Hi...My sisters and I are planning a trip to Italy in mid-March. We will be basing in Rome and making day trips into Umbria and Tuscany. We prefer not to rent a vehicle if at all possible. Can we take buses/trains to Assisi and Cortona? Also, suggestions for other 'day trips'? We will be spending 7 days/nights in Italy with our focus outside of Rome.......slow travel/flexible....thanks
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
8073 posts
Certainly you can take buses and trains to most towns, in fact for Assisi you will need both, and very likely for other towns as well. Within that general area is also Siena, Orvieto and a number of other towns. You may find it handy though to maybe include 1 or 2 overnight stays, rather than training it back and forth to Rome each day. For instance, head to Assisi, stay the night, on to Cortona, then back to Rome, then another overnighter in maybe Siena, swinging back through Florence on your way back to Rome. Just cuts down on several hours on the train.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
Paul's advice is perfect, if it's an option for you. If you're able to spend one or two nights in a place it completely changes the experience. There's a beauty to these places that can't really be seen during the daytripping tourist peak hours of the day.
Posted by
Philadelphia, PA, USA
551 posts
Ostia Antica is an easy day trip from Rome. This is the remains of an ancient port city. Visiting here is similar to touring Pompeii or Herculaneum because you can explore the streets and ruins of 2000 year old buildings. It is easily reached by train.
Posted by
OP
Dover, Arkansas, USA
46 posts
Thank you so much for the input you guys......it is exactly the information that I was needing......judi
Posted by
Los Angeles
425 posts
Here is a list of popular daytrips from Rome (using public transportation). I hesitate to mention destinations further out which could be reached by public transportation, but whose distance from Rome makes them less than ideal as daytrips. 1. Ostia Antica 2. Palestrina 3. Tivoli/Villa d'Este/Villa Adriana 4. Subiaco 5. Viterbo 6. Bracciano 7. Cerveteri 8. Tarquinia 9. Castelli Romani (south of Rome) 10. Narni 11. Orvieto 12. Spoleto Because of the super-fast AV trains, you could also visit the following places as daytrips (although not terribly efficiently): 1. Florence (95 minutes each way) 2. Naples (70 minutes each way)
3. Pompei (70 + 35 minutes each way) 4. Amalfi Coast via Salerno (120 or 150 +75 minutes each way)
Posted by
Avon, IN, USA
9 posts
I would also highly recommend Ostia Anitca. Make sure you have the RS podcast when you go. I think we were there about 3 hours and saw quite a bit. My only regret is that we did not try to see the Castle's right down the road, I read later they are open to the public.