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Day trips from Rome's north side: Lake Bracciano, Cerveteri, Calcata, Sutri and Tivoli

Searching for places to visit near Rome usually conjures up a long crawl around the ring road before the trip even begins. From our B&B it works the other way round: we are on the Via Cassia at La Storta, on the northern edge of the city, so the best day trips from Rome start without crossing Rome at all. Breakfast in the garden, then the car or the FL3 train, and soon you are at Lake Bracciano, among Etruscan tombs or in a hilltop village carved out of tufa. These are the trips we recommend most often to our guests.

Lake Bracciano: Odescalchi Castle, Anguillara and Trevignano

Lake Bracciano is the easiest and most popular outing. It is a volcanic lake that supplies Rome with drinking water, so motorboats are banned: the water is calm and clean, you can swim in summer, and it feels a world away from Rome. Bracciano is dominated by the Orsini-Odescalchi Castle, an imposing Renaissance residence open to visitors, with sweeping views from its terraces. Anguillara Sabazia is the most photogenic village, perched on a headland jutting into the water, with a lakeside promenade and trattorias serving freshwater fish. Trevignano Romano, on the northern shore, is the most laid-back, with a tree-lined waterfront and the ruins of a fortress above it. Driving all the way round the lake is about thirty kilometres, easily done in a day. From La Storta the Via Braccianese takes you straight there; the FL3 train stops at Anguillara and Bracciano, a few kilometres from the lakefront.

Cerveteri and Tarquinia: the UNESCO Etruscan necropolises

The Banditaccia Necropolis at Cerveteri is a real city of the dead: grass-covered burial mounds, paved streets and tombs cut into the tufa that reproduce Etruscan houses, furniture included. Together with the necropolis of Tarquinia it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004. You explore it on foot among meadows and cypresses; the most famous chamber is the Tomb of the Reliefs. In the town centre, the National Cerite Museum displays the finest grave goods. If you want more, continue up the coast to Tarquinia, farther away and famous for the painted tombs of Monterozzi. A combination that works very well is Cerveteri in the morning and sunset on Lake Bracciano on the way back, along quiet country roads.

Calcata, the Treja valley and the Monte Gelato waterfalls

Heading north along the Via Cassia you reach Calcata, a medieval village perched on a spur of tufa above the gorge of the river Treja. Abandoned in the twentieth century as unsafe, it was revived by artists and craftspeople: narrow lanes, workshops, tiny bars and a view that suddenly opens up over the valley. You leave the car in the newer town and walk in through the old gate. The village lies within the Treja Valley Regional Park, which also includes the Monte Gelato waterfalls near Mazzano Romano: small cascades among the woods, an old mill and meadows ideal for a picnic. It pairs easily with Sutri on the same day.

Sutri: the amphitheatre carved into tufa and the Via Francigena

Also on the Via Cassia, Sutri is one of the most surprising places to visit near Rome. Its Roman amphitheatre was not built but carved entirely out of the tufa, inside the regional park of the Ancient City of Sutri. A few steps away are a rock-cut Etruscan necropolis, with dozens of tombs overlooking the road, and the Mithraeum, an ancient place of worship later turned into the church of the Madonna del Parto, decorated with medieval frescoes. Sutri is also a stage on the Via Francigena, so you may well meet pilgrims walking to Rome. By train, the FL3 reaches Capranica-Sutri station, a few kilometres from the town.

Tivoli: Villa d'Este and Hadrian's Villa

Tivoli lies east of Rome, the opposite direction from the other trips, but the ring road gets you there from our B&B without crossing the city. It is well worth it: the town has two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Hadrian's Villa (Villa Adriana) is Emperor Hadrian's vast country residence, with the Canopus pool, the Maritime Theatre and baths among olive trees: allow at least two or three hours. Villa d'Este is the masterpiece of the Renaissance garden, a sequence of terraces and monumental fountains such as the Hundred Fountains and the Organ Fountain. If there is time left, Villa Gregoriana offers a trail down the Aniene gorge to the Great Waterfall. In high season book tickets online; Hadrian's Villa in the morning and Villa d'Este in the afternoon is the natural order.

Veio Park on our doorstep, and Civita di Bagnoregio as the long option

You do not always have to go far. Veio Regional Park begins almost behind our garden, with the Mola waterfall, the hamlet of Isola Farnese and the remains of the Etruscan city: we cover it in our article on what to do in North Rome, and it is the right idea for half a day. At the other extreme is Civita di Bagnoregio, the "dying town": a village on a pinnacle of tufa, reached only on foot across a long pedestrian bridge, with badlands all around. It is the longest trip listed here (over a hundred kilometres, towards Umbria), so plan it as a full day with an early start. There is an entrance fee to the village.

Getting there, combining stops and what to pack

A car gives you the most freedom: from La Storta the Via Braccianese leads to the lake, the Cassia to Sutri, Calcata and Viterbo, while the ring road connects to the Aurelia for Cerveteri and to Tivoli. Without a car, the FL3 regional train from La Storta runs up to Anguillara, Bracciano, Capranica-Sutri and Viterbo: ideal for the lake, less convenient for Cerveteri and Tivoli. Tried-and-tested combinations: Bracciano with Anguillara and Trevignano; Cerveteri with sunset on the lake; Calcata with Monte Gelato and Sutri; Tivoli on its own, because the two villas take time; Civita di Bagnoregio with Bolsena. A few practical tips:

• Comfortable shoes with a good grip: paths through tufa and necropolises are uneven and slippery after rain.
• Water, a hat and sunscreen: the archaeological sites are outdoors with little shade.
• Swimwear and a towel in summer for a dip in Lake Bracciano.
• Check closing days and opening hours of villas, museums and necropolises before you leave: they change with the season.
• Set off after breakfast and come back in the late afternoon to avoid the hottest hours and the evening traffic.

As for the seasons, spring and autumn are best for everything. Summer is perfect for the lake, while the necropolises and Hadrian's Villa are more pleasant early in the morning. On sunny winter days you can have Tivoli and Cerveteri almost to yourself.

Why stay at B&B Beni Benius Roma

If you want to alternate Rome itself with trips out of town, the location of B&B Beni Benius Roma is a real advantage: you leave for the lake and the Tuscia countryside without crossing the city, and in the evening you come back to a quiet neighbourhood with free private parking. Breakfast is included, and La Storta station on the FL3 line serves both the city centre and the lake. Our rooms suit couples and small families, while groups of friends or larger families, up to eight guests, can book the whole apartment. If you would like advice on which trip suits the weather or the day of the week, just get in touch: we know these roads well.