ITALY - Best of Europe 2014 - page 999

Getting There: Bus #660 drops you off at the Tomb of Cecilia Metella. In Rome, take
Metro line A to the Colli Albani stop, where you catch bus #660 (2/hour, along Via Appia
Nuova) and ride 10 minutes to the last stop—Cecilia Metella/Via Appia Antica (at the inter-
section of Via Cecilia Metella and Via Appia Antica). As it can be frustrating to buy a bus
ticket on the Appian Way, have one in hand for your return trip.
A taxi will get you from Rome to the Tomb of Cecilia Metella for about €20. However,
to return by taxi, you'll have to phone for one; there are no taxi stands on the Appian Way
(or just take handy bus #118 back to Rome).
Ifyouwanttovisitjustafewsights,consider bus#118. InRome,catch#118fromeither
the Piramide or Circo Massimo Metro stops; going away from the city center, it stops at
the San Sebastiano Gate, Domine Quo Vadis Church, Catacombs of San Callisto, and Cata-
combs of San Sebastiano. Although bus #118 does not stop at the Tomb of Cecilia Metella,
thetombisonly500yardsawayfromtheSanSebastianobusstop.GoingbacktoRome,bus
#118 takes a somewhat different route (skipping the Catacombs of San Sebastiano); catch
this northbound bus just up the road at the Catacombs of San Callisto.
Bus #218 goes from San Giovanni in Laterano to Domine Quo Vadis Church and the
west entrance of the Catacombs of San Callisto, but isn't that useful for other Appian Way
sights.
The handy, but much more expensive, Archeobus runs from Termini train station to the
major Appian Way sights (see here ) . It stops at all the key attractions—you can hop off, tour
the sights, and pick up a later bus (officially runs twice hourly, but service can be spotty).
Getting Back: No matter how you arrive at the Appian Way, bus #118 is an easy, cheap
way to return to Rome (get off at the end of the line, the Piramide Metro stop).
Information: The ViaAppiaAnticaTI nearDomineQuoVadisChurchgivesoutmaps
and information on the entire park, which stretches east and south of the visit outlined here
(daily April-Oct 9:30-17:30, Nov-March 9:30-16:30, rents bikes, Via Appia Antica 58/60,
tel. [phone], www.parcoappiaantica ) .
Capo di Bove has a small info center with a good €4 map/guide, active excavations,
and a relaxing garden (Mon-Sat 10:00-16:00, Sun 10:00-18:00, great place for discreet pic-
nic, clean WCs, Via Appia Antica 222, tel. [phone]); it's 100 yards uphill from Appia
Antica Caffè, which also has maps and rents bikes (mobile [phone]).
Services: Free WCs are at the San Sebastiano and San Callisto catacombs and at Capo
di Bove, and WCs for paying customers are at the Tomb of Cecilia Metella and the Appia
Antica Caffè. There are several water fountains along the way to refill water bottles.