Rome Travel Forum

If we stay in Manciano (Grossetto), can we drive to Ostia Antica (2 hrs), park, take the train/metro to Roma centro, then return at night and drive home?

How late is the parking lot open?

Is there another "commuter rail" connection that would be better?
How about the train from Albinia?

Thanks for any help I can get!

Nancy

You know, I don't know how long the parking lot is open at Ostia Antica, but let me talk to you about the train.

As you suspect, not many trains stop at Albinia. Frankly, I would think that this would make it real easy to park there, but I haven't been there so I can be sure.

From Albinia, the only direct trains to Rome are the regional trains, as you would expect, and these take 2 hours...plus the 30 minutes to drive to Albinia from Manciano. There's a regional at 07:48 that arrives at Termini at 09:50, Note that it arrives at Roma San Pietro (about 400 meters south of the Vatican) at 09:24...yes, it takes nearly 30 minutes to get across town ;-)...if you want to go to the Vatican, you might as well get off here...

The fare is 8.65 euro 2nd class one way.

However, if time is more important than money, then you can drive a little farther down to Orbetello and pick up an ICPlus that leaves at 08:42 and gets into Roma Termini at 10:14 - just an hour and a half. The fare here is 13.00 euro 2nd class one way.

Orbetello Scalo (where the station is) is just 7 kilometers beyond Albinia in the direction of Rome.

Likewise, there's an ICPlus that leaves Roma Termini at 19:46 and arrives at Orbetello at 21:09...in addition, there are regional trains that take 2 hours, but which leave Rome about every hour in the evening...

Anyway, just blabbing, but I don't see why you would want to drive all the way down to Ostia Antica just to take public transit. The website www.viamichelin.com estimates that for a compact car to go from Manciano to Ostia Antica at 1.30 euro/liter (is that even the current price anymore?) would cost 3.60 euro in tolls and 19.28 euro in petrol...even the ICPlus train is cheaper than that (well, for one person...obviously, for two, the car is still cheaper...a little)...

Oh, if you want to take the ICPlus, note that reservations are required, which they will sell to you at the last minute if available. This means that there is a slight chance of not being able to get on that train but having to wait for the next regional train (no reserved seats so you can get on even if you stand)...

Bill

Bill's anwer is perfect as always... I just can update the petrol price... around 1.55 euro per liter!

Mamma mia! That's nearly $9USD per gallon!!! (if I counted on my fingers correctly)

Ciao', Francesco!

Bill