6 Family Day Trips From Rome

By Richard Greenbury
03 Feb 2021

Craving to have a trip but cannot leave the kids behind? Don’t worry, there are plenty of day trips from Rome for families with children! Check out this list to find out peaceful and easy-to-reach areas that your kids will love as well!

Lake Bracciano

Just 40 kilometers northwest of Rome, lies the second-largest (32km perimeter) lake in the region. Lake Bracciano. Not only does this gorgeous volcanic lake serve as a drinking reservoir, it is also a big playground for the inhabitants of the 3 local villages residing on its shores.

• Bracciano
• Anguillara Sabazia
• Trevignano Romano

Both Bracciano and Anguillara Sabazia are connected by train, however, you will need a car to get to Trevignano Romano.
All 3 of them have local operators supplying equipment and instruction for many watersports and on-the-land activities such as:

WATERSPORTS
• paddle boats with a slide,
• windsurfing,
• sailing and
• just plain splashing about and having a swim.

ON THE LAND
• quad biking
• mountain biking
• road biking around the lake (approximately 32km)
• hiking trails with gorgeous views of the lake
• camping
• wine tours

However, each town does have its own unique attractions.

BRACCIANO

Visit Castello Orsini-Odescalchi. The castle is in the middle of town yet overlooks the lake has many exhibits paintings, frescoes, and weapons from the 6th century. The entrance ticket to the Castle is only €7, tour included. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were married here in 2006.
Nearby is the Military Air Force Historical Museum (Vigna di Valle) that exhibits 2nd World War planes inside the hangars overlooking the lake.

ANGUILLARA SABAZIA

Street Markets. Nearly every weekend, even through the winter, weather permitting there are many stalls with hand-made arts and crafts, food and wine. What really makes this special it is located on the waterfront boulevard.
The Collegiata Church - This late-medieval church was only renovated once. Some of the frescoes date back to the 14th century. The church is the highest point in the old town and marks one of the most spectacular views of Lake Bracciano.

TREVIGNANO ROMANO

Restaurants directly on the waterfront
Street Markets. Nearly every weekend, even through the winter, weather permitting there are many stalls with hand-made arts and crafts, food and wine. What really makes this special it is located on the waterfront boulevard.
Walk. The lake front is entirely pedestrian and runs along the sides of the pier. The walk is well taken care of, there are many bars where you can sit down to have a coffee, to have an aperitif, or an ice-cream while admiring the beautiful panorama and stunning sunsets. At the end of the walk, on the right there is a well-equipped playground, with a fitness area overlooking the lake, a skating rink and a football pitch. Also inside the playground there is a bar. Inside the park it is also possible to bring bicycles.

HOW TO GET THERE

BY CAR

It takes around 50 minutes and roughly 40 km from the city center.

BY TRAIN

(only Bracciano and Anguillara Sabazia)

You can take the regional train from Valle Aurelia Train Station and that takes around 40 -50 minutes!

Lake Albano or Castel Gandolfo

On the 20 km southeast of Rome, Albano Lake is a small volcanic crater lake. It has been used for several sports and Olympic competitions such as canoeing. Apart from the lake, the Giardino Barberini, a very nice garden with a small minibus that provides a quick tour. If you go there during summer, you can swim in the lake at Le Palme beach. A recommendation that your kids would love is to take the boat tour called The Water Trail, organized to bring people closer to the natural and archeological scenes.

HOW TO GET THERE

BY CAR

It takes around 50 minutes and 37 km from the city center.

BY TRAIN

You can take the Trenitalia regional train from Termini Station that does the Ciampino-Marino-Castel Gandolfo-Albano Laziale route.

Ostia Antica

2000 years ago, this city was Rome’s seaport and a commercial center. Now it is an archeological site just like Colosseum and has a great history that your kids would love to hear! If you’re going there, our recommendation is to wear sports shoes and not to go in sunny and hot hours. Oasi di Porto near this area is much appreciated as the final destination where your kids could have a trip with the horse-drawn carriage that shows the real nature behind these ruins. Why we recommend it for the kids is that it is quite an open space and they can run around more freely (while obviously respecting the ruins) and after the tour, you can head to the nearby Ostia beach.

HOW TO GET THERE

BY CAR

It takes less than 37 minutes (26 km) from the center of Rome.

BY TRAIN

If you take the train from Magliana Station, it takes around 22 minutes.

Bomarzo

This tiny town is made of stone houses that reach up a hill and looks like it is out of a painting. Taking a trip to the village wouldn’t take so long but don’t miss the famous Monster Park (Parco dei Mostri) that your kids would love! Inside the park, there are grotesque larger-than-life-size sculptures in a Mannerist style. Most of these sculptures became part of the natural environment with green growing on them and look like an imaginary world of Salvador Dali!

HOW TO GET THERE

BY CAR

Around 90 km by car and takes 1 hour and 15 minutes.

BY TRAIN

Unfortunately, there are no direct trains to go to Bomarzo. It is possible to take a train from Roma Tiburtina and arrive at Attigliano-Bomarzo Station, from here it is required to take a taxi or use the public bus for Bomarzo.

Tivoli

You cannot say that you have lived in Rome if you haven’t seen its little sister Tivoli. With the great Renaissance architecture and nature blended in history, Tivoli is an inseparable piece from Rome. There are plenty of attractions: Villa Adriana and Villa d’Este are part of the UNESCO World Heritage site and Temples of Vesta and Tiburtine Sibyl are situated in this area. Teaching the history of these monuments to your children might capture their attention! After a long trip here, you can take the kids to Valle del Fiume Aniene which is a natural park, fun for children, and relaxing for parents!

Suggestion: If you would like to expand your trip to Tivoli, you might have time to see the thermal baths (Bagni di Tivoli) that have therapeutic power. After a long historical trip, it would be best to relax here!

HOW TO GET THERE

BY CAR

It takes 40 minutes and 33 kilometers from the center.

BY TRAIN

There are direct regional trains to Tivoli that leave from Tiburtina Station and take 1 hour 15 minutes.

Terme di Saturnia (Saturnia Thermal Bathes)

If you prefer more a relaxing day where your children can enjoy on their own, our recommendation is to have a visit to the pleasant thermal baths of Saturnia. The best time to go there is anytime except summer since it gets really crowded at that time. The usage of thermal baths is totally free, and the area is equipped with parking space and a small facility that sells drinks and snacks. We recommend you bring anti-slip shoes and your own towels.

HOW TO GET THERE

BY CAR

150 km for 2 hours straight from the coast and pass from Civitavecchia, that is probably the most feasible way.

BY TRAIN

The regional train that you can take from the Termini Station arrives at Albinia in 1 hour and 50 minutes. From Albinia it is necessary to take another bus to arrive at the thermal baths.

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Richard

Richard is the founder of Cribmed. He was born and grew up in New Zealand. In his twenties, he traveled and backpacked extensively before finally settling down in Rome, Italy in 2011.