Recommended daytrip from Rome: how to get to L’Aquila

For Italians and foreign travellers alike, L’Aquila is “the city of the earthquake”: the tremor that happened in 2009 made international news and, tragically, put this place on the map for all the wrong reasons.

The capital city of the Abruzzo region, which borders Lazio in the east, L’Aquila maintains a formidably undefeated personality, with a considerable amount of residents that simply won’t move away and are quick to point out that their hometown has been shaken by earthquakes 11 times throughout its history and has always been rebuilt.

Why visit L’Aquila?

While part of the process is still ongoing, L’Aquila is a work-in-progress that is part vision and part practical state-of-the-art engineering, to make the city even safer against tremors. So why visiting it now?

• For its rustic charm. In spite of the 2009 destruction, L’Aquila has a well preserved center with traces of Medieval architecture and a much bigger Baroque presence, and spans a millennia-long history that pre-dates even the Roman empire.
• It’s a gateway for mountain enthusiasts. Built at the foot of the Gran Sasso range, L’Aquila is effectively the main centre for those wanting to explore the highest mountains of central Italy. Whether you want to climb them, ski down them, or just enjoy the national park there by hiking, your trek begins in L’Aquila (for more information on winter sports around here, please see this post).
• To support the economy: it’s a common experience for Romans, particularly, to make a quick getaway to L’Aquila to have a meal in the city, to stay the night or to visit some of its attractions. The reason behind this is that an overwhelming number of Romans has their roots in the Abruzzo region, so there is a widespread fondness for the area and its inhabitants. Everyone is welcome to join in to help this region rise again.
• To taste incredible food: at prices a fraction of what is asked in the Eternal City, L’Aquila provides incredible food experiences: try some of its staples like arrosticini, maccheroni alla chitarra or maiale allo spiedo, which are easily found in Rome (but rarely are as good!). And don’t forget to shop: saffron, potatoes or lentils are among the most famous ingredients originating from here.

The MAXXI Museum in L’Aquila: a global event

The aforementioned Roman support has become ever more apparent with the decision to open a second branch of the MAXXI Museum of Contemporary Art in L’Aquila. October 30 marks the unveiling of this new institution, which undoubtedly will reinvigorate the city and bring numerous international artists and events in town by using the space of one of L’Aquila’s most important buildings, Palazzo Ardinghelli. One more reason to go visit!

Is it safe to go to L’Aquila?

While no one can predict the future, there haven’t been any major earthquakes in L’Aquila since 2009, and the situation is absolutely safe for both residents and tourists, to the point that in spite of the Covid-19 pandemics, there has been a 10% increase in visitors in the city this year alone.

The area is still subject to the occasional shake, but the large majority of those is not at all recognizable or can be easily mistaken for the type of vibration a large truck driving by would cause.

How to get to L’Aquila

While L’Aquila has, regrettably, an infrequent train line, a number of bus companies provide a reliable service from Rome to the city terminal of L’Aquila Collemaggio. Among them is the “usual suspect” Flixbus, as well as local competitors Gaspari or TUA.

Traveling time is under two hours and buses leave from the bus terminal outside the Roma Tiburtina train/metro stop (please note: there’s been talk of moving the service there entirely from one side of the station to the other, therefore from the western side to the eastern one: keep this in mind if you’re reading this past October 2020).

The most common way to reach L’Aquila is of course by car. Traveling time is about the same as the bus’, not counting (obviously) any stops you might make along the way. Please keep in mind that the city center in L’Aquila has a strict ZTL area policy in effect, while there are still some parts of the city that are not open to the public due the rebuilding process.

Need some help? We’re here to take you to L’Aquila!

So, if you’re unsure about driving there yourself (or if you don’t want to rent a car/don’t have access to one) you will maybe like to book a van to take you there and back in the same day: if you’d like to receive a quote from our partners at Gianni Conti Car Service, get in touch with us today!