Take metro line B to EUR Magliana and then change to the overland train to Lido di Ostia, getting off at Ostia Antica. A five minute walk from the station takes you to the entrance to the site. You can buy a guide book at the ticket office but most areas in the site are well signed in Italian and English.

As you walk through the entrance you enter an area of tombs which were placed alongside the road from Rome to Ostia, just outside of the city walls. You then pass through the remains of the gates and into the town itself.

Ostia was the nearest port to ancient Rome (although the coastline has now receded), and many of the buildings in the town were related to this - in particular the Forum delle Corporazioni where the trading corporations in the town identified their offices by mosaics illustrating their function.

The Thermopolium was my favourite building - a small corner trattoria which sold hot food and drink. Built in the 3rd century it is still remarkably intact with wall paintings still visible, an amphora sunk in the floor, and a small courtyard to the rear where you can easily imagine customers enjoying their refreshment.

We spent around three hours wandering (admittedly slowly) through the town and saw about half or it. Some of the mosaics still remaining are quite stunning.There is a small museum, with a new gift shop and snack bar to the rear. I would thoroughly recommend this day trip to anyone visiting Rome for more than a day or two who wants to discover about life in ancient Rome (just bear in mind that the streets are uneven and may present problems for anyone with mobility difficulties).

Ostia was founded as a military colony to guard against seaborne invasions. Later, it was the major port serving the capital, and by the 2nd century AD, it had become a flourishing commercial center inhabited by 100,000 people.

We enter through the Roman Gate and walk along Ostia's main street, the Decumanus Maximus. We stop first at the Baths of Neptune with its incredibly well preserved mosaic. From a viewing platform we can see an exposed underground passage, where servants lit boilers and emptied tubs without disturbing the clients. Throughout the Ostia Antica site, we see preserved tile work that looks as if it is only a few decades old. Next we enter Ostia's amphitheater, which has been partially restored and is currently used for plays and concerts. It has a series of steep semicircular stone bleachers that hold 3500 spectators. I think it’s the most impressive structure we see.

Behind the theater is the Forum of the Corporations, which housed the offices of all the maritime companies. Mosaic names and pictures are still visible on the ground in front of each office which helped people find the appropriate shipper. Statues and artifacts from destroyed buildings are scattered throughout this grassy area. We walk farther west to Ostia’s small Forum which features the Temple of Rome and Augustus. We keep walking west through areas filled with homes, shops, inns, apartment houses and small temples until we come to the Marine Gate, which once stood by the harbor but is now more than a mile from the sea. In addition to some nice views of the Tiber, we observe areas where they are continuing to unearth buildings that were buried centuries ago when the Tiber changed its course.

By this time we are both tired and hungry so we go to the nearby cafeteria, and have a great lunch at very reasonable prices. I can't imagine a cafeteria anywhere in the world, but Italy, that would have as high quality food. After lunch we visit the small but impressive museum full of statuary, rescued from the ruins and restored. We have to wait to get into the museum because the museum closes for two hours in the middle of the day.

After another hour or so wandering the side streets off the Decumanus Maximus, we leave Ostia Antica and quickly visit the nearby Castello Ostia, built in 1483 by Giuliano della Rovere, who later became Pope Julius II. The neighborhood around the castle is also fascinating.

You can see additional photos on my Yahoo Photo Site.

It’s no secret that Ostia holds less fanfare than wealthy Pompeii, but in some ways it’s better. As both the rich and miserably poor lived here, Ostia's remains provide a more complete view of a typical Roman town and the gritty workaday lives of average Romans.

Entering the gates to the excavations, visitors first come upon the cemeteries as ancient Romans buried their dead outside of city walls. Known as the Isola Sacra, the roads leading out of Ostia Antica are lined with a fantastically eerie series of tombs. Up where the road becomes narrow is where the grand gate into the city once stood. The Decumanus Maximus (Ostia’s main drag) picks up here leading to the Forum. Several places of great interest are along the way, my favorites being the Piazzale delle Corporazioni, theater, and public latrine.

The Piazzale delle Corporazioni holds remains of some 60 trade offices. Most still have their original mosaic floors advertising wares and services intact. The theater, constructed during the time of Augustus, received constant use until the Late Empire. One of the oldest brick theaters anywhere, it's still used for concerts and classical plays today. The view from the top is undoubtedly impressive, but keep in mind this theater was actually twice as high in ancient times. Up to 4,000 Romans could gather here at once!

With its revolving door, running water and seating for 20, the public latrine must have been the height of civility in its day. I'd play along if only it weren’t for that scary sponge-on-a-stick. That’s right, folks, ancient toilet paper. Even more shocking is that these people "freshened" their sponge by dabbing it in a small gutter of water at their feet.

A stone’s throw from the hair-raising lavatory is the Forum and the city’s main temple. Seated at Ostia’s main crossroads, today this once busy compound looks open, and calm -- almost sleepy. Squat staircases with pretty trees all around once lead to imposing and fearsome temples. One such temple is the Capitolium dedicated to Jupiter, Minerva and Juno. Set upon a high foundation, the temple stood clear of all other rooftops proclaiming the state religion from the highest point of an otherwise tolerant Ostia.

There is much more to see and explore beyond the Forum. Guidebooks suggest two hours for the site and museum, but I recommend three. There's a cafeteria and fantastic gift shop on site. The gates open at 9am and close one hour before sunset. Admission runs about $5.