Rome: Is the train really the way to go?

[DDawson]

We are splashing out on our pre and post cruise hotels in 3 different cities and so I was looking for ways to cut other costs just a little. We have enjoyed using the train in several European cities and obviously a lot of people use the train to get from the airport to central Rome and from Rome to Civitavecchia. But I'm wondering if it's worth it?

 

Train from airport to Rome Termini x 2= 22 euro. We will be staying at the Albergo del Senato which is not really walking distance from Termini with luggage, so at Termini we would still have to grab a taxi - maybe another 10+ euro. So I'm looking at about 32-35 euro for the train vs 40-45 euro for a pre arranged private car pick up. Private car seems the way to go I think.

 

Travel to the port is not quite so simple to figure out. Again, the taxi from our hotel to Termini, train tickets to Civitavecchia and if the weather is nice (we are going late October) we can walk to the port entrance and pick up the shuttle (if running). If it's raining, then add on the cost of another taxi. So again we are looking at about 35 -40 euro (if raining) for the train and about 55 -60 if we join a group on a private transfer.

 

While trains can be fun and enriching, for the price difference I'm not thinking it's worth the hassle. However, if I'm looking at this wrong or if my prices on the train travel are wrong, I would love for someone to tell me differently.

 

Thanks for the help,

[ab0si]

Assuming you will be arriving at FC during "normal" hours (i.e., no taxi surcharge), it is likely to be cheaper to take a taxi directly to your hotel than a train to Termini and a taxi from there. If I could get a pre-arranged car service for 40 euros, that would be my choice (I am assuming you have "cruise luggage" so a bus from termini to the hotel would be less than pleasant).

 

No comment on getting to the port.

[GSPLover]

We are splashing out on our pre and post cruise hotels in 3 different cities and so I was looking for ways to cut other costs just a little. We have enjoyed using the train in several European cities and obviously a lot of people use the train to get from the airport to central Rome and from Rome to Civitavecchia. But I'm wondering if it's worth it?

 

Train from airport to Rome Termini x 2= 22 euro. We will be staying at the Albergo del Senato which is not really walking distance from Termini with luggage, so at Termini we would still have to grab a taxi - maybe another 10+ euro. So I'm looking at about 32-35 euro for the train vs 40-45 euro for a pre arranged private car pick up. Private car seems the way to go I think.

 

Travel to the port is not quite so simple to figure out. Again, the taxi from our hotel to Termini, train tickets to Civitavecchia and if the weather is nice (we are going late October) we can walk to the port entrance and pick up the shuttle (if running). If it's raining, then add on the cost of another taxi. So again we are looking at about 35 -40 euro (if raining) for the train and about 55 -60 if we join a group on a private transfer.

 

While trains can be fun and enriching, for the price difference I'm not thinking it's worth the hassle. However, if I'm looking at this wrong or if my prices on the train travel are wrong, I would love for someone to tell me differently.

 

Thanks for the help,

 

I am a train person in Italy, so I have a bias.

 

In Civitavecchia, the port shuttle will always be running. Rain in Italy is generally a light to moderate drizzle the time of year you are talking about (if it occurs - I'd put the odds in your favor that it doesn't.)

 

If you are traveling with manageable luggage (no 26"x36"x12" bags), then take the train is you have no mobility problems. It is, by far, the most economical approach. Read my train site in the sig line for more in-depth info.

[Susan-M]

We took a taxi from the airport to our hotel, and the train from Rome to Civitavecchia. It was cheaper for us to go by taxi from the airport to our hotel, as we were sharing with two other couples who were on our flight and staying at the same hotel (one of the great things about Roll Calls.:))

 

When we went to Civitavecchia, we took the bus from our hotel to the Termini and walked from the station in Civitavecchia to the port entrance, so our only cost was 4.5 euros each for the train (the bus from our hotel to Termini was covered by our Roma passes.) It's an adventure and a big costs savings, but it takes approx. an extra hour vs. going by taxi.

[nparmelee]

FCO to Termini is 11.50 per person so 22 euros for both of you not for each of you. However, if you are dealing with jetlag, I like the taxi or car service direct to the hotel for this specific leg unless you are staying walking distance from Termini. Its not clear if you will have been in Eurpe prior to Rome and which airport you are flying into, so those recommendations might be different if we knew more. The real question is how comfortable are you both in hauling your own luggage around? The train to Civitavecchia can be a good idea, especially if trying to save money, it just depends on your abilities and how much you pack.

[samavarcruiser]

I am a train person in Italy, so I have a bias.

 

In Civitavecchia, the port shuttle will always be running. Rain in Italy is generally a light to moderate drizzle the time of year you are talking about (if it occurs - I'd put the odds in your favor that it doesn't.)

 

If you are traveling with manageable luggage (no 26"x36"x12" bags), then take the train is you have no mobility problems. It is, by far, the most economical approach. Read my train site in the sig line for more in-depth info.

 

 

Me too, go with train

[CathyCruises]

I love the train--but if you decide to do it, my suggestion would be to catch it at the San Pietro station so you don't have to navigate the ginormous Termini with your luggage. It is a long walk from the entrance to the binario (platform) where the train to Civ. departs. San Pietro is relatively tiny and ever so manageable. If you're taking a taxi from Albergo del Senato anyway, may as well go for the easiest option. And your train tickets should not be more than 4.5 euros/pp.

 

Cathy

[lindaann]

I may be spoiled but with large suitcases, we are not disciplined and do not travel light. We have used Romashuttle several times from Rome to the port or airport and it was great. I have found people on our Roll Call to share in the past so it is doable and solves dragging suitcases across streets in the summer heat, dealing with stairs and cobblestones. It has just been right for us.

 

I admire you hardy souls but give me a lovely gentleman named Fabio or Alfredo opening a limo door and welcoming me to Roma with a lovely Italian accent and well....I can dream... shhh.. don't tell my husband.....

 

Linda

[thinfool]

I agree with the train. Please check your facts and your math. The train from Rome to Civi. is about €5.00 per person.

 

The train from FCO to Rome is about €12 per person.

 

So your total for two people would be +/- €35.00

 

Being "trained" people you will do well with managing your luggage. (sorry for the pun)

 

We were in Civi in October....most of the time it was dry weather, but there was one night that it poured the rain. (Popup thunderstorm)

[jilly08]

We are also trying to figure out the best way to get from the airport to our apartment in Trastevere. We are arriving a week prior to our cruise. I've not spent a lot of time in Trastevere so I'm not really sure what to do.

Take the Leonardo, then a taxi to our hotel?

Take a regional train to Trastevere and then a taxi?

Or just hire a car to pick us up and drive us directly to the apartment.

I am thinking we will be jet-lagged and the car may be the simplest. I have a quote for 45 Euros for 2 of us from Rome Cabs.

 

Any suggestions?

 

We are taking the train to Civi. from Rome and have another day trip planned to Florence.

 

RE: Florence--do you recommend purchasing tickets a day before? Or would we be OK just showing up the day of? We would like to catch a train mid morning. We are traveling in October.

 

Thanks,

Jill

[GSPLover]

 

We are taking the train to Civi. from Rome and have another day trip planned to Florence.

 

RE: Florence--do you recommend purchasing tickets a day before? Or would we be OK just showing up the day of? We would like to catch a train mid morning. We are traveling in October.

 

Thanks,

Jill

 

You did not say where you are taking the train 'from' to get to Florence. If you are going from Rome on the Eurostar, by all means, get your ticket a day ahead of time. Eurostar trains are generally booked to capacity during the day. On the otherhand, if you are going from Civitavecchia, then wait till the day you intend to travel.

 

As a rule of thumb I do not advise purchasing train tickets ahead of time. If your plans change, you could be stuck with a ticket (unless it's a regional 2cl.) Train tickets are not refundable.

[Eightydays]

I think you should definitely arrange a private transfer on your first day. You do not want to arrive at Termini with "cruise" luggage and have to worry about pickpockets at the same time. Plus the cost is not that different. Once you have stored your money and passports in the hotel safe, absolutely enjoy Rome by using public transportation.

From Rome to Civitavecchia, you should register in the Roll Call and see if anyone else on the same cruise would like to share public transportation.

We will be on the Solstice's 8/17 cruise, and are spending 4 days in Rome beforehand. Fortunately, there are 7 of us, so we will take a shuttle from the airport to our hotel for 65 Euros, and from the Hotel to Civitavecchia for 140 Euros.

If you do decide to take the train, you should try to take the IC train from Termini which seems to end in Civitavecchia. It costs about 10 Euros, but when you get to Civitavecchia you don't have to rush like crazy to get your luggage off. It likely will also have less people onboard, and therefore, it will be easy for you to manage your luggage.

[Susan-M]

If you do decide to take the train, you should try to take the IC train from Termini which seems to end in Civitavecchia. It costs about 10 Euros, but when you get to Civitavecchia you don't have to rush like crazy to get your luggage off. It likely will also have less people onboard, and therefore, it will be easy for you to manage your luggage.

 

We took the Regional Train (@4.5 euros), and it stopped in Civitavecchia for a reasonable length of time, so it wasn't a big rush. I like to have a schedule of stops with me so that I know when we are approaching our stop, can gather our belongings and work our way to the door by the time the train arrives in the station. The train was full though (on a Saturday), so the IC might be an advantage for that reason. We also had to use the staircase to traverse a set of tracks in Civitavecchia, so it's a good idea to only travel with what you can carry.

[DDawson]

Thanks everyone for their replies and sorry it's taken me so long to get back here.

 

I love the train--but if you decide to do it, my suggestion would be to catch it at the San Pietro station so you don't have to navigate the ginormous Termini with your luggage. It is a long walk from the entrance to the binario (platform) where the train to Civ. departs. San Pietro is relatively tiny and ever so manageable. If you're taking a taxi from Albergo del Senato anyway, may as well go for the easiest option. And your train tickets should not be more than 4.5 euros/pp.

 

Cathy

 

Thanks Cathy for this great idea, I'm going to look into this option.

 

I agree with the train. Please check your facts and your math. The train from Rome to Civi. is about €5.00 per person.

 

The train from FCO to Rome is about €12 per person.

 

So your total for two people would be +/- €35.00

 

Being "trained" people you will do well with managing your luggage. (sorry for the pun)

 

We were in Civi in October....most of the time it was dry weather, but there was one night that it poured the rain. (Popup thunderstorm)

 

I believe my math was right for the train plus taxi (22 for train + 10 for taxi for two) from FCO to the hotel, so I think the cost difference is not enough to bother with. I will book a private car for this leg of our journey.

 

The trains to Civi are definately cheaper so this might be the way to go. Although we are going on a 12 night cruise, we also plan to take the train from Venice to Florence after the cruise so traveling light is going to be important.

[Eightydays]

Thanks Susan. I forgot to mention that the IC train only takes about 50 minutes, and there is only one stop between Termini and Civitavecchia.

 

Also, the exact fare is 8.50 Euros.

[GSPLover]

All IC trains from Rome, stopping in Civitavecchia, continue on to points north. The total stop time in Civitavecchia is 2-3 minutes. It is best to be standing near the door as the train pulls into the station.

[tom_uk]

The key question here, I think, is the OPs comment that

...40-45 euro for a pre arranged private car pick up...

 

Can anyone who's done it comment? It seems a little low to me (with no experience) - Fiumicino is a long way out. But if it possible to get a privat transfer to Rome for that price, then that's what I would do - it's pretty competitive in price and much, much easier. For example, no-one's mentioned that endless walk from platform 22 or whatever it is that the Leonardo Express stops at, to Termini Station entrance - over 5 minutes, I'm sure.

[Susan-M]

The key question here, I think, is the OPs comment that

 

"Quote:

...40-45 euro for a pre arranged private car pick up..."

 

Can anyone who's done it comment? It seems a little low to me (with no experience) - Fiumicino is a long way out.

 

Our taxi pick up at FCO was pre-arranged through our hotel in Rome (near Piazza Navona) ... 40 euros for 2 people, or 60 euros for up to 6. We were able to share with 2 other couples, so 20 euros/couple, plus tip.

[texancruzer]

Last trip we took a taxi from airport to hotel (Hotel Mozart) and paid 55 euros for 2 of us plus luggage. We arrived later at night so slight extra charge. Well worth it.... I was pooped.

 

We shared a ride from hotel to port - someone on our roll call set up about 25 couples on a bus. But when our ride arrived at our hotel it was a van. We ended up sharing with one other couple and paid 45 euro for both of us.

 

For our upcoming trip I have booked Romecabs. Airport to hotel for 2 of us 45 euros. Hotel to port (6 of us sharing) 60 euros. Port to hotel (6 of us sharing) 57 euros and hotel to airport 27.5 euros for 2 of us (sharing with another couple).

 

Don't want to have to lug my luggage (pun intended) or worry about schedules or rain etc.... can't wait to have a lovely Italian gentleman open my car door and welcome me to Roma........sigh !

[jilly08]

You did not say where you are taking the train 'from' to get to Florence. If you are going from Rome on the Eurostar, by all means, get your ticket a day ahead of time. Eurostar trains are generally booked to capacity during the day. On the otherhand, if you are going from Civitavecchia, then wait till the day you intend to travel.

 

As a rule of thumb I do not advise purchasing train tickets ahead of time. If your plans change, you could be stuck with a ticket (unless it's a regional 2cl.) Train tickets are not refundable.

 

Duh--we will be leaving from Rome to go to Florence. Sorry about that. I forgot others are unable to read my mind. :D

 

In looking at your website regarding train travel, is there much difference between 1st and 2nd class? I've looked at the official website and they do have pictures. We won't have luggage with us that day and that seemed like the real advantage to 1st class. We plan on the Eurostar as it is the fastest.

 

Thank you Foye and Everyone else for the advise.

I am thinking we will take the transfer from the airport--

I'm still remembering how tired I was when we got to the airport last year. (There was a toddler onboard that basically had an 8 hour temper tantrum.)

 

We will be travelling a total of 22 days but plan on packing light. We will be using the laundry services on the ship the first day! 1 suitcase and 1 small carry-on each.

 

We are going to take the train to Civi. though--and back to Rome post cruise for 1 night. You just can't beat that price.

 

Thanks again everyone. I love these boards!

 

Jill

[GSPLover]

Duh--we will be leaving from Rome to go to Florence. Sorry about that. I forgot others are unable to read my mind. :D

 

In looking at your website regarding train travel, is there much difference between 1st and 2nd class? I've looked at the official website and they do have pictures. We won't have luggage with us that day and that seemed like the real advantage to 1st class. We plan on the Eurostar as it is the fastest.

 

Jill

 

There is more room in 1cl and it is very nice. Is it worth the extra $$. I'm not certain - probably a personal thing.

 

One thing to watch on 1cl as to where it is on the train when you board. It could be right close to the terminal building or it could be way at the other end of the train. I've seen it both ways. There does not seem to be a hard and fast rule. Oh well, you are in Italy!

[oceanview585]

I keep reading that if you have luggage that storage is difficult on the train. My husband and I will each have one of those very large suitcases. Will that fit above the seat or is there storage at the front or end of the car?

[CathyCruises]

There is a little storage area in the front of each car; however, you would need to be one of the first to board to take advantage of it. We were hopping the train to Rome when a different ship was disembarking pax; the aisles were crammed with everyone's luggage--but, it is just a one hour ride, so no biggie.

 

The racks on top are only big enough for a jacket or umbrella or very small piece--

 

Cathy

[GSPLover]

I keep reading that if you have luggage that storage is difficult on the train. My husband and I will each have one of those very large suitcases. Will that fit above the seat or is there storage at the front or end of the car?

 

I would retire the very large suitcases for two smaller cases apiece. Been there and done that with a larger bag (only 1) and never again!

[chris_sufc]

Hi, just found this thread, some great info!

 

We are heading to Rome in AUG 2010 to go on the ruby princess, it's our honeymoon and we are planning on staying in Rome a few days prior to the cruise.

 

From what i have read, the train form Rome would be quite simple - the journey from Civ to the boat itself is the only bit concerning me.

 

Would we have to get a taxi from Civ station to the boat or what? Is it quite self explainatory when you are there?

 

Thanks.