Day Tour Italy surrounds

[katkell]

I am after advice on day tours that are easily do-able as follows:

 

9 am Depart Ship at Civitavecchia. Want to explore Rome surrounds, but need to be at FCO by 5pm at the latest. Have emailed a few tour companies for their suggestions, but have noticed that they are not taking into consideration the fact that when we disembark it is a Monday. Quite a few tourist destinations are closed on Mondays but that hasn't stopped them including these places on our itinerary.

 

Another thing that they don't seem to take into account is that when we disembark it is December 20, so I am a bit worried about the weather. We have no problem touring in cold weather, but I don't know what the tourist venues are like in winter. We obviously don't want to be travelling all day but really have no idea what places will be worthwhile.

 

I am open to all suggestions and also if anyone has done the same thing around the same time as to what we might encounter weather wise.

 

Thanks

[cruisemom42]

I am after advice on day tours that are easily do-able as follows:

 

9 am Depart Ship at Civitavecchia. Want to explore Rome surrounds, but need to be at FCO by 5pm at the latest. Have emailed a few tour companies for their suggestions, but have noticed that they are not taking into consideration the fact that when we disembark it is a Monday. Quite a few tourist destinations are closed on Mondays but that hasn't stopped them including these places on our itinerary.

 

Another thing that they don't seem to take into account is that when we disembark it is December 20, so I am a bit worried about the weather. We have no problem touring in cold weather, but I don't know what the tourist venues are like in winter. We obviously don't want to be travelling all day but really have no idea what places will be worthwhile.

 

I am open to all suggestions and also if anyone has done the same thing around the same time as to what we might encounter weather wise.

 

Thanks

 

What places that you are considering are closed on Monday? The Vatican museum is open, the Colosseum/Forum is open, the Pantheon is always open....? Most of the museums that are closed are not normally those visited by first-time Rome visitors (e.g., Capitoline museum, National museum, etc)

[katkell]

Sorry, I should have been more specific. We have done the Rome major tourist thing. I am more interested in anywhere north, northeast/northwest of Rome. I have emailed a few tour companies, and they have sent links to Tivoli, Cervetari, Bracciano. Tivoli is closed on a Monday, and the castle at Bracciano is also closed.

 

Just wondering if there is anywhere else for us to go and and have a look.

 

Thanks

[cruisemom42]

Thanks for clarifying -- that puts a different light on things!

 

Ostia Antica would be perfect, as its very close to FCO, but it's closed on Mondays also.

 

I am not at all sure about timing, but have you considered Orvieto or Civita di Bagnoregio? You might have time to do one or the other if you truly don't have to be at the airport until 5pm.

 

http://www.highonadventure.com/Hoa97jul/Orvieto/orvietdt.htm

[katkell]

Thanks Cynthia, I will check into that. Don't know if I should be worried about snow, we don't get snow where we live. We have picked a really difficult time to visit Italy as the only full free day we have is a Public Holiday on the 8th December.

 

I was really hoping for something that didn't include ruins, might be a bit all ruined out by the time we get off the ship, (lol). Being winter I suppose there isn't a lot to be seeing as well as being a Monday. Even the tour company is having trouble coming up with something. Might just have to do winery tours and be really mellow by the time we get to the Airport.

[euro cruiser]

Well, here's something different. How about the village of Calcata? It's about an hour and a half from Civitavecchia, and from there to the airport would be a little over an hour.

 

Calcata is an artists' community, with lots of studios and shops you can visit. You can read more about it here: http://www.calcata.info/enindex.html

[cruisemom42]

Well, here's something different. How about the village of Calcata? It's about an hour and a half from Civitavecchia, and from there to the airport would be a little over an hour.

 

Calcata is an artists' community, with lots of studios and shops you can visit. You can read more about it here: http://www.calcata.info/enindex.html

 

Thanks for putting this on my radar -- it looks lovely. Have you visited there?

[euro cruiser]

No, it's been on my "must get to" list for a couple of years. Too much Italy, too little time.

[katkell]

Calcata looks fantastic, I am fast getting a list of places to give to my tour company for consideration. I can only hope that there are eating places that are going to be open when we are there, I know that sounds silly, but disembarking off the ship about 9, we will be starving by lunch time, and there is nothing worse than not being able to find a decent place to partake of good food and excellent wine.

 

Thanks for the suggestion

[euro cruiser]

there is nothing worse than not being able to find a decent place to partake of good food and excellent wine.

Fortunately, this is not a problem that I've ever experienced in Italy, it's usually the opposite problem - too many good choices.