So what do you recommend for a day-trip out of Rome?! We will have been to Florence and Siena. With a 3-year old in tow, I am thinking Tivoli may be more interesting to him than Ostia Antica?! Or would you recommend some other hilltown closeby instead (which?!)?
Thanks!
I guess it would depend on your interests and the time of year. In early June, if everything is coming into bloom I'm heading to Tivoli and Villa D'Este - it's beautiful, fragrant, and the air is "cooler" from all the fountains!
If it's more an off-season, or you enjoy climbing through ancient ruins, then you must see Ostia Antica. I think the ruins there are better preserved (and closer!) than Pompeii!
Claire has some great recommendations, especially the beaches... which are quite different than US beaches! There are just too many choices close to Rome!
Ciao,
Ron
Our family really enjoyed Ostia Antica. We didn't spend time at Tivoli, so can't give you a comparison.
Ostia is nice because it is near the sea, which any three year old likes, though I see you are from California, so perhaps it's no big deal to you. It is beautiful, with all those cypress trees
Tivoli is neat too, I would decide what interests you and your partner more, the life of Hadrian, or the rise and fall of a seaside port town. I think it is a bit easier to navigate Tivoli with a stroller, if that is something you need to take into consideration. Villa D'Este is also neat, it's right in the town of Tivoli with a fantastic garden full of fountains.
Other possible day trip ideas (and all accessible by bus) are Palestrina (set on this hill) Lake Bracciano (the lake is also great for swimming or boating), or Cerveteri which has an archeological site with Etruscan tombs that you can go into. Very interesting.
A bit further, but with lovely beaches is Sabaudia or Sperlonga.
