DinaLast Updated on November 5, 2026
Anzio is a seaside town in Lazio, about 51 km south of Rome, and one of the easiest day trips from Rome by train. The train from Roma Termini reaches Anzio in about an hour, so you don’t need a car. I took this day trip on a sunny Sunday in January, when one of my goals for 2018 was to explore more places around Rome by train.
HOW DO YOU GET FROM ROME TO ANZIO?
Getting from Rome to Anzio takes about an hour by regional train from Roma Termini, and a ticket costs less than €5. The regional train stops in Anzio’s town center, a short walk from the beach and the port. Regional train tickets have a fixed price, so you can buy them at Termini on the day instead of online from Trenitalia. A paper ticket bought at Termini must be validated in the machines on the platform before you board.
SHOULD YOU DRIVE TO ANZIO?
Driving to Anzio is not worth it on busy days, because the small port area fills with traffic and parking is hard to find. Traffic jammed the tiny port on the Sunday of my visit, with smog, noise and frustrated drivers circling for parking. The train avoids the parking problem completely, so I strongly recommend it.
IS ANZIO’S BEACH WORTH VISITING?
Anzio’s beach is worth visiting for its clean water, golden sand and long coastline, and the town renewed its Blue Flag in 2026. The Blue Flag is an award from the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) for water quality, environmental management and beach services. Those beach services and the easy train link make Anzio a favorite beach escape for Romans, and many Romans own holiday homes here.
A summer swimming trip to Anzio also works as a short stay, because rooms and Airbnb apartments make it easy to stay a couple of nights. Buying an apartment is another story: when I looked in 2018, 200k bought only a tiny 2-bedroom flat!
WHAT IS ANZIO’S PORT LIKE?
Anzio’s port is a small marina full of fishing boats and pleasure boats. The fishing boats bring their fresh fish ashore, and you can watch the fishermen unload the catch. The catch ends up in the seafood restaurants along the waterfront.
CAN YOU TAKE A FERRY FROM ANZIO TO THE PONTINE ISLANDS?
Ferries from Anzio go to Ponza by hydrofoil in summer, roughly from May to September, and the crossing takes about 70–80 minutes. The hydrofoil leaves from a pier about a 10-minute walk from Anzio’s train station.
Ponza, the hydrofoil’s destination, is the largest of the Pontine Islands, an archipelago off the Lazio coast that also includes Ventotene and Palmarola. Ventotene and Palmarola have no direct boat from Anzio, but you can take a ferry from Ponza to Ventotene or join a boat trip from Ponza to Palmarola. Ponza and its neighbors are favorite summer escapes for wealthy Romans, especially in June and July.
WHAT WORLD WAR II SITES ARE IN ANZIO?
Anzio’s World War II sites are two Commonwealth war cemeteries and the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery in neighboring Nettuno. The cemeteries remember the Allied landings at Anzio and Nettuno in January 1944, known as Operation Shingle, which cost thousands of lives on both sides. Nettuno’s Sicily-Rome American Cemetery holds more than 7,800 American graves, and relatives of the fallen still visit it often.
The Anzio War Cemetery holds 1,056 Commonwealth burials. The Beach Head War Cemetery, the second Commonwealth cemetery near Anzio, holds about 2,300 burials.
WHAT CAN YOU DO IN ANZIO IN WINTER?
Winter in Anzio is the season for seafood lunches, beach walks and gelato, because the fish restaurants stay open all year. The fish restaurants fill up quickly on sunny weekends, so book a table in advance.
Booking a restaurant table ahead is the lesson from my own visit on a sunny Sunday in January. Every restaurant I tried had queues or no free table, and one had even run out of fish! Without a table, I had pizza and gelato instead and walked along the winter beach.
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU SEE IN ANZIO?
Anzio’s other sights include the ruins of Emperor Nero’s villa, a statue of Nero and the lighthouse at the port. Emperor Nero was born in Antium, the ancient Roman town that became Anzio, and the ruins of his villa stretch along the seafront.
IS ANZIO WORTH A DAY TRIP FROM ROME?
Anzio is worth a day trip from Rome for its easy train connection, Blue Flag beach and fresh seafood by the sea. Seafood lunches need a reservation on weekends, so plan that one detail ahead. I plan to return to Anzio and also visit Nettuno, the town right next door.
