Rome relocation advice

[Elle]

My partner has been offered a job in Rome. It's a job just outside the centre of room, kind of in the middle of North / North East Central Rome.

The plan is, without having much information, to commute into work each day by car and we would like to live outside of rome, in a villa in a nice area, blah blah blah!

In theory, I dont know if this is possible not knowing much about Rome other than the touristy bits.

Are there any nice, commutable areas outside of Rome in that kind of direction that would make this possible?

Ideally, we need a house/villa with grounds as we have dogs and they need the space. We live in an apartment at the moment in spain and it isnt very fair on them!

What about ex pat communities outside of Rome, do they exist? Is it better to head towards the sea for these tyoep of communities.

Any help would be really apreciated.

Thanks all,

Elle :)

[English teacher]

Outside of Rome is a lot cheaper than central Rome, but you have to go quite a way before you get affordable places with gardens etc. (Though I suppose that these things are relative.)

North / north east of Rome you could try Tivoli (about an hour by train as I remember) or Monterotondo - an increasingly popular place for young couples and families and a bit closer in.

South of Rome you have the castelli romani - a nice area with some lovely towns such as Frascati. Quite expensive though.

North and north east you have the coast, and can still find some decently priced places. In particular, Santa Marinella is nice, but count on an hour's train ride - and limited trains in winter and at night.

I know of some people that live pretty much in Umbria - around the Orvieto / Bolsena lake area (sp?). Up near Viterbo (if you're as vague as I am regarding geography) you get a lot of "bang for your buck" but you are some distance from Rome. I personally wouldn't commute that far ever day.

Hope it works out for you!

[Markcarter]

It also depends on how you think you will get in to the city? Trains are quite quick, but very busy at rush hour and the houses around the stations fetch a premium. Monterotondo and Mentana are very expensive, but a bit further out, past Passo corese is very good. But here you need a car and getting in to Rome will take quite a while.
Expats are a bit slim on the ground here and personally I would not think of living by the sea, as it is murder on a sunny weekend.
Mark

[Sano]

If you can afford it Sacrofano and surrounds is lovely.

[latoca]

The only suggestion I would make is to check areas outwith Rome that easily reachable by train, and then the metro, as the traffic in Roma is murder, and it wouldn't be nice to be stuck on the raccordo anulare for hours trying to go to work....

Paola

[Elle]

Thank you all for your help, I really appreciate you taking the time to reply to me with your suggestions.

We'll we were planning to commute into Rome by car - but the traffic does sound bad. I thought we might be lucky and skip it, as it's not central, central if you know what I mean, but more north, north east central!

I will have a look at all of the places you have suggested in the meantime.

Thank you,

Elle :D

[Iona]

Very brave, Elle!!!

Be prepared for mad drivers, lots of noise, honking horns & shouting... oh and 5 cars squeezed into 2 lanes around the roundabouts ... :D

Buona fortuna!!!

[Markcarter]

Originally Posted by Elle

We'll we were planning to commute into Rome by car - but the traffic does sound bad. I thought we might be lucky and skip it, as it's not central, central if you know what I mean, but more north, north east

Try down the Flamina then, Sano is right that all around Sacrofano is nice, though expensive to my mind. You should get alot more choice for your money from Morlupo on and it is only about 45 minutes from Rome(without traffic). There is also a train into Rome in most of the villages, but the times are not that useful for anything other than work.

Whatever you do, avoid the Cassia, which is tarmac hell.

[English teacher]

I'd also avoid the Tiburtina which can get easily clogged up. I remember a number of 45 minute traffic jams to escape Rome on a Friday evening.

[PAS 55]

And buy a Smart car nice and small to park oh,and you can change the panels very quickly!!