Rome Daytrips

Fierce Mediterranean sunshine, sparkling clear waters, and a national predilection for dark tans make Italian beaches an understandably popular summer destination. But oceanside lounging isn’t the only reason to leave Rome for its surrounding areas. Quaint medieval towns, the world’s best pizza, ancient ruins, clear lakes, and rolling hills beckon from the Lazio and Campania regions. Whether you take a picnic to nearby Ostia or spend a weekend in Naples, these daytrips offer an entirely different side of Italy when you are in need of a respite from Rome’s insanity.

The cradle of Roman civilization, Lazio stretches from the Tyrrhenian coastline through volcanic mountains to the foothills of the Abruzzese Appennines. The territory attracted the Etruscan Empire’s attention as early as the 9th century BC, when it colonized Tarquinia and Cerveteri. Relics from those ancient days still ring the countryside around Rome, as do cool mountain lakes, imperial villas, and vineyards. Besides its inland delights, Lazio has miles of shoreline and the delightful Pontine Islands.

The fertile crescent of Campania, in the shadow of Mt. Vesuvius, cradles the Bay of Naples and the larger Gulf of Salerno. The fiery fields of Hades to the west and the ruins of Pompeii hiding beneath the crater captivate visitors year after year. Sorrento is the gateway to the Amalfi coast and the beachy wonders of Ischia and the other islands of the bay of Naples. And if Rome has left you with a thirst for even more gritty Italian urbanity, make camp in Naples for a few days and enjoy the sea breezes, palaces, and masterful pizza.

Ostia Antica

An immense archaeological park, Ostia Antica is an ideal environment to experience ancient Roman life away from the crowds in the Roman Forum. According to legend, Ostia was founded in the seventh century ...more

Lido Di Ostia

If you tire of geeking out at Ostia Antica, why not hit the surf? The heart of modern-day Ostia is just two stops away on the train, and it’s one of the most popular beach daytrips among Romans during ...more

Pontine Islands

The Pontine Islands (pop. 4000), a stunning archipelago 40km off the coast of Anzio, offer both striking beauty and intriguing history and lore. These small islands were once believed to be home of the ...more

Sperlonga

Sperlonga (spehr-LON-ga; pop. 3102) served as Emperor Tiberius’ imperial getaway until he moved to Capri in AD 26. Well worth the trip from Rome, Sperlonga’s curving, whitewashed streets lead through ...more

Anzio

The palm tree-lined V. Paolina runs from the train station to the center of Anzio, past villas that recall the town’s historical prominence as the vacation spot of choice for emperors, popes, and pirates ...more

Nettuno

Nettuno has a secure place in the history of disasters. Following the collapse of the Empire, Roman refugees in flight from marauding Goths installed themselves in the shadows of a coastal temple to ...more

Tivoli

Tivoli (TEE-vo-lee; pop. 49,342) is an awe-inspiring hilltop town poised 120m above the Aniene River where poets Horace, Catullus, and Propertius all once had homes along the rocky cliffs. Today, Tivoli ...more

Etruria

The rolling hills north of Rome were once home to the Etruscans, who ruled much of the Mediterranean prior to the rise of the Roman Empire. Though little is known about life under their rule, the Etruscans ...more

Castelli Romani

Volcanoes are notoriously unfriendly creatures (remember Pompeii?), but the volcanoes that surround Rome have tried to make up for their more inflammatory southern counterparts by providing famed vineyards ...more

Campania

Neatly excavated and intact, the remains of this prosperous Roman town hardly deserve the term “ruins.” Buried in superheated volcanic tufa instead of the ash that covered Pompeii, Ercolano (ehr-co-LA-no) ...more

Bay Of Naples

Home to the pleasant islands of Capri, Ischia, and Procida, and the coastal town of Sorrento, the Bay of Naples could hardly seem further away from the city that shares its coast. On Capri, expensive ...more