Things to do in Civitaveccia

Have been to Rome twice for 5days each time need to find what to do in port without spending the time and money to go to Rome.

Will be keeping up with your post as we're not interested in going into Rome also. Which ship and when are you traveling?

I suspect you're not getting many answers because there really isn't much to do in Civitavecchia itself. As Italian towns go, it's fairly charmless.

The cost is minimal to get into Rome (if one wishes to to do so) by train; a 12 euro BIRG ticket includes your roundtrip train fare plus use of buses and metro all day in Rome itself.

There are a few places one can go by public bus from Civitavecchia, such as Tarquinia, where there are Etruscan tombs and a museum. Some other sights that are nearby spring to mind, but would work only if you arrange a driver or rent a car.

Have been to Rome twice for 5days each time need to find what to do in port without spending the time and money to go to Rome.

You have point with the "time" issue but not the cost. A BIRG ticket (which includes round trip train plus all day's use of Rome's extensive Metro and bus system) costs about 12 Euros! So for about $15 you can go to Rome and get around as you please.

As to Civitavecchia, we enjoy strolling along the sea and sometimes will eat in one of the restaurants. But the reality is that there is not much else to do in this port city. There are quite a few options, other then Rome, but most would require a private tour or rental car.

Hank

This is a nice port just to stroll around.

My view is it gets better with each passing year.

There is an outdoor market, a church to visit along with a few other sites, shops to browse, cafes and just several places to walk up and down. You can walk on the beach or along the sidewalk with the beach closeup.

And then enjoy sometime on the ship while most people are on tour.

Keith

We are sailing on the Regal Princess 10/17 Departure from Venice.

Thanks for the heads up. Yhat just might do it for us.

Our cruise ship called at Civitavecchia last year, and since we had already been to Rome, we decided to walk around the town. The attached photo shows the highlights of our tour. Working from the top left 1) Roman lighthouse (fenced off) 2) Roman harbor 3) Porta Livorno 4) fountain of Vanvitelli and church in old city wall (beautiful). You can also walk along the top of the wall via the steps next to McDonalds 5-7) Old town (heavily bombed in WW2 and little remaining, and yes, it's my better half under the purple umbrella!) 8) Cathedral 9) Trajan theatre 10-11) Il Pirgo (the beach looked good enough for a swim/sunbathe on a hot day) 12) ‘The Kiss’ statue on seafront promenade (same as the one in San Diego?). Two other things we planned on seeing, the Forte Michelangelo and the National Archeological Museum, were both shut. Overall we much enjoyed our day despite the fact it was drizzling and overcast.

I may be odd in this, but I love Civitavecchia for a quiet day in port. The walk along the waterfront park is lovely, then keep going along the water beyond the park to Il Pirgo, an ornate pier that leads out to what remains of a manmade building/island. There are a set of informational historical markers along the way (in Italian and English), telling the story of the history of the port, once a roaring seaside resort.

Out at the end of Il Pirgo, you have wonderful views of the comings and goings of the harbor. And, on either side, you can take the stairs down into a little protected nook and have a picnic or kiss your lover. I found it wildly romantic with the wind in my hair, a stunning fall day, the stunning ocean view, and the sea air. There were small bistros along the harbor at which to eat lunch. In early December, the area was peaceful and quiet even with the ship in port.

We tend to travel slow (we were in Civitavecchia at three separate points amidst roughly 90 days of travel), and enjoy days where you can just 'be' in a place that is beautiful.

Hi,

I am currently writing a review ( with many photos) of a cruise where we spent the morning walking around Civitavecchia as we to have been to Rome many times before. We had a great time ! It is on page 6 of my review if you are interested in having a look.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2081173

Catherine :)

Hm, we must have been doing something wrong, because we thought Civitavecchia was an armpit when were stopped there a few years ago! There was nothing to do, and like others have said, for an Italian city, there's a remarkable lack of charm...Glad others had a better time; we'll be there again soon and are definitely going into Rome this time - been there several times before, but can you ever go to Rome too often???

Your point is well taken and I am one of those vacationers who is happy not to do anything at times. Part of what I liked about Civitavecchia was that there was little to do beyond enjoy the sea - I reveled in the peace and quiet and lack of tourists. I love the water (I grew up on an island, work at the 'school by the sea', and own a small cottage in Provincetown), so the opportunity for time with the ocean and no one else except someone I brought with me was bliss. But, I had spent a week already in Rome, so its pull was not weighing heavy on my heart.

Hm, we must have been doing something wrong, because we thought Civitavecchia was an armpit when were stopped there a few years ago! There was nothing to do, and like others have said, for an Italian city, there's a remarkable lack of charm...Glad others had a better time; we'll be there again soon and are definitely going into Rome this time - been there several times before, but can you ever go to Rome too often???

Thnk you for the heads up I too grew up( not completely yet) by the water and live not too far from now. But anytime I can be by the ocean I love it.

We too found walking around the port quite enjoyable. Liked walking the market. Enjoyed spending time watching fishermen repairing nets near their boats. Very relaxing time since have been to Rome before - no crowds or rushing around!

We probably should remind some folks that Civitavecchia has really improved their community over the past few years. What we see now is much better then it was 5, 10 or 20 years ago. The walkway along the sea is quite nice (but the beach area could be improved) and we love that they have a replica of the famous "Unconditional Surrender" statute. There are also a few decent cafes in the area of the port..not to mention a McDonalds for those who think that is the place to get gourmet Italian cuisine :).

We just wish there was a decent supermarket near the port as we now have to hike to the Carrefour Express or another small local market.

Hank

Very relaxing time since have been to Rome before - no crowds or rushing around!

I've been to Rome many times and still can't find any allure in Civitavecchia.

One doesn't have to rush around in Rome -- there are any number of places where you can sit and people watch or enjoy a drink on a rooftop bar somewhere. Or you can visit one of Rome's lesser known museums or parks where you don't have to fight crowds. There are treasures in Rome that many visitors never see because they are too busy visiting the Vatican and the Colosseum.... It's a shame because anywhere else they'd be a 4-star attraction.

There's nowhere in Civitavecchia where one can sit and admire a gorgeous 2,000 year old building, or a Roman bridge, or a fantastical Baroque fountain. If one of Civitavecchia's real highlights is one of several copies of a statue that is itself a copy of a photograph....well.....it's not something that appeals to me in the least.

We took the train one station down, to Santa Marinella. I think it was just a few Euro and took about 5 minutes. The train station is just a few blocks from the main beach area (pay for chair/umbrella).

The day we went, it was overcast and rainy so we just had lunch at a seaside place then looked in some shops and headed back - just in time for the sun to come out!

There are a few Articles (do a google search) about day trips from Rome that give all the highlights for various places in the region.

Are there any stores to purchase wine in Civitavecchia?