Castelli Romani from Rome by train: Castel Gandolfo and Frascati

The plan

The day at a glance

Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.

08:45
Leave Rome 45 min by train
FL4 regional from Termini to Castel Gandolfo on the Albano branch
10:00 1
Apostolic Palace and Secret Garden of Castel Gandolfo
Climb from the station · palace and Secret Garden · 2 h · booking
15 min by taxi · To Frascati; without a taxi, train with a change at Ciampino12 km
5 min on foot
13:00 2
Ristorante Cacciani
Porchettina frascatana and cannelloni on the terrace over Rome · €€€ · booking

Via Armando Diaz, 13, 00044 Frascati · +39 06 942 0378

Restaurant €€€
Book
Carry on on foot
15:15 3
Frascati: the square, Villa Aldobrandini and a glass of wine
Piazza Marconi, Villa Aldobrandini from outside, the cathedral and a glass of Frascati
17:30
Back home 30 min by train
Regional from Frascati to Termini

Approximate cost About €35–60 per person

Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.

The route

Apostolic Palace and Secret Garden of Castel Gandolfo

The Castelli Romani are the easiest day trip from Rome without a car: two of their villages have a direct train from Termini, on different branches of the same line. This day joins them: in the morning, the popes' summer palace at Castel Gandolfo, above Lake Albano; at midday, lunch on the terrace of a restaurant from 1922 with a view over Rome; and the afternoon, unhurried, in Frascati, the wine village.

The day, hour by hour

8:45 · Train to Castel Gandolfo. Regional FL4 from Termini on the Albano branch. The station is below the village: walk up about ten minutes to the square.

10:00 · Apostolic Palace. Book on the Vatican Museums website. Walk through the gallery with the portraits of the popes, the rooms and the Secret Garden. Two hours. On Sundays it is open from 10:00 to 17:00; on Saturdays from 9:00; on weekdays, only in the morning. Before leaving, look at Lake Albano from the café terrace.

12:15 · To Frascati. By taxi, about twenty minutes. Without a taxi, go back by train to Ciampino and take the Frascati branch there.

13:00 · Lunch at Cacciani. On Via Armando Diaz, a step from Piazza Marconi, since 1922. Ask for a terrace table, the porchettina frascatana and some of the house cannelloni. On Sunday it is open at lunchtime; closed on Sunday evening and on Monday. Book on its website.

15:15 · Frascati. Piazza Marconi below Villa Aldobrandini, the cathedral of San Pietro and the streets of the centre, with a glass of white Frascati wine in an enoteca.

17:30 · Return. Regional from Frascati to Termini, about 30 minutes.

What if I go by car?

Change the order and add what the train does not reach: Ariccia and its Baroque palace, the viewpoint of Nemi over its lake and, if it is a spring or autumn Sunday, the ruins of Tusculum. By car, Castel Gandolfo is about 35 minutes from the centre of Rome along the Appia Nuova.

With children

The papal palace has family rates and the Secret Garden gives them some air. By car, Tusculum is the best plan for them: meadows, ruins and picnic tables.

Time2 h

The Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo above the village square

Marco Velliscig · CC BY-SA 4.0

Change the route

With young children, if it rains or if you fancy something else: another stop that fits the same day.

A country house among vineyards on the outskirts of Frascati

If you prefer wine to the square: visit and tasting at the vineyard with the owners, by reservation and by taxi: Organic Frascati tour and tasting at MerumaliaA walk through the vineyard and cellar with the owners of Merumalia, in Frascati, and a tasting of three wines and an oil with a board of organic cured meats and cheeses.

Remains of the Roman theatre of Tusculum among the grass

By car, on a spring or autumn Sunday: ruins and views over Rome instead of the stroll: Tusculum Archaeological ParkThe ruins of the Latin city of Tusculum high in the hills above Frascati: Roman theatre, forum, the paved road and views as far as Rome; open on Sundays.

Façade of Palazzo Chigi on Piazza di Corte in Ariccia

By car and if the papal palace is closed: the baroque palace of Ariccia, Tuesday to Sunday: Palazzo Chigi in AricciaBaroque palace of the Chigi family, remodelled by Bernini, with the piano nobile and its original furniture, the Stanze del Cardinale and the Museum of the Baroque; closed on Mondays.

Where to eat

Where to eat?

Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.

A table laid with glasses beside the dining-room windows

Ristorante Cacciani

Restaurant · Frascati · €€€€

What to order: porchettina frascatana with misticanza, the house cannelloni or tonnarelli cacio e pepe, and a local Frascati

The restaurant's glazed veranda with laid tables

Lo Specchio di Diana

Restaurant · Nemi · €€€€

What to order: tagliatelle with porcini, pappardelle with hare or lamb allo scottadito, and Nemi strawberries in season

Map

The stops, in order

With where to park at each one.

What to do Eat 88 €Stay Services

Getting there

By car or without one?

Without a car

FL4 regional train from Termini: the Albano branch for Castel Gandolfo and the Frascati branch, about 30 minutes each. Between the two villages, taxi or a train changing at Ciampino.

By car

About 35 minutes from the centre of Rome to Castel Gandolfo along the Appia Nuova, and 20 more to Frascati. Park at the entrance to the villages.

When to go

When to go to Castelli Romani

All year except July, when the papal palace usually closes. Avoid Tuesday (the palace's usual closing day) and Monday (Cacciani is closed). Sunday fits: the palace is open from 10:00 to 17:00 and Cacciani serves lunch.

J

F

M

A

M

J

A

S

O

N

D

Best timeGood timeLow season

Tips

Worth knowing first

1
Check the palace calendar
It usually closes on Tuesdays and for most of July.
2
Book Cacciani and ask for the terrace
The view over Rome is half the meal.