thegilbeys

I've been searching this site and haven't really been able to find the info I'm after and was hoping for some help...

Are these three sites easy to visit in a one day trip from Rome or should we concentrate on only one, two?

Can we travel between them easily?

How big is Tivoli? Could we stay for dinner and travel back to Rome afterwards?

How does this area compare to Ostia Antica? We're just looking for a day trip out of city to have a look at a historic site and learn a little more about Italian history. So what do you think? Tivoli and surrounds or Ostia Antica?

Steve_James

Hi Gilbeys - It's not possible to do all three in one day by public transport.

Ostia Antica can be easily reached by train from Piramide (- on metro line 'B').


Tivoli can be reached by bus from Ponte Mammolo:

Cotral buses to both Tivoli and Hadrian's Villa leave from PONTE MAMMOLO Interchange - the stop before Rebibbia on Metro Line 'B'.

There's is a DIRECT bus to Hadrian's Villa which drops you at the entrance and saves you the 1.5 km walk.

There's then the orange 'shuttle' bus from Hadrian's Villa up into town for Villa d'Este.

On the return you can get off at either Rebibbia or the Ponte Mammolo capolinea for the metro back into Rome.

N.B Villa d'Este is closed on Mondays.

Hope this helps ...

Steve

P.S You may find these links useful:

http://www.villa-adriana.net
http://sights.seindal.dk/sight/901_H...s_Villa-6.html
http://sights.seindal.dk/sight/901_Hadrians_Villa.html

http://www.villadestetivoli.info
http://www.travelpictures.it/picture...este/index.htm

http://www.ostia-antica.org
http://www.ostiaantica.net/tour.php

Steve_James

P.S. You can find bus timetables for Tivoli on:

http://cotralspa.it/pdf/orari/L2.pdf

kopp

Good morning thegilbeys,

When you ask if these three sites are easy to visit in one day, do you mean all in the same day? For me, that would be a bit too exhausting. I think it probably depends on your own schedule and your likes and dislikes.

We spent a whole day at Ostia, whereas I read here that some people opt for an hour or two.

Same for Hadrian's Villa and Tivoli Gardens. These two present more of a transportation challenge. You can read here about making sure to hook up with the correct bus (whereas getting to Ostia is a simple train connection).

Were I to choose, I would opt for Hadrian's Villa and the Gardens. Maybe we had just seen so many ruins already that Ostia wasn't that impressive to me (although the ampitheater was really good). The Villa, with its beautiful reflecting pool, and the Gardens with all the fountains -- well, I'd never seen anything like it before.

It's really a toss-up. I think the hardest part for me is that when I leave the city for even a half-day, that means I'm missing something inside Rome proper. It's so hard to decide what you're going to skip in order to embark on a journey outside the city.

Happy travels!

franco

...but both are absolutely worth going, so if you have time enough in Rome, do invest two days, one for Tivoli and one for Ostia. For Ostia Antica alone, you'll need the better part of a day, it's sooo large, and sooo interesting. (On my last visit, I thought I could do it in an afternoon - I had to go back another day and pay the entrance fee again!)
In Tivoli, don't limit your visit to Villa Adriana and Villa d'Este. Both are great, especially Villa Adriana, but the town of Tivoli is another gem totally overseen by the plethora of visitors who are all concentrating on the two villas. Ancient bits and pieces everywhere, incorporated in the facades of medieval buildings; and two small ancient temples, side by side, one square, one rotund, both among the best preserved Roman temples anywhere!

JoanneH

If you like a hike then do the bus\train if not hire a driver for 1/2 a day. Well worth the price to be dropped at the entry of both places. There is a ton of traffic in Tivoli and when you arrive there is a hike up a hill to H.Villa. the walk from the bus stop the day we went was almost lkm due to road works and some roads being blocked off, (may 2007)
I know a great driver he only works in afternoons but price is right if you want his information let me know.
Re: Ostia take the train its quick, simple and cheap. Train station is near entry (10min) walk. Tip: do not leave by rear exit near where the boats pull in behind the coffee shop area. The walk back around to the train is almost 2km! go back to where you entered and take the shortcut across to the short street and overpass bridge to train station.

Dayle

Gilbeys,

I have not been to Ostia Antica, but I'll tell you what I liked about Tivoli.

I used the metro and bus to get to Tivoli and yes, it's a long walk from the main road out to Hadrian's Villa. I enjoyed Hadrian's very much because it had not been so buried under centuries of successive building. You didn't quite have to use your imagination as much as at the Rome sites. Also, it's a huge, park-like area and just nice to walk around.

When I visited, they were completely out of English language printed quides and had no audioguides. So, I didn't get as much out of it as I would have liked. (I love history and like lots of details.)

Villa d'Este was a wonderful, delightful surprise! On 3 trips to Italy I hadn't see the Italian garden I had pictured it in my mind - until d'Este. (Didn't care much for the Boboli Gardens in Florence.) And the fountains!!! I took lots of pictures and noticed that everyone was walking around with smiles. Very enjoyable place and the villa itself has frescos in great shape.

Buon viaggio!

thegilbeys

Thanks for your help everyone. Lots of links to check out, thanks Steve!

ParadiseLost

I topped directions to those sites but in case you miss it here are the URLs.

OSTIA ANTICA
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34619236
VILLA HADRAIN/TIVOLI
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34804870
Regards, Walter

tomassocroccante

For one rather brilliant view of Tivoli, find ROME AND A VILLA by Eleanor Clarke, c.1952 but in print most of the time since. Fascinating ruminations on what Tivoli "might have been like" in the time of Hadrian, what motivated him to build, the politics and society of the day ... The book also contains similar looks at much of Rome, especially architecture.

Clarke, by the way, was the wife of the 4-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Robert Penn Warren.