Hotel
Virgilio Grand Hotel
Why we like it: Four-star hotel next to the old town of Sperlonga, with a pool, spa, a lido with free shuttle and parking.
Duration1 night
From Rome2 h by car · train to Fondi or Formia
Best timeMay – June · September
BookingBoat and dinner
TicketsSperlonga museum €5
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for Tuesday to Sunday, when the Sperlonga museum is open, and for May to September, with the boats running. It works by car or by train: on the way there, a regional to Fondi-Sperlonga; on the way back, from Formia-Gaeta.
Day 1
- 109:45Museum and Tiberius's villa
The giant sculptures of the Odyssey and the villa beside the beach. €5; closed on Mondays.
- 211:30The white village
Stairways, arches and viewpoints over the two beaches of Sperlonga.
- 313:00Lunch at Gli Archi
Local fish in the old town: zuppa di pesce and the house scialatielli. Book.
- 415:00Boat along the Riviera of Ulysses
With Sperlonga Escursioni, along the coves and caves to the Montagna Spaccata; ask when you book whether you can disembark in Gaeta.
- 519:00A night at Serapo and dinner at Dolia
Leave your bag on Serapo beach and cross on foot to the medieval quarter. Dolia is open in the evening every day except Tuesday.
Day 2
- 109:00The Montagna Spaccata
The crack in the rock, the chapel over the sea and the stairway to the Grotta del Turco, before the heat.
- 211:00Monte Orlando
The paths over the cliffs and the mausoleum of Munatius Plancus.
- 313:00The medieval quarter and the tiella
A lunch of tiella at the bakeries in the centre, the harbour and the castle, and a train back from Formia.
Sperlonga and Gaeta can be seen in a day from Rome, but with a night the coast changes: you do the stretch between the two villages by boat, dine on fish from the gulf in Gaeta's medieval quarter and reach the Montagna Spaccata before the groups. This getaway arrives in Sperlonga in the morning, crosses to Gaeta in the afternoon and returns to Rome the next day from Formia.
How do you get there from Rome?
By train, a regional from Termini to Fondi-Sperlonga, about an hour and a quarter, and a bus or taxi for around 13 km to the village. The return, from Formia-Gaeta, takes about an hour and a half to Termini. By car, about two hours via the Pontina and Terracina; between the two villages, the Via Flacca, some 20 km hugging the sea.
Where to stay
| Accommodation | Where | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel Serapo | On Serapo beach, Gaeta | No car, with children, within walking distance of Monte Orlando |
| Villa Irlanda Grand Hotel | Lungomare Caboto, Gaeta | Park, pools and private beach |
| Virgilio Grand Hotel | Next to the centre of Sperlonga | With a car, pool and spa |
What if I go by car?
Do day 1 the same but without the boat: after lunch, the Via Flacca to Gaeta, with stops at the viewpoints. Sleep at Villa Irlanda, which has a park and parking, and on day 2 add an afternoon on the beach at Serapo.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Sperlonga and Gaeta, 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 Sperlonga and Gaeta
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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.
Fly to Rome and take the train to the coast
Sperlonga and Gaeta are reached by flying to Rome: there are direct flights to Fiumicino from Madrid, Barcelona and many other Spanish cities, and to Ciampino from several. From Rome it is about 125 km to Sperlonga and 140 to Gaeta: about two hours by car along the Pontina and the coast, or a regional train to Fondi-Sperlonga or Formia-Gaeta. For a day trip, the train is the most comfortable; for two or three days of beach, hire a car at the airport.
- Getting thereRome Fiumicino (FCO): Leonardo Express…
- Getting aroundHire car at the airport…
- Where to stayHotel Serapo, on the beach…
- ServicesTrain Rome–Fondi-Sperlonga
Getting there
- Rome Fiumicino (FCO): Leonardo Express to Termini and a regional train to Fondi-Sperlonga or Formia-Gaeta
- Rome Ciampino (CIA): bus to Termini and the same train
- By car from Fiumicino, via the ring road (GRA), the Pontina and Terracina, about two hours
Getting around
- Hire car at the airport if you want to move between Sperlonga, Gaeta and the coves
- Bus or taxi from Fondi-Sperlonga to Sperlonga and from Formia to Gaeta
- Boat between Sperlonga and Gaeta with Sperlonga Escursioni in summer
Where to stay
- Hotel Serapo, on the beach in Gaeta, if you arrive without a car
- Virgilio Grand Hotel, next to the centre of Sperlonga, with parking
Services
- Train Rome–Fondi-Sperlonga
- Train Rome–Formia-Gaeta
Without a car: train from Rome and on foot
The coast works without a car if you choose well: Sperlonga can be walked entirely on foot, and so can Gaeta, from Serapo to Monte Orlando and the medieval quarter. The train drops you at Fondi or Formia and the last stretch is by bus or taxi. What does not work well without a car is hopping from one village to another in the day, except by boat in summer.
70–180 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayHotel Serapo, on Serapo beach…
- Getting aroundRegional Roma Termini – Fondi-Sperlonga…
- Where to eatGli Archi, in the old…
- ServicesRiviera di Ulisse park office…
Where to stay
- Hotel Serapo, on Serapo beach, within walking distance of all of Gaeta
- Virgilio Grand Hotel, next to the old town of Sperlonga
Getting around
- Regional Roma Termini – Fondi-Sperlonga, about an hour and a quarter, and a bus or taxi
- Regional Roma Termini – Formia-Gaeta, about an hour and a half, and a bus or taxi
- Boat Sperlonga–Gaeta with Sperlonga Escursioni
Where to eat
- Gli Archi, in the old town of Sperlonga
- Dolia, in medieval Gaeta
Services
- Riviera di Ulisse park office, in Gaeta
By car along the Flacca
By car you see the whole coast in a day: the Via Flacca links Sperlonga and Gaeta hugging the sea, with tunnels, viewpoints and descents to coves. The hard part is parking in summer: the centres are pedestrianised and the car parks beside the beaches charge and fill up at weekends.
80–200 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayVirgilio Grand Hotel, with its…
- Getting aroundFrom Rome, the Pontina to…
- Where to eatGli Archi, in Sperlonga
- ServicesParking next to the sanctuary…
Where to stay
- Virgilio Grand Hotel, with its own parking, in Sperlonga
- Villa Irlanda Grand Hotel, in the park above the Gulf of Gaeta
Getting around
- From Rome, the Pontina to Terracina and the coast, about two hours
- Via Flacca between Sperlonga and Gaeta, about 20 km
- Park below and walk up to Sperlonga
Where to eat
- Gli Archi, in Sperlonga
- Dolia, in Gaeta, for dinner
Services
- Parking next to the sanctuary of the Montagna Spaccata
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights1
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're flyingwithout a carif you're driving
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Villa Irlanda Grand Hotel
Why we like it: Four-star villa on the Lungomare Caboto in Gaeta, with 47 rooms, a 60,000 m² park, pools and a private beach.
Hotel Serapo
Why we like it: Beachfront hotel on Serapo beach, at the foot of Monte Orlando, with a garden, pool, restaurant and rooms with sea views.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Sperlonga and Gaeta
Tips
Worth knowing first
Book the boat and dinner before you go
In summer, both fill up.
August weekends
Half of Rome heads down to this coast: packed beaches and impossible parking.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need?
One gives you a village; with a night you see both, the boat and Monte Orlando.
Can you do it without a car?
Yes: train to Fondi on the way there, boat or bus to Gaeta, and train from Formia on the way back.
Where should you stay?
In Gaeta, at Hotel Serapo or Villa Irlanda; in Sperlonga, at the Virgilio Grand Hotel.
When should you go?
From May to September, Tuesday to Sunday.