Hi, I will be traveling with my family of five, including three young kids to Rome for a week and a half.
We are thinking about some day trips to the coast, Ostia Antica, etc.
Would anyone recommend renting a car for the day, to have some flexibility as we explore? Also, if you have any advice on logistics or itineraries, please let us know!
It’s very easy to take a train to Ostia Antica. The walk into the ruins is not long. Renting a car in Rome for a dat trip sounds expensive. Plus driving in Rome is extremely challenging.
Ostia Antica is easy to get to using a local train. After many taxi rides in Rome, there isn't anyway I'd drive there.
As mentioned, the train is a much better option.
If you're still considering renting a car, ask yourself if you're comfortable driving in traffic like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfn4s-3kJWE
Unless you are planning to go to some small ancestral village, a train is probably the better choice for day trips vs a rental car.
Other than Ostia Antica, what other destinations do you have in mind?
Given the time needed to pick up a car, drive somewhere and back, a one-day car rental is never a good idea; especially in a city as large as Rome.
The train from Rome to Ostia Antica isthe Rome-Lido line. It makes stops beyond Ostia also. You may want to investigate the other destinations too. Wikepedia gives alot of information about where to catch the train line in Rome and lists all the stops. As. I remember, it is not an expensive train and will cost much less than a car that holds 5.
Other possible train day trips are Tivoli and Orvieto.
