Rome recs' for 2nd tier gems over NY??

I loved San Clemente church near the Colosseum, aside from beautiful mosaics there is the intriguing journey through time as you descend beneath the church to walk through the streets of Ancient Rome. Also really like Ostia Antica, the port city of Ancient Rome. Think of Pompeii without the overburden of volcanic ash and the tragedy of the eruption. The river silted up and the city was slowly abandoned. Easily reached by metro and train from Rome…se the RS Guidebook .

Within walking dustance of the Smelda: Galleria Doria Pamphij, Villa Farnesee, Church of St.Louis the French

Think of Pompeii without the overburden of volcanic ash and the tragedy of the eruption. 

And minus the crowds!

@Leslie - We've added San Clemente & Ostia Antica to our list, thanks! I think we'd take a tour to Ostia Antica, this one looks great. https://www.moreofrome.com/tours/ostia-antica-half-day-tour/.

@Becky - Great to have walkable ideas, thanks! Have added Villa Farnesina & Church of St. Louis the French, forgot to mention we’ve been to a NYE concert at Doria Pamphili. (We visited Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere & Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola on our last trip.)

How about a third tier gem? I took Latin in high school and college, so I have a bit of an affinity for the ancient world. One of the coolest things in Rome to me is the Aqueduct Park (Parco degli Acquedotti), a large park which has the remains of a couple of ancient aqueducts running through it. It will check the antiquity box, but perhaps not the "small" box. It is located southeast of the city center in a less touristy area, so gives a bit of the flavor of the city away from tourists. It's a bit of a walk from the nearest Metro Station -- can get a little closer by bus. The park is HUGE and has other cool ancient and medieval things to see, so do a little research to know the best entrance for what you want to see. I looked for tours and found a company that does private tours: https://www.joyofrome.com/en/our-tours/the-park-of-the-acqueducts/

I haven't done the tour, but I'm traveling to Rome with a friend in March. I'm going to try to talk him into doing it! It's worth going to the park, though, just to walk around and see the aqueducts without a tour (which is what I did in 2015).

Check out this thread if you haven't already: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/recommendations-for-off-the-beaten-path-underground-ancient-sites-in-rome

The view of the Forum from the balcony of the Capitoline museum made more sense to me than actually walking through the Forum --- it's harder to understand all the jumble on the ground.

Highly recommend the Montemartini museum and Ostia Antica and the Etruscan museum.

@Dave, You're absolutely right, I had completely forgotten about Aqueduct Park (Parco degli Acquedotti). I've seen it driving in from a working class suburb but not stopped to walk around. I think a bike tour there might be nice, but probably not in late December. Just in case you decide to pedal instead of taking a walking tour, this looked great. https://www.topbikerental.com/nuovosito/eng/rome-bike-tours

@NancyS8, Oh thank you for that thread, it's incredible & I had not seen it, YIKES we would need a month to see everything recommended there! You helped us prioritize the Etruscan Museum in Palazzo Giulia & Centrale Monte Martini.

Balcony of the Capitoline museum made more sense to me than actually walking through the Forum

Thank you for confirming what I had suspected! We will take a tour to Ostia Antica & save our feet by 'just' visiting the Capitoline museum & then going to look into the Forum from there. Is this the balcony you meant? "The roof of The Capitoline museum, right by the Roman Forum and Piazza Venezia, houses the “Coffee Capitol” opened every day from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm. Walk up the stairs to Campidoglio, take an immediate right at the top, walk under the arch and to your left you will see the entrance."

Ha! Here's Rick Steves looking at the view of the Roman Forum from the balcony in the Tabularium in the Capitoline museum: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1205417443391971

My mom and I did the Forum on our own using the Rick Steves app (free audiotour). It was terrific and took about an hour. She's 80 and could not walk a lot; I was a history teacher, yet it was still sufficient. Enjoy your trip.

The new museum at Largo di Torre Argentina looks great, so that might make sense based on your preferences. I know, I'll be visiting it in two weeks when I'm staying at Hotel Smeraldo (my third stay there).

I agree with previous comments that staying in Sorrento is sufficient and a day does not need to be dedicated to this charming home base to explore it.

Thanks all! OK, will try to make it to the forum as well, a few hours....

@Toddw, Since you've stayed at Hotel Smeraldo a few times, any suggested places to eat nearby? We mostly used RomeWise on our last trip to find small trattorias, but also asked at front desk & literally stumbled into an amazing pizzeria while wandering. https://www.romewise.com/places-to-eat-in-rome.html. And thanks for heads up about the new Teatro Argentina museum, wonder if it's going to smell dreadfully of cats?! HA

@Nancys8, I had a look through the earlier thread & noticed this idea from you about seeing the swallows in winter - The swarming of the starlings in the evening as seen through the open ceilings of the Baths of Diocletian —- seriously, don’t miss that. I've found a few Youtube videos of the Roman Starling swarms, AMAZING! And we haven't been to that museum either...

Re Tivoli - Trenitalia offers a combined rail/bus ticket from Tiburtina to either of the two sites there.

If taking a train directly to Tivoli, Villa d'Este is closer to the train station but still a walk [there is a bridge that serves as a shortcut across the river]. Villa Adriana is a trek from the town center - there is a local bus.

So additional research is warranted if you plan to use public transportation, especially if your walking is limited.

Hey @markcw, thank you! This would be high on our list for a day-trip from Rome. At your suggestion I've looked closer at transport. Thinking we could take a take a taxi across Rome to Roma Tiburtina in the early morning to catch the train.

Sorry, I have one more question - Where to eat lunch in Tivoli?!

Just found these directions on the Forum - Getting to Tivoli by train - Trains depart approximately every hour (make sure you also look for trains headed to Avezzano: they’ll stop at Tivoli, too!) from the train hub at Roma Tiburtina, one short subway ride away from Roma Termini. Roma Termini itself offers a service to Tivoli, however this is limited to the early mornings, to accommodate a large number of commuters. Therefore, it is not recommended!
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187792-i3833-k7024513-A_report_of_our_day_trip_to_Tivoli_from_Rome_by_train-Tivoli_Province_of_Rome_Lazio.html