Rome Day-Trips
 

I will be in honeymooning in Rome next month and want to take a half-day or full-day tour outside city. Can anyone recommend any cities and/or tour companies? THANK YOU!!

I can recommend a day trip to Tivoli, which is easily done under your own steam on public transport. Catch the metro to Rebibbia, then a local bus to Hadrian's Villa. The bus station staff at Rebibbia (just outside the metro) will guide you to the correct bus. The conductor on the bus will advise you when to alight for Hadrian's Villa; then it's about 1 mile down the road (straight, then to the right) to HV. Well worth half a day's exploration, particularly the "Canopus". There is a very nice garden restaurant on the walk back to the bus stop (veal marsala, red wine and tiramisu - el fabuloso!). <BR>Catch another bus (same side of road; same direction as before) to the town of Tivoli to visit the Villa d'Este. Very refreshing with the sound of running, splashing water. You can have a drink (alcoholic or coffee or whatever - we had a G&T) on the balcony overlooking the garden, which runs down the hillside. Catch the bus back to Rebibbia, then metro back into town. It will be dark by the time you get back to Rome, but it's a trip I'd do again - maybe in spring next time for the wildflowers, esp. at H/Villa.

I can recommend a day trip to Tivoli, which is easily done under your own steam on public transport. Catch the metro to Rebibbia, then a local bus to Hadrian's Villa. The bus station staff at Rebibbia (just outside the metro) will guide you to the correct bus. The conductor on the bus will advise you when to alight for Hadrian's Villa; then it's about 1 mile down the road (straight, then to the right) to HV. Well worth half a day's exploration, particularly the "Canopus". There is a very nice garden restaurant on the walk back to the bus stop (veal marsala, red wine and tiramisu - el fabuloso!). <BR>Catch another bus (same side of road; same direction as before) to the town of Tivoli to visit the Villa d'Este. Very refreshing with the sound of running, splashing water. You can have a drink (alcoholic or coffee or whatever - we had a G&T) on the balcony overlooking the garden, which runs down the hillside. Catch the bus back to Rebibbia, then metro back into town. It will be dark by the time you get back to Rome, but it's a trip I'd do again - maybe in spring next time for the wildflowers, esp. at H/Villa.

We took a day trip by train to Pompeii when we were there (train to Naples, another train to Pompeii). It will take the whole day if you decide to go there. I believe they are still in the process of excavating the site but what they have uncovered is pretty amazing. <BR> <BR>If that's too ambitious, you could also go see the roman ruins at Ostia Antica, which I didn't think were as impressive as Pompeii but are much closer. I think it took about 1/2 hour by train from Rome.

Many options. <BR> <BR>Tivoli and Hadrian's Villa are enjoyable. Public transport as noted above or take a tour (AMEX and others operate daily trips.) <BR> <BR>Our favorite is an outing to Ostia Antica, the old port of Rome. Not as well preserved as Pompeii, but just 30 easy minutes by train from Rome, and it's a delightful spot. Pompeii itself is doable in a day, though it's a long one. Travel independently by train, or take a bus excursion (fairly expensive.) <BR> <BR>Florence, while deserving of more than a day trip, is just two hours by train from Rome and makes a quite worthwhile excursion. <BR> <BR>Orvieto, Civita di Bagno Regio, Perugia, Assisi can all be done in a day, usually including at least two. Doable by train/bus, most convenient by car. (Reserve ahead from the US and save a lot of money.) <BR> <BR>More info on these at http://twenj.com/romesightsexcurse.htm

There are regular full day organized bus tours to: Naples, Capri (lunch) & Sorrento; Naples, Pompeii (lunch) & Sorrento; and Assisi (lunch) & Orvieto. There are also 1/2 day bus tours to Tivoli and Rome Environs. <BR> <BR>As noted above, on your own you may visit Pompeii and a quick Naples look (by train); Tivoli - Villa d'Este and Villa Adriana (by bus) and Ostia Antica (by train). I would prefer doing these on my own instead of joining a tour (you would have plenty of time on the sites ... the tours have a tendency to rush things quite a bit). <BR>If you decide visiting either Capri or Assisi & Orvieto, a bus tour would be called for. Should you decide visiting either Orvieto or Assisi (not both), you may, once again, do it on your own (by train). <BR> <BR>Paulo <BR>

I recommend Florence. It's a wonderful place worthy of more than a day trip, but it's only a couple hours from Rome by train. You can get there early enough to shop in that fabulous market, visit the Duomo and David, eat in one of several good restaurants, buy some Chianti at one of many excellent wine shops. All that and you can still catch the last train back to Rome.