We are spending five nights in Rome than heading to Ostia Lido for one night before we fly out. Because our flight does not leave until 10pm, we will have a full day to visit the ruins at Ostia Antica. I have heard the ruins at Hadrian's Villa are a must -see. Should see both sites? Are they too much alike?
Posted by
OP
portland, oregon, USA
148 posts
Should have mentioned we are going in June.
Cheri
Posted by
Alta Loma, CA, USA
1446 posts
I personally think it would be too much to visit both Ostia Antica & Hadrian's Villa (in Tivoli) on the same day. I'll let others weigh in on this but I think it will be challenging especially using public transportation. From what I've read, it's a bit involved to get to Hadrian's Villa villa public transport; it's doable but I don't think it's doable in combination with Ostia Antica.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23449 posts
It would be difficult to see both in the same day since they are in opposite directions and besides when you go to see Haddrian's Villa you should also see Tivoli gardens. In fact I would see the gardens ahead of the villa. Unfortunately, Ostia Antica, is a quick hit - half day at best.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
Oh, don't get me started on those infamous "must-sees". Nothing in Italy is a must-see and yet everything in Italy is a must-see. I could come up with a list of 50 must-sees in the greater Rome area if that would help free you up from feeling you have to see any particular one. :-) I've been to both Hadrian's Villa (with a guide) and Ostia Antica and Ostia Lido (on our own). They're all great. OA is different from HV in that the villa was d as a pleasure retreat for an emperor while OA, on the other hand, was a functioning small city. What they have in common is that they were both neglected to death over time (unlike Pompeii/Herculaneum which were flash-frozen). We had several hours at OA before we ran out of time due to a rainstorm, and we had plenty of time at HV. We really enjoyed both. Really, you should just pick one and since you're going to be at Ostia Lido anyway, OA is the sensible choice. HV can be a bit of a pain to get to. And, in case you're interested, here are some photos of our trips to Ostia Antica in May 2008, Hadrian's Villa in May 2008, and Lido di Ostia in May 2011.
Happy travels.
Posted by
OP
portland, oregon, USA
148 posts
We where not planning on seeing both sites on the same day. I was wondering if using a good portion of one of my five days in Rome was worth seeing HV since I already seeing OA. To redundant?
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
If it's your first time to Rome, I would suggest you NOT do HV unless you're really into Roman ruins. There's so much to see and do in Rome that for my interests it makes more sense to stay in the city. But your interests may differ. Only you can decide, of course. Happy travels.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32253 posts
cheri, With only five days in Rome, that doesn't leave much time for two day trips. There's enough in Rome to keep busy with for that length of time. While Villa Adriana is a very interesting site, you'll require more of your very limited time getting there and back. Based on the time factor, Ostia Antica would therefore be a better choice. Happy travels!
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
If you find yourself getting overwhelmed by the urban experience of Rome, remember that there are some really nice parks you can wander through. The biggest is at the Villa Borghese. It's sort of like Rome's central park. But one of my favorites is a smaller park near the Colosseum, called the Colle Oppio Park. Google it for more info, but here's a video clip from my stroll through it this past May. I think I might have been the only tourist that day.