5 Beautiful Beaches near Rome You Can Easily Visit by Train
Yes my loves, I am back. After weeks of studying in my room and slowly melting away in temperatures of 39 degrees, I made it out of my exam period and I have time to write again, and no, not just for a university essay. Since summer officially arrived in Rome, one of my favourite things to do is visit the beach and go for a dive. I already wrote an article once about how to get to Ostia and enjoy the beach there, but for this blog post I ventured a little further away. By train you can easily reach some stunning beaches around Rome that are quieter, have clearer water, and are also very budget friendly. In this article, I’ll share my five favourite spots for a dive, the places I try to visit as often as possible.
How to reach these beaches from Rome by train
There are a couple of things I love about travelling by train in Italy. First of all, the views are amazing. I always recommend grabbing a window seat so that, towards the end of the ride, you can enjoy a pretty view of the seaside. Second, especially compared to my own country, train travel here is not expensive at all. Prices for all the beaches on this list range from 3 to 9 euros for a one-way ticket, which is completely fair if you ask me.
The main departure station is Roma Termini, but depending on how familiar you are with the city and where you're staying, you can also take trains from Roma Tiburtina or Ostiense. Getting tickets is really easy, and I always recommend downloading the Trenitalia app, where you can buy your tickets in advance. Otherwise, there are plenty of ticket machines at the train station.
Regional trains usually depart every hour, so you’ll have lots of flexibility when planning your beach day!
Gaeta
If you have been following my blog from the beginning, you might remember that around this time last year I took a little trip to Gaeta for a few days. I fell in love with the place the moment I got off the train, and it has had my heart ever since.
Gaeta is a charming coastal town between Rome and Naples, and it is the furthest away from Rome on this list. Getting there is also the most complicated, but it is still very doable. The train takes you to Formia-Gaeta station, and from there you need to take a short bus ride to reach Gaeta itself. It might sound a bit tricky, especially if you are travelling alone or are not used to public transport in Italy, but I promise it is easy and completely worth it.
I actually wrote a whole blog post dedicated to Gaeta, with more tips on how to get there and what to see, so feel free to check that out if you are curious.
Even though Gaeta is the furthest, it is still only an hour and a half by train and remains my favourite beach on this list. The water is incredibly blue, the views of the cliffs are stunning, and the town has a beautiful historical centre that is definitely worth exploring.
Nettuno
Still in the south, but a little closer than Gaeta, is the coastal town of Nettuno, about 60 kilometres from Rome. I am planning to write a day trip guide to Nettuno, so future me will insert a link here somewhere. Until then, you will just have to take my word for it that this town is worth visiting.
By train, it takes around an hour from Rome, and after that you are standing on the beach within a ten-minute walk.
While the water is not as blue as in Gaeta, it is still a big upgrade from Ostia, and the public beaches are clean and well-kept. I would also say it is less touristy than some of the beaches north of Rome that I will talk about later. So if you are looking for somewhere a little quieter, I can definitely recommend Nettuno.
The town itself is also worth a visit, with a beautiful harbour and a medieval centre full of cute restaurants.
Anzio
Just one train stop before Nettuno, right next to it, you can find the town of Anzio. If you want to, you can even make a coastal walk of around 45 minutes from Anzio to Nettuno, or the other way around. In April I did a day trip to Anzio, and since then I have been in love.
What I love most about the beach in Anzio is that there are incredible monuments right by the water. One of them is the Villa Imperiale di Anzio, the archaeological remains of Emperor Nero’s seaside villa. Just next to it you can also find the Grotte di Nerone (Nero’s Caves), which add something truly special to the beach experience.
As in Nettuno, the beach is only a ten-minute walk from the train station, which is a huge plus in my opinion. If you want more tips on what to see and do in Anzio, I recommend reading my day trip guide.
Santa Marinella
Next on the list is the beautiful Santa Marinella, located about 60 kilometres northwest of Rome. The train takes around an hour, so within a short time you can go play mermaids in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The water here is a deep blue, and in summer the town is full of blooming flowers, making it a perfect destination if you ask me.
What I liked the least about Santa Marinella is that it feels more oriented towards private beach clubs where you rent a sunbed and umbrella. The public beach area felt quite small, which can make it crowded and a bit touristy during high season. Overall, I still think it is worth visiting, especially because it is so easy to reach, but it is something to keep in mind when planning your trip.
Civitavecchia
Last but not least is the beautiful Civitavecchia, a place I already wrote about in my article on budget-friendly day trips from Rome. Civitavecchia is mainly known as the port where cruise ships depart for other parts of Italy and beyond, and because of that it can feel quite touristy and busy. But do not let that stop you, because the water here is truly beautiful and there are some great spots for a dive.
Besides the beach, the town of Civitavecchia is also fun to explore, with plenty of nice restaurants and interesting monuments to visit. Some other beach destinations on this list are definitely more picturesque than Civitavecchia, but it still makes for a very enjoyable day out of the city.
Conclusion
For this blog post, I wanted to share with you my five favourite beaches around Rome for a dive, all easily reachable by public transport. Each of them has different advantages and disadvantages, but if you have the time, I definitely recommend visiting them all. Gaeta will forever be my favourite, even though you have to take a bus for a short part of the journey in addition to the train.
If you have another favourite beach around Rome that I missed, I would love to hear about it! I am always on the lookout for a new spot where I can play mermaids.
