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Rome Transfers-Time tables- Are the stairs REALLY that bad?


Sunkissed Mommy
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I have a few questions about transfers.

 

FCO to Rome. Our flight arrives at 9am on a Sunday. Realistically, how long should it take us to clear customs and all the formalities? We are looking in to:

 

a) Hiring a private transfer (Rome Cabs I am leaning toward). But I don't know what time to request them arrive to pick us up at the airport. Suggestions?

 

b) Take the train from the airport to Termini Station. Store our luggage for a couple hours while we explore the area immediately around the station. Are there crazy stairs to look out for at either the airport or Termini? We will most likely have two full sized suitcases with us. Also, what time is their "morning rush" for commuters on the trains?

 

We can't check in to our accommodations until 2pm at the earliest, so we're in no rush.

 

Rome to Civitavecchia. I have read over and over about the stairs at the Civitavecchia station and what a pain they are. I am having a hard time deciding between taking a private transfer which seems pricey at $150 and the train which would be less than $20 for the two of us. We tend to be on the thrifty side and hate the feeling of spending SO much more for the transfer. Are those stairs really impossible? We're mid-30s and my husband lifts weights regularly, maybe I can make him do the stairs with our bags?!? haha

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At the airport there are elevators and escalators so you don't need to worry about steps. There are no stairs at Termini although the left luggage office is on the lower level. There is an escalator to get down there in addition to stairs.

 

No need to worry about a commuter rush on this train, it's just coming from the airport and it makes no stops. It is usually pretty crowded, however.

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At Civitavecchia it's a full flight of stairs, about 15 of them. If you can haul your luggage up and down a full flight at home you can do it there.

 

Of course, you also have the issue of getting from the train station to the ship, which will either increase your cost or the distance you walk.

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My mother and I did both train journeys a few years ago. No, the stairs aren't that bad. The worst thing was getting from Civi train station to the port, but that has been greatly simplified by the addition of a bus connection between the 2. If my 60-something mother with wonky knees could manage the journey, then it shouldn't be a problem for 2 able-bodied 30-somethings.

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An alternative I rarely hear cruisers consider is the Cotral bus. You'd need to take the metro in Rome to the Cornelia stop and get the bus there.

 

The bus ride takes an hour and twenty minutes so this is not a fast option but the bus gets you within walking distance of the port entrance and free shuttle bus to your ship.

 

The metro fare is 1,50 euro and the bus fare is 3,90 euro.

 

There is a bus that leaves Cornelia at 11:40 AM that puts you at the port at 1 PM or an earlier one at 9:30 that arrives at 11 AM.

 

http://servizi.cotralspa.it/PercorsiTariffe

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$150 for the transfer Rome to Civi for up to 4 people is not overpriced. Yes, it is more than taking the train. But there are other considerations, like getting to the train station in Rome, and getting to the ship at Civi, that can make the transfer a very wise investment.

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My husband had broke his left wrist and right hand two days prior in alicante. We are both in our fifties but do work out daily. I managed to drag two 49 lb suitcases while he did the carryon and back packs. I brought one up then went back for other as he was going up. Not the smartest thing to do with possible thieves but hey they were welcome to dirty clothes. It was an experience getting luggage off and on train but I managed. So yes, I think two thirtysomethings can save some money for some drinks and carry those bags. Unless you have a medical condition of course.

 

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$150 for the transfer Rome to Civi for up to 4 people is not overpriced. Yes, it is more than taking the train. But there are other considerations, like getting to the train station in Rome, and getting to the ship at Civi, that can make the transfer a very wise investment.

 

I never said overpriced. If there's a less expensive option I will consider it, which is why I asked the questions.

 

We're not afraid of a bit of walking or lifting here and there. So after everyone's feedback I think we're going to try the train option. If something happens to us right before the trip and we're not in the best condition to do it, I can always reserve a car. It's great to have options.

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I never said overpriced. If there's a less expensive option I will consider it, which is why I asked the questions.

 

We're not afraid of a bit of walking or lifting here and there. So after everyone's feedback I think we're going to try the train option. If something happens to us right before the trip and we're not in the best condition to do it, I can always reserve a car. It's great to have options.

 

You called $150 "pricey". Not too different from overpriced.

 

We have traveled all though Europe by train, including the Rome/Citi area, are very familiar with what you are proposing, and we are in our 60s. It definitely can be done. My points were about wise use of time, and cost vs benefit.

 

You can't just book a company like RomeCabs any old time you feel like it. They book up during the peak season months in advance. You may find yourself with an even more expensive option, like a taxi.

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You called $150 "pricey". Not too different from overpriced.

 

 

I think there IS a difference. I might consider a restaurant "pricey" (versus inexpensive) and still see the value in eating there if the food and service warrant the cost. If one didn't see the value, then it would be "overpriced".

 

Of course, even if one understands the value, one might instead choose to eat at a less expensive restaurant and spend one's money elsewhere. Many of us do have to make choices, especially younger travelers.

 

To the OP: I am sure you can manage the train. Try to pack smart and keep your bag size as manageable as you can. Almost every time I travel, I find I pack less. ;)

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I have booked a shuttle from airport to Port for $70 for the both if us. So there is a middle priced option. I found it on the Rome airport site.

 

Is that the bus option? I saw that but wasn't sure about it because some places it said it was a 2 hour ride. Not that we're in a rush, but...

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We have used RomeCabs twice before. The first time was to go from Termini to our hotel. The driver was reaching down and talking on three different cell phones while swerving around traffic. At one point she cut in front of incoming cars. She must have seen the look on our faces and then excused herself by saying that 3 ships were in port so they were very busy. Sure, but what about our safety? :o

 

After that experience we swore we would never use them again, but we decided to give them another try and booked a transfer from Civi to our hotel in Rome while doing a tour on the way. It was wonderful. The driver was very polite and drove like a person that had the lives of other people in his hands.

 

But, just last month we booked a very pricey transfer from Rotterdam to Amsterdam cruise terminal and the driver kept looking at his cell phone while the car would move towards the other lane.

 

So as much as I hate taking trains with luggage, I hate thinking about a long drive with someone distracted. So many things can happen if you get the wrong person. It's a hit and miss. Yet more convenient than dealing with trains when you have luggage.

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I have a few questions about transfers.

 

FCO to Rome. Our flight arrives at 9am on a Sunday. Realistically, how long should it take us to clear customs and all the formalities? We are looking in to:

 

a) Hiring a private transfer (Rome Cabs I am leaning toward). But I don't know what time to request them arrive to pick us up at the airport. Suggestions?

 

b) Take the train from the airport to Termini Station. Store our luggage for a couple hours while we explore the area immediately around the station. Are there crazy stairs to look out for at either the airport or Termini? We will most likely have two full sized suitcases with us. Also, what time is their "morning rush" for commuters on the trains?

 

We can't check in to our accommodations until 2pm at the earliest, so we're in no rush.

 

Rome to Civitavecchia. I have read over and over about the stairs at the Civitavecchia station and what a pain they are. I am having a hard time deciding between taking a private transfer which seems pricey at $150 and the train which would be less than $20 for the two of us. We tend to be on the thrifty side and hate the feeling of spending SO much more for the transfer. Are those stairs really impossible? We're mid-30s and my husband lifts weights regularly, maybe I can make him do the stairs with our bags?!? haha

 

I am 70, in pretty decent shape, and have handled those Civitavecchia stairs on numerous occasions. We tend to pack heavy so it can be a challenge when I must drag 3 cases (each about 50 pounds) plus 2 carry-ons down and up those stairs. But even at my age I do manage :). But it is a consideration for many folks with mobility issues or the inability to handle their own luggage.

 

Hank

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I am 70, in pretty decent shape, and have handled those Civitavecchia stairs on numerous occasions. We tend to pack heavy so it can be a challenge when I must drag 3 cases (each about 50 pounds) plus 2 carry-ons down and up those stairs. But even at my age I do manage :). But it is a consideration for many folks with mobility issues or the inability to handle their own luggag

 

Hank

 

May I ask what you do with all the luggage while on the train? We will be carrying about the same amount of luggage. Just concerned about time getting on the train and storing luggage while on the train.

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May I ask what you do with all the luggage while on the train? We will be carrying about the same amount of luggage. Just concerned about time getting on the train and storing luggage while on the train.

 

Thought you would never ask? Forty+ years of traveling in Europe has taught us to be very security conscious with our luggage and valuables. We own a small retractable luggage cable lock with a steel cable that extends several feet and is secured by a built in combination lock. When on a train, if we can keep the luggage with us that is a good thing. But many times you will have to leave it at the end of your car (many cars have a rack or area for this purpose). When we do that we run our cable through all our pieces of luggage and secure it to something on the train. Otherwise you would really need to keep an eye on your luggage....especially as it nears a station.

 

If you just go on Amazon and search for "Luggage Cable Lock" you will pull up lots of products. Ours is retractable and there is a similar one on Amazon, but there are plenty of other devices.

 

Hank

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Thought you would never ask? Forty+ years of traveling in Europe has taught us to be very security conscious with our luggage and valuables. We own a small retractable luggage cable lock with a steel cable that extends several feet and is secured by a built in combination lock. When on a train, if we can keep the luggage with us that is a good thing. But many times you will have to leave it at the end of your car (many cars have a rack or area for this purpose). When we do that we run our cable through all our pieces of luggage and secure it to something on the train. Otherwise you would really need to keep an eye on your luggage....especially as it nears a station.

 

If you just go on Amazon and search for "Luggage Cable Lock" you will pull up lots of products. Ours is retractable and there is a similar one on Amazon, but there are plenty of other devices.

 

Hank

 

 

Great idea. On amazon looking right now. We will be on a few trains with our cruise luggage in November and this is perfect

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OP, we are in our early 60's and took the train from Civi to Rome and managed the stairs. If you are able bodied you will be able to do it.

 

I like Hlitner's idea of a cable to lock your suitcases together. The area for luggage on the train we were on was in between 2 cars, and lower than the floor of the seating area. We were lucky to have seats close to it so we could keep an eye on it, but if you were sitting mid car you would not be able to see if someone walked off with your luggage. The train we were on made many stops between Civi and Rome, so at each stop my DH went to stand by the luggage to prevent anyone from "accidentally" walking off with it.

Edited by Daisyloo
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We have used RomeCabs twice before. The first time was to go from Termini to our hotel. The driver was reaching down and talking on three different cell phones while swerving around traffic. At one point she cut in front of incoming cars. She must have seen the look on our faces and then excused herself by saying that 3 ships were in port so they were very busy. Sure, but what about our safety? :o

 

After that experience we swore we would never use them again, but we decided to give them another try and booked a transfer from Civi to our hotel in Rome while doing a tour on the way. It was wonderful. The driver was very polite and drove like a person that had the lives of other people in his hands.

 

But, just last month we booked a very pricey transfer from Rotterdam to Amsterdam cruise terminal and the driver kept looking at his cell phone while the car would move towards the other lane.

 

So as much as I hate taking trains with luggage, I hate thinking about a long drive with someone distracted. So many things can happen if you get the wrong person. It's a hit and miss. Yet more convenient than dealing with trains when you have luggage.

 

 

OMG! I'm having flashbacks to the scary taxi ride we had to the airport in Rome from our Hotel. Like you said, the cab driver is on his cell phone and weaving in and out of traffic at breakneck speeds. At one point to bypass other cars he goes into the oncoming lane and we just miss an oncoming bus. Then a little farther on, as a light turns red, he's looking down at his phone and we almost hit an old man crossing the road. If my husband hadn't yelled out I am sure the old guy would have been a goner.

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I have a few questions about transfers.

 

FCO to Rome. Our flight arrives at 9am on a Sunday. Realistically, how long should it take us to clear customs and all the formalities? We are looking in to:

 

a) Hiring a private transfer (Rome Cabs I am leaning toward). But I don't know what time to request them arrive to pick us up at the airport. Suggestions?

 

b) Take the train from the airport to Termini Station. Store our luggage for a couple hours while we explore the area immediately around the station. Are there crazy stairs to look out for at either the airport or Termini? We will most likely have two full sized suitcases with us. Also, what time is their "morning rush" for commuters on the trains?

 

We can't check in to our accommodations until 2pm at the earliest, so we're in no rush.

 

Rome to Civitavecchia. I have read over and over about the stairs at the Civitavecchia station and what a pain they are. I am having a hard time deciding between taking a private transfer which seems pricey at $150 and the train which would be less than $20 for the two of us. We tend to be on the thrifty side and hate the feeling of spending SO much more for the transfer. Are those stairs really impossible? We're mid-30s and my husband lifts weights regularly, maybe I can make him do the stairs with our bags?!? haha

 

We booked airporttransferdirect many times. Very good service . you just need to put your arrival time and they worry for pick up time.

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OMG! I'm having flashbacks to the scary taxi ride we had to the airport in Rome from our Hotel. Like you said, the cab driver is on his cell phone and weaving in and out of traffic at breakneck speeds. At one point to bypass other cars he goes into the oncoming lane and we just miss an oncoming bus. Then a little farther on, as a light turns red, he's looking down at his phone and we almost hit an old man crossing the road. If my husband hadn't yelled out I am sure the old guy would have been a goner.

 

 

We must have had the same driver from FCO once. On top of the cell phone, he decided he was getting a bit warm and took off his pullover sweater while driving.:eek:

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I am laughing reading the taxi stories. We had a driver in rome that I believe thought he was in the Mission Impossible or James Bond movies - take your pick. We were going from the piazza navona back to our air bnb and I think at one point we drove off a bridge and landed on another level. We were on the sidewalk, swerving here and there... And all the while he was chatting to my husband in Italian who was right behind him (turning around and talking to us). Luckily I had a few glasses of wine so I just said oh well...But we still laugh about it.

 

Not to say ALL taxi drivers or any driver in Rome are like this but for us, we just kept getting these ex Hollywood stunt people driving us. The next night we had Melissa McCarthy's look a like who didn't seem to know the definition of civilian traffic, stop signs...etc... She just kept driving at about maybe 60 mph through those side streets. And on the phone yelling at someone the entire time. Again, we had a lot of wine so we just thought, another action movie...:D

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I did not have any problem with the stairs carrying two suitcases , so your bodybuilder husband who is a great deal stronger then I am should find it incredible easy carrying your cases on the stairs for you.

 

When I was on the train, they did not call out any stops and the people riding the train like to close the blinds , so it would be harder to find what stop to get off if this happens, luckily for me there were still some blinds open on both sides so I could see.

 

 

I have a few questions about transfers.

 

FCO to Rome. Our flight arrives at 9am on a Sunday. Realistically, how long should it take us to clear customs and all the formalities? We are looking in to:

 

a) Hiring a private transfer (Rome Cabs I am leaning toward). But I don't know what time to request them arrive to pick us up at the airport. Suggestions?

 

b) Take the train from the airport to Termini Station. Store our luggage for a couple hours while we explore the area immediately around the station. Are there crazy stairs to look out for at either the airport or Termini? We will most likely have two full sized suitcases with us. Also, what time is their "morning rush" for commuters on the trains?

 

We can't check in to our accommodations until 2pm at the earliest, so we're in no rush.

 

Rome to Civitavecchia. I have read over and over about the stairs at the Civitavecchia station and what a pain they are. I am having a hard time deciding between taking a private transfer which seems pricey at $150 and the train which would be less than $20 for the two of us. We tend to be on the thrifty side and hate the feeling of spending SO much more for the transfer. Are those stairs really impossible? We're mid-30s and my husband lifts weights regularly, maybe I can make him do the stairs with our bags?!? haha

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