Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Need to Know
»
Location
20km southeast of Rome
»
Tourist Office
(
06 9401 5378; Piazza Marconi, Frascati;
8am-8pm Mon-Fri 10am-8pm Sat & Sun)
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
ROME'S BEST SEASIDE ESCAPES
Before you pack your bucket and spade, be warned that most beach stretches near Rome are occupied by
stabili-
menti
(private beach clubs), so you'll need to pay a fee and rent an umbrella and bed for the day (usually around
€10-15 per person), or otherwise be limited to the tiny scraps of remaining public beach.
The easiest stretch of seaside to reach from Rome is
Ostia Lido
, around 30km southwest, accessible via a
half-hourly train from Stazione Porta San Paolo. It has a good atmosphere in summer, as it's thronged with
people. It is a fun place to sit in the sun and eat ice cream, but few people would dream of swimming here - the
water's too darn dirty. Film buffs should note that controversial director Pasolini was killed on this beach, run
over by his own car.
More chic, and with no morbid history, is the Fellini-favoured
Fregene
, around 39km west of Rome, backed
by tall pine forest. However, it also gets crowded and the water quality is only marginally better. Regular Cotral
buses (€2.80, one hour) run here from Cornelia metro stop.
A longer trip away, around 60km northwest, are the appealing (rammed in summer, but great off season)
Santa
Severa
(train from Termini, Ostiense, or Trastevere, from €3.60, 45 to 60 minutes), overlooked by a castle, and
lovely
Santa Marinella
(train from Termini or San Pietro, €4.60, one hour).
And finally, for the best sand-and-sea that's still a worthwhile day trip, try
Sperlonga
, 116km south of Rome
(€6.90, 70 minutes to two hours by train from Termini, at least hourly), which has a beautiful crescent of white-
sand beach backed by tangled dark greenery and a pretty town. The train takes you to Fondi, from where it's a
short bus trip.
Alternatively, you could head out of Rome for a swim in one of Lazio's lakes: Lago Albano or Lago Bracciano
(
Click here
).
