You can get to the sea beaches from the Italian capital without a car. I will tell you about the 10 best seaside resorts of the Tyrrhenian Sea and how to reach them by public transport from the center of Rome.
The beaches run north to south, from the beaches of Santa Marinella and Santa Severa to Sperlonga, which is about midway between Rome and Naples.
Santa Marinella (Santa Marinella)
The beach is located 40 minutes north of Rome, popular with locals and tourists and therefore quite crowded in high season — July and August.
There are many paid and free sections of beaches. The paid parts of the beach are mostly owned by hotels. Near Odeskalka Castle there are several pebble and rocky free wild beaches, which are much less crowded.
- Infrastructure: cabins, showers, parking, bars, pizzerias and trattorias.
- The resort’s website.
- How to get there: the most convenient way is to take the Regionale train from Rome Roma Termini station to St. Marinella station. A ticket will cost 4,5—6 €. How to use trains in Italy
Santa Severa
Santa Severa is a town in Lazio with a beautiful view of the castle of the same name. There are sandy and rocky beaches near the town. The sea in Santa Severa is shallow and the entrance is smooth — this beach is chosen for vacations with children. The rocky beaches are usually not crowded and are ideal for a picnic with a small group.
- Infrastructure: cabins, showers, parking, bars, pizzerias and trattorias.
- How to get there: from Roma Termini station to Santa Severa station by Regionale train. A ticket costs 4.5 €. It takes about 10 minutes to walk from the station to the promenade and the castle.
Ladispoli (Ladispoli)
A resort town with volcanic black sand. The line along the beach is built up with hotels, most of the beaches are paid. There are free areas, but they are small and crowded on weekends.
Thanks to the heavy dark sand, the water remains clear, but the beach itself gets so hot that it is impossible to walk on it barefoot.
Read more: Things to do in Ladispoli
- How to get there: by train from Roma Termini to Ladispoli-Cerveteri station in 40—55 minutes and 3 €.
Lido Di Ostia (Lido Di Ostia)
Ostia is only half an hour from Rome by train, and the Lido de Ostia beach is one of the most popular with Rome’s youth. It is easy, quick and cheap to get to from Rome. During the day you can stroll along the beautiful promenade, and in the evenings the nightlife with bars and discos is booming.
In Ostia, the beaches are predominantly sandy, and there are a lot of free stretches. The Tyrrhenian Sea off the coast is quite shallow and comfortable for families with children.
From June to August it is quite crowded and noisy. For lovers of a secluded vacation it is better to go to the northern beaches of Santa Marinella and Santa Severa.
These beaches have everything you need — but due to the crowded nature of the free beaches here, they are not very clean, there is trash in the sand and the water is murky due to the sand.
Entrance to the paid part of the beach is 15 €, the price includes a sunbed and an umbrella. There is a free part of the beach where you can rent a sunbed and an umbrella for 3—5 € each.
- Infrastructure: changing cabins, showers, parking lots, bars and cafes.
- Website.
- How to get there: take the metro from the center of Rome to the Lido Centro station for 1.5 € one way. You can see the Rome metro map here.
From Fiumicino Airport, you can go directly to Ostia by bus of the carrier Cotral.
Going to Ostia by train is not so convenient: there is no direct flight.
Anzio and Nettuno
Two almost inseparable neighboring towns with sandy beaches and clear seas are a popular weekend destination for Romans. And although the towns are farther from Rome than Ostia, only half an hour’s drive, even in season it’s not as crowded. The entrance to the sea is quite deep at once, so there are fewer children and noisy companies.
Both towns are an hour’s train ride from Rome. Both towns have a port, only Nettuno is a marina for yachts, while Anzio is a fishing and ferry port: from here you can go to the nearby islands.
The beaches of Anzio are among the most ecologically friendly in Lazio. This is confirmed by the Blue Flag.
Price: entrance to the paid beach area is 10—15 € for a sunbed and umbrella included in the price. A separate umbrella or sun lounger will cost between 5 and 10 €, depending on the month of the season.
- Infrastructure: cabins, showers, parking lot, few bars and cafes. There are no showers or toilets at the free sites.
- How to get there: To avoid standing in traffic jams with the Romans, the fastest way to get there is to take the Regionale Trenitalia train. A one-way ticket costs €3.20—4.50.
Sabaudia
Sabaudia is 100 km from the capital. It is more difficult to get here, so there are fewer people. But here is a very long and picturesque coastline, clean sand and sun beds, and next to Lake Paola and the tower of the same name. The shore and the bottom of the sea are sandy.
- Entrance to the paid sections ranges from 15 to 20 €. On the free section of the beach you can rent a separate sun lounger and umbrella for 5 € each.
- Infrastructure: cabins, showers, parking, a few bars and cafes, sun beds, umbrellas.
- How to get there: you can only get there by transferring to the Laurentina metro station and then taking the Cotral bus. You can see the bus schedule here from the beginning of the season.
San Felice Circeo (San Felice Circeo)
Just beyond Sabaudia, beyond the cape, is a popular spot for divers. There are caves and grottoes that have become local landmarks. To the east, the long, clean beach of San Felice Circeo begins.
- Entrance to the beach costs between 15 and 20 €. This price includes a sunbed and umbrella. There are free areas where you can rent a sunbed and umbrella for 10 €.
- Infrastructure: cabins, showers, parking, bars, cafes, beach volleyball, diving and surfing equipment, playgrounds.
- How to get there: go to Laurentina metro station and take the Cotral bus route to Circeo. The journey will take about 3 hours.
Sperlonga.
A sea of rich blue color with a view of the Old Town on the cliff and semi-deserted sandy beaches is the town of Sperlonga, 115 km from Rome.
- Entrance to the paid sections of the beaches costs 13 € per person per day. You can rent a sunbed and an umbrella for 5 € each.
- Infrastructure: changing cabins, showers, parking, bar, cafe, water skiing equipment.
- How to get there: from Roma Termini train station to Fondi Sperlonga station. The ticket is about 7 € depending on the class. Here take the local bus to Sperlonga. The trip is not long and will cost 1 €.
Terrachina
The old town of Terracina is no younger than Rome, so it is full of historical buildings from the Middle Ages, while the new part has a promenade, 30 km long beaches and warm sea.
It has therapeutic air rich in iodine and many resorts with mud treatment.
The beach is prepared for sea sports. You can rent surfboards, sap boards, masks, diving suits and other equipment.
- The beaches are mostly paid, but there are free zones too. An umbrella and a couple of sunbeds cost 12—17 € depending on the month.
- Infrastructure: there are changing cabins, showers, parking lots, bars, taverns, restaurants, cafes, pizzerias, playgrounds, discos, swimming equipment.
- How to get there: from Roma Termini take the Regionale train to Priverno-Fossanova, a journey of about 50 minutes. The ticket costs 7,5 € . Then change to a Trenitalia bus to Terrachina.