Private Train from Civitavecchia to Rome through Cruise Ship

Okay everyone I've searched the forums and I can't find the answers to my questions. :loudcry: So if anyone has taken the cruise ship train from Civitavecchia I would greatly appreciate your experience with it!

So! We booked the cruise ship train from Civitavecchia to Rome. (I've heard horror stories about the trains in Italy and I am not wanting to test my luck on that day. lol Plus we really want to spend our time in Vatican City & that train takes you to San Pietro Station vs Roma Termini) So it says the "tour" starts at 8am. My question: Is that when the train leaves or is that when we are meeting off the boat to take the shuttle to the train station? Because if that's the case then the train probably doesn't leave until 8:30/8:45am.

Next question. It says that the tour is 9.5 hours. So I am assuming everything is done at 5:30pm. Does anyone know what time we have to meet in Vatican City to walk back to San Pietro Station to catch the train?

We are in port from 7am - 7pm.

Thanks so much! :D

The train portion of the trip will take between 45 - 60 minutes, so if you'll be back by 5:30 I would expect the train to leave Rome S. Pietro between 4 - 4:30. If the group is walking together the meeting will probably be at least 30 minutes before that, to allow for slower walkers and folks arriving late. (Anything done with a group has to have "pad" time added at every step to allow for human vagaries.)

To clear up a misconception, the regular trains also stop at San Pietro, not just the cruise ship train.

If you're ready when the ship docks, you could catch an earlier train into Rome on your own -- by far negating any advantage that the so-called express cruise ship train offers in terms of time. (And it's less expensive to boot.) But if the security of having the cruise train is important to you, then so be it. (Although, I never fully understand why cruise ship passengers seem so un-confident of being able to make it to a train station on time for a regular train, but seem confident of getting there on time for the cruise ship train -- either train will leave without you if you aren't there.....)

Finally, I find it disheartening that there is still such unfounded fear of the Italian train system. So as not to repeat myself, here's a recent post on that topic: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=53125642&postcount=7

The ship's private train has the advantages of

- it includes transfers between ship and station. As per cruisemom's post, that plus the train being non-stop won't get you to Rome quicker than an early start using scheduled trains (yes, for the ship's train it'll be meet on the ship at 8am). But it does make life easier.

- and it guarantees a seat on the train. That's a more significant advantage because, whilst again agreeing with cruisemom that the scheduled trains don't warrant "horror stories", they're usually packed at the times that cruisers will be travelling on them. No worries that anyone will be left behind, but many will have to stand for the whole journey.

The big disadvantage is the exorbitant cost :eek: :eek: :eek: compared to about €12 return per person by scheduled train.

Other more minor disadvantages are that there's just the one train so no flexibility, and the Rome station both ways is San Pietro. With the scheduled trains you can return from the nearest station rather than having to get back to San Pietro And if for the return journey you catch a train from Termini you can be fairly sure of getting a seat.

The fare for the scheduled trains includes free use of Rome's metro & local bus services - I don't know whether the same applies for those on ship's train.

I've always been dissuaded by ships' excursion prices, but each to their own

JB :)

To clear up a misconception, the regular trains also stop at San Pietro, not just the cruise ship train.

 

If you're ready when the ship docks, you could catch an earlier train into Rome on your own -- by far negating any advantage that the so-called express cruise ship train offers in terms of time. (And it's less expensive to boot.) But if the security of having the cruise train is important to you, then so be it. (Although, I never fully understand why cruise ship passengers seem so un-confident of being able to make it to a train station on time for a regular train, but seem confident of getting there on time for the cruise ship train -- either train will leave without you if you aren't there.....)

 

Finally, I find it disheartening that there is still such unfounded fear of the Italian train system. So as not to repeat myself, here's a recent post on that topic: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=53125642&postcount=7

Thanks for responding but you completely missed my question. I have ALREADY BOUGHT the cruise ship train as stated in the title and as stated in my message. I have no doubt that my mom & I can make a train "on time" as you say is a fear for people. My fear is that these trains leave late a lot or they don't leave period (It only takes once). My mom has been to Rome many many times & she has been stranded on a train before for 4 HOURS! And she almost missed her cruise because of it & she's no the only person I know who has had problems.

So I did not ask for a lecture about how I should have faith in the train system in Italy & be able to be responsible enough to get to the train station on time... I am traveling with someone who has been to Rome many times and has also almost experienced the absolute worst possible situation because of the trains you trust, which is fine. I am glad you have had no issues. This decision had nothing to do with getting to the train on time. I do private tours all the time, hardly ever go through the ship, & I know the cruise line is over priced & as you said the train will leave whether you are there or not, BUT if something happens to the train contracted through the cruise ship....the ship will wait & we will not be stranded in Rome at our cost.

I am simply asking if anyone knows the possible meet up time at the end of the day & if the 8am time is the time we meet off the boat or the time the train leaves. The first person who responded actually listened to what I asked.

The ship's private train has the advantages of

- it includes transfers between ship and station. As per cruisemom's post, that plus the train being non-stop won't get you to Rome quicker than an early start using scheduled trains (yes, for the ship's train it'll be meet on the ship at 8am). But it does make life easier.

- and it guarantees a seat on the train. That's a more significant advantage because, whilst again agreeing with cruisemom that the scheduled trains don't warrant "horror stories", they're usually packed at the times that cruisers will be travelling on them. No worries that anyone will be left behind, but many will have to stand for the whole journey.

 

The big disadvantage is the exorbitant cost :eek: :eek: :eek: compared to about €12 return per person by scheduled train.

Other more minor disadvantages are that there's just the one train so no flexibility, and the Rome station both ways is San Pietro. With the scheduled trains you can return from the nearest station rather than having to get back to San Pietro And if for the return journey you catch a train from Termini you can be fairly sure of getting a seat.

The fare for the scheduled trains includes free use of Rome's metro & local bus services - I don't know whether the same applies for those on ship's train.

 

I've always been dissuaded by ships' excursion prices, but each to their own

 

JB :)

Yeah I know the price is a stinker. I rarely go through the cruise line because of this. My mom has been to Rome many times and she got stuck on a train for 4 hours just waiting (no answers or explanation) & almost missed her cruise because of it. I have a few other friends who have some horror stories as well. Since I am traveling with my mom we just don't want to risk it, which I completely understand because once you go through something like that you're going to be cautious. lol. We are just spending our time at in Vatican City so the cruise ship train worked out perfect. We have already purchased our train tickets, but I was just wondering if anyone else had done this and knew about meet up times and what not so that I can better plan my day. :)

The train portion of the trip will take between 45 - 60 minutes, so if you'll be back by 5:30 I would expect the train to leave Rome S. Pietro between 4 - 4:30. If the group is walking together the meeting will probably be at least 30 minutes before that, to allow for slower walkers and folks arriving late. (Anything done with a group has to have "pad" time added at every step to allow for human vagaries.)

Thank you so much for actually reading my question & answering to your best knowledge!! :) I appreciate it.

Yeah I know the price is a stinker. I rarely go through the cruise line because of this. My mom has been to Rome many times and she got stuck on a train for 4 hours just waiting (no answers or explanation) & almost missed her cruise because of it. I have a few other friends who have some horror stories as well. Since I am traveling with my mom we just don't want to risk it, which I completely understand because once you go through something like that you're going to be cautious. lol. We are just spending our time at in Vatican City so the cruise ship train worked out perfect. We have already purchased our train tickets, but I was just wondering if anyone else had done this and knew about meet up times and what not so that I can better plan my day. :)

Hi again,

Yes, I'd seen that you had already booked for ship's private train.

But it's worth mentioning the pros & cons.

Partly because you're not committed - up to a few days ahead it's normally no problem to cancel without penalty if you wanted to change your mind.

Also partly for the benefit of others reading this thread who might be considering their own Civi -to-Rome options.

And partly to balance the mention of horror-stories and your assertion that trains "leave late a lot or don't leave period". I do shudder when I read threads which give misleading overall impressions, for instance that everyone who goes to Barcelona gets their pocket picked or that terrorist bombs are a daily occurrence in Paris. I'm not suggesting that your posts are anywhere near as extreme as that, but I hope you can see where cruisemom and I are coming from.

You were under the misconception that scheduled trains only go to Termini, so it was worth clarifying that they have stops at San Pietro and other Rome stations on the way to Termini. Since you've now mentioned that you plan to spend all your time in the Vatican City, the flexibility afforded by scheduled trains to use those other Rome stations is irrelevant to you - but relevant to others who might read this thread..

Since mom's been to Rome many times she'll know that her 4-hour ordeal was very very unusual.

Either she wasn't up-to-date on a forewarned strike - they're always notified well in advance, there are no wild-cat strikes - or it was caused by a one-off incident or mechanical failure, the small risk that you and I and anyone else not on ships' tours take anywhere in the world.

You hadn't mentioned mom's experience, only that you'd "heard horror stories".

But yes, once bitten twice shy. :eek:

Even though like you I usually shun ships' tours, if I'd had her bad experience I think probably I too would avoid the risk of a repetition, remote though that prospect might be.

Finally, I hope you can agree that on an open forum answers to questions which haven't been asked can be as valuable as those to questions which have been asked. ;)

Have a great cruise

JB :)

Hi

I did the private train trip a few years back. I am an experienced traveller, but just didn't want to worry about finding a seat on the train and spend the whole day concerned about getting back to the ship on time. It worked perfectly for me, and I enjoyed the day in Rome.

I can't remember timings, but know we were taken by coach from the ship straight to the train - literally alongside the track at a siding, not at a station as such.

The return train was from San Pietro station, and I don't remember there being a meeting to walk back to the station together.......just met up back at the platform. I walked back there leisurely at my own pace, and bought an ice cream from the little shop on the platform :). There are bathrooms at the station too.

I would do it again. Yes, not the cheapest option......but a guaranteed seat, and no worries.

Enjoy your trip :D

Hi again,

 

Yes, I'd seen that you had already booked for ship's private train.

But it's worth mentioning the pros & cons.

Partly because you're not committed - up to a few days ahead it's normally no problem to cancel without penalty if you wanted to change your mind.

Also partly for the benefit of others reading this thread who might be considering their own Civi -to-Rome options.

And partly to balance the mention of horror-stories and your assertion that trains "leave late a lot or don't leave period". I do shudder when I read threads which give misleading overall impressions, for instance that everyone who goes to Barcelona gets their pocket picked or that terrorist bombs are a daily occurrence in Paris. I'm not suggesting that your posts are anywhere near as extreme as that, but I hope you can see where cruisemom and I are coming from.

 

You were under the misconception that scheduled trains only go to Termini, so it was worth clarifying that they have stops at San Pietro and other Rome stations on the way to Termini. Since you've now mentioned that you plan to spend all your time in the Vatican City, the flexibility afforded by scheduled trains to use those other Rome stations is irrelevant to you - but relevant to others who might read this thread..

 

Since mom's been to Rome many times she'll know that her 4-hour ordeal was very very unusual.

Either she wasn't up-to-date on a forewarned strike - they're always notified well in advance, there are no wild-cat strikes - or it was caused by a one-off incident or mechanical failure, the small risk that you and I and anyone else not on ships' tours take anywhere in the world.

 

You hadn't mentioned mom's experience, only that you'd "heard horror stories".

But yes, once bitten twice shy. :eek:

Even though like you I usually shun ships' tours, if I'd had her bad experience I think probably I too would avoid the risk of a repetition, remote though that prospect might be.

 

Finally, I hope you can agree that on an open forum answers to questions which haven't been asked can be as valuable as those to questions which have been asked. ;)

 

Have a great cruise

 

JB :)

I completely understand that & I appreciate your knowledge on both trains, but most everything you have said is covered in other forums. There are lots & lots of discussion on the cruise train vs. the Italian trains, but I couldn't find anything pertaining to the meet up times etc. of the cruise train. :loudcry: Hence why I asked. I did a lot of searching to find the answer to my question before I posted so that I wouldn't be repeating myself if someone else had already taken the time to answer the question.

I completely agree that not all trains are going to be late, but there is that chance. Not everyone in Barcelona is going to pick your pocket, but it is prevalent and that's why people advise money belts. It's just like flying into the airport the day of your cruise. Most of the time you could be okay, but if your flight gets delayed or cancelled you could be in a world of hurt.

I just didn't think that when posting this that I would need to explain & defend myself as to why we chose the cruise train over the Italian train. :( Not your comment but the other person's comment made me feel attacked for not taking the Italian train & insinuating I must be irresponsible. I was shocked & it put me on the defense. My mom was sitting next to me & I read it to her & she also couldn't believe someone would respond in such a way. I just sat there like :o.

Hi

 

I did the private train trip a few years back. I am an experienced traveller, but just didn't want to worry about finding a seat on the train and spend the whole day concerned about getting back to the ship on time. It worked perfectly for me, and I enjoyed the day in Rome.

 

I can't remember timings, but know we were taken by coach from the ship straight to the train - literally alongside the track at a siding, not at a station as such.

 

The return train was from San Pietro station, and I don't remember there being a meeting to walk back to the station together.......just met up back at the platform. I walked back there leisurely at my own pace, and bought an ice cream from the little shop on the platform :). There are bathrooms at the station too.

 

I would do it again. Yes, not the cheapest option......but a guaranteed seat, and no worries.

 

Enjoy your trip :D

Oh perfect! Yeah it's not the cheapest but with us only being in Rome for a day we just want to make sure we get back to the ship. And I will definitely be looking for the ice cream on the platform! That sounds like an excellent way to end your day in Rome. :hearteyes:

When I was searching for the answer to my question in other forums it seems like this is a sensitive button topic for people...cruise ship train vs. Italian train & the debates seemed to be quite heated. I was trying to avoid that when posting this since we have decided to take the cruise ship train...but that didn't work. lol. Oh well.

You are very welcome 😊

I just didn't think that when posting this that I would need to explain & defend myself as to why we chose the cruise train over the Italian train. :( Not your comment but the other person's comment made me feel attacked for not taking the Italian train & insinuating I must be irresponsible. I was shocked & it put me on the defense. My mom was sitting next to me & I read it to her & she also couldn't believe someone would respond in such a way. I just sat there like :o.

I wasn't going to respond since you took my first post so badly. But since you've taken a second jab at me, let me say in my defense that I think you are misreading my comments. I merely wanted to point out (as JB said) that there were a few inaccuracies in what you initially posted, to set the record straight for others.

The question I posed about making the train on time was meant to be a rhetorical one, more of a conversational aside. As in, it seems odd to me that people (not you specifically) seem to worry quite a bit about making their train back to Civi when they are on their own, but don't seem to worry about making the cruise train option in a proportional way, as it's really the same thing.

It's just a random thing I wonder about. Also the fact that if an independent train is delayed on the tracks, the cruise train would also be delayed, so presumably the ship would wait for all....

Sorry you mis-interpreted. No evil intent, I assure you.

The train :)

Hi we took the private train in 2015 (and have booked it again for our trip in august) I recall we left the ship around 8am and went to a rail siding just outside the port, where we boarded the train, the train left around 8:30 and got us into san Pietro for 9:30 ish, from there we all walked as a group for 5mins or so through to the rendezvous point by St Peters, I think we met again around 3:30ish may have been a little later, and we all walked back to the station as a group. arrived back at the ship around 5:30-6pm.

the queues for the public trains were huge, and this was one of the reasons for booking this again (we have kids with us) as on our next trip there are 3 other ships in Civi and a port load of 11000!.

Hi! I have a question related to this thread. My husband and I just booked seats on the Frecciabianca train to Rome. Has anyone tried that option? Thanks!

The Frecce is a good option for boarding and disembarking but usually doesn't work for port days because of the timing (the first Frecce of the day is at 9:15, arriving just after 10 AM).

Assuming a 7 AM arrival using the regional train you could be in Rome an hour earlier.

The other downside to the Frecce is you only have Termini to choose from, regardless of where in Rome you are headed.

However, if your cruise arrival time is 8 AM you could only get into town earlier with a regional if you could make the 8:42 (arrives 9:48).

Thanks for the input! I know I bought train tix that allow changes. Wonder if I'll be able to switch to different time. Will have to check.

Hi we took the private train in 2015 (and have booked it again for our trip in august) I recall we left the ship around 8am and went to a rail siding just outside the port, where we boarded the train, the train left around 8:30 and got us into san Pietro for 9:30 ish, from there we all walked as a group for 5mins or so through to the rendezvous point by St Peters, I think we met again around 3:30ish may have been a little later, and we all walked back to the station as a group. arrived back at the ship around 5:30-6pm.

 

the queues for the public trains were huge, and this was one of the reasons for booking this again (we have kids with us) as on our next trip there are 3 other ships in Civi and a port load of 11000!.

Thank you thank you for commenting!! This was the info I was hoping someone would have! We are trying to book a private tour in Vatican City (the only place we are planning on going in Rome) and didn't want to book it too early or too late.

I found that website that tells you the port load and certain days are upwards of 16,000! :o Right now the day I will be there is less than 10,000 and am super glad my day isn't one at 16k. I am glad you had such a good experience with the private train. Have a wonderful time in August! We will be there in October! :D

 

The train :)

Thank you for the picture! That looks amazing! No sardines in that train. :)

I wasn't going to respond since you took my first post so badly. But since you've taken a second jab at me, let me say in my defense that I think you are misreading my comments. I merely wanted to point out (as JB said) that there were a few inaccuracies in what you initially posted, to set the record straight for others.

 

The question I posed about making the train on time was meant to be a rhetorical one, more of a conversational aside. As in, it seems odd to me that people (not you specifically) seem to worry quite a bit about making their train back to Civi when they are on their own, but don't seem to worry about making the cruise train option in a proportional way, as it's really the same thing.

 

It's just a random thing I wonder about. Also the fact that if an independent train is delayed on the tracks, the cruise train would also be delayed, so presumably the ship would wait for all....

 

Sorry you mis-interpreted. No evil intent, I assure you.

I wasn't taking a second jab at you at all. I was just explaining how I felt & how my mother felt after we read your comment. That's why I read it to her because I was questioning if I read what you wrote correctly. Those were my feelings, not a jab. To be quite honest it shocked the crap out of me. I am glad that you clarified that you were talking in general, but can you see how that could be confusing that you aren't talking to me? I asked a question & you responded to my question. You would be talking to me & referring to me as well as anyone else reading. Therefore insinuating that my mom & I must be unconfident that we can get to a train station on time so that could be one of the reasons we & other cruise passengers take the private train. That's why I got defensive because that's a jab at my mother & I and had nothing to do with my original question. I apologize if you didn't like my response and I am glad that you clarified.:)

We'll probably just have to agree to disagree, which is completely fine. Everyone has different opinions & experiences which make debates great. :) Take care & Happy cruising!

Hi, I know this is an old post but I also am planning a trip to the Vatican next summer and am travelling on the Cruise Private Train. Can you tell me what time you booked your Vatican tickets for? Any other pieces of advise would be great too!!  Thanks