Skip to content
How it worksAdd your verdict
Rome

Day trips from Rome: which are worth the journey?

14 day trips, ranked on whether they repay the hours on a train or bus. 7 are clearly worth it. Every page has the fastest way there, a plan for doing it in one day, and parking if you drive.

#Day tripVerdictRealityGetting there
1Ostia AnticaWorth it79Roma–Lido light rail to Ostia Antica station, about 30 min from Rome (board at Porta San Paolo by Metro B Piramide), then a short walk; about 45–60 min door to door from Piazza Venezia
2Villa d'EsteWorth it79In hilltop Tivoli, about 30 km east of Rome: roughly 1 hour by regional train (from Tiburtina) or COTRAL bus (from Metro B Ponte Mammolo), then a walk uphill into town
3AssisiWorth it74Train from Roma Termini to Assisi station: about 2 h on direct regional trains (some need a change at Foligno), about €14–18 regional or ~€24 InterCity; ~13–15 trains a day.
4Hadrian's VillaWorth it71Metro B to Ponte Mammolo, then Cotral bus (~50 min) to a stop ~300 m from the gate; or train from Termini/Tiburtina to Tivoli + CAT 4/4X bus.
5Lake AlbanoWorth it70Regional train from Roma Termini to Castel Gandolfo, about 40 min (roughly hourly), on a cheap regional ticket; about 1 hour door to door from Piazza Venezia
6OrvietoWorth it70Train from Roma Termini (or Tiburtina) to Orvieto station: about 1h05 on InterCity, 1h10–1h30 on regional trains; regional is cheapest (roughly €8–12 per italyplanner), InterCity fares rise if bought on the day.
7Naples day tripWorth it70High-speed Frecciarossa (Trenitalia) or Italo from Roma Termini to Napoli Centrale: fastest about 1h10 (Trainline lists 1h13; average about 1h30), around 44–47 trains a day, 189 km.
8FrascatiWorth it if…68Regional train from Roma Termini to Frascati: about 30 min, roughly hourly; fares from about €2–3.
9Cerveteri necropolisWorth it if…65Cotral bus from Cornelia (Metro A) to Cerveteri town, about 1 h, then a 2 km signposted walk (~25 min) or taxi to the necropolis.
10Lake BraccianoWorth it if…65FL3 regional train from Roma Ostiense, Trastevere or San Pietro to Bracciano: the Ostiense–Cesano stretch alone takes about 50 min, so plan on roughly 1h–1h15 to Bracciano.
11SperlongaWorth it if…65Trenitalia regional train from Roma Termini to Fondi-Sperlonga, about 1h15 on the faster services, roughly every 30 min, fare about $14–20 (Rome2Rio); then a local bus or taxi to the village (arrange in advance; taxis are scarce).
12CivitaWorth it if…65No direct transport.
13Ninfa GardenWorth it if…64Regional or Intercity train from Roma Termini to Latina Scalo (roughly 40 min–1 h depending on train; cheap regional fare, check Trenitalia), then about 7 km / 10 min by taxi (pre-book: Romeing lists 0773 632292).
14Florence day tripWorth it if…64Frecciarossa (Trenitalia) or Italo from Roma Termini to Firenze Santa Maria Novella: fastest about 1h20–1h30, typically 1h25–1h45, around 46–48 trains a day.

The trips, best first

Ostia Antica — photo by Leonarda VanicelliWorth itReality 79 +351Ostia Antica★ 4.7Appian Way & day trips · HistoryVast, quiet ruins of Rome's ancient port city with theatre, baths, mosaics and apartment blocksVilla d'Este — photo by viowos1Worth itReality 79 +162Villa d'Este★ 4.7Appian Way & day trips · NatureRenaissance cardinal's villa in Tivoli with terraced gardens, fountains and grottoesAssisi — photo by alessandro villaniWorth itReality 74 +13Assisi★ 4.9Appian Way & day trips · Sacred siteLeave Termini around 8 am, arrive just after 10; bus C up to town (get off at Piazza Matteotti and walk downhill, or start at the Basilica).Hadrian's Villa — photo by G. P.Worth itReality 71 +224Hadrian's Villa★ 4.7Appian Way & day trips · HistoryEmperor Hadrian's sprawling 2nd-century country palace, a 40-hectare ruin field near TivoliLake Albano — photo by Mario DianaWorth itReality 70 +535Lake Albano★ 4.6Appian Way & day trips · HikeVolcanic crater lake below the papal town of Castel Gandolfo: train, walk down, swim or kayakOrvieto — photo by Alessandro LiberatoscioliWorth itReality 70 +116Orvieto★ 4.8Appian Way & day trips · NeighbourhoodTake a train around 8–9 am (1h–1h30), go up to the Duomo (allow 1–1.5 h, including Signorelli's San Brizio chapel), lunch, then an Orvieto Underground cave tour (tickets at the office by the tourist info on Piazza del Duomo) and/or St Patrick's Well, finishing with the 1–1.5 h Anello della Rupe cliff walk.Naples day trip — photo by 고혜숙 (Liz)Worth itReality 70 +207Naples day trip★ 4.6Appian Way & day trips · NeighbourhoodTake a 7:30–8:30 fast train; from Napoli Centrale walk 15–20 min (or Metro Line 1, Garibaldi to Duomo) into the centro storico; morning along Spaccanapoli and Via dei Tribunali (Duomo, Gesù Nuovo, Santa Chiara, Cappella Sansevero — book ahead, San Gregorio Armeno crib-makers); pizza lunch; afternoon either Napoli Sotterranea underground or the National Archaeological Museum; stroll Via Toledo to Piazza del Plebiscito.Frascati — photo by Tiziana BotteriWorth it if…Reality 68 +188Frascati★ 4.5Appian Way & day trips · NeighbourhoodLate-morning train from Termini (30 min), walk up from the station to Piazza Marconi and the Villa Aldobrandini belvedere, long lunch with local wine, then a bus or short ride to another Castelli town (Ariccia for porchetta, or Castel Gandolfo/Lake Albano) before an early-evening train back.Cerveteri necropolis — photo by Necropoli della BanditacciaWorth it if…Reality 65 +479Cerveteri necropolis★ 4.5Appian Way & day trips · HistoryMetro A to Cornelia by ~9 am and a Cotral bus (~1 h) to Cerveteri, walk 25 min downhill to the necropolis; 2–3 h among the tombs, lunch in town, then the Museo Nazionale Cerite in the castle, and a mid/late-afternoon bus or train back.Lake Bracciano — photo by Castello Orsini-OdescalchiWorth it if…Reality 65 +2810Lake Bracciano★ 4.6Appian Way & day trips · NatureTrain out around 9:00 from San Pietro; castle at opening (10:00), about 1.5–2 hours; lunch in town or walk down to the lakefront (Lungolago) for a swim, kayak or lakeside meal; back on an afternoon or early-evening FL3.Sperlonga — photo by Renzo DonelloWorth it if…Reality 65 +4111Sperlonga★ 4.7Appian Way & day trips · BeachLeave Termini around 8:00; bus or taxi from Fondi-Sperlonga to the beach by about 10:00; beach and lunch until mid-afternoon (Spiaggia di Ponente below the village or Levante towards the Grotta di Tiberio); climb up into the white Borgo for the views and a drink; aim for a return train around 18:00–19:00.Civita — photo by Walter PisonWorth it if…Reality 65 +4812Civita★ 4.6Appian Way & day trips · LandmarkTake a train around 7–8 am to Orvieto, connect to a morning Cotral bus to Bagnoregio (check cotralspa.it; Mon–Sat only), walk to the Belvedere and across the bridge, spend 2–3 h in Civita, catch a mid-afternoon bus back to Orvieto and see the Duomo before an evening train to Rome (trains run until about midnight).Ninfa Garden — photo by Giardino di NinfaWorth it if…Reality 64 +1913Ninfa Garden★ 4.7Appian Way & day trips · NatureBook a morning slot weeks ahead, plus a taxi from Latina Scalo; take a train around 8:30–9:00 from Termini; tour ~1.5 h; lunch in the hill town of Sermoneta (Castello Caetani, 7 km, €8.25, same booking site) since there's no restaurant at the garden; taxi back to Latina Scalo and a late-afternoon train.Florence day trip — photo by Alberto MaganziniWorth it if…Reality 64 −2314Florence day trip★ 4.8Appian Way & day trips · NeighbourhoodTake a 7:00–8:00 fast train (arrive by about 9:30); walk 10 min to Piazza del Duomo for a pre-booked dome or bell-tower slot; pick ONE big museum, pre-booked (Accademia for David, or the Uffizi); lunch near Mercato Centrale; Ponte Vecchio and the Oltrarno, then Piazzale Michelangelo for sunset; return on a 20:00–21:00 train.

Farther afield: better with a night away

People do these from Rome in a day, but the travel eats most of it. They have their own pages under nearby bases.

Pompeii — photo by Al GonzoWorth itReality 84 −10Pompeii★ 4.7Sorrento · HistoryThe Roman city buried by Vesuvius in AD 79 — streets, houses, baths and forum over 60+ hectaresHerculaneum — photo by Aleksandra JankowiczWorth itReality 84 +6Herculaneum★ 4.8Sorrento · HistoryCompact Roman town sealed by Vesuvius, with upper floors, wooden beams and frescoes intactAmalfi & Duomo — photo by kalos vWorth itReality 70 +21Amalfi & Duomo★ 4.7Positano · LandmarkThe coast's historic capital, dominated by its striped cathedral atop a grand staircaseBlue Grotto — photo by Sara ScavoneSkip itReality 24 +2Blue Grotto★ 3.8Sorrento · NatureSea cave glowing electric blue, entered lying flat in a rowboat for about five minutes