Easy day trip from Rome (your Metro ticket, yup, 1.5 Euros pays for the transportation). Little or now crowds. No, it’s not Pompeii, but it’s a wonderful experience with no crowds, much less expensive, and really interesting. Looking for a day trip from Rome? Definitely consider this.

We were picking up a rental car at the airport in Rome and decided to check out the park. We’re glad we did! It’s a gem of a park; fairly large. It rivals the Roman forum and Pompeii. It’s close to Rome; very close to the airport. I would allow at least 2 hours to walk around. You can smell the wild herbs: rosemary; oregano or thyme & mint…

This park is really worth visiting. It is very close to the airport so if you have some time at the end of your trip it is easy to get to--we took a cab from our airport hotel. The park is huge. It is not as heavily visited as the monments in Rome so you really get close to some very impressive structures.

We took a cab from our hotel to the Piramide commuter train station. Buy two 1.50 Euro tickets/person from wherever (Tobacco shop etc.) beforehand. Upon entering the train station from the street level, one needs to put the ticket in the machine which validates it and opens the door for you to get into the platform area. The train service is quite frequent and Ostia Antica is the seventh stop. After exiting the train station, walk a little, cross the highway via the bridge and keep walking straight. At the T, turn right and you will see the entrance sign posted on the left side of the road. At the end of a 15 minute walk from the train station, buy the tickets and the audio guide and you are on your way. Since there are no rest rooms on the inside, it is a good idea to use the facilities by the ticket window before starting your tour. On the day we were there, we were told to bring the audio guides back by 3PM office closing time to get our driver's license back; the museum in the park was closed for renovations. The site is a sprawling park with an impressive colosseum but most of the worthwhile statues in good condition have already been removed and sold to the museums or private collectors. So it is just a bunch of old decaying structures with some history if that interests you. For return, again validate your tickets at the station machine and wait for the train. Our return train was full of high school students heading home as if every small town in the area does not have a high school. After having been to Pompeii, this site did not interest/impress me that much.

I’ll start by saying the reviews that say ‘there isn’t much to see’ can actually not see? We spent three hours here and could easily have spent a lot more. Just walking end to end takes hours. Never mind stopping to go into each section. It really is a city. Take time to read the info boards and appreciate what each zone is. There are some amazing sites off the main road too if you have time. As an aside the cafe food as lovely and really cheap given its location. It’s surreal walking through the area wondering what it was like

Just as good as Pompeii and WAY less crowded. The audio guide is good but the map is a bit tough to navigate, especially is the less travelled back part. I’d get a guide, especially if this is your first city ruin. tip: pay for the shuttle to go to the back/end and just walk one way down. Also, the synagogue at the very back is worth a visit and has a cool art installation.

Ostia is an absolute gem. Think of Pompei but vastly less crowded. Much of the time, you’ll see almost no one and you’ll enjoy wandering through a maze of 2000 year old streets. It’s an easy thirty minute train ride from Rome costing just a regular transit ticket. Archeology and history aficionados will need to bring lunch and spend the entire day.

I visited Pompeii last year and didn’t expect Ostia Antica to be at all comparable but the site is enormous with so many things to see. I recommend coming early in the day or you will be too rushed. Also, get at least the “short” audio guide. I don’t think most people will have the stamina to handle the long guide and full tour, No, it’s not as good as Pompeii but it’s still worth a visit if you’re interested in Ancient Rome.

Out of the crowds of central Rome and visit ancient Rome. Budget lots of time and pay for the golf cart to take you to the edge so that you can walk back. You get to roam amongst the ruins and it was so much fun without the crowds of Rome. Bring a hat, some water too and good walking shoes.

If you really want to see ancient Roman ruins, skip the overcrowded colosseum and come to Ostia Antica instead! It’s just a quick 30 minute train ride from Rome. The train stop is very close to the park, so getting here is so easy. We paid for the tram to drive us to the very back of the park, and then, we walked through the park back to the front. Things to see - incredibly preserved homes, businesses, temples, and an amphitheater. It’s so well preserved that some of the walls still have the original frescos painted on them! We walked on real ancient Roman tile floors. We touched real ancient Roman walls. It was something we will never forget. Don’t miss the business quarter where you can see where ancient Ostians went to market. There is a cafe onsite with decent drinks, coffee, and food. The staff at the park were so friendly and helpful. They really worked hard to make sure we had a good experience. When you are done at the park, the historic center of Ostia is a short 5 minute walk, and it features nice restaurants and charming ambience. We had a great day at Ostia Antica archaeological park!