My husband and I will be in Rome for a week at the end of November. We are thinking of doing a day trip to either Orvieto or Frascati (but are open to other options). We won't have a car. We are into food and wine and scenic towns. We have previously traveled to Florence, Venice and Tuscany. Any thoughts on which place would be a better option for us?
Posted by
midwest
29 posts
I can't comment on Frascati, however Orvieto was a favorite for my husband and I. Easy train ride, for one thing. The cathedral is impressive and the "Orvieto Underground" tour was really interesting. The views from the village walls were beautiful. We enjoyed a memorable meal of wild boar although stayed away from the pigeon, a regional specialty since pigeons were historically raised beneath the houses in Orvieto. We were in Orvieto in June, so of course you would need to check that appealing restaurants are open in November.
Posted by
Los Angeles by way of Providence and Rome
610 posts
I have never been to Frascati but when I lived in Rome took my visiting friends and family to Orvieto and they uniformly enjoyed it. It's an easy day trip, just allow plenty of time at Termini to walk to your track, as this particular train departs from the furthest reaches of the station! Once in Termini I recommend La Palomba for lunch. Look for the photo of Rick Steves with the owner.
Posted by
Washington DC
27701 posts
I'm a big Gan of Orvieto. In addition to the things already mentioned, there are several good, small museums. I think the town gets a lot of Roman visitors as day-trippers, so it might be somewhat less busy on a weekday.
Knowledgeable Italian tourists probably have something to do with the quality of Orvieto's restaurants. Unfortunately, my favorite is no longer in business. The local cuisine is meat-centric, so it's probably not a place to look for seafood.
Posted by
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
532 posts
I've been to both and would recommend Orvieto. There was more to see and the location is wonderful. As others have said, it's easy to get to from Rome (actually, both are easy to get to from Rome).
Posted by
North Italy
371 posts
Orvieto is a great day trip!
https://slowtravelitalyspain.blogspot.com/2023/06/umbria-in-may-orvieto.html?m=1