I would like to thank everyone for their suggestions in my previous posts. I knew the itinerary was really wishful thinking, but a guy can dream, can't he? haha. Taking many of your suggestions, I think I will drop the Florence trip. You all are absolutely right - too much. I will certainly revise my itinerary and represent it later down the line. While I am thinking about it, if I am in Rome for 3 1/2 days, is it reasonable to still take the Ostia trip? I was essentially a Classics major in undergrad and I have always wanted to see it. That's my biggest problem with Rome - I've read all about it, now I just want to see it! Is Ostia worth the time sink, or would it be best to spend all 3 1/2 days in Rome? Rick's guidebooks are a great source of information - I just have to recognize that I can't do it all.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
You don't the axe to Ostia; you take the train. :-) Tanner, you don't have to decide right now. Keep Ostia Antica as an option, depending on how you're feeling while in Rome. If you decide you need a break from the big (amazing) city, then you can hop on the train and go to Ostia. Go to Roninrome.com for excellent details on how to do that easy daytrip. He has very helpful photos.
Posted by
San Jose, CA
1994 posts
If you've always wanted to see Ostia, definitely do it. Don't leave it for a future trip. One comment: I did Ostia on my own, which is how I typically visit that type of site. However, I would really have benefited from a guided tour. The ticket booth had no printed guides or maps when I went (not uncommon in Italy), and somewhere I took a wrong turn following the RS guidebook. Once I did that, I never figured out exactly where I was. I still enjoyed the site, but... If I go back to Ostia, I will use Context Rome for guide services. They form groups of 6 or fewer, and use academically well qualified guides. I've used them in multiple cities and always been impressed.