Hotel Castel Vecchio
Why we like it: Art Nouveau palace in Castel Gandolfo above Lake Albano, with 50 rooms, most with a lake view, a rooftop pool, an indoor pool and parking.
Duration1 night
From Rome30 min by train to Frascati · 35 min by car
Best timeApril – June · September – October
BookingPapal palace, tasting and Cacciani
Best withCar for Tusculum, Ariccia and Nemi
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed to leave Rome on a Saturday afternoon or a Sunday morning, by car, and return the next day in the afternoon. Watch the days: Tusculum is only open at weekends, Cacciani does not serve dinner on Sundays or open on Mondays, the papal palace is usually closed on Tuesdays and Palazzo Chigi on Mondays. The combination that fits best is Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday
- 111:00Tasting at Merumalia
An hour and a half through the vineyard and the cellar with the owners, three wines, an oil and a board of cured meats and cheeses. Book on their website.
- 213:30Lunch at Cacciani
A terrace over Rome, porchettina frascatana and the house cannelloni.
- 316:00Tusculum
From May to September it is open on Saturdays until 19:30: the Roman theatre and the view over the countryside at sunset. In spring and autumn it is only open on Sundays: swap the order.
- 419:00Frascati
A stroll around Piazza Marconi, Villa Aldobrandini above its stairway and a glass in a wine bar. Dinner at Cacciani and a night at the hotel.
Sunday
- 110:00Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo
Open from 10:00 to 17:00 on Sundays; by reservation. Two hours among the rooms, portraits of popes and the Secret Garden.
- 212:30Ariccia and Palazzo Chigi
Guided visit of the piano nobile at 11:45 or in the afternoon; if you cannot make it, lunch in Nemi and Palazzo Chigi at 15:30.
- 313:30Lunch in Nemi
At Lo Specchio di Diana, with a veranda over the lake: mushrooms, game and homemade pasta. Then, the viewpoint.
- 416:30Return to Rome
About 40 minutes from Nemi.
The Castelli Romani can be seen in a day from Rome, but with a night they change: you go up to Tusculum in the afternoon light, have a tasting without watching the clock, dine above the lights of Rome and the next day you have the morning for the papal palace, Ariccia and Nemi. This plan runs from Saturday to Sunday, which is how everyone's opening hours fit together.
How do you get there from Rome?
By car, about 35 minutes along the Tuscolana to Frascati; Hotel Cacciani has free overnight parking. Without a car, the FL4 regional train reaches Frascati in about half an hour from Termini and Castel Gandolfo on the Albano branch, but Tusculum, Ariccia and Nemi need a car or taxi.
Where to stay?
| Accommodation | Area | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel Cacciani | Centre of Frascati | With or without a car; terrace over Rome and restaurant downstairs |
| Merumalia Wine Resort | Vineyards below Frascati | By car; apartments in the winery, small pets |
| Hotel Castel Vecchio | Castel Gandolfo | By car; pool and view of Lake Albano |
What if I have one more day?
Stay another night at the Hotel Castel Vecchio, with a rooftop pool above Lake Albano, and the next day go down to see the Via Appia Antica by bike: the hotel organises tours with hire and a guide. Or carry on south to the Garden of Ninfa and Sermoneta, if it coincides with a day when the garden is open.
With children
Tusculum, with meadows, ruins and picnic tables, is their part of the plan; the papal palace has family rates. For sleeping with children, Merumalia has apartments and the Castel Vecchio has a pool.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Castelli Romani, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Castelli Romani
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
Without a car: the Castelli train
Two of the Castelli have a direct train from Roma Termini: Frascati and Castel Gandolfo, on different branches of the FL4 line. That gives you a full day without a car: the papal palace in the morning, Frascati in the afternoon, or the other way round. Nemi, Ariccia and Tusculum call for a car, a taxi or good legs.
80–160 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayHotel Cacciani, in the centre…
- Getting aroundFL4 from Termini to Frascati…
- Where to eatCacciani, in Frascati, Sunday lunch
- ServicesFrascati and Castel Gandolfo stations
Where to stay
- Hotel Cacciani, in the centre of Frascati, ten minutes from the station
- Hotel Castel Vecchio, in Castel Gandolfo, a short walk from the station
Getting around
- FL4 from Termini to Frascati, about 30 minutes
- FL4 from Termini to Castel Gandolfo on the Albano branch
- Taxi from Frascati to the wineries on the outskirts
Where to eat
- Cacciani, in Frascati, Sunday lunch
- Lo Specchio di Diana, in Nemi, with a taxi from Albano
Services
- Frascati and Castel Gandolfo stations
By car: the lakes and the villages in a day
By car you combine in one day what the train cannot: Castel Gandolfo above Lake Albano, Ariccia and its palace, Nemi on its crater, Frascati and the ruins of Tusculum on the heights. Distances are ten or twenty minutes. The problem is parking in the centres on Sundays: look for the car parks at the entrance to each village.
90–180 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayMerumalia Wine Resort, among vineyards…
- Getting aroundFrom Rome, along the Via…
- Where to eatCacciani, in Frascati, with a…
- ServicesParking at the entrance to…
Where to stay
- Merumalia Wine Resort, among vineyards below Frascati
- Hotel Castel Vecchio, with free parking in Castel Gandolfo
- Hotel Cacciani, with free overnight parking in Frascati
Getting around
- From Rome, along the Via Appia Nuova (Castel Gandolfo, Ariccia, Nemi) or the Tuscolana (Frascati)
- Mountain road to Tusculum
Where to eat
- Cacciani, in Frascati, with a terrace over Rome
- Lo Specchio di Diana, in Nemi, with a veranda over the lake
Services
- Parking at the entrance to Nemi and Castel Gandolfo
Fly to Rome and take the train to the Castelli
The Castelli Romani are at the gates of Rome, between the city's two airports. Fiumicino (FCO) receives direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Málaga, Alicante, Palma and the Canary Islands, among others; Ciampino (CIA), some low-cost routes, and is only a few kilometres from Frascati and Castel Gandolfo. By car, from Ciampino you reach the Castelli in a quarter of an hour; from Fiumicino, in a little under an hour by the ring road.
- Getting thereRome Fiumicino (FCO): Leonardo Express…
- Getting aroundFL4 train: Frascati branch and…
- Where to stayHotel Cacciani, in Frascati, a…
- ServicesTrains Rome–Frascati and Rome–Castel Gandolfo
Getting there
- Rome Fiumicino (FCO): Leonardo Express to Termini and regional FL4 to Frascati or Castel Gandolfo
- Rome Ciampino (CIA): CIA Airlink bus to Ciampino station, on the same FL4 line
- From central Rome: regional train from Termini, about 30 minutes to Frascati
Getting around
- FL4 train: Frascati branch and Albano branch, with a stop at Castel Gandolfo
- Hire car at the airports to link Nemi, Ariccia and Tusculum, which are poorly connected to one another by public transport
Where to stay
- Hotel Cacciani, in Frascati, a short walk from the train
- Hotel Castel Vecchio, in Castel Gandolfo, close to Ciampino for a first or last night
Services
- Trains Rome–Frascati and Rome–Castel Gandolfo
- Buses from Ciampino to the train
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights1
Where to stay
Where to stay without a carif you're drivingif you're flying
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Hotel Cacciani
Why we like it: The Cacciani family's hotel in the centre of Frascati, above their 1922 restaurant: 22 panoramic rooms and 4 with a large balcony, breakfast included.
Merumalia Wine Resort
Why we like it: Four apartments in a former farmhouse among organic vineyards, below Frascati, all with views of the vines and Rome; small pets allowed.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Castelli Romani
Ristorante Cacciani
What to order: porchettina frascatana with misticanza, the house cannelloni or tonnarelli cacio e pepe, and a local Frascati
Lo Specchio di Diana
What to order: tagliatelle with porcini, pappardelle with hare or lamb allo scottadito, and Nemi strawberries in season
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
The Roman ships museum in Nemi is closed for works until 31 March 2027: do not count on it in the plan.
We'd skip it
Doing it from Sunday to Monday: Cacciani does not serve dinner on Sundays or open on Mondays, and Palazzo Chigi is closed on Mondays.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is it worth sleeping in the Castelli Romani?
Yes, if you want to add Tusculum, a tasting and the lake villages without rushing; for Frascati and Castel Gandolfo a day is enough.
Where should you stay in the Castelli Romani?
In Frascati, at Hotel Cacciani; among the vineyards, at Merumalia; or in Castel Gandolfo, at the Castel Vecchio.
Which days are best?
Saturday to Sunday, to fit Tusculum, Cacciani and the papal palace together.
Can you do it without a car?
Partly: by train to Frascati and Castel Gandolfo; Tusculum, Ariccia and Nemi need a car or taxi.