Four meals near Rome that are worth the drive

(Or the train ride.) Gardens and beaches and hill towns, oh my!

We owned a car in Rome for a long time. It was luxurious but already quite old when we bought it. We parked it on the street near the Colosseum and really only used it for weekend trips to the beach and airport runs. In the end our beloved battered chariot became more expensive to fix than drive and we gave it to our mechanic to use for parts. We never bought a replacement. In this temporary Roman/Venetian life I am currently living, I have to take a bus or the metro or sometimes a vaporetto. That is never my first choice. I really prefer to walk. (There is a reason I am moving to one of the world’s only car-free cities) But. There are some places that you can only get to by car or train. It can be a little difficult to imagine when you are in the middle of the city with the ambulances wailing and the endless snaking lines, but Rome is so close to peaceful flower-filled gardens and long stretches of beaches. And of course, delicious things to eat. Take a break from city life with one of these lovely day trips near Rome.