No Argo Bus Service at Civitavecchia at Midday?

Hi- hoping someone can help. Our ship is docking at pier 25 at Civitavecchia, which, with the new setup, means taking the bus to Largo della Pace and the shuttle from there. I saw on the website today that there's apparently no shuttle service between Civitavecchia station and Largo della Pace between 11:50 am and 2:20pm?

Has anyone had any recent experience with this- is this true or not? If so, how did you get to the shuttle pickup area?

Thanks for the help!

http://civitavecchia.portmobility.it/en/largo-della-pace-service-center-port-civitavecchia

I'm interested to know the answer to this too - I imagine walking will be the best (only) option, as we're due into Civitavecchia by train from Rome on the 30th October within that blank period of no service?

It seems to be a very long service break at just the time most cruisers will be arriving :confused:

No surprise about the long no-service break at mid-day. Italy is a country of labor unions and long lunches (some call it a siesta). You might get lucky and find a taxi at the station (which could then take you all the way to your ship). Otherwise, walking would be the only other option (pray for good weather).

Hank

Thanks Hlitner - we're quite prepared to walk and as long as there's no ice underfoot, we will manage whatever the weather ;)

No surprise about the long no-service break at mid-day. Italy is a country of labor unions and long lunches (some call it a siesta). You might get lucky and find a taxi at the station (which could then take you all the way to your ship). Otherwise, walking would be the only other option (pray for good weather).

 

Hank

The reality is often not as cushy as that sounds, Hank. :) There is normally a long lunch break, but the working day is long too. A typical Italian working day might be from 09.00 -13.00, and then 16.00 - 20.00. We have had the boiler technician show up at 7 pm, to do the annual maintenance!

The reality is often not as cushy as that sounds, Hank. :) There is normally a long lunch break, but the working day is long too. A typical Italian working day might be from 09.00 -13.00, and then 16.00 - 20.00. We have had the boiler technician show up at 7 pm, to do the annual maintenance!

This made us smile. We were just wondering what it would be like if the Paris Metro or NYC Subway shut down from 11-2 for lunch :).

Hank

This made us smile. We were just wondering what it would be like if the Paris Metro or NYC Subway shut down from 11-2 for lunch :).

 

Hank

True! And the port website confirms that the service does not run from 11.50 to 14.20.

I wonder if that is a leftover from the idea of the new port entrance being "temporary"? If it was only for a few weeks, there wasn't so much need to change the bus service on what was probably originally a bus service mostly for shoppers (when it was a much shorter walk to the port entrance.) When the shops are closed, and all sensible people are having lunch :), who would need the bus?

Now that it looks like becoming a permanent change, they ought to think about extending the bus service to cover the middle of the day.

Perhaps if they extended the port shuttle service to depart to/from the railway station within that time period (and charged accordingly) they would keep everyone happy? I'm sure we can't be the only people who would be prepared to pay well to step off the train and be transported right to the ship :)

Just took the Argo Bus today from the Civitavecchia Station to port, after arriving from Rome Termini on the IC 510 leaving at 9:57. It is only a 10 minute journey. The fare is 2 Euro per person (inclusive of luggage). Need to buy tickets from the news stand / bar in the Train Station first. There were only about 10 persons on board the bus, which is a standard size (and look) of a tourist bus. The regular buses are orange in colour.

I saw no timetables posted and cannot be sure whether service will stop during midday, but I suspect the service will continue throughout the day, as it is marked as a special service, and bearing in mind that midday is the peak arrival time.

Just took the Argo Bus today from the Civitavecchia Station to port, after arriving from Rome Termini on the IC 510 leaving at 9:57. It is only a 10 minute journey. The fare is 2 Euro per person (inclusive of luggage). Need to buy tickets from the news stand / bar in the Train Station first. There were only about 10 persons on board the bus, which is a standard size (and look) of a tourist bus. The regular buses are orange in colour.

 

I saw no timetables posted and cannot be sure whether service will stop during midday, but I suspect the service will continue throughout the day, as it is marked as a special service, and bearing in mind that midday is the peak arrival time.

Thanks for that information re your Argo bus experience, Sky shield. Unfortunately, it says in the link given by the OP that there is no service between 11.50 and 2.20, which is inexplicable really, given that you are quite right about the peak arrival time. Unless the site is wrong?

It will be after November 8th before I can give an update - if anyone else has anything to add about their experience of this service in the meantime, Id be very interested.

Yes, because of the OP post and the website info, I actually moved up my departure from Rome by 2 hours, not wanting to walk in the midday sun.

My train was late by about 12 minutes when coming into Rome Termini and our arrival in Civitavecchia was likewise delayed by 12 minutes. Instead of the posted 10:45 arrival time, we arrived in Civitavecchia just before 11 am. The other posters are right, when you see the sea on the left hand side, you better get ready with your luggage to get off. The train stopped for only 1 to 2 minutes only and then it rolled again.

We arrived in Platform 2, and to get to the Station house (and Platform 1), we had to take the down stairs, used the tunnel under the tracks and climbed the up stairs with our luggage. About 20 stairs in each flight. Not difficult.

In the station house, the news stand is to your left, if you are facing the exit. Leaving the station, the bus to port is on your right side, about 30 meters away, on the same side of the road. A man will help you load your luggage into the belly of the bus.

Then the bus will go to the "parking lot" where the port mobility shuttle buses will pick you up and send you to your ship. There are people in the parking lot who will give you directions as to which shuttle bus to take.

I was ship side by 11:50.

Yes, because of the OP post and the website info, I actually moved up my departure from Rome by 2 hours, not wanting to walk in the midday sun.

 

My train was late by about 12 minutes when coming into Rome Termini and our arrival in Civitavecchia was likewise delayed by 12 minutes. Instead of the posted 10:45 arrival time, we arrived in Civitavecchia just before 11 am. The other posters are right, when you see the sea on the left hand side, you better get ready with your luggage to get off. The train stopped for only 1 to 2 minutes only and then it rolled again.

 

We arrived in Platform 2, and to get to the Station house (and Platform 1), we had to take the down stairs, used the tunnel under the tracks and climbed the up stairs with our luggage. About 20 stairs in each flight. Not difficult.

 

In the station house, the news stand is to your left, if you are facing the exit. Leaving the station, the bus to port is on your right side, about 30 meters away, on the same side of the road. A man will help you load your luggage into the belly of the bus.

 

Then the bus will go to the "parking lot" where the port mobility shuttle buses will pick you up and send you to your ship. There are people in the parking lot who will give you directions as to which shuttle bus to take.

 

I was ship side by 11:50.

Very useful info - thanks.

Unfortunately, our flight arrival from home won't allow us to get to Civitavecchi before 11.50. I estimate it will be about 1pm, give or take, so walking appears to be our only option. Ah well, it will burn off a few meals and snacks in advance ... maybe :D

Very useful info - thanks.

Unfortunately, our flight arrival from home won't allow us to get to Civitavecchi before 11.50. I estimate it will be about 1pm, give or take, so walking appears to be our only option. Ah well, it will burn off a few meals and snacks in advance ... maybe :D

If you get there and find that the buses are indeed running at that time, please come back and let us know.

If you get there and find that the buses are indeed running at that time, please come back and let us know.

I will indeed - and I've emailed the port authorities to ask for confirmation and/or an alternative means of transport. I also suggested that they might consider extending the route of the port shuttle buses for that blank period of no service so that cruisers arriving at the train station might be facilitated.

I wouldn't be too confident about a reply, never mind a solution, but, hey, God loves a trier! :)

Well, despite my reservations I received a reply to my email, as follows:

Dear Barbara,

the information is correct, unless changes that unfortunately we can’t control.

In fact, we do not manage Argo buses, but we only inform about the possibilities available to passengers.

By the way, if you arrived between 11.50 and 2.20 , you can take a taxi from the Train Station or eventually go on foot. It’s about 15 minutes to reach Varco Fortezza and 20 minutes to Largo della Pace.

Hoping to have been of help for you,

Best regards

Port Mobility Staff.

It looks like Shank's Mare is going to be the transport for the day :D

Well, despite my reservations I received a reply to my email, as follows:

 

 

Dear Barbara,

the information is correct, unless changes that unfortunately we can’t control.

In fact, we do not manage Argo buses, but we only inform about the possibilities available to passengers.

By the way, if you arrived between 11.50 and 2.20 , you can take a taxi from the Train Station or eventually go on foot. It’s about 15 minutes to reach Varco Fortezza and 20 minutes to Largo della Pace.

Hoping to have been of help for you,

Best regards

Port Mobility Staff.

It looks like Shank's Mare is going to be the transport for the day :D

 

Thanks for the update.

Forewarned is forearmed!