Cost from port to Rome and back?

[John Bull]

We will not get into the debate of tours vs DIY (we are long term committed DIYers) but think it might make sense to talk money. A BIRG ticket costs about 12€ ($13) per person. This single ticket covers round trip regional trains Civitavecchia to Rome PLUS unlimited use (all day) of Rome's Metro and bus system. And given normal rush hour traffic the train is often faster then a vehicle or bus transfer.

 

Hank

 

Another advantage of the train is that you can get off at one station in Rome (eg Ostiense station for Colosseum) and return from another (eg San Pietro station from Vatican). But with ships' Rome-on-your-own transfers you have to double-back to the drop-off location for the bus back to the ship, which adds an extra hike.

Disadvantages of the train are

- ship to Civi station, which involves a free bus from ship to port gate then a minor-cost shuttle or 25(?) minute walk to station.

- trains are very crowded

- you need to build in more wiggle-time by taking the second-to-last possible train back to Civi, leaving the last train as a back-up.

 

The $69 quoted by b_cruise is less than some cruise lines.

The Texan's "comfort zone" post was about terrorism, but is equally applicable to logistics such as being late back at the port.

Like Hank, we use the train - but each to their own comfort level.

 

Just my own four eggs ;)

 

JB :)

Edited December 29, 2015 by John Bull

[Hlitner]

Another advantage of the train is that you can get off at one station in Rome (eg Ostiense station for Colosseum) and return from another (eg San Pietro station from Vatican). But with ships' Rome-on-your-own transfers you have to double-back to the drop-off location for the bus back to the ship, which adds an extra hike.

Disadvantages of the train are

- ship to Civi station, which involves a free bus from ship to port gate then a minor-cost shuttle or 25(?) minute walk to station.

- trains are very crowded

- you need to build in more wiggle-time by taking the second-to-last possible train back to Civi, leaving the last train as a back-up.

 

The $69 quoted by b_cruise is less than some cruise lines.

The Texan's "comfort zone" post was about terrorism, but is equally applicable to logistics such as being late back at the port.

Like Hank, we use the train - but each to their own comfort level.

 

Just my own four eggs ;)

 

JB :)

 

4 eggs? Is that a new British colloquialism? Our best wishes to you a Julie for a very Happy New Year

Edited December 29, 2015 by Hlitner

[lovemylab]

I am another one that would opt for the train but I understand that you need to do what you're comfortable with.

 

The cheapest transfer I've seen between Civitavecchia and Rome was around 85 euros for 3 people. That is for a shared shuttle and the price is for one way. At that price, I'd likely just book a shuttle or "Rome on your own" type excursion through the cruise ship.

Edited December 29, 2015 by lovemylab

[lovemylab]

No one is making things up. This past summer, at both the Colosseum and the Vatican Museum, extra (shorter) security lines were in effect for groups of more than 8-10 with a licensed guide. Individual guided couples and smaller groups were sent to the regular security line with the DIYs. Note that I am not talking about the entry lines. I am talking about the newly added SECURITY lines which were beefed up earlier this year.

Bottom line is much slower going for cruise ship one day visitors, particularly those negotiating public transport.

 

I visited Rome this past October and the security lines at the sites you mentioned were a non-issue.

[John Bull]

4 eggs? Is that a new British colloquialism? Our best wishes to you a Julie for a very Happy New Year

 

Four eggs, four penn'orth, two cents-worth.

Different expressions with the same meaning, Hank. :)

 

Four eggs has been around for centuries, but used only by us oldies.

 

Best for the New Year to you & Kathy.

And everyone else.

Except Pompey Football Club of course :p

 

JB :)

[Hlitner]

And here I thought they called U OLDIES...."wrinklies." (not to be applied to the lovely Julie). But there is a message here for new international cruisers beyond a couple of ole friends taking advantage of CC communciations ). There are no better friends for we Americans then the Brits (and the Canadians) and we really love being around these folks. When an American has the pleasure of being with some Brits on a ship, and you want a great conversation starter, our common language is always fun.

 

Hank

Edited December 30, 2015 by Hlitner

[icequeen]

We had our first cruise of the Mediterranean last October and after having done many other Caribbean cruises, I knew that the best approach for us was to follow the same process as 'cruisemom42' and research extensively prior to getting there. We wanted to try and do as much self-touring and local transport as we possibly could and knew that the more we knew and understood about the process, the less stressful it would be. Having never been to Europe before, it was all so new but we felt that we could meet the challenge.

 

We self-toured and took local trams, trains, metros just about everywhere except for Livorno/Cinque Terre and Toulon, where we hired a guide/driver for the day as our destinations were not easy to get to from where the ship docked.

 

We were a bit nervous about our stop in Istanbul but felt that we could run into problems just about anywhere and if we paid attention to our surroundings then that was all we could do. We decided that if the ship stopped there, then we could get off an explore. We had a wonderful day and enjoyed it immensely despite the masses of people and chaos.

 

We took the train from Civitivecchia into Rome. Yes, it takes time to get to the station, wait for the train, travel the train then switch to the Metro to get to spots around Rome but we budgeted our time carefully and were able to see most of the spots we wanted within the 4 hours that we had in the city....all for the 12 euro price of a BIRG ticket. We watched all of the ship's tours loading at the pier and figured with travel time and loading and unloading, we likely saw more than they were able to as we could move much faster.

 

It was a real adventure and the train was just part of the experience. Obviously, everyone's preferences are different as a lot of people on our ship purchased a tour at every single stop. We don't like being part of a large group and at the mercy of someone else's schedule as well as the cost of all of the tours. We love doing things as cost effective as possible and getting right into the experience of riding with locals going about their day and have received many lovely tips and tricks from locals. We love what this adds to our travel adventures.

[browneyes7]

Hello

We are very interested in train info. It sounds like it is something we can do. We have just returned from Italy and Greece 6 weeks traveling on our own using B&B's. Than we got word the our POPE opened the Holy Doors. Holy smokes, we need to return to Rome before he closes them.:) We are cruising on the Vista in the Spring, so we could make it back to Rome using the train. Our initial plan was to rent a car and explore more of Tuscany. Any help would be appreciated. pcavera@mishoreline.com Bev[/QUO

 

We always take the train into Rome from Civitavecchia. We buy the BIRG ticket that includes the return trip, plus lets you ride the Metro and buses in Rome, also. It is usually about 11 euros. (It may be more now.) If you choose to see the Vatican first, get off at S. Pietro Station. It is a short walk to the Vatican from there. You can see the dome~! We usually board the train back from Rome Termini Station because it isn't crowded if you get on there. It is a long walk to Binario (Track) 27, though, so allow plenty of time. You can also get on at S. Pietro, but many times we have had to stand the whole trip back to Civitavecchia because of over crowding on the train.