Best Day Trips from Rome: Ostia, Pompeii, Tivoli & More

Rome's day trips are the reward for staying longer than three days. The best ones are under an hour by train, genuinely different from the city, and cheap enough that 'should we?' becomes 'when do we leave?'

Ostia Antica: the best first choice

Thirty minutes from Rome's Porta San Paolo (Piramide station) lies an ancient port city you can walk through freely. No queues, no ropes - just streets, baths and mosaics at a fraction of Pompeii's bother.

Pompeii and Herculaneum: the pilgrimage

The Circumvesuviana from Naples takes you to Pompeii's gate; Herculaneum (one stop earlier) is smaller, better preserved and far less busy. Pair it with a visit to the archaeological museum in Naples for the best experience.

Tivoli: two villas in the hills

Villa d'Este's fountains and Villa Adriana's emperor-scale ruins sit on the same short journey east of Rome. The fountains need a morning ber, the villa an easy afternoon.

The coast and the lakes

• Castel Gandolfo: the lake village the popes used as a summer house
• Bracciano: a castle-ringed lake town posted above the water
• Frascati: the wine-village lunch, 30 minutes by regional train

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