Our flight was cancelled from London to Rome on the 20th of this March, so we have to leave on Friday. We have a 2 hour layover in London instead of 7 hours from the other flight. We are really bummed we can't see London but we get an extra day in Rome. Since we don't wont to spend 6 days in Rome, we are considering taking a one day side trip from Rome. We are thinking about renting a car and going down to Naples and maybe Sorrento. Is this too far? Do you have any other suggestions? Thanks!
Posted by
Bromley, Kent,, UK
1829 posts
If you want to rent a car why not travel somewhere where a car is really needed rather than a place where the usual advice, for all sorts of reasons, is to take a train.
We like the countryside north of Rome ie the Lazio/Tuscany/Umbrian borders. You will find Etruscan sites and interesting hill towns. It is also a pretty straightforward 2.5 hr drive from Rome to Assisi.
Edit - Further thoughts on an Assisi trip, you will pass some handsome Umbrian hill towns on the way eg Spoleto and Spello which are worth a look. And the countryside around there is very beautiful.
Posted by
Norfolk, USA
255 posts
Pompeii is a long day trip by train from Rome. You might want to go to Ostia Antica. My recommendation is NOT to rent a car going into/out of Rome. Find somewhere you can go on the train.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23286 posts
Tivoli would make a great one day, out of the city. See RoninRome.com for very detailed, and I mean detailed, directions on how to use the public transit out and back. Don't be disappointed. A seven hour layover would have allowed about one hour in downtown London. This is much better.
Posted by
Nokomis, FL, usa
46 posts
How about Orvieto? It is a beautiful, duomo topped hill town an easy one hour train ride out of Roma. It is getting more touristy unfortunately, however it is still lovely and a nice change from Roma.
Posted by
Alta Loma, CA, USA
1446 posts
I agree with Jo. I would take the train to Orvieto for the day. It's not worth the hassle of renting a car for just 1 day plus I would not want to pick up a rental car in Rome anyways...too difficult to drive in the city. Orvieto is only 1.5 hrs each way from Rome & it's a nice change of scenery & there are a lot of interesting things to do there. You might also think about going to Tivoli for the day & visiting Hadrian's Villa &/or Villa d'Este.
Posted by
Collierville, Tennessee, USA
501 posts
Everyone has given you good suggestions. I have made day trips from Rome, by train, to Orvieto, Ostia Antica, and Pompeii, and all are good day trips. I didn't think Pompeii was too much at all. We took the train, hired a guide at the gate who turned out to be Gaetano Manfredi (he was great!), ate a picnic lunch while we were there, then went into Naples and ate pizza at da Michele. We left Naples to return to
Rome before dark and this was in March. I think if you wanted to you would even have time to fit in Herculaneum. It is much smaller and much better preserved. If you decide to do this day trip I suggest you rent or get your hands on the Discovery episode on the eruption of Vesuvius and watch it before you go.
Ostia Antica is another wonderful place to visit and it is an easy train ride from Rome. We took a picnic lunch there also and had a wonderful day. Very different from Pompeii but every bit as interesting.
And Orvieto is a wonderful Umbrian town that is well worth a visit.
I have never been to the other suggested places but they are places I want to go see and I'm sure if you take those suggestions you will not be disappointed.