Note to Mediterranean newbies

[texasgirl]

We just returned from our first Mediterranean cruise. It was a wonderful experience and I am ready to go again but I did learn a couple of important things. First, research where the departure port is from where you are flying into. For example, in Rome, it's quite an expensive cab fare from Rome to Civitavecchia. Second, in many of the ports, the ship docks at a place not convenient for alternative transportation. Examples are Dubrovnik, Livorno (Florence). Royal Caribbean offers a shuttle service to a specified drop off and pick up point but it's at a price! Even Venice offered a "private" vaporetto to San Marcos. We knew we could walk for twenty minutes and get a 72 hour vaporetto ticket that would get us anywhere we wanted to go. Just remember to add these little extras to your budget!

[drsb]

Thanks for the info. I am cruising out of Citav. after staying in Rome for a few days next year. I thought I read that there is a train from Rome to the port?

[rebeccalouise]

there is a train to the port. The problem is that you will have to take a taxi (as much as 20 Euros depending on how much they decide to gauge you) to the train station- the train (17 dollars per person)- then another taxi at the other end (one mile/ could be 5 Euros or 20 Euros depending on what you negotiate up front). The Rome airport is 30-34 minutes ride into the city (45 dollars). Then multiply this by two (for the return trip).

 

That's why I fly in and out of Venice. The tickets are more up front but the 3 Euro bus ride into the city is a deal and there is a free shuttle to provided by the cruise ship. And that is why I stay in Piazzle Roma.

[dileep]

Thanks for the info. I am cruising out of Citav. after staying in Rome for a few days next year. I thought I read that there is a train from Rome to the port?

 

We paid 130 euro + tip for 4 people for a Mercedes van limo service. After a long flight and lots of luggage it was worth it. Their are vans available outside baggage claim for 160 Euros prepaid.

[nomars_girl]

there is a train to the port. The problem is that you will have to take a taxi (as much as 20 Euros depending on how much they decide to gauge you) to the train station- the train (17 dollars per person)- then another taxi at the other end (one mile/ could be 5 Euros or 20 Euros depending on what you negotiate up front). The Rome airport is 30-34 minutes ride into the city (45 dollars). Then multiply this by two (for the return trip).

 

That's why I fly in and out of Venice. The tickets are more up front but the 3 Euro bus ride into the city is a deal and there is a free shuttle to provided by the cruise ship. And that is why I stay in Piazzle Roma.

 

There is also a train from the airport to Rome Termini and then you can pick up the train to Civitavecchia. We walked from the train station to the port in Civ. It was a bit difficult to manage our luggage at the train station since we had to go down the stairs and then up again in order to cross the tracks. I think the Express trains leave you at the right place so you don't have to do that.

[sailorschelle]

We took the train from Rome to Civ and back. We stayed in Rome pre-cruise, took a taxi to Termini (10 euro). We walked between the port and the train in Civ. About a 10 minute walk, not too bad. The price was 9 euro round trip per person. Another reason to pack light!

[Keith1010]

Thanks for posting your comments.

 

I just want to add a couple of comments.

 

As you say when you select your cruise factor in travel between airport and port. I would add to that factor in airplane travel to make sure that you can easily fly to the city of embarkation and easily fly from the city that you disembark to your home city.

 

Also, think through the port of embarkation. I always recommend that people flying to Europe plan to arrive two or more days before the trip. I recommend this because if they try to fly in the day of the cruise then if their flight is delayed or canceled they may miss the ship and even if they arrive on time they will likely encouter jet lag which to me is no way to begin a cruise. On top of that arriving early provides a wonderful opportunity to do sightseeing.

 

Third, do research on your ports of call and how your particular cruise line handles transporation. While you note that RCL charges for shuttle service between ports and the city and other cruise lines do that, there are other cruise lines that do not charge for such a service. But, regardless, do the research to know where the port is relative to what you plan to see.

 

Keith

[janellmartin]

It is amazingly easy and cheap to take the train to Civitavecchia. If you're going directly from the airport, you'll make a connection at one of the Rome terminals. If you'll already be in Rome, either walk or take a train to Termini station, then catch a train to the port. They run every half hour. Once you're in Civitavecchia, it's only a 10 minute walk to the port. Very easy and very cheap.

 

The same is true in Florence. Take the ship's bus to a downtown Livorno dropoff, then catch a bus to the train station, and a train to Florence. All told, we spent less than $100 on transportation on a 13 day cruise. Just do some research and avoid the outrageous amounts the cruise lines charge.

 

They try and scare you with the "if you don't take our tours, you might miss the boat" line, but I've never had a problem after 9 European vacations.

[texancruzer]

The Rome airport is 30-34 minutes ride into the city (45 dollars). Quote]

 

We just returned from our Med cruise. We flew into Rome for 2 nights precruise.

 

Do not count on spending $ 45.00 for a taxi ride into town. This is what I had figured on spending......in reality it was more like $ 70.00

 

I told the driver "No-No should be less" He just shrugged his shoulders.

 

Found out next day while talking to our private guide in Rome..... gas prices have risen like crazy there also. Like $ 10.00 a gallon. Also price will vary slightly depending on what time of day you get there. Evening/night prices are slightly higher. This is because if they head into town at night- chances are they will not get a return fare back to the airport (higher fare). I checked this when we got home and seems to follow suit.

 

Just an FYI.

 

Also - if staying precruise go to your roll call..... see if there is a "ride share" to the port. We did this and paid 35 euros per person (the train is 11 euros per person and much more hassle) and ended up sharing a real nice Mercedes van with only 1 other couple. Best deal of the trip.

[bunnyette]

Definately check the roll call. People are pretty good about getting together. If you want to save lots of $$$, then the train is a great option. There were free shuttles at the entrance to the port that drove you to the ship for Carnival.

 

It is a 10 minute walk but along a pleasant sea front in a nice town. I met two men in their 70's that did this route on my cruise and they said with the savings on the embarkation transport, they had more to spend on shore excursions.

[texasgirl]

Shore excursion sharing with roll call members is definitely a good way to save money too. We only did one ship tour into Taormina but our time was limited and we didn't want to risk missing the ship. After we saw the Messina traffic, we were doubly glad we opted for the ship's tour.

 

It seems like such a simple thing but when you're looking at cruises just remember - if it has a port name then a city or attraction name in parentheses, plan on extra transportation costs.

 

Regarding shuttle buses in "regular" ports, I guess checking with the cruise line directly is the best way to find out about shuttle bus charges.

[cberge]

The Rome airport is 30-34 minutes ride into the city (45 dollars). Quote]

 

We just returned from our Med cruise. We flew into Rome for 2 nights precruise.

 

Do not count on spending $ 45.00 for a taxi ride into town. This is what I had figured on spending......in reality it was more like $ 70.00

 

I told the driver "No-No should be less" He just shrugged his shoulders.

 

Found out next day while talking to our private guide in Rome..... gas prices have risen like crazy there also. Like $ 10.00 a gallon. Also price will vary slightly depending on what time of day you get there. Evening/night prices are slightly higher. This is because if they head into town at night- chances are they will not get a return fare back to the airport (higher fare). I checked this when we got home and seems to follow suit.

 

 

.

The cost for a cab ride from the airport into Rome is about 45 EURO not dollars and that translates to about 65 DOLLARs give or take a few.I find this is a mistake a lot of people make if not used to the Euro nor is the rising cost of the Euro vs the dollar taken into account.I just came back from a trip and prices have risen a lot in a year as well as the devalued dollar makes for an expensive trip.Cab fares also start with waiting times if they are called and there is a luggage charge as well.Just another FYI.

[blambition]

I have heard that many restaurants will add a tip to your total bill in Europe so you should check before adding an additional one. May I ask what is considered an appropriate amount to tip on a taxi or limo service ride? We have set up with Romecabs for transfers and their prices seem to be in line with most within a couple of Euro. They have been very nice to work with on the reservation. Thanks for any advice.

Vicki

[texasgirl]

We used Romecabs twice during our trip. I'd use them again anytime. We rounded up a couple of euros for tip. Literature I'd read precruise said tips aren't expected and rounding up to the next euro was sufficient. There were 2 of us and we paid 15 euros each on a 43 euro quote.

[cberge]

I have heard that many restaurants will add a tip to your total bill in Europe so you should check before adding an additional one. May I ask what is considered an appropriate amount to tip on a taxi or limo service ride? We have set up with Romecabs for transfers and their prices seem to be in line with most within a couple of Euro. They have been very nice to work with on the reservation. Thanks for any advice.

Vicki

 

They do not add a "tip" per se...they add a service charge,and if it is added it will be noted on the bottom of the bill you receive.It is up to you if you want to leave something more.If the waiter/service was very good leave a few extra Euro or round up.In some countries this is mandatory so you will find the service charge on most bills..if in doublt just ask. 10% is rule of thumb for tipping,and tipping is appreciated by most in the service industry just like here,but it is not expected as much as it is here.

[English Tim]

Of course, we could all stay at home and not have the worry about doing this, that or the other, but travelling is all about experiencing different cultures and their way of doing things.

 

One thing is for sure, loads of us have done it before, so a good search on these fora will provide the answers to most questions.

 

Just don't ask about tipping!

[cberge]

Of course, we could all stay at home and not have the worry about doing this, that or the other, but travelling is all about experiencing different cultures and their way of doing things.

 

One thing is for sure, loads of us have done it before, so a good search on these fora will provide the answers to most questions.

 

Just don't ask about tipping!

I was going to say your last statement or oh no the tipping question again,but since I got slammed for saying it before I thought I would answer it this time...it does open the thread up doesn't it???:D :D

[DavidandPaula]

We did a cruise from Rome in July with a day pre cruise and 3 days post cruise in Rome.

 

I had spent a lot of time looking at other posts on the boards to try to plan as much in advance as possible. Maybe our experience can help others.

 

Flew in from London and caught the Express at just on midday. We were heading for a B&B to the North of Villa Borghese.

First leg was to Termini, train comfortable but it is quite a step up into the train and large cases can be a real problem and we had one LARGE case plus several smaller pieces of luggage. Once on the train the luggage "racks" were already full so we had to park them out of peoples way and also somewhere we could keep an eye on them. At Termini it is the same struggle to get them off the train. Price was very reasonable.

 

At Termini we had to find the entry to the Metro to travel around to Flaminia. Escalator down to the platform and train easy to access but I would not try it in busy times. At Flaminia we had to transfer stations to the Nord line. It is a typical metro station so expect a 50/50 mix of stairs and escalators to get up to the street level. On entry and exit you have to go through turnstiles and that can be a bit of a hassle.

 

The Nordt line train had an even bigger climb to get into the train, quite a struggle. At Euclide we had 50 plus steps to street level and then a few very steep hills to get to the B&B. By that stage we were exhausted but proud of achieving our goal. Weather was HOT HOT HOT which also was a big issue for the whole trip.

 

Next day we caught a "taxi" to the ship. Had planned for a train ride but piked after the first day. If you are going to go by train go to Termini by taxi and catch the train there. At Civitavecchia, depending on which train you catch, you may have to go down some steps and along under the tracks and up a set of steps to get to the street. 39 steps I am told. Once in the street it is a simple walk to the port entry, flat until go get to the port gate. At some stage you will have to cross the main road and do that with care. If you look unsure the drivers will ignore you, so establish some sort of eye contact and step out when there is a bit of a lull and you should be okay. There are crossings but no stop lights at them unless you want to walk about a km away from the port to cross the road. At the first crossing get across to the sea side of the road. At the port gate you enter and to the left is the shuttle bus area to catch a bus to the pier. What we did was to be driven all the way from Gallerie Borghese back to our B&B, load the luggage and sit back until the driver dropped us outside the embarkation processing tent. The Rolls Royce was great if a bit dated and at 120 euros a bargain but that was pure luck to pick up such a "taxi"

 

Coming back you just reverse the process. If you can get a hotel near Termini it does simplify things but if not think about a taxi for that part of the trips.

 

We of course picked up a "taxi" as we walked to the station at Civitavecchia and for 100 euros were driven to our B&B. That trip was one of my lifetime experiences. Good car, driver had the shakes from lack of nicotine until we wound the windows down and let him have a smoke. He took us through the back streets of Civit until I thought we were being kidnapped. At the Rome end of the trip I did the map reading and showed him the way to our B&B with the assistance of his "friend" back at Civit with whom we were in contact via mobile. Do not recommend this method at all.

 

When we left Rome we had a problem as our flight back to London was so early that the trains were not running. The people at the B&B lined us up with a Mercedes and driver for 60 euros to take us to the airport.

 

On our trip we were most impressed by the public transport in London, Rome and Athens. Clean, reliable and cheap in most cases and miles better than what we get here in Melbourne Australia.

 

David