Cruise in Rome

Good Morning / Afternoon,

I have gather good information in Cruise Critic, best way to be less stress before your cruise. I do have one question.. I will be traveling to Rome on July 23, 2015. My flight should be arriving at 9a.m. and the ship does not depart till 2000 (8pm). The cost from Airport to Port is $80.00 Per Person one way, now i know many will say thats a great deal but traveling with 5 it will add up quick. Trying to save a few bucks and even try to enjoy a little bit of Rome before my departure. I have read that you can rent a car and drop it off at a Rental return location near the port. Can anyone give me any hints or tips would like to get some sightseeing with in my 10hrs of layover in rome before i depart.

Thank You

Others may disagree, but I would not recommend driving in Rome. Traffic is a mess.

To save money, you can take the train from Rome to Civitivecchia. It is less than 1/2 mile from the train station to the port entrance. It is an easy walk. Gradually down hill.

Also, have you tried Rome in Limo or another car service?

Paul,

Thanks for the reply back, no i have not tryed other service trying to see if any could recommend any good website or areas to get some good transportation at a good price. I would like to get some sightseeing checked on my bucketlist before heading towards the ship.

I agree totally with Paul. Renting a car is not your best option. If train doesn't work- it would be a challenge to do any sightseeing - I would definitely be looking at some like the excellent Rome in Limo. Rome in Limo will make the most of your limited time, allowed you a planned, efficient tour.

Arriving the day of your cruise is never recommended. Don't know where you are arriving from, but if it is on a overnight flight, you are not going to be all energetic and really to sightsee.

Plus, you don't really have 10 hours. Arriving at 9:30, you will need to claim bags, (always slow at Rome)and go through Passport checks. Customs is easy. You will need to be on board at least 2 hours prior to sailing. So, in a perfect situation you might have a little over 7 hours.

Do not use the ship's transport, find a local company to take all of you for one price. It will probably be less than the ship's price for just two of you.

There are trains from the airport to Roma Termini every 20 minutes or so. From there you can catch the train to Civitavecchia.

We did from the port to Rome the other week and had plenty of time to read the departure board! We were going back to Venice so had to book on their TGV. The train to Civitavecchia is a local train. I think we paid 6euros each for a single. You can catch a taxi to the port terminal just outside the station. It is very clear so no Italian needed. They do announcements in English but you can bet it is just when a loud bang deafens you.

Do not use raileurope. Go directly onto http://www.trenitalia.it and press the UK/American flag. I have been using them for several years. They will send you to the local train company but I don't think that you will have to book. You can use the left luggage there. This I have not used as we didn't leave the station. Used Venice several times though. And Como. And Paris!

I wouldn't drive! All bonkers!

First, you will not have ten hours altogether. It will take you a minimum of one hour after landing to clear immigration, get your luggage and be ready to go. Plus your ship will probably require you to be on board a minimum of 90 minutes prior to sailaway.

I would definitely NOT recommend renting a car and driving yourself. Rome is not car-friendly -- there are zones where you cannot drive, and traffic is horrendous.

It's a good half hour from FCO airport into Rome and then from Rome to the port is about 75 to 90 minutes....

If you feel you have time to see anything of Rome, talk to a reliable private car service!

although some folks are recommending you take the train that may not work since you will have your luggage with you. I'm sure there are places to leave it, but then that's extra money and time needed to retrieve it. As others have mentioned, you're not going to have as much time as you think to sight see - you might be better off just going directly to the ship.

Marianne

Having your luggage with you will make it very difficult to see anything of Rome using public transportation. You certainly do not want to try driving in Rome. The $80 per person is excessive. if you are committed to arriving the morning of your cruise, you probably should give up the idea of seeing anything of the city. If you want to economize, take the Leonardo Express from the airport to Termini, then the train to Cvivta Vecchia - probably about $10 or so each. If you want comfort, hire a car or Van from Rome in Limo or other service.

Getting through immigration, picking up luggage, etc will take at least an hour, so the earliest you could get to the port would be close to noon - when you could probably board.

I agree with the others - NO rental car in Rome. You might also want to look at a map. You'll see that going FCO>Rome>Civitavecchia (cruise port) is the long way around. You're adding a lot of transfer time.

We've used Stefano with Rome Cabs and were extremely happy with their services. If you check out the Italy sub-forum under Europe in the 'Ports of Call' forum you'll find lots of discussion about transfer/tour options for the Rome area.

The ship leaves at 20:00 but you'll need to be onboard long before that.

Timeline-

Arrive 9:00 at FCO

customs and luggage 11:00

Get to Rome (13:00, assuming waiting for train), none of the stations are right at any of the tourist spots so need to walk and eat.

Back at station for return trip 16:00

Need to pad in time for late trains, buying tickets etc.

Driving in Italy is different. Italians drive more offensively than defensively. Cars in Rome are restricted in the City Center. Need special permits, parking is like any big city, non-existent.

FWIW taxi to the City Center is around €55. Could be more if you hit traffic. It's very difficult to find a large taxi here.

Good Morning / Afternoon,

 

 

 

I have gather good information in Cruise Critic, best way to be less stress before your cruise. I do have one question.. I will be traveling to Rome on July 23, 2015. My flight should be arriving at 9a.m. and the ship does not depart till 2000 (8pm). The cost from Airport to Port is $80.00 Per Person one way, now i know many will say thats a great deal but traveling with 5 it will add up quick. Trying to save a few bucks and even try to enjoy a little bit of Rome before my departure. I have read that you can rent a car and drop it off at a Rental return location near the port. Can anyone give me any hints or tips would like to get some sightseeing with in my 10hrs of layover in rome before i depart.

 

 

 

Thank You

Maybe I missed something in this thread but, why would you fly into a location like Rome on the same day as your cruise? IMO that's a real waste of airfare. Even a quick Rome intro requires a couple of days. In addition, it appears that you have not given yourself any buffer time should their be flight delays/cancellations.

As for the transfer, $80/person is no bargain.

With 15 years working for an airline and still there i have traveled to plenty of places. So delays / Cancellations im not to worry about as i can get there out of multiple stations . I'm just trying to get to the port the cheapest way. i know renting a car seemed cheap to fit 5 poeple and drop it off same day getting some sightseeing done, but if it somthing that can't be done im not to worry.

Maybe I missed something in this thread but, why would you fly into a location like Rome on the same day as your cruise? IMO that's a real waste of airfare. Even a quick Rome intro requires a couple of days. In addition, it appears that you have not given yourself any buffer time should their be flight delays/cancellations.

 

As for the transfer, $80/person is no bargain.

With 15 years working for an airline and still there i have traveled to plenty of places. So delays / Cancellations im not to worry about as i can get there out of multiple stations . I'm just trying to get to the port the cheapest way. i know renting a car seemed cheap to fit 5 poeple and drop it off same day getting some sightseeing done, but if it somthing that can't be done im not to worry.

If you go the rental car route. Be sure you are reserving a car big enough for 5 people and all their luggage. We have rented in Europe and had trouble fitting 2 people and luggage

With 15 years working for an airline and still there i have traveled to plenty of places. So delays / Cancellations im not to worry about as i can get there out of multiple stations . I'm just trying to get to the port the cheapest way. i know renting a car seemed cheap to fit 5 poeple and drop it off same day getting some sightseeing done, but if it somthing that can't be done im not to worry.

My experience at the "Rome" airport is that it takes quite a while to get from "we've landed" to "we're at the front door!" AT LEAST an hour.

If you're really hoping to see something of Rome, I can't imagine any other way than hiring private transport. Keep searching. I've seen Rome in Limo suggested...never used them myself, but I've sure seen lots of positive comments about them. There should be numerous options that are less than $80 per person...however, there are no "cheap" options that I've found. Transport via vehicle just doesn't seem to be real cheap in Italy.

I understand the inclination to want to see Rome, but just thinking about what you're hoping to do is a bit exhausting.:o Also, as others have said, you need to get to the ship quite a bit earlier than sailaway time. I'd say at least 90 minutes ahead.

I know I've not brought any really new information to this thread, but I just worry you're perhaps biting off too much. Rome is simply not all that close to either its airport or port. If this were Barcelona, it'd be a different story. VERY doable.

Not enough time to really see anything of rome.

If you want to save some money use the train. Don't go all the way into Roman termini station. Save a lot of time and a whole lot of walking, if you transfer to the Civitavecchia train at Roma Trastevere station.

If you have been to Roma Termini before, you surely will know that the "binari"platforms for the two trains are at least a 10-15 min walk from each other, and you are going into central Rome.

Another plan is just simply grab a taxi van to Civitavecchia from the airport that accommodates everyone.

Go directly to your ship and enjoy your cruise. Maybe plan a few days post cruise to see Rome.

Arriving same day for your cruise is quite a risk. Hope it all works out.

Look at Bob's Limo service in Rome. We have used them several times and they are great, I believe they charge 135 Euros for 5 people in a van.. and they drop you off at the check in spot for your ship..happy cruising

 Fiumicino Airport to Civitavecchia

Book € 70 for 1

Book € 85 for 2

Book € 105 for 3

Book € 125for 4 Book € 135 for 5

And as others have said you really only have a 5-6 hour window, not worth the trouble;;

We have used Rome in Limo many times. They have a special that will pick you up at the airport (they have a van that will accommodate everyone plus your luggage), give you a sightseeing tour of Rome, and then drop you at the port. Their prices will seem quite inexpensive compared to the $80 per person. If your ship is returning to Rome, you can even arrange for Rome in Limo to meet you at the port and take you back to the airport.

I agree with the others on this thread. Unless you are traveling locally, do not arrive the same day as the cruise leaves. What if there are delays in your flight (these things happen)? You might miss the ship.

Just another point, Rome is HUGE. It's not like the Vatican is next to the Trevi Fountain or the Coliseum. And anyway, driving past things doesn't really show you anything a postcard can't show you. Not worth the expense.

Concentrate on how to get from the airport to the cruise terminal, that's enough of a challenge. Some have recommended taking the train from Rome to Civitavecchia. We did that in Oct/14, and never, never again. Would gladly pay triple the price to avoid that train, and the never-ending hauling of luggage up and down and back and forth.

With 15 years working for an airline and still there i have traveled to plenty of places. So delays / Cancellations im not to worry about as i can get there out of multiple stations . I'm just trying to get to the port the cheapest way. i know renting a car seemed cheap to fit 5 poeple and drop it off same day getting some sightseeing done, but if it somthing that can't be done im not to worry.

I do not think people were expressing concern about arriving in Rome on embarkation day --- rather wondering why you would fly to Rome and not give yourself any real chance to see it. If you must arrive on embarkation day, do not waste time and euros trying to see anything of the city: you can't. If saving money is the most important thing, take the train to Rome and then train to Civita Vecchia. If comfort counts, hire Rome in Limo or something comparable. You might talk things up on your roll call and see if anyone else is arriving at airport on same flight a nd perhaps share a large van.

The last time we were in Rome and needed to get to the port, Rome in Limo's fees were:

2=€ 130, $91pp

4=€ 150, $52.50pp

6 =€ 170, $39.67pp

8=€ 200, $35 pp

Cash payment at Port (8 people will only accommodate 1 suitcase & 1 carry on pp). The prices may have gone up, but you can check.

The last time we were in Rome and needed to get to the port' date=' Rome in Limo's fees were:

 

 

 

2=€ 130, $91pp

 

4=€ 150, $52.50pp

 

6 =€ 170, $39.67pp

 

8=€ 200, $35 pp

 

Cash payment at Port (8 people will only accommodate 1 suitcase & 1 carry on pp). The prices may have gone up, but you can check.[/quote']

 

 

It'll be less $$ now the Euro has been hovering in the $1.11 range.

Look at Bob's Limo service in Rome. We have used them several times and they are great, I believe they charge 135 Euros for 5 people in a van.. and they drop you off at the check in spot for your ship..happy cruising

 

 Fiumicino Airport to Civitavecchia

 

Book € 70 for 1

Book € 85 for 2

Book € 105 for 3

Book € 125for 4 Book € 135 for 5

 

And as others have said you really only have a 5-6 hour window, not worth the trouble;;

Ditto on Bob's. We have used them twice before and will use them again in October. Very punctual and professional. can easily book online. you don't pay in advance unless you use a credit card, for which there is a surcharge.

If you go the rental car route. Be sure you are reserving a car big enough for 5 people and all their luggage. We have rented in Europe and had trouble fitting 2 people and luggage

Thanks Paul, i have been through that route in Germany lol :)

My experience at the "Rome" airport is that it takes quite a while to get from "we've landed" to "we're at the front door!" AT LEAST an hour.

 

If you're really hoping to see something of Rome, I can't imagine any other way than hiring private transport. Keep searching. I've seen Rome in Limo suggested...never used them myself, but I've sure seen lots of positive comments about them. There should be numerous options that are less than $80 per person...however, there are no "cheap" options that I've found. Transport via vehicle just doesn't seem to be real cheap in Italy.

 

I understand the inclination to want to see Rome, but just thinking about what you're hoping to do is a bit exhausting.:o Also, as others have said, you need to get to the ship quite a bit earlier than sailaway time. I'd say at least 90 minutes ahead.

 

I know I've not brought any really new information to this thread, but I just worry you're perhaps biting off too much. Rome is simply not all that close to either its airport or port. If this were Barcelona, it'd be a different story. VERY doable.

Agree :) i did some research and found out Rome airport (FCO) is basically completely seperate ways from port and tourist area.

appreciate your help!