Roma...any ideas for exploration?
 

I have been head over heels for Rome for the last five years, when I said to friend one day, on a whim, "Let's go to Rome!" I had been there before, but whirlwind visits in the heat of summer. We took our trip in February and have gone every February since. My last visit was about two and a half weeks. We took a nice side trip to Tivoli. I always find new things to enjoy in Rome.

I am thinking of a trip this autumn and, while the thought of visiting Italy without a stay in Rome is unthinkable to me, I would like to experience a couple of other cities/towns that I could reach easily by train, and would offer enough to hold my interest for two or three days. I am not necessarily looking for tourist attractions, although I love visiting churches and museums, but perhaps enjoy walking about and exploring the streets and seeing the people most of all.

I am looking at an itinerary of 2 and a half to three weeks again. Towns and cities that have come to mind are Orvieto and Viterbo. A friend from Puglia has suggested some sites in that region as well.

So, if anybody is knowledgeable about the area and has suggestions for an itinerary, I would really appreciate it. I am 64, retired and, thankfully, in pretty good shape, so walking is not an obstacle.

Towns and cities that have come to mind are Orvieto and Viterbo>

Loved both - great for what you want.

And Tivoli and Villa d'Este splish-splashing water gardens and Hadrian's Villa - primo Roman archeological site- take bus or train to Tivoli and Villa d'Este - bus to Hadrian's Villa and bus back to Rome from there- about an hour each way.

Naples is just over an hour by high-speed train - great day trip - fascinating old city.

Florence is just over an hour by high-speed train if looking to spend time elsewhere - great base for Tuscan hill towns like nearby Siena or San Giminano and of course short train ride to Pisa - Lucca also areal gem.

Save a lot on high-speed trains by booking early - regional trains like to Orvieto or Viterbo just buy once there. for lots on Italian trains check www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

PalenQ's suggestions are good and in two and a half week you could see most.

I'd highly recommend Napoli where you can tour Pompeii, Herculaneum and the National Archaeological Museum. All world class for archaeology lovers. I'd do more than a day trip, though. Last time we were there, we stayed just outside Pozzuoli, a bit north of Naples, but in prime archaeology territory.

Florence is also a wonderful city, so perhaps do both of those. If you have any interest in art and architecture--which I suspect you do if you like Roma--you'll love Florence.

If interested in avant-garde architecture from the Mussolini era = check out Rome's outlying EUR district - built like Rome was not in about a day in the 1930s:

https://www.google.com/search?q=eur+...w=1745&bih=864

As well as the Foro Olympica built for summer Olympics:

https://www.google.com/search?q=rome...w=1745&bih=864

First, good for you for staying in shape and believing in walking! I'm in my 70s and right there with you!

Besides Palen Q's wonderful advice (where my daughter enthusiastically votes for Tivoli as well. EUR is small but reachable by metro and definitely worth a look at since it's unlike any other part of the city), I am in love with Monterotondo and the surrounding area.

I explore it best by car but there's a train that goes to both parts of Monterotondo (up the mountain is where the historic things and views are, + my favorite local restaurants, down is where you'll find useful things, discount stores, the best coffee on earth (Biondi) etc. The driving/bus scenery between Rome & towns in this area is picture postcard perfect as is train scenery. It's a reliable, cheap regional train. These areas are also served by the CoTral bus lines like much of suburban Rome: http://www.cotralspa.it/lang/

The area between Monterotondo and Mentana is lovely too and full of hidden surprises and Mentana itself is a pretty little town.

Here's something definitely reachable by public transit; a regional park, which is also beautiful: http://www.parks.it/parco.monti.simbruini/Earr.php
Those are the directions but you can explore the rest of the site in English too.

Actually the region is full of Nature reserves/National Parks so here's a list: http://www.parks.it/indice/PR/Eindex.php?reg=12

Some things are harder to get to than Tivoli, Monterotondo, Orvieto, Viterbo, etc, but another one that's easy to reach by public means is Appia Antica and I definitely say it's worth a visit.
www.atac.roma.it will tell you anything you need to know about the city itself.

The Castelli Romani regional park is also easy to reach without a car: http://www.parks.it/parco.castelli.romani/Earr.php

Between all these suggestions you'll have to extend your trip now, won't you?

But I'll leave you with a personal note that even though it's not near Rome, it IS easy to reach by train and not so many hours away; I usually spend awhile eating my way around Modena and making my way to Bologna, Parma, etc. Modena itself is very small but has pretty architecture and again, I say EAT. That's the area where you just go to get fat for a few days.

The idea of Florence in general and then as a base for regional towns is also attractive because Tuscany really has something magic about it besides the food....which is magic! I hope you enjoy your trip!

I feel your pain/joy. I too find it impossible to exclude Rome; each time I go to Italy I include at least a few days there--and it's never enough! Once I even squeezed 5 days in Rome onto a trip to Sicily because--well, I have to go to Rome, don't I? (This was a late-March/early April trip, just in case you decide to go to Sicily which, for what it's worth, I cannot recommend highly enough).

But enough about me. Are you willing to rent a car and drive? That opens things up quite a bit.

If not, as mentioned above: Naples is fantastic, though less polished for tourists than many other parts of Italy. Bologna, is another great option, with easy access for day trips. Orvieto is an easy day trip from Rome. Assisi a terrific overnight.

That's just for starters...

The Castelli Romani -a string of old villages on hills south of Rome I found neat too - Romans flocked here in classical times for a cooler getway - Pope has Castle Gondolfo here - trains go to all. Frescati one of the base towns I found especially nice.

Do you intend to fly in and out of Rome?

I am 64, retired and, thankfully, in pretty good shape, so walking is not an obstacle.>

Good for Viterbo as the city is built on steep slopes and no matter where you go you are walking up or down hills -Orvieto is fairly flat up top as are many hill towns.