Civitavecchia Transfers tip!

[Miss1stCruise]

We booked our own airfares for our recent Venice/Rome. When it came to disembarkation at Civitavecchia we asked at the destinations desk on the ship about organising a taxi to Ciampino (sp?) airport - we were quoted nearly $700 for four of us!!!!

 

I then went on the internet and found http://www.italylimousine.com/ and booked a taxi through them for 220 Euros - so much cheaper and I would recommend them - they arrived on time and the driver was great. Just a shame the Rome traffic was against us and caused and hour trip to be an hour and three quarters but we still made our flight.

 

Just thought this might be useful info for future cruisers.

[Aussie Gal]

We also organized a private limousine company to pick us up from the dock to take us to Rome airport. The cost was $120US and we used Bob's limousines. Bob is an American by the way. http://www.romelimousines.com

 

We also had a hold up but managed to make our 12.30pm flight on time. I think the road between the airport and Civitavecchia seems to always have hold ups or accidents so allow plenty of time.

 

Jennie

[Napi's Mom]

While in Rome we needed transport TO the Dock from 2 different hotels, with fellow Cruise Critic passengers. She arranged for us to be transported by Rome Cabs....we were given a small tour of the city before leaving Rome to the dock. Our driver was owner Stefano...who does sightseeing tours also. Was dressed in a suit (and VERY handsome) and very knowledgable, especially about Etruscan catacombs, and other sites, which he discussed with us on our trip. We had all this , 2 hotel pickup and van rather than limo, (which for more than 2 is too small) and great driver, for 140 E. for all 4 of us (about 80$ per couple with tip). He obviously does trip in reverse to Rome also.

[mackie]

...220 euros equals almost $300, doesn't it?!?!?! :eek: That seems hugely expensive to me! Am I figuring it out wrong?

 

Thanks!

Mackie

[Petoonya]

OK, call me a cheapskate but we have done transfers via Trenitalia for 7E.

No, guided tours, no Etruscan ruins but economical and speedy, even tho I always worry about strikes.

But it is cost efficient!

[Napalover1]

Petoonya - we did the same thing. :) It was certainly so much more economical and very quick. We ordered our tickets online which was quite efficient. If you have large luggage, you simply put it in the luggage rack by the doors.

[lahore]

That's what we were planning to do. Whilst i am consdering a shared ride with someone on the roll call board, we are waiting on a third couple. If that doesn't eventuate we are still perfectly happy to catch the train. I couldn't quite work out why NOBODY seemed prepared to do that. We have caught trains in some much rougher countires than Italy so I didn't get it. Can you tell me, how did you get from the Civitavecchia train station to the port - is it walking distance (with one large wheely bag each) or did you cab it? Thanks.

[aicruiser]

It's quite a long walk from the port to the train station; 20 min? We did it without luggage no problem when we were there for the day, but it depends on how much you are carrying and how physically fit you are. Cab would not be expensive, maybe a 5 min ride.

 

aicruiser

[Miss1stCruise]

...220 euros equals almost $300, doesn't it?!?!?! :eek: That seems hugely expensive to me! Am I figuring it out wrong?

 

Thanks!

Mackie

 

I thought that was cheap compared to what Oceania wanted to charge us! Also at the time I didn't have the chance to shop around as I was on the ship and it was only a couple of days before we disembarked and with the internet rates being so expensive on the ship if I had shopped around online it would have probably ended up costing me the $700!!!!

 

Train wasn't an option for us I am afraid so taxi it was:)

 

I was just letting other people know about the company we used seems like I was wasting my time!

[lahore]

Thank you for that info. We are fit enough - well my partner is big and strong anyway. But there's always the weather to contend with. It's good to know we can walk it if we have to. I presume there are plenty of taxis floating around in Civitavecchia?

 

Wow, $700 - that's almost as much as our airfare to Rome! What a total ripoff.

[Aussie Gal]

I thought that was cheap compared to what Oceania wanted to charge us! Also at the time I didn't have the chance to shop around as I was on the ship and it was only a couple of days before we disembarked and with the internet rates being so expensive on the ship if I had shopped around online it would have probably ended up costing me the $700!!!!

 

Train wasn't an option for us I am afraid so taxi it was:)

 

I was just letting other people know about the company we used seems like I was wasting my time!

 

You are never wasting your time when you post valuable information. Some people will disregard it and others will use it. That is what is so wonderful about these Boards. There is such a cross section of people who read them and everyone is so different.

 

Don't give up on giving out information.

 

Jennie

[lahore]

Wow, $700 - that's almost as much as our airfare to Rome! What a total ripoff.

 

Miss1stcruise you will see above that I was agreeing with you that $700 was a totally crazy price - please don't be offended that what you paid is also too much for me, as Aussiegirl says, each to their own and I was pleased to see other people discussing the train, I was beginning to think I was the only person considering it. At least you didn't have to pay the $700 and you got something that was acceptable to your budget, so good on you :), and no doubt there are other people out there who would want to book the transfer you took.

[almtyrob]

I'm looking at the possibility of a 10AM flight from Rome on disembarkation day. Scheduled to arrive port at 5AM. Is this feasible or am I nuts to think it MAY work? I can take the comments.

Rob:)

[Aussie Gal]

Rob,

 

It does depend on what time you are allowed to leave the ship. We left at 8am for a 12.30pm flight. We were met straight away by our limo driver and started the trip to the airport. Half way along - it is 4 lane highway - we came to a standstill and did not move for nearly an hour. Apparently this is quite normal as I have read of it happening recently on this Board. Our trip was in 2004!

 

We finally arrived at the airport around 11am. We were flying Business at the time so we able to check in and go straight to the gate. If we had been in Economy, I doubt if we would have had enough time.

 

Rome airport is not like the airports we are used to such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Sydney and Melbourne which are very easy to use, everyone queues up in the correct places and everything runs smoothly. Rome airport is chaotic.

 

If I were you, I would be seriously considering changing your flight to later unless you can disembark almost immediately the ship docks.

 

Jennie

[SRQ 47]

That's what we were planning to do. Whilst i am consdering a shared ride with someone on the roll call board, we are waiting on a third couple. If that doesn't eventuate we are still perfectly happy to catch the train. I couldn't quite work out why NOBODY seemed prepared to do that. We have caught trains in some much rougher countires than Italy so I didn't get it. Can you tell me, how did you get from the Civitavecchia train station to the port - is it walking distance (with one large wheely bag each) or did you cab it? Thanks.

 

Couple of things to consider:

 

To get to the train station you have to go down a long set of narrow stairs (there is no ramp).

 

To get to the airport you first have to take the train into Rome and then catch a different train all the way back to the airport. Can be done but allow a whole ton of extra time. When you do arrive at the airport it is a long haul from the train station to check-in (up and down escalators etc.).

 

For what it is worth the person who found port to airport transfer for 200 euros for four people and luggage ended up getting a very good deal. The train will be about 14 euros a person but could take over 4 hours door to door depending on connections. Been there, done that and not worth it to ever do it again in my opinion. Check the schedules - you may get lucky and find a direct train from airport to port but it is not a heavily travelled route so they don't run it very often if at all anymore.

[lahore]

Tks SRQ47, but speaking for us, we are staying in Rome for two weeks before we board the ship, so we have plenty of time on the day of departure and won't be going airport - Rome - port; just Rome -Port. And we are train fans anyway, last cruise from Beijing to Hong Kong we caught the 26 hour train from Hong Kong to Beijing, so I don't think this little trip is going to worry us in comparison to that, which was a brilliant experience. I am very lucky, in that I have a partner built like a tank - so the stairs won't be my problem ;); even without him though, I find wheelie suitcases bump downstairs quite well, which might go some way to explain why I keep killing suitcases.

 

Oh, by the way I did check the online train schedules and there are many trains Rome -Civitavecchia daily, so anyone considering it do check that out (also in Lonely Planet and 'Day by day' guides)

[SRQ 47]

Tks SRQ47, but speaking for us, we are staying in Rome for two weeks before we board the ship, so we have plenty of time on the day of departure and won't be going airport - Rome - port; just Rome -Port. And we are train fans anyway, last cruise from Beijing to Hong Kong we caught the 26 hour train from Hong Kong to Beijing, so I don't think this little trip is going to worry us in comparison to that, which was a brilliant experience. I am very lucky, in that I have a partner built like a tank - so the stairs won't be my problem ;); even without him though, I find wheelie suitcases bump downstairs quite well, which might go some way to explain why I keep killing suitcases.

 

Oh, by the way I did check the online train schedules and there are many trains Rome -Civitavecchia daily, so anyone considering it do check that out (also in Lonely Planet and 'Day by day' guides)

 

It is Airport-Civitavecchia that is the route that I don't think they run.

 

The stairs from the station up to the road is the quick way to go. You can wander around the streets and bypass the stairs but I don't know how to give you directions. FYI there is a grocery/wine/liquor store and in door small mall quite close to the train station (300 or 400 yards in opposite direction of port) where we picked up supplies for our room. To the best of our knowledge this was the closest big store to the ship.

 

We are also train fans - just not with all the luggage we tend to bring with us (two bags each + 1 carry on each) which is a pain in the you know what on trains. Perhaps one day we will learn to pack light. Our best experience so far was the trains in Switzerland - bottle of wine and hunk of cheese and instant dinner/lunch while we went from town to town on day trips.

[lahore]

Thanks again SRQ47, the info about the place in CVT where you can buy supplies is much appreciated; some soft drink for the cabin is always something I like to do just for convenience.

[mackie]

We're going to Rome for a couple of days before the cruise, which leaves at 8 p.m. So I'm thinking that it sounds like taking the train from Rome to the port is a very good idea.

 

Just maybe get a cab from the train to the port since I don't think we'll want to walk with a couple of bags each.

 

Sound good? Not too expensive? What do you think?

And do you think we'll have any trouble just going to the train station and get the ticket then?

 

Mackie

[lahore]

Hi Mackie - I don't know as I've never been there before, but I do a great deal of research before I go anywhere, devouring travel guides. From my understanding there should be no problem, but I think you can book online via www.trenitalia.it and we will probably do that just to be sure.

[farm girl]

Hello,

 

My husband and I always use the train system in Italy. We have taken the train from Rome to Civitavecchia and from Civitavecchia back to Rome. We have had no problems. If you are going from Civitavecchia to Rome buy your ticket at the Civitavecchia train station, it is easy to do because it is a small train station. If you are going from Rome to Civ. make sure you have plenty of time to purchase your ticket because sometimes the lines are long and confusing at the Rome train station. (That is why we buy all our train tickets on line if possible). Make sure you punch the ticket before you get on the train!

After we departed Oceania on Saturday, April 28th, 2007, and collected our luggage, there was a free bus that took us out of the port. From there we took our time and walked about 10 minuted to the train station. I did not see any taxi's but it was 7:15am. There were a few of us taking the train that day. There are steps at the Civitavecchia train station so just take your time.

A couple of years ago, we took the train to Civitavecchia and from there we took a taxi to the port. It was very reasonable. I think it would be difficult to walk from the train station to the ship unless you know exactly where your ship is docked. Have fun.

[mackie]

I went to the train site that lahore told us about, but I ccan't find if there is a link for the site in English. Not trying to be a self centered American. I just can't read it.

 

Help, please?

[Aussie Gal]

Here is my link to the Trentitalia train services in English. From this page you can reach any of the other pages.

 

http://www.trenitalia.com/en/orari_biglietti/index.html

 

Good luck.

 

Jennie

[lahore]

Sorry Mackie; and thanks Aussie Gal - from another Aussie

[mackie]

The link helped. I don't know why I had trouble finding the English version.

 

Thanks to you both...isn't cruisecritic a great website?!!!