best day trip from rome?

Hi - I guess i'd ask how much time you'll be spending in Rome itself, and what are you planning to do there? There is a LOT to see and do if what the city has to offer is of interest to the both of you!

What are your mother's interests, and does she have any mobility issues we need to be aware of?

Edited: I see from another post that the trip is mid-September so deleted that question. :O)

Have you looked at Ostia Antica?

So there are a lot of places you could go for the day outside of Rome, but it would depend upon whether you wanted to 1) Take a tour 2) hire a car or 3) take the train. And most importantly what are your interests?? You will see a lot of ruins in Rome, and certainly there are enough churches! If you go to the RS main page, there's a search bar at the top. I put in "Day trips from Rome" & there's a lot there. Personally, if $$ was no issue, I would go to the Fountains of Tivoli at Villa d Este & Hadrian's Villa, both of which are spectacular. And the next time I am in Rome I will go again, BUT it would be tough to do by public transport. https://www.visittivoli.eu/le-ville/villa-d-este&lang=EN

PS, Many people rave about Orvieto & it's a relatively easy day out of Rome from Termini by train.

I would go to the Fountains of Tivoli at Villa d Este & Hadrian's Villa, both of which are spectacular. And the next time I am in Rome I will go again, BUT it would be tough to do by public transport.

It doesn't appear to be difficult to visit the sites at Tivoli using public transportation:

https://www.coopculture.it/en/poi/villa-deste/ Scroll down for transportation options.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/best-of-rome-in-7-days-october-8-14-2023-added-day-trip-to-villa-d-este-and-hadrian-s-villa

Excellent, thanks Mark. Glad to hear it, totally worthwhile. I had read elsewhere on the Forum others found it tough to get there by public transport. I was fortunate to go there with Italian relatives!

Google the Lake of Bracciano, just in case the heat gets unbearable!

Thank you, we are seeing most of Rome itself, have found ourselves with an extra day. My Mom is somewhat limited, just can't walk for miles and miles. Thank you all, I will look at these!

It's not helpful to know that your mother is 75. (I'm 72.) We need to know how many miles she can walk in one day, and whether she can climb a flight of steps or two.

It's not possible to exhaust Rome in seven days. But there are some popular excursions:
Ostia Antica
Orvieto
Tivoli-Villa d'Este
Tivoli-Hadrian's Villa

As others have noted, the two Tivoli destinations involve a lot of travel and a lot of walking. Hadrian's Villa should not be attempted by anyone with walking restrictions, especially without a car service to get there. People with a low budget or little extra time often go to Orvieto early, check their bags to tour the town, and continue onto Florence. But that's a marathon day for some travelers.

Tim's mobility concern for Mom is valid, but that's almost for anywhere in Italy. You need to be able to walk, a lot.

That said, I think Orvieto would be a good choice. We left our apartment by Campo de' Fiori at 9AM, left Termini station at about 1045, arrived Orvieto station about 1215. There is a funicular to ascend to the hilltown, but that's no issue whatsoever.

Found a great unnamed joint for tagliatelle and cinghiale (wild boar), walked around the shops--cobblestone streets, but mostly flat. Then visited the Duomo--spectacular, especially when sun was setting. Finally, departed Orvieto around 530, arriving back at Termini around 700. Time for dinner, gelato, a walk, and back to the apartment.

A great day!

Orvieto. The cathedral is beautiful.

We took an easy train ride for Ostia Antica. It is very pleasant and interesting, easy and flat and for us more enjoyable than Pompeii. RS considers it unappreciated and a welcome break from Rome. I would imagine he has a video on his site. He has a section on it in his Rome book. It is closed on Mondays. I do love Orvieto too but with Florence coming up this is more unique.