Villas in Lazio Inland

For Lazio countryside holidays, Lake Bolsena suits swimming families, Bagnoregio suits hill villages and Frascati suits day trips into Rome. Most of our villas are in the volcanic lake country north of the city, between one and two hours from Fiumicino. Expect Italian weekenders rather than foreign tourists, and hire a car.

Where

Villas: 145
From, per week: £197
Cheapest month: July
Nearest airports: Rome Fiumicino is the main airport, with flights from London taking around two and a half hours. Ciampino is closer for the Castelli Romani. For Bolsena and Bagnoregio, Perugia and Florence are also options, at around an hour and a quarter and two hours away respectively.

Where to stay in Lazio Inland

Lago di Bolsena and Montefiascone (north)

Lake Bolsena has more of our Lazio villas than anywhere else. It is a large crater lake with clean water and two small islands. Bolsena town has a castle, a lakeside promenade and boats out to Isola Bisentina. Capodimonte and Marta have small beaches. Montefiascone, on the crater rim, is known for its Est! Est!! Est!!! white wine. Orvieto is about 30 minutes away and Rome Fiumicino around an hour and three quarters.

Best for: Families who want lake swimming and a quiet, low-key base

Not for you if: You want sea beaches: the lake shore is dark volcanic sand and shingle, and the coast is an hour away.

Bagnoregio, Castel Cellesi and Acquapendente (Tuscia uplands)

Civita di Bagnoregio is a village on a crumbling outcrop of tufa, reached only by a long footbridge, and there is a charge to cross. Castel Cellesi, a few minutes away, is a hamlet among hazelnut groves and wheat fields. Acquapendente, near the Tuscan border, sits on the Via Francigena pilgrim route and next to the woods of the Monte Rufeno reserve. Orvieto station is 20 to 40 minutes away.

Best for: Walkers and anyone who wants Civita di Bagnoregio on the doorstep

Not for you if: You want restaurants and shops within walking distance: Castel Cellesi is a tiny hamlet in open farmland.

Lago di Vico, Caprarola, Fabrica di Roma and Orte (Cimini hills)

Lago di Vico lies in a wooded crater with no lakeside towns, and the beech forest on Monte Cimino above it is on the UNESCO list. Caprarola is dominated by the five-sided Villa Farnese and its gardens. Viterbo, around 20 minutes away, has a medieval quarter and open-air hot springs. Orte is a rail junction with trains to Rome in about an hour. Fiumicino is around an hour and a quarter from Caprarola.

Best for: Beech woods, Renaissance gardens and the spas of Viterbo

Not for you if: You want a lake for swimming every day: Vico is a nature reserve with only a few places to get into the water.

Bracciano, Trevignano Romano, Canale Monterano and Mazzano Romano (Lake Bracciano)

Lake Bracciano supplies Rome with drinking water, so motorboats are banned and the water is clean enough for swimming from small beaches. Bracciano has a large castle above the shore, and Trevignano Romano has lakeside fish restaurants. Inland, the ruined town of Monterano and the Treja valley near Mazzano Romano have walks to waterfalls. Trains from Bracciano reach central Rome in around an hour, and Fiumicino is 45 minutes to an hour away by car.

Best for: Lake swimming within an hour of Rome by car or train

Not for you if: You want peace at weekends: Romans drive out to the lake beaches on summer Saturdays and Sundays.

Frascati, Rocca di Papa, Velletri and Tivoli (Castelli Romani and the hills east of Rome)

The Castelli Romani are wine towns on the old volcanic hills south-east of Rome. Frascati has terraced villa gardens, and trains to Roma Termini take about half an hour. Rocca di Papa and Rocca Priora are higher and cooler, and Lake Albano and the strawberry village of Nemi are close. Velletri is a larger wine town further south. Tivoli, with Villa d'Este and Hadrian's Villa, is about 40 minutes north-east. Ciampino airport is around 20 minutes from Frascati.

Best for: Wine towns and day trips into Rome by train

Not for you if: You want open country around the house: these hill towns are built up and traffic into Rome is heavy at rush hour.

Casperia, Castelnuovo di Farfa, Salisano and Rieti (Sabina)

The Sabina hills north-east of Rome are olive country, and the area's oil has its own protected name. Casperia is a stepped hill village closed to cars. Farfa Abbey sits just below Castelnuovo di Farfa, and trains from Fara Sabina run to Rome and straight on to Fiumicino. Rieti, further inland, is surrounded by Franciscan sanctuaries such as Greccio, with skiing on Monte Terminillo above. Fiumicino is around an hour and a quarter from the Farfa area.

Best for: Olive groves, quiet villages and lower prices close to Rome

Not for you if: You want sights and nightlife: this is farming country, and evenings are very quiet.

When to go to Lazio Inland

May, June and September are the best months: warm enough for lake swimming without the midsummer heat. July and August are hot, and the lakes are busy with Romans at weekends, especially around Ferragosto on 15 August. October brings the grape harvest, chestnuts in the Cimini hills and village food festivals. Some lakeside restaurants close from November to Easter, and Terminillo has skiing in winter when there is enough snow.