Hey everyone! In planning our Rome itinerary with some other friends who are meeting us in the city for a short few days, we're wondering if doing a Colosseum tour in the morning and then visiting Ostia Antica (unguided) for the afternoon/early-evening is doable? In addition to Ostia's ruins, it would be nice to visit the town there for a snack (or possibly dinner if we go later in the day). Our Colosseum tour is already booked (Walks of Italy's "Premium Colosseum" tour, which starts at 8:30am and should end at around noon). It's on a Saturday (July 16th), if that matters. Thanks! ~Geoff and Jennifer
Posted by
Catadupa Alamere, CA
515 posts
It is about 1/2 mile walk from the metro stop to Ostia Antica's ticket booth, where the ruins begin. From end to end, the ruins are another 1/2 mile, so plan on doing some walking in the open sun. OA is, in my view a must do, particularly if you enjoy photography. I spent 2 hours there, and I could have happily spent more time. The neighboring village is ok and I saw no shortage of restaurants. I had no time to stop; but, back at the hotel that night someone mentioned that she really enjoyed Restaurant Cipriani, a very short diversion from the route back to the Metro Rick explains how to get to OA by subway + the metro
http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/italy/ostia.htm
Posted by
OP
Port Coquitlam, BC, Canada
26 posts
Thanks Zolopho (and Joe, who replied via private message). Any other thoughts on the matter? Ostia is one of the very last pieces of our trip-planning puzzle. (in other words... "bump!") ~Geoff
Posted by
Catadupa Alamere, CA
515 posts
You're welcome. At the far end of the site is the Gymnasium which is an unremarkable building but some of the floor tiles make a pretty good photo http://www.flickr.com/photos/stwiso/5412206235/in/photostream I am posting this via iPhone so I have no clue what it will look like
Posted by
Canoga Park, CA, USA
50 posts
Hi Geoff: My friend and I spent a couple of weeks in Rome a couple of years ago and we somehow found how to get to Ostia Antica and it was just fascinating...we were there a few hours. Then not wanting to go back and without knowing anything about the little town of Ostia Antica, we decided to take a bus ride. It was one wild ride...that bus driver was a cowboy!!! but, boy, it was fun. Everyone helped us where to get off and how to get to the beach...we found a delicious small family-owned restaurant where we had delicous pasta fagiole which was outstanding and also a salmon dish for the entree. I don't remember what the cost was but we had a good time and it wasn't very expensive. We just happened to trip over this place and had a pretty view of the ocean....Ostia Antica is a big place, with lots of restaurants, apartments, etc. but the beach area was lovely.
It would be a fun ending to a great day especially with the Colosseum tour and then Ostia Antica. We're senior citizens and decided to get out of our comfort zone and just "do it" and it was fun and a great memory....especially that crazy bus ride!
Posted by
OP
Port Coquitlam, BC, Canada
26 posts
bumpity-bump... Thanks for the information, Mary! From your experience, do you think visiting Ostia in the afternoon after a morning of touring the Colosseum would be too much for one day, or do you think it'd be fine?
Posted by
Catadupa Alamere, CA
515 posts