A vote from me for taking the Metro to Ponte Mammolo and going down the stairs at the terminal station/ shopping centre to catch the local Cotral bus to Tivoli. You get off the bus very close to the entrance for Villa D’Este
We we spent about 3 hours exploring Villa D’Este which is magnificent but the gardens do involve ascending and descending sets of sometimes slippery steps between the various levels. But well worth it!
After an excellent lunch we we took a local taxi to Villa Adriano but we were very rushed as we were afraid of missing the return bus which we wanted to catch back to Mammolo, so we didn’t do it justice. Husband says that means we have to make a return visit to Tivoli and start at Adriano next time!
The local buses take a pleasant scenic route and are an experience in themselves, and everyone we met was really helpful in directing us to the appropriate bus stops.