Ostia Antica

Ostia Antica is the best day trip from Rome for anyone who has fallen for the ancient city, and it is astonishing how few visitors make it. For centuries Ostia was Rome's harbour town at the mouth of the Tiber, a busy commercial city of merchants, sailors, warehouse workers and their families, through which grain, oil and goods from across the Mediterranean flowed to the capital. When the river silted up and the coastline moved, the town declined and was gradually buried, and excavations have since revealed a city on a scale that rivals Pompeii, with a very different character. Here you walk not among villas of the wealthy but through the everyday fabric of a working Roman town. The main street, the Decumanus Maximus, runs for a long way between warehouses, shops and public buildings; side streets lead into apartment blocks, the insulae, several storeys high in their day, along with bakeries, laundries, taverns with their counters still in place and public latrines with rows of stone seats. The theatre is still used for summer performances, and behind it, the Square of the Corporations is lined with mosaic floors that once advertised the shipping firms of distant ports, with ships, dolphins and lighthouses. The Baths of Neptune have a vast black-and-white mosaic of the sea god, and the forum is overlooked by the brick bulk of the Capitolium temple. The site also includes the remains of one of the oldest synagogues known in Europe and a small museum of sculptures found during the excavations. Because the site is large and spread among umbrella pines, it never feels as crowded as the Forum, and you can easily find a quiet street to yourself.

Getting there is simple. The Roma-Lido commuter train leaves from Porta San Paolo station, next to Piramide Metro, and reaches Ostia Antica station in around half an hour; from there it is a short walk across a footbridge to the entrance. A standard Rome public transport ticket has generally covered the trip, but check before you travel. If you prefer company, the Tiqets venue page also offers a semi-private half-day tour from Rome and an entry ticket with audio guide, alongside the standard entry ticket.

Plan your day: according to current listings, the park is open from Tuesday to Sunday and closed on Mondays, with shorter hours in winter, so arrive in the morning to make the most of daylight. Allow at least three hours; history buffs could happily spend most of a day. Wear sturdy shoes for uneven ancient paving, bring water, sun protection and a snack, and download a map, because the site is large and signs are sparse. There is a cafe on site. A good route follows the Decumanus to the theatre and the Square of the Corporations, then the forum and Capitolium, before wandering into side streets to find the thermopolium, the latrines and the insulae, and finishing with the museum.

Why it is worth it: Ostia gives a picture of everyday Roman life that the grand monuments of the capital cannot. Children love climbing the theatre steps, finding the latrines and exploring streets where they can imagine shopkeepers and sailors, and the open space is a relief after the crowds of the centre. Couples find the shady pines and quiet lanes romantic, especially in spring and autumn. Pair the trip with a seafood lunch at the modern seaside town of Ostia, a short train ride further on, or come back into the city for an evening in Testaccio or Trastevere.