Appian Way advice

Also, there is a huge walking detour (according to Google maps) taking
us off the Appian Way from Villa of Maxentius to Catacombs of San
Callisto--like an hour walking versus what I would imagine is a very
short distance via the straightforward Appian Way!

Hi Suzanne -
We've walked the Appia from out by Casal Rotundo (near Torricola) back into the city, and I think the 'detour' you're referencing is the road marked "Ingresso Catacombe di S. Callisto" that starts at the Catacombs of S. Sebastiano - which we visited - and parallels the Appia north to Chiesa Quo Vadis. As it closely parallels the Appia, it isn't really any less straightforward or of additional length.. That particular stretch of the paralleling Appia is narrow and hemmed in by high walls on either side so there's nothing to see. Ingresso Catacombe provides pleasant, open views of the landscape on either side. We definitely took this route 'cause we walked during a weekday when there was traffic and had read in advance to use the bypass rather than stretch of the main road due to very little room for pedestrians.

If you've ever done a virtual 'walk' or drive on google maps, do it for that section of the Appia and you'll see what mean about the confining walls on either side of the road. This document from Coopculture (Via Appia from the Mausoleum of Caecilia Metella to the church of Domine Quo Vadis) also maps the walking route via the bypass.
https://multimedia.coopculture.it/reteculture/itinerari/260/ap_260_guide_eng.pdf

If my google street view is current, Hostaria Antica Roma is indeed just off the road across from Cecelia Metella, very slightly north. The restaurant's own website (https://hostarianticaroma.it/#chi-siamo) contains a shot of the outdoor patio with the mausoleum rising in the background, and address (Via Appia Antica 176, Roma) matches that location.

https://hostarianticaroma.it

To add, this brochure, which the park provided some years ago and which we'd used, provides useful background on the monuments you'll be passing by on any given section of the road. Do not use it for visiting hours or fees as I'm not sure they even provide this thing on the current website anymore, or may be archived/hard to find, so that particular info is probably outdated. It may take awhile to load so be patient. :O)

https://www.parcoappiaantica.it/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/via-Appia-Antica_ENG.pdf

Thank you for your very informative reply, maps and brochure, Kathy. I looked at them very carefully and they make perfect sense of the route. I appreciate also the actual name of the Ingresso Catacombe di S. Callisto as the road that parallels the Appia Antica for that short sectional detour off of the Appia Antica. Indeed, it is not a long distance at all, which I surmised before by just looking at a map.

Stubbornly, I have continued to try to input into Google maps the various site-points of the walk just to gauge actual walking distances/time and get the route you speak of (using the parallel Ingresso road) to come up correctly.

But for whatever completely bizarre reason, when I request the walking option (obviously, that's what we'll be doing!), Google insists on detouring us (every time!) from the trek between the Villa of Maxentius to the Catacombs of St. Sebastiano onto a road called Via di S. Sebastiano (going off to the left of the Appia Antica) and WAY out in a big outward loop and back in towards the Catacombs St. Sebastiano-- a 44 minute walk! Ridiculous and obviously, wrong. I've done plot points both north to south and south to north--no matter. Google does NOT want me walking on that part of the Appian Way to the Ingresso parallel road. Sigh.

However, with your helpful information I can see how to do it (regardless of Google!) and also can see how relatively short it is.

Now just need to decide whether to do the walk from north to south or vice versa, to best accommodate time for a tour at San Callisto catacombs (they open at 9:30) and lunch at Hostaria Antica (opens at 12:30). Looks like we can catch a bus at either the north end or south end (near Tomb of Cecilia Metella) of the walk. Thank you again for your clarification and assistance!

But remember -- no traffic does not mean -- No Traffic. There will still be buses and taxis.

Oh my gosh, there's no reason you should have to get off on Via di S. Sebastiano and do some sort of big loop back to the catacombs St. Sebastiano! Wonder why it's sending you that way? I'd wonder if there's some sort of construction on that section of road but google maps doesn't usually have that kind of info. Sure wish I had some useful advice for you but, personally, I'd just ignore what it's telling you.

PS: we walked the Appia on a day it was NOT largely closed to traffic and while having to be cautious in some spots closer to the northern end, we did just fine. I would not have chosen to use the main road for the stretch between S Sebastiano Catacombs and Quo Vadis, though.

Thank you Frank--I am indeed aware that there is some traffic along the way even on a Sunday.

Yes, it is a puzzle as to Google's walking instructions--I don't usually have any trouble with this. I did think of construction as a possible issue...but I tried plotting the biking option (which we are not doing), and it does put me on a more ( but not entirely) direct and shorter route which includes the Ingresso road. So I don't think it's construction. Who knows?

Plus we aren't there until October so construction would probably be a moot point anyway by then. I can at least see the mileage via the biking route from point to point and will just convert the mileage into a walking time estimate.

I am much clearer on the route itself and can see that it will all be just fine. Leaning towards taking the Appian Way from the north to south route in terms of our lunch plans....
Thank you for your helpful responses! Always grateful!

Suzanne,
Whatever you choose to do, do not trust the Appian Way advice in the book 'Rome: Like a Local'.
That book gave bad advice. It recommends getting out far earlier than the Catacombs of San Sebastian.
The result for us was much unnecessary angst with plenty of traffic, zero sidewalks and far too great a distance to make any sense at all.
I have read every single guidebook on Rome and few if any, have ever committed such a gaffe to paper as this one.

Once we got over that hassle, the Appian Way exceeded our expectations! Plz say Hi to Federica at the Capo di Bove for us.
Suggested lunch spot: Garden Risto. Similar to London's Petersham Nursery, this lovely location doubles as a full-on nursery.

I am done. The end.

I’m a bit confused to your advice? Please clarify

Sorry if I wasn't clear. That book 'informed' readers to start their walk farther up the trail/road/route than was wise. The passerby trucks and cars made it very uncomfortable for my wife and I as we walked.

The Capo is a historical site with a most friendly guide as aforementioned. That restaurant is a great alternative along that route, if your first choice does not work out.

The Appian way is a great day. Sad to think that Crassus once crucified members of Spartacus' slave revolt army there.
I am done. The end.

Gregg/Zebec, me dear, by "farther up the trail/road/route" did you mean the more northern end - closer to the city - or further to the south? I would agree that the northern end involved much more traffic and a narrower space to walk...although as I said previously, we did it on a weekday when heavier traffic was probably to be expected.

Kathy,
I meant the north end. We trusted that book's (poor) advice and so had our taxi drop us off at the closed tourism office up there.
The book grossly underestimated one's safety plus the distance going forward, a factor that we foolishly aggravated by going on a weekday.

Suzanne, a really fine time awaits you there. Stating the obvious, I'd choose only a nice sunny day. There are still a few stretches of the original road for visitors to walk on, a number of huge (and illegal) estates plus a military base. The various historical sights are not particularly busy and have relaxed atmospheres.

The semi-rural vibe is a perfect foil to the busier urban atmosphere downtown.
I am done. The end.

Thank you very much for your reply as well, Gregg. Indeed it does sound like you were steered onto a similarly unfortunate and long walking route by your guidebook, just as Google is pointing me towards! As Kathy suggested, we will definitely be using the Ingresso Catacombs di S. Callisto road that parallels the Appian Antica for the distance between the Catacombs of S. Sebastiano and the Domine Quo Vais.

I have also decided to go from north to south. We'll take a taxi to the Domine Quo Vadis. Walk to the nearby TI, called the Centro Servizi Appia Antica, and get a map. I checked the website and they are open on Sunday from 9:30 am -5:30. (I am not sure why it was closed on the day you went there, Gregg--I'm assuming since you started at the north end as well, it was the same TI).

From there we take the Ingresso Catacombs di S. Callisto to the Callisto Catacombs and do a tour, hoping to not have to wait too long for an English speaking one. Then resume our walk along the Ingresso road to the Catacombs of S. Sebastiano.

At this point, we'll cut away from the Ingresso route and do the rest of our walk on the Appian Antica (including some of the most scenic portion south of the Tomb of Cecilia Metella). Reverse and go north when we've had enough and head towards lunch.

Gregg, thank you for suggesting the Garden Risto! It too looks just lovely. Both the Hostaria Antica Roma restaurant and Garden Risto are very close in proximity--Hostaria at Via Apia Antic 176 and Garden Risto at 172. It's nice to have a couple of options! As they may be crowded on a Sunday. I may book a table ahead. Both of these restaurants are closed Mondays, so if it's not a nice sunny day on the Sunday I'm planning on, I'll choose another day they are open.

We'll catch the #118 bus (near Tomb of Metella) to head back into downtown. I am looking forward to this day, and appreciate your helpful information!