (and will) return to. You can guess that I'm not what you'd call a beach person!

"<i>Many guide books suggest Ponza as a day trip from Rome.</i>"

If you have seen 'many' guide books w/ this advice, they probably also include the "how to do it' details. If so, follow the advice in the book(s).

IME there is no way to do it as a day trip -- especially in October. But maybe you are already in Italy and have figured that out on your own.