Day trips from Rome - Pompeii, Ostia Antica, Orvieto

You can be in Pompeii in about 2 hours from Rome either by car or train. Pompeii is perfectly doable as a day trip from Rome. Just leave sufficiently early from Rome so that you get there early enough, since daylight is shorter in Nov. and the excavations close earlier during the winter months. If you get there before 11 and stay till about closing time, it will be sufficient to see it all. Orvieto is a perfect choice for a day trip from Rome. Also the Hadrian Villa in Tivoli. Consider also the lakes and the colli albani. If you have a car there is also Civita di Bagnoregio that isn't too far for a day trip or even other places in Umbria, like Perugia. Just leave early because daylight is short.

Pompeii and Ostia Antica are equally impressive but they are totally different. It just depends on which you would prefer. In November, with fewer daylight hours, I think I would opt for Ostia, but that's just my preference. With only 4 days you might not want to be as rushed as you will be doing Pompeii. TC

I love Oriveto it's a perfect size, with wonderful views, delicious Orvieto wine, a fabulous cathedral and an easy trip and break from the intensity of Rome. I would allow 2-3 hours for Ostia plus the train each way. You really get to wander in the ruins although I am not sure if it is rainy how it would be. Yes Pompeii is alot more impressive and Ostia is more hands on and romantic. Both are amazing.

I haven't been to Pompeii or Ostia yet so I can't compare. But, I'm weighing in on Orvieto. I loved, loved, loved Orvieto & would definitely put aside a day to visit it. I think it's a wonderful day trip from Rome. It will take 90 minutes by train to get to Orvieto & there's a lot to do/see there. I recommend the underground tour (1 hour) & perhaps a climb to the top of the Torre del Moro for the views. The facade of the Duomo is beautiful, particularly when sun-lit. You can also descend to the bottom of St. Patrick's Well but of course leave time to just walk the back streets (away from the main piazza). Have a great trip!

Several years ago we used a company called enjoyrome.com and it took 3 hours each way using a Pullman style bus to reach Pompeii. If you take a train it will take about the same length of time each way. Pompeii is immense and interesting. Plan on a LONG day no matter which transportation method you . Ostia Antica, on the other hand, is about an hour from Roma and has everything Pompeii has, except the history. In the summer months it possesses two amenities conspicuously absent from Pompeii: 1. Shade, and 2. A breeze blowing in from the sea. Orvieto is an easy day trip from Roma because it is only a 75 minute train ride. Buon viaggio,

I personally think that Pompeii is too far for a convenient day trip. It can be done and many do it but we would not. Pompeii and OA are similar in both are buried cities but for different reasons and each is worth a visit. But they are not the same, either. At that time of year I would opt for OA. If you are in Rome over a Sunday, then the catacombs and the Appian Way should be on the list. Save Pompeii for an extended stay in that area.

I agree with Frank. I was dubious about Ostia Antica and visited it only after we moved here. (We had visited Pompeii while in Sorrento last year.) The point of both sites is to understand how people lived. To me Pompeii is less about the volcano and more about the way towns were arranged, how people lived and worked. The story of the Vesuvius eruption adds drama, but you can see that in a documentary or read about it in a book. The culture and lifestyle is actually easier to understand at Ostia and it is more accessible. Both are worthy sites, but I would not spend one out of four days in Rome going to Pompeii. You can do Ostia in the morning and still have the afternoon hours free for another adventure.

For me, standing in sight of Vesuvius is something that can't be replaced, but if that's not so important to you, go for Ostia Antica. You can probably work in a little beach time as well. If seeing how people lived is important, you could consider Herculaneum (about the same time frame as Pompeii).

Your time in Rome is not very long. In Italy they have a saying: Roma, non basta una vita - for Rome, one lifetime is not enough.

I vote for Ostia Antica. Less than 30 minutes by train and I loved it! Very easy to do from Roma.

On my last trip to Italy, I went to Ostia (day trip from Rome), and to Herculaneum and Pompeii, both as day trips from Sorrento. Since you have such a short time in Rome, I am with the camp that says "Ostia," for the same reasons. There is plenty to see there, you get a good idea of what life was like, and it's a short trip from Rome. Going to either of the other two, you will spend half the day getting there and back. Herculaneum is a bit closer to Naples on the train, but it's a 10-minute downhill walk to the site (and longer, natch, going back up). The trains to/from Naples only run every half hour at best (middle of the day once an hour) and they aren't usually on schedule, though maybe only by a few minutes. That means you either need to be flexible with the train back to Rome (so no early-purchase cheap ticket) from Naples or you need to allow lots of time to get back to Naples. Of the three, Herculaneum gave me the best idea of what a town was like. Pompeii had some of the best 'bits," like the house of ill-repute. But Ostia has lots to see, including a good restaurant (ruins) and public toilets. If I had to choose only one, I absolutely couldn't.

One more thing, Rick has free audio guides for Ostia and Pompeii that you can download. Both are enjoyable and informative.