Traverste and Ostia

We are staying two nights in Rome. Have been there once before so this time would like to see something a little out of the main area. Love history and ruins so thinking of Traverste and Ostia but know nothing about getting there. Anyone going on a tour of these places? We are not real confident travelers to take off on our own on a train:)so hoping to find some information.

Getting to Ostia is very easy on your own. Not knowing where you are staying in Rome makes the advice a little vague but here goes. The train to Ostia starts from Porta San Paolo station this is next door to Pyramide metro station - so getting to Pyramide is the first bit.

Trains from Porta San Paolo are on the Roma-Lido line and are very frequent (every 15 -20 mins or so)- you can't get on the wrong train! Ostia Antica is seven stops along this line, immediately after Acilia.

When you exit the station walk straight ahead for approx 10 mins to the entrance to ancient site (it's signed).

Probably best to buy a BIRG ticket (€12 for 5 zone ticket). This is an all day pass good for both the train and metro in Rome.

Give it a go - traveling on public transport is half the fun. It will do your confidence a power of good and there's no risk of missing the ship.:)

If you are staying in Rome you don't want the BIRG ticket, that's a regional one good for a port day when you are traveling back and forth Civitavecchia-Rome.

Trastevere is walking distance from central historic Rome -- it's literally just "across the Tiber" ("trans-Tevere"). If you are on the far end of historic area, a bus or taxi will get you there inexpensively. Best thing to do is just wander around with a guidebook. I'm not at home to check but I'd venture that Rick Steves' Rome guidebook has a walking tour of Trastevere.

Here is a good online guide with directions on how to get to Ostia Antica and a brief guide to the site (which is HUGE):

http://www.ostia-antica.org/touristguide.pdf

To really see the site, plan on it taking most of a day.

If that seems like too much and you've only been to Rome once, I'm sure there are still a lot of gems in the city that you haven't seen yet -- feel free to ask for additional recommendations.

I think the most frustrating and scary part of Rome is the language. Not many speak English and seem to be annoyed with Americans that don't speak Italian. That makes getting on trains and following signs hard for us seniors. We do not know where we are staying as of yet so figuring out the train or bus line isn't possible. I guess we could take a taxi to the train station and go from there. If it runs every 15 minutes it would kind of be like the hop on hop off bus which we have done with no problems. Definitely appreciate everyone's help and yes there are probably many sites here we haven't seen.

I think the most frustrating and scary part of Rome is the language. Not many speak English and seem to be annoyed with Americans that don't speak Italian. That makes getting on trains and following signs hard for us seniors.

Take a breath and relax. I've been to Rome about a dozen times (mostly traveling as a woman alone), and for probably the first eight or nine of those visits I spoke very little Italian.

I find most Romans to be very friendly and willing to try to help you if you are polite and perhaps learn just a few basic words -- greetings and such. Occasionally you may run into a grouch, but that's true of anywhere. In the areas visited by so many tourists, it's pretty rare to find a shop owner, taxi driver, or waiter who doesn't speak some English (and a good number are pretty fluent).

The second thing I'd tell you is that -- especially since you are staying in Rome and not on a tight schedule to return to your ship -- there's really no harm in trying a few things on your own. If you make a few small mistakes, it's not a big deal. Many of us have gotten on a bus or metro going the wrong direction, or walked in a few circles trying to find a restaurant location....

I'd go so far as to say that about half of what I know about travel has come from mistakes. Getting on the wrong bus, or missing the stop, I even got on a train once to Naples when I was trying to go to Florence. I've survived it all and had fun in the process, I really think that enjoyment is about 90% attitude.

As for the language, as Cruisemom points out, pretty much everyone in the tourism industry speaks at least some English, most that I've come across are fairly fluent. This does not apply to bus drivers or train conductors, however, so it pays to do your homework in advance.

Imagine what it must be like for visitors to the United States. Most of us speak only one language and have zero ability to understand others, sometimes even when they are trying to speak English. (Among all of the "likes" and "you knows" I sometimes have trouble understand native speakers under the age of 30 :rolleyes:.)

In the world there are more speakers of Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, and Spanish than English, but can you imagine if someone speaking only one of these languages tried to use mass transit in New York City and had a question? Their only hope would be a fellow passenger who speaks their language, the employees of the MTA certainly will not.

I think the most frustrating and scary part of Rome is the language.

Why don't you learn a little Italian so you can read signs, menus, etc? There is a wonderful free app called Duolingo. You can use it on your computer or phone. For complete beginners, I recommend the computer because it lets you "mouse" over each word to see the translation. It is fun. Give it a try. You will be surprised how much sticks to you.

duolingo.com

I am on the Eurodam in May and prefer to do my own thing rather than a large group. How easy is it to travel from Cittaveccia to Ostia Anitca, do I have to go into the centre of Rome and then out again on the metro or is there an easier way? Thanks in advance Alan S

I am on the Eurodam in May and prefer to do my own thing rather than a large group. How easy is it to travel from Cittaveccia to Ostia Anitca, do I have to go into the centre of Rome and then out again on the metro or is there an easier way? Thanks in advance Alan S

Good recent info on this same topic here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2299014&highlight=ostia+antica

You do have to go into Rome and then back to Ostia, making it a bit of a long slog on a port day. Much easier to DIY when staying in Rome.

However, if you are dedicated to the idea, you can do it and still have a few hours in Ostia.