Avoid Crowds and Prices on a Rome Trip and Make This Nearby Town Your Overnight Base

The historic town of Tivoli is a popular — and easy — daytrip from Rome. But the convenient transport between the two makes it an especially attractive base for families who prefer to stay outside the confusion of a popular tourist city like Rome.

Staying in a large city can be exciting, with ready access to attractions, but many families have discovered the advantages of staying in a smaller nearby town and traveling into the city on daytrips. This works especially well if the outlying town has attractions and experiences of its own. And kids will also love the fun of riding the train.

Only 30 miles from Rome, in a scenic spot above a ravine, the town of Tivoli was a favorite resort of nobility in the Roman Empire, including Emperor Augustus. The same reasons Roman nobility chose Tivoli make it an especially attractive alternative to Rome in the summer: Its location in the Sabine hills keeps it far cooler than the city.

Travel to and from the city is easy by train from Rome’s Tiburtina station. From the Tivoli train station, a shuttle bus will take you to Villa d’Este and the center of town. Tivoli’s main highlights and the reasons it is a must-do daytrip for tourists in Rom are Hadrian’s Villa and Villa d’Este’s gardens.

A UNESCO World Heritage site, the villa built by Emperor Hadrian is an open-air museum of the remains of his imperial palace, where you’ll find mosaics; baths; fountains; colonnades; statues; and the Maritime Theater, a pool with an island where Hadrian escaped the pressures of government.

Kids of all ages will be enchanted by the gardens of Villa d’Este Palace. Note “gardens” is plural, for this is a whole series of gardens, each with elaborate fountains, waterplay, pools, cascades, grottos and terraces with views of the surrounding landscapes. There’s something here for everyone, from devoted garden lovers to kids tired of sightseeing. The palace itself is worth seeing for its lavish interior and décor, but apart from its elaborately painted ceilings, may not be as appealing to children.

Other interesting sights in Tivoli are ruins of Roman aqueducts, a medieval castle and waterfalls that can be viewed from a walk along the river on Via delle Cascatelle. Tivoli has a good choice of hotels with rooms and suites for families, including moderately priced Hotel Tivoli and Victoria Terme Hotel, near Bagni di Tivoli train station and boasting a pool.