“It’s not that far, we can walk.”
The walk:

After booking a glorious 10-quid Ryanair flight to Rome, I went on Google Maps to check how far away the airport was to the city. Lo and behold, Ciampino Airport sits right beside the Via Appia Antica (Appian Way), the oldest highway from the ancient Roman republic, dating back two millennia. My friend and I scrolled through pictures of the old road lined with majestic stone pines and ruins and immediately agreed that we would walk the Via Appia Antica to the airport on our last day.

9:00

We left our Airbnb in Trastevere at 9:00 and headed across the River Tiber (Tevere). We stopped for a caffè and continued along the river until we reached the Ponte Palatino, at which point we veered south east and cut across the Circo Massimo to Viale delle Terme di Caracalla. This road branches off into the Via di Porta San Sebastiano which, as its name suggests, leads to the Porta San Sebastiano, the largest gate passing through the Aurelian Walls. The gate was originally named Porta Appia as this is where the Via Appia entered the city of Rome.

10:41

At 10:41 we passed through the Porta San Sebastiano and finally ended up on the Via Appia Antica. The sidewalk had long disappeared, so we treaded carefully along the shoulder until we reached the Chiesa del Domine Quo Vadis, the church where St. Peter supposedly met Jesus while fleeing Rome. In fact, there are two footprints on a marble slab in the church that are thought to be left by Jesus. Unfortunately, I didn’t learn about the significance of this church until recently.

Anyway, the road splits here with the Via Appia Antica continuing on the left, Via Ardeatina on the right and a paved private road in the middle that enters the Catacombe di San Callisto (Catacombs of St. Callixtus). Since we didn’t feel like walking beside car traffic anymore, we chose the paved road and were pleasantly surprised by rows and rows of olive trees. Just keep in mind that the gate is closed on Wednesdays.

We exited the catacomb site and continued our journey on the Via Appia. Shortly after, the small cobblestones, characteristic of the Roman city centre, gave way to the large, smooth stones of the original Via Appia.

11:56

We stopped at the Appia Antica Caffè around noon for some sandwiches and a bathroom break. Of course we couldn’t head out without a shot of digestivo for the road. As we left the café, we caught the first glimpses of sunshine on what was otherwise a cloudy day.

13:01

Apart from being a historic wonder and an absolute feat of engineering, the Via Appia is also the perfect place for a photoshoot. Away from the bustling city, it is not unusual to go long stretches without encountering another human being; it’s like a tourist attraction without the tourists. Tall pines and cypress trees frame the never-ending stone path, which is dotted with ancient monuments, tombs and mausoleums. In the distance, old Roman aqueducts line the horizon; it doesn’t get much more scenic than this.

To top it off, a group of cats seemed to appear out of nowhere to greet us as we were taking pictures.

15:18

After just over 6 hours, we made it to Via dell’Aeroscalo, and the transition from antiquity to modernity was more than abrupt. Soon we were back to walking on the tiny road margin as cars passed beside us (probably wondering what we were doing there because who walks to an airport??). Crossing to the small traffic divider on Via Appia Nuova (New Appian Way) and almost getting hit by a turning car seemed like the most perfect, poetic contrast between old and new. In the end, we made it safely to Ciampino airport with two hours to spare. Success.

I still think about this walk from time to time as it’s definitely one of my most memorable endeavours. We used the Via Appia exactly as it was intended to be used, as a road, a mode of transport to get to our destination, and I think that’s so cool. Not only that, but we did it for something as time sensitive as catching a flight, while carrying our luggage, and my friend might’ve been sick with covid. Truly an unforgettable experience.