Visit catacombs or Ostia Antica?

Hi Louise--

I went on the RS tour of Rome which included a visit to the catacombs (St. Priscilla I think?) and to Ostia Antica.

One thing to note: Ostia Antica isn't actually on the beach. The river dried up and moved away, leaving the old city landlocked. There is the beach town of Ostia Lido nearby, however.

Personally, I absolutely loved Ostia Antica far, far more than the catacombs. We got to wander all over Ostia, climb up the stairs of the buildings and sit in the ampitheater, etc. It really lets you get personal with the ruins, as well as enjoy the outdoors.

The catacombs are fascinating, especially if you are religious/Catholic, but it's dark and narrow down there and the floor is uneven. I kept wanting to put my hands out on the walls to steady myself, but that's where the graves are! If it rains, the catacombs would perhaps be a better choice, but I would say Ostia Antica all the way for me!

To get to Ostia Antica, you take the metro/train combination--all on one, 1-euro ticket. Rick explains how to get there on this link (though I think his pricing info for admission is wrong)

http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/italy/ostia.htm

As Rick says, it's about 45 minutes to Ostia and it will probably take you a few extra minutes since you will have to get to Termini to take the metro.

Ostia Antica is not on the beach, not even that close. I guess it was about two thousand years ago but not anymore.

Ostia Antica is absolutely worth seeing. I was thrilled by it. In ancient times it was the port for Rome. The modern city of Ostia has beaches, if anyone is interested.

I vote for Ostia Antica. You can ride the metro out there on the Lido line. It leaves from San Paolo Station, which adjoins Piramide Metro (Blue Line 4 stops from Termini). Once you get off at the Ostia Antica stop, you have to walk about a 3/4 mile ( I think) to the entrance but well worth the visit.

I suppose if you wanted to, you could get back on the train and head out to the city of Ostia. If you go to the last stop (C. Colombo) you are are the Med. Unfortunately, almost all the beaches out here are "private" so you have to pay your way in.

We go often, but we get on the 07 bus from the metro station and get off at the 5th stop and walk to the beach. There you will find one of the only PUBLIC (read: FREE) beaches in Ostia! and that's where we go!

Ostia Antica is incredible (so are the catacombs but there's much more to explore in Ostia Antica... and if you cannot get to Pompeii, it's the next best thing!

Ciao,
Ron

Absolutely loved Ostia and being by the water it's a little cooler. Go to www.ostia-antica.org. It took about an hour each way and we spent 3-4 hours. Get the map or bring Ricks mini map to get oriented but it's also fun to get lost among the ruins. We enjoyed it more than Pompeii.

We did both last summer (2008) and I would vote for Ostia hands down (or should that be hands up?). It was just about my favorite experience in our month in Europe. The catacombs were cool (literally and figuratively) but with Ostia you get as close to seeing how ancient Romans lived. Others are right, though, that it isn't by the sea (you can see the Tiber from a ridge behind the visitor restaurant, though). Take a picnic and a camera, and enjoy!

If you've visited the ruins in Pompei, skip Ostia Antica and visit the catacombs (San Calisto catacombs were great, but get there before noon)

Definately do Ostia -

I am assuming you arent seeing Pompeii or herculaneum this go around. I always tell people to see Ostia as it has so much history, a more interactive flavor in relation to the structures and its a well worth day trip.

The catacombs are interesting depending on which site you visit but if you must decide between Ostia or the catacombs - please see Ostia.

You can reach reach Ostia from Rome taking the metro to station Piramide. debark at Piramide and head up the escalator, you want to then turn left and go down the stairs to the Roma-Lido station. take the train to the Ostia Antica station. travel time is around 30 mins

Thank you SO MUCH everybody that responded! We were leaning towards Ostia and all the "extra" info we recieved just sealed it. You all provide so many little extra tidbits of info that even Rick himself can't - thank you again VERY much.

I think you've made the right choice. We loved Ostia. It's almost as big as Pompeii but with nowhere near the crowds. You could end up wandering for 10 or 15 minutes without seeing another soul. The RS self-guided tour is also pretty good. And the museum on site is worth checking out as well. They have some beautiful statues. Even the history of the excavation is interesting, having been promoted heavily by Mussolini to remind his fellow Italians of the glory that was ancient Rome. (And the cafeteria there has good food as well, in case you don't want to bring a picnic.)

One more recommendation. My daughter and I took the Metro to see Ostia last November, really enjoyed it, but we didn't take a guided tour of the city. I'd recommend that you find a guide (there are usually some by the entrance booth, or right inside after you get your ticket) They will add so much to your experience. We tried to read about the sights, and we really enjoyed walking around, but I feel like we missed some important history not having someone to guide us and explain the ruins/history.

We managed to "over hear" some of what the guides were saying to small groups, and it was obvious that one couple had a hired (student) guide for the day and were coming from sightseeing in Rome.

Our trip out was from the Colosseo Metro stop and took about 45 min to get there.

At the last stop there is a short walk, but it wasn't that far, you just walk along a street to the entrance.

Ostia Antica is convenient to get to from Rome.....we were there last month and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly.It's pretty well preserved and gives great insight into life in the Roman period. It's charming....have a wonderful trip!