Place to swim in Rome?

I went to Rome a couple of months ago. The pool I went to is A.S. Centro Nuoto. It's 25m, in the basement of another building. It's nothing too special, but they have a pace clock and a lot of open swim options. They have a master's team, but I just did a drop in for 9 Euro (as the site states). My wife and I stayed near the Villa Borghese and the trip out to this pool was around 45 minutes to an hour, using the directions on the swimmer's guide. There was another 25m pool and sports complex by our hotel, The Roman Sport Center, but the drop in rate was 26 Euro (almost 40 bucks when we were there). So we opted to get out of the city center and adventure out to the burbs to see the much cheaper pool and get away from tourists for a while. Now, here's something you might like to know: you are supposed to have a medical certificate to swim in many pools there. But, as I understand it, many places don't really enforce or check. That was my experience in going out to the smaller pool mentioned above. There was a sign on the wall, but they didn't ask me for my medical cert. But that's one man's experience with one pool, so YMMV. If you're going to be there for 3 months, you might look into the certificate thing anyway. It might open up more pool and/or team options for you.

I have not swam in Rome in years, but there are a few outdoor 50m pools. One was used for the 1983 European Champ's, the other is called Acqua Acetosa - I had a training camp there once.

P.S. Thanks for the heads-up re: medical certificate—I'll be sure to get one before I leave. You might want to make sure you can use one from the US. I'm not sure whether or not you get it from an Italian doctor or not.

Thanks, Mazzy. I'll definitely look around to see if I can find a pool with monthly/quarterly membership. My comment on the expense was based on the pools listed in Swimmers' Guide, some of which charge 20 euros or more for a single visit! The long bus rides will give me a chance to practice my execrable Italian :). I know the weather can be very pleasant in Italy in fall. We spent the month of October 2006 in Bellagio, and except for the last week when it rained a lot, I swam in the lake every day.

I have just returned from wonderful Rome, stayed between the Campo di Fiori and the Plaza Navona. My daughter managed to get pool passes to the indoor pool near the Olympic pool (closed for coming meet preparations) but we never used them, having too much fun in Rome.

Thank you both for your replies. I'll definitely try the Centro Nuoto, altho it'll probably be a lengthy bus ride for me as well (we're staying in the Campo de' Fiori). My understanding is that most of the outdoor pools will be closed by the time we arrive (October). From what I've read so far, it seems swimming in Italy is quite different from here—much more expensive, and fewer public options. P.S. Thanks for the heads-up re: medical certificate—I'll be sure to get one before I leave. Rome isn't Miami o SD, in october the weather can be very nice (sunny, high in mid 70s early, but can be wet and cooler, with low in mid-low 50s ) so no outdoor pools after mid-late september, and outdoor pools are (nearly) all for leasure, not for training. Swimming in Rome and in Italy isn't expensive, I'm sure that in downtown NYC or LA the fitness center are more expensive. I think that the real problem is to find a decent pool not crowded by mid-age people more slow that a stone or a pool that is open early in the morning if you like to train early in the day. Nearly all the fitness center usually have monthly, quartely membership around 80-100 euro for month. The older districts have no pool at all, more you move away the better center you can find, the best center with pool are on the norther part of the city, but without a car, they're pretty hard to get.

Thank you both for your replies. I'll definitely try the Centro Nuoto, altho it'll probably be a lengthy bus ride for me as well (we're staying in the Campo de' Fiori). My understanding is that most of the outdoor pools will be closed by the time we arrive (October). From what I've read so far, it seems swimming in Italy is quite different from here—much more expensive, and fewer public options. P.S. Thanks for the heads-up re: medical certificate—I'll be sure to get one before I leave.

If you are staying downtown again there aren't too many options. If you are near Villa Borghese, Roman Sport Center is offering a special for 100 euro a month. I would email for details. www.romansportcenter.com/.../ Not a bad walk from Campo dei Fiori if that is where you will be again. I think my niece is there right now and may be swimming while she is there. I'll see if I can find out anything more for you. I recall seeing someone in the blogs saying they were swimming in Rome in the last week or two. It really depends on where you are staying. I would try a monthly membership if I were there that long. The daily gets rather pricey. Good luck and let us know how you make out.

So it's back to Rome again this fall for another 3 months, and I really, really want to swim this time. I was hoping that someone might have some more up-to-date information as to where I might try. I visited a couple of pools last time—the Centro Sportino Aventino and the Foro Italico—but for various reasons (medical certificate, other paperwork, expense) I never did get to swim. This time I'm determined to do (and pay) whatever it takes. Anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks, Franco. I had looked at the Roman Sports Center listing on Swimmer's Guide, but hadn't clicked on the link, so I didn't know about the special. It's ordinarily 20 euros a swim, which as I'm sure you know, is around US$30! It'd be great if they're still offering the special in October, which is when I arrive. I think I could probably walk there from Campo de' Fiori in about forty minutes, which beats going to the Foro Italico, which took me an hour last time by bus and tram. There's also a mini bus that goes from the Campo to Villa Borghese, so that would be another way to get there. Please let me know if you hear anything more from your niece.