Castelli Romani by chauffeur: wine, villas, lakes
Frascati, Castel Gandolfo, Nemi, Ariccia and Grottaferrata: the Alban Hills towns to visit with a chauffeur, without driving after wine.
The Alban Hills towns
The Castelli Romani lie among volcanic craters, with Lake Albano and Lake Nemi, historic villas and vineyards, mostly within the Castelli Romani Regional Park. Frascati is the wine town, with Villa Aldobrandini and the Teatro delle Acque. Castel Gandolfo overlooks Lake Albano. Nemi has the Roman Ships Museum and is known for its wild strawberries. Ariccia has Bernini's Piazza di Corte, porchetta and fraschette. Grottaferrata has the Abbey of San Nilo; Genzano has the Corpus Domini Infiorata.
Why a chauffeur
The towns are spread out and better linked by car than by public transport: with a chauffeur you can combine several and whoever tastes wine or eats in a fraschetta does not drive. You cannot see them all in one day: choose three or four.
To check
The Apostolic Palace and Gardens of Castel Gandolfo are visited by booking through the Vatican Museums portal. The Frascati villas have their own rules. The towns are on hills, with narrow streets and slopes: some stretches are on foot from the drop-off point. Limited traffic zones and drop-off points are to be checked with each municipality.
When
All year. June brings the Nemi strawberries, Corpus Domini the Genzano Infiorata, September the Ariccia porchetta and October the Marino grape festival: those periods are busier.