Appia Antica, or the Appian Way, is an ancient Roman road that you can just walk or ride along for free, soaking in the sights and history as you go about your day. It's part of the Appian Way Regional Park, the second-largest urban park in Europe, and it's a genuinely astonishing place. We went on a bike tour with TopBike Rentals on the first full day of our trip to Rome. I booked it then because I wanted to go on a Sunday, when Appian Way would be closed to cars. I feel great about all of these choices. The tour was one of the best things we did on our trip, and though the road would have been amazing on any day, it was nice to enjoy it with reduced traffic. What a place, unlike anywhere else I've ever visited. Built around 300 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, the Appian Way was one of ancient Rome's earliest and most important roads, a main route for communication and moving military supplies in the days of the Roman Republic. If a butterfly flaps its wings, etc. etc., right? Imagine how different the world might be if there had been no Appian Way. The road is incredibly well preserved, with miles of volcanic stones that have seen over two thousand years of travelers. It wasn't the easiest surface to bike on, even with our handy e-bikes, but the ride was extraordinary. We made several stops along the way, and were very grateful for our guide, who filled us in on the history. We saw the Catacomb of Callixtus, the Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella, the Gothic ruin of the Chiesa di San Nicola a Capo di Bove. The road was lined with tombs--apparently it was quite expensive and prestigious to be buried along the Appian Way. We also learned that this was where the Roman Republic crucified 6,000 slaves after Spartacus's rebellion. We left the road proper to ride around the Park of the Aqueducts, another awe-inspiring place within the Appian Way Regional Park. I hope to return to Appian Way one day, and would urge anyone visiting Rome to set aside time to explore the road properly. It's been around for over 2,000 years, and I have no doubt it will survive us all, for another 2,000 or more. read more

Visited Rome last month with Appia Antica on our agenda for a Sunday afternoon. Marco was very helpful in setting up the tour from the States and was our driver in a little electric car. Joy, our guide was a wealth of information as we drove the ancient Roman road and stopped along the way to see the ruins. We took the metro and a bus from Vatican City as the park is a bit distant from the center of Rome, but it is well worth the trip. read more

It would be hard to give the Appian trail anything other than five stars; it's a testament to the Italians that this trail still exists, and we very much enjoyed our hike. There's a ton to see on the walk, but just the feeling of walking the road that, quite literally, "leads to Rome" is a five star experience. read more

We visited the Appia Antica with Enjoy Rome - our tour guide Larissa was fabulous. Best tour we had in Rome- and we have had some very good tours here. We visited the Appian Way- and were able to walk on it- what a thrill. It's gorgeous out here in the country, among the ruins, with less people- and there are place stop and get a coffee (and our guide kindly allowed us to do that- so we sat, under old olive trees, to savor the beauty of the day and the history all around us. This is a truly amazing bit of history waiting for you a little off the beaten track- do go, if you have the time! read more

Appia Antica was on our list of top must see sights in rome. We really weren't sure how easy it would be to walk down there from our city center hotel location, so we decided to take a taxi. As it turned out, it really wasn't a far trip for us, so we easily walked our way back afterwards. So if you're not too afraid of walking, it only took us maybe 25 minutes on foot (which was nothing to us after all the walking we've been doing on our trip). The Appian Way is a long stretch and we figured the best way to see a nice chunk of it was to rent a couple bikes. Ecobikes provided us with very inexpensive and decent bike rentals to make the trip. They even have motorized versions if you don't want to peddle your way through. We chose the basic bikes though and it was a very nice ride! The cobble stones are easy to peddle through and any area that gets too choppy you can ride around on little dirt tracks beside the road. The atmosphere was so beautiful and peaceful. There is so much to see along the way, from ruins to villas to catacombs. There are also many places to stop and eat along the first portion of the trail. My absolute favorite part of the trek was when a heard of goats started crossing the road with bells around their necks! It's exactly what you'd hope and expect to see in a place like this!! I love it! Appia Antica is definitely an essential to any trip to Rome. So take a tour, rent some bikes or take walk down this beautiful ancient road. It is way too dreamy to pass up. read more

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