Flight connection in Rome - 5 hours to fill

Hard question to answer. You are on the seam. 7 or 8 hours OK. But five ??? It will take 40 min into Rome allowing for some wait time. Another ten min walking out of the station. Down to 3 hours -- maybe catch the bus (I think it is # 40) and ride to the Vatican. Or you could walk to the Vatican in about an hour and 15. Or maybe just do a big walking loop. In three hours you could walk past most of the major sights.

And the final question is how long to go through security again? It would a bit rushed but you could do it.

I second the idea of taking a cab to Ostia Antica (ruins) or Ostia Lido (middle-class beach resort town). What time of year will you be there?

(BTW, Trastevere is a neighborhood in Rome and is a lot farther away than 20 minutes.)

Thanks for your help Frank - it is definitely an awkward layover time limit - we will have to see what our actual arrival time is on the day - but your commute time estimates to and from the airport and suggestions will help us decide. Thanks again.

This website may provide additional information http://www.roninrome.com/

Wow Kent, Thanks for the roninrome website. I just opened it up and it is full of very useful, great information while in Rome. I think I could plan my trip reading Ron's information. Does he do this just because??? Great reference reading.
If you do not arrive in to the "new" terminal you could find plenty to see for a couple hours.
If you go in to Rome, let us know how it worked for you.
Check out the roninrome webiste. It is great!

IMO, not enough time to do anything and still allow adequate time for your next flight. Most likely, your arriving leg will be late. Great people watching is available at the airport!

Couple options: you could go to Ostia Antica (or lido) for a bit. I'm sure there's a bus, but you're probably better off taking a cab. It's maybe 10 min away - just on the other side of the river from the airport. You could also take the local train to Trastevere and wander around for a bit. I think it's around a 20 min ride each way...

Paul's suggestion of OA is excellent. The only potential problem that I see is getting a taxi back to the airport. When were there in June, there were about three other people. Maybe the taxi driver would come back and get you or show you were a cab pickup point is. OA is an underrated site. Very interesting and very similar to Pompeii on a different scale.

Wow - I just checked back after a few days away and am so thankful for all of the additional posts and advice. I have my guides books out again and will definitely research your suggestions. Thank-you all for your time and thoughtful input.

Since it appears that you have 6 hours rather than 5 some of the things may be possible.