Italy for me From Italy with love
In Rome, you have a fantastic opportunity to combine a beach holiday with cultural experiences. Today, we’ll learn how to get to the sea from Rome.
Ostia
The nearest seaside town to Rome is Ostia. While Romans themselves might drive to other beaches, if you’re not too fussy, Ostia is a perfect place to enjoy the warm Tyrrhenian Sea.
Your destinations:
- Lido Centro – right on the square to the right, look for the Carrefour supermarket, where you can stock up on wine and prosciutto. Then, walk towards Piazza dei Ravennati – the central pier of Ostia, surrounded by many beaches. This option is recommended for travelers on a budget.
- Christoforo Colombo – this is where my favorite beach, Shilling (La Rotonda), is located. It’s a paid beach (12-14 euros/lounge chair rental per day). There’s also a restaurant and snack bar on-site, so we come here once or twice a week for the whole day in the summer. It’s less crowded on weekdays. Nearby are several beaches in the 8-10 euro range, so those looking to save money can try them. A day at Shilling for two will cost about 50-100 euros, with entrance fees of 24-28 euros, a snack (cocktail, panini sandwich, or salad) at the bar for around 20 euros, and dinner at the restaurant for about 40-50 euros.
So, buy a metro ticket in Rome for 1.5 euros, valid for 100 minutes – enough time to get there. Travel to the Piramide metro station, then follow the signs to Porta S. Paolo station and transfer to the FC2 train towards Christoforo Colombo, which runs approximately every 15 minutes.
Outside, the station looks like this:
- Across from the station, take note of the Pyramid of Caius Cestius (Piramide di Caio Cestio)
The journey time to Lido Centro is 30 minutes, and to Christoforo Colombo is 37 minutes. So, with all the transfers, you’ll reach the sea in about 1-1.5-2 hours. Directly from the hotel, you can reach it faster, in about 30 minutes for 50 euros, by booking a transfer in Rome with the most reliable Italian in the world, Sergio, at ru.rome4.us. Taxis from Rome to Ostia will cost about 70-80 euros.
- FC2 line schedule
- Hotel Sirenetta – a hotel right on the seashore in the center of Ostia, where I stayed a few years ago.
- Hotel Ping Pong – a neighboring hotel, essentially one of the two strategically well-located ones. So you can confidently consider living by the sea from April to October and going to Rome for day trips.
I’ve specifically marked all the key points on the map for you. Enjoy your suntan and the warm sea.
If you’re going to the sea from Rome, I recommend also taking an interesting tour of Ancient Ostia. You can read more about the archaeological complex of Ostia Antica in this article.