# Day trip from Rome to the Castelli Romani: Castel Gandolfo and Frascati by train

Half an hour from Termini by train: the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo above Lake Albano, lunch on the terrace of Cacciani and the afternoon in Frascati.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/lazio/castelli-romani/itineraries/rome-frascati-castel-gandolfo-day-trip-by-train · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## El día
- 08:45 · Salida: 45 min by train (FL4 regional from Termini to Castel Gandolfo on the Albano branch)
- 10:00 · 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 Ciampino)
  - 5 min on foot
- 13:00 · Ristorante Cacciani (Porchettina frascatana and cannelloni on the terrace over Rome · €€€ · booking) · Ristorante Cacciani, €€€
  - Carry on on foot
- 15:15 · 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 · Vuelta: 30 min by train (Regional from Frascati to Termini)

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.

## Cómo llegar

### 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.

## Consejos

### Check the palace calendar
It usually closes on Tuesdays and for most of July.

### Book Cacciani and ask for the terrace
The view over Rome is half the meal.

## Un consejo más

### If it rains
The palace can be seen just the same; swap the Frascati walk for a tasting at a winery.

## Cuándo no ir

The Nemi ships museum: closed for works until 31 March 2027.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How do I get from Rome to Castel Gandolfo by train?
On the FL4 regional from Termini on the Albano branch; Castel Gandolfo station is a ten-minute walk from the palace.

### Can you see Castel Gandolfo and Frascati on the same day?
Yes: the palace in the morning and Frascati in the afternoon, with a taxi or train between the two.

### Which day is the papal palace closed?
It usually closes on Tuesdays and for most of July, according to the 2026 calendar.

### Where do you eat in Frascati on a Sunday?
At Cacciani, which is open on Sunday lunchtime.