Help! Rome seasoned traveler?

[Eventide331]

I hope someone can help me with my question! We are arriving in Rome a week prior to our cruise departure on May 28th. We purchased the transfers from FCO to the ship. Now for the question... how do I get to baggage claim without going into the airport? We are going to be with a tour group that will be heading back to the states and we are going to be going on the cruise to Greece. I must assume that the others will be dropped off at "departure" area but what shall we request? Arrivals? I have never been to Rome so I don't know what the "lay of the land" is like and how to maneuver the airport. Has anyone ever had a similar situation? Someone who is seasoned traveler to Rome??? Are you out there? Thank you so much!

[CruiserBruce]

If you mean you where will be meeting your bus/group, it will be outside baggage claim, not in the baggage area. You should meet the group in the "Meeting Area" at Terminal 3, which is outside in the public area.

 

This sounds like you are returning to the airport to catch your bus. Correct? You know there are easier ways to do this?

[aquilegia]

This sounds like you are returning to the airport to catch your bus. Correct? You know there are easier ways to do this?

 

I'm making this assumption too, though I found your post a bit confusing. No-one is allowed into the baggage claim area at any airport unless they have just got off a flight. You will need to meet the people who are going on your cruise after they have claimed their baggage and emerged into the public area. I would expect there to be a Princess rep there waiting for them.

[Eventide331]

I'm sorry if I was confusing. You were perceptive enough to figure out my garbled post! Yes, we are heading back to the airport with the group that we are going to be touring with for the Rome portion of our trip. This Rome tour is not a cruise. The other members of our party have flights back to the USA and we thought we would go to the airport with them and catch the transfer to the ship. We have already paid for our transfer. Are we able to get a cancelation on our transfer? You mentioned easier ways to do this and I am open to suggestions! I have never been to Rome and don't know where the cruise port is in relation to the airport etc. Once I have been to a port, it is always so much easier to handle the logistics. Thank you so much for your suggestions!!

[Eventide331]

Yes, I do realize that about entering "baggage claim" in airports:) That is why I was confused as to how to do this. We did something similar at the airport in Houston as we were taking a cruise out of Galveston after a family wedding. It was kind of crazy trying to get to our transfer. We didn't enter the airport but finding the location of where we were to meet our cruise bus was a bit challenging. With the language barrier etc of being in Europe, I am wondering if I should cancel my transfer and opt for another mode of travel to the port. I am not sure at this late time I can cancel my transfer. Do you know if that is allowed?

Thank you for your help!

[CruiserBruce]

As mentioned, the likely place to meet your ship transfer is the Meeting Area in Terminal 3.

 

Doing some reading on this board would reveal the port is about an hour from the airport. There are many vendors for private transportation- however, don't use a taxi, it is the most expensive. The private transport will get you there much quicker. You may have to wait an extended time for your ship's board to fill before departing. Or, if you are feeling energetic, you can save a lot of money taking the train.

[Eventide331]

thank you for the suggestions. Way too much luggage to take the train:) Also, a little concerned about pick pocket on public transportation.

 

I will actually be in Perugia the day I depart so I am trying to determine if I should avoid going to FCO and using the ships transfer as I had planned or just getting shuttle or private service to get me to the port. I called TA and find I can cancel the transfer without a penelty of any sort. That may be the best bet and not such a hassle. I think I could completely avoid Rome and all the traffic. Gotta love that! Now just to determine if I can get good, trustworthy company to get me from Perugia to the port. I need to research some more. You have been a great help and if we end up going with the group to FCO, I will ask to be dropped off at the meeting place at Terminal 3.

 

Thanks so much for your help!

[euro cruiser]

Unless you want to spend a lot of money on this transfer you'll be better off going with the group to the airport as you planned. Check on a map and you'll see that Perugia is more than 100 miles north of Civitavecchia and even further north of the airport.

 

As in most large airports, arrivals is on the ground level and departures is one flight up. If your group is dropped off at the departures level of Terminal 3 all you'll need to do is get yourselves down one flight.

 

All international flights come out of one set of doors from customs on the lower level of Terminal 3 (dogana, it Italian), so if you wait right there (along with all the limo drivers) your group will have to walk right by you.

 

You can see and download maps of the airport from their web site, which may help you orient yourself: http://www.adr.it/web/aeroporti-di-roma-en-/pax-fco-airport-map

[Eventide331]

Thank you so much for your response. Yes, I think you are exactly correct about it being less expensive to go with the group. I am looking into the possibility of taking a transfer from Perugia directly to Civitavecchia. Not sure how much that will be but if it is close in price, it would be wonderful to shave off the travel time in Rome traffic. I can actually bypass Rome altogether. We will have spent a week there and I will have seen the main sights...at least the touristy sights anyway.

Blessings!

[ksps cruise fan]

I will actually be in Perugia the day I depart so I am trying to determine if I should avoid going to FCO and using the ships transfer as I had planned or just getting shuttle or private service to get me to the port.

 

Since you're going to be in Perugia, I assume you will have stayed in a hotel. Write the concierge of your hotel and ask him/her to give you a quote for a sedan transfer. We just arranged a transfer from FCO airport to our hotel in Rome this way since the price we were quoted was 10 Euros less than the starting price asked by Context Travel's transfer services.

 

I definitely wouldn't book a car service through your TA. He/she will contact an Italian travel agency who will, in turn, contact a driver service. Lots of people needing to take a cut of the fee in that scenario.

 

There are two transfer services that are often mentioned on this board, Rome in Limo and RomeCabs, but, I think you'll do better financially using a service that is local to Perugia.

 

FWIW, I've provided the contact information of the Association of Guides in Umbria below. This group may be able to supply the name of local Perugia transfer service and you could contact that company directly:

 

Associazione Guide dell'Umbria

Via Dono Doni 18/B

06081 Assisi

tel. 075/815228 fax 075/815229

http://www.assoguide.it

info@assoguide.it

 

We've used a guide from this organization in the past and we'll be using him again on our upcoming trip, but we've never used any transfer services in Umbria.

[Eventide331]

Wow... I think you are right about too many people involved who must make a cut. I had not thought of that:) Your response was so nice. Thank you for taking time to share this information.

 

Blessings

[luvtheships]

Wow... I think you are right about too many people involved who must make a cut. I had not thought of that:) Your response was so nice. Thank you for taking time to share this information.

 

Blessings

I am really not following your scenario..but is this it?

 

The tour group will bring you to FCO..but you want to go to Civitavechhia?

 

Why not go to the airport and just make sure you get your luggage off the bus and have a driver waiting for you there? The driver can take you to the ship.

 

I have no clue if this is what you are asking though...sorry.

[ksps cruise fan]

Thank you so much for your response. Yes, I think you are exactly correct about it being less expensive to go with the group. I am looking into the possibility of taking a transfer from Perugia directly to Civitavecchia. Not sure how much that will be but if it is close in price, it would be wonderful to shave off the travel time in Rome traffic. I can actually bypass Rome altogether. We will have spent a week there and I will have seen the main sights...at least the touristy sights anyway.

Blessings!

 

 

Actually, if I understand your plans, your land group tour will be driven by bus from Perguia to the FCO airport. The rest of the group will fly home while you will make your way to Civitavecchia for a cruise. Assuming that's true, the transfer from Perguia will deposit the group at the departure entrance since they are, in fact, departing. All that means in a practical sense is that you'll have to get yourself to the typical pick up place for sedan services or have a very specific arrangement with your car service for an atypical pick-up at FCO.

 

Using the already-paid-for transfer from Perugia to the airport and, then, going the rest of the way privately will be your cheapest arrangement as everyone is telling you. Mapquest says that the trip takes between Perugia and the airport take 2 hours 15 minutes and 3 hours. (I used Piazza Partigiani, a central spot in Perugia, as my starting point.) That's a lot of distance you'll be going for "free" -- or at least you've already paid for it in the basic price of your group trip.

 

Don't worry about Rome traffic. Sure the volume of traffic will increase as you approach Rome, but you can be assured that the transfer from Perugia to FCO will not go through Rome itself! There's a good ring road around the city. Transfer companies -- bus or sedan -- don't want to drive through Rome traffic any more than you do.

 

Both the airport and the port are on the coast. The trip between FCO and Civitavecchia, even by taxi will be significantly shorter and cheaper than a similar trip from Perugia. The taxi has the advantage of not having to arrange an atypical meet up with a private driver.

 

I'll gently add that if you're bringing more than a 24" suitcase and a manageable-size carry on, you're bringing too much luggage. You can get your week's worth of land-trip laundry done on the ship the second day of the cruise. The price of some shipboard laundry will be cheaper than a private driver from Perugia even though I've given you a strategy for a less-expensive option through your hotel concierge.