Flying into Rome for a Venice Cruise

We just booked a cruise on Celebrity Constellation departing and arriving in Venice. We want to fly into Rome so we can spend a couple of days there and then catch a train to Venice. Could someone please give me some advice on whether is is doable? Thanks in advance for your response.

I would ask in the Ports Of Call forum under Italy

Of course it is doable

I'm in Italy right now, and our guide mentioned he takes the train from Venice to Rome often...on the fast train it is 2.5 hours.

Did you consider flying? Check to see costs/scheduling. It might be worth it.

I'm in Italy right now, and our guide mentioned he takes the train from Venice to Rome often...on the fast train it is 2.5 hours.

Wow....... I'm surprised train can go between Venice and Rome that fast. Last we rode train from Rome just as far as Florence was 3 hours but it wasn't the fast train.

Go http://www.trenitalia.com and click on the british flag in the top right corner.

The website will switch to english, and you can see all train schedules for Italy and actually buy your tickets online, save lots of money buying in advance. May only let you purchase a couple of months ahead.

Have a great time and this is definitely doable.

I would suggest 4 or 5 days in Rome. Lots to see and do.

It really makes sense to go via Rome - you get a chance to see Rome as well as have much better flight connections - you might want to plan on spending at least one night in Rome post cruise as well - as flights back to the US leave very early. I seem to recall it was about 3 hours on the train - and the station in Venice is quite close to the cruise terminal.

Flights to Venice from Rome are cheap. Just check the luggage restrictions.

We did a similar trip in June. Very doable. Probably the only negative is lugging all your cruise luggage.

By the way, the Rome to Venice high speed train is 3 hours 30 minutes. Rome to Florence is 90 minutes on the high speed train. Did both in June.

We did this about 10 years ago. We flew from NJ to Rome and got there early in the morning. We took one of the recommended limos to our hotel from the airport. We stayed at Hotel 42 (I think that is the name) which was within walking distance of the coliseum and the forum. We just walked and toured all day (walked past the forum where we bought our tickets for forum and coliseum) walked to Trevi fountain and then back to hotel. By mid afternoon we were barely awake. To get dinner during the midafternoon break time we walked across the bridge to the other side of the river. Then walked back to our hotel and were asleep by 7:30. The next day we had the included breakfast and did some more touring. We had prepurchased train tickets on trenitalia on 4p.m. train. That was another week of research to figure out how to do this but if you use the search feature on the Europe/med boards you should be able to find it. We took a taxi to the train station. We had reserved first class seats. I am not sure first class is necessary, but at that time it was a 4 hour ride and we thought the seats would be more comfortable. We were planning to eat on the train but we were just too tired. They do have a place to buy dinner. I believe in first class they gave out drinks and a snack. We stayed at the Best Western that is right across the street from the train station at the stop before Venice so that we did not have to hassle with expensive water taxi and more expensive hotel. We were in our room 10 minutes after the train arrived. There was a restaurant in the hotel. I think I got a light dinner.

I had checked ahead of time with Celebrity and we were told we could drop our luggage at the ship at either 10 or 11. Next morning we took a land taxi to the ship, dropped off our luggage and then headed to Venice for a day of touring. By the time we got to the ship for embarkation there were no lines and we just walked up to check in and then over to the ship. Since the ship overnighted in Venice, we did muster drill, had dinner and then headed back for an evening in Venice.

One of the reasons we did all this was that besides really wanting to see Rome, at the time the airfare to Rome was half the airfare to Venice with no direct flight. While the train takes longer than a flight, if you take away the fact that you need to get to the airport 2 hours early for a plane vs. half an hour to the closer train station you are saving an hour and a half on that end. On the other end, we were right at our hotel and did not have to transfer, probably saving another hour picking up luggage and taxi to hotel. We figured we were going to be half asleep by dinnertime anyway and we could sleep on the train.

Just an aside, our ship had a stop in Rome so we saved the area near the Vatican for the port day when we took the train from Civatechia .

If I can find a link to my review I will post that later today.

Want to add that we learned to pack light. We each have a large suitcase and a large backpack. We always take taxis and not public transportation, but you need to be able to wheel and handle your own luggage if you are going to take the train.

Wow....... I'm surprised train can go between Venice and Rome that fast. Last we rode train from Rome just as far as Florence was 3 hours but it wasn't the fast train.

 

Sail, the high-speed trains have made train travel across Italy incredibly efficient. That 3-hour trip you took from Rome to Florence is now down to an hour and a half via Frecciarossa train. The Frecciargento takes 3:30 to Venezia Mestre (the mainland station), or 3:45 to Venezia Santa Lucia. Considering the efficiency, speed and comfort of these trains (snack cars and free internet), I would never consider flying between these 2 cities nowadays.

Totally doable. Fly to Rome, spend a few days there then take the train to Venice. With security, waiting, the locations of the airports in conjunction with the cities, it's probably quicker to take the train rather then to fly. And yes, buy your tickets on line prior to going.....much better price! Enjoy your trip and cruise!

Flights to Venice from Rome are cheap. Just check the luggage restrictions.

Who cares if it is cheap with the hassle of flying. I know we took a week tour of France several years back. We had a tour of Bordeaux wine country and then Paris. We were booked on a flight between the 2 cities. We had an hour and half flight, but we also had an hour before the flight check in that is required for security reasons,and then our hotel was an hour away from the Paris airport. Airports are always away from the city you know.

What did we discover down the street from our hotel? A major Paris train station and we also learned the Bordeaux to Paris train on the fast train was 3 hours. (the Bordeaux train station was less than 10 minutes from our Bordeaux hotel,whereas the Bordeaux airport was at least a 30 minute drive. we passed the train station on the way to the airport)It would have been so much simpler for us to have taken a train, what the heck was the travel agency thinking? Oh I know, the flight was cheaper than the fast train and leasing a bus/coach from the airport. Cheaper but not less of a headache for us.

I say, OP take the fat train and enjoy the ride!

Totally doable. Fly to Rome, spend a few days there then take the train to Venice. With security, waiting, the locations of the airports in conjunction with the cities, it's probably quicker to take the train rather then to fly. And yes, buy your tickets on line prior to going.....much better price! Enjoy your trip and cruise!

The OP could also take a multi city flight into Europe, fly into Rome but fly out of Venice, or vice versa.

I have to say too, the OP should spend time in Florence while they are at it. Florence is between Rome and Venice.

Did you consider flying? Check to see costs/scheduling. It might be worth it.

By the time you figure getting to the airport, checking in through security, flight, getting from Marco Poll to Venice - the train is likely to be quicker and certainly less hassle.

We did a similar trip in June. Very doable. Probably the only negative is lugging all your cruise luggage.

 

By the way, the Rome to Venice high speed train is 3 hours 30 minutes. Rome to Florence is 90 minutes on the high speed train. Did both in June.

Sail, the high-speed trains have made train travel across Italy incredibly efficient. That 3-hour trip you took from Rome to Florence is now down to an hour and a half via Frecciarossa train. The Frecciargento takes 3:30 to Venezia Mestre (the mainland station), or 3:45 to Venezia Santa Lucia. Considering the efficiency, speed and comfort of these trains (snack cars and free internet), I would never consider flying between these 2 cities nowadays.

Nice....... that, indeed, sounds the way to go now what with the fast train.

We enjoyed our train rides but it was 3 hours Rome to Florence and another three hours Florence to Venice. Well worth it though. :)

We are doing this in 22 days (not that I'm counting or anything.....). We fly into Rome, take the 'introduction to Rome' tour with Rome in limo, spend the night, then take the train to Venice I'm the morning. It's only 3 and a half hours and there are many trains between the two each day. Far easier than having to head back to the airport and flying. And considerably cheaper once you consider taxis between Rome and the airport then the venice airport and Venice and the port. The train station in Venice is right next to the port too.

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While in Rome last time, we took a horse drawn carriage tour from the Colosseum to the Trevi Fountain, stopping at the Pantheon. It was much nicer and slower than a bus.We went by Bernini's Fountain of Four Rivers in Piazza Navona, which is not accessible by car.

It was not inexpensive, but well worth it

As promised here is the review I wrote way back when. It does have the trick to buying tickets for the train. A little heavy on the budget. Oh for the days when roundtrip open jaw airfare to Europe was $700.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=16755

By the time you figure getting to the airport, checking in through security, flight, getting from Marco Poll to Venice - the train is likely to be quicker and certainly less hassle.

for sure! Even if the flight is a "deal" in price I would rather take the train. Less hassle is worth spending more money.

We did the flight rt from Rome. Took the train to Venice after spending a few days in Rome. Split our Venice time per/post cruise. Train to Florence. Then hit Pisa on the last day on or way back too Rome the night before our flight home.

Only thing with the train don't count anything to close time wise. We ended up going back top Florence and down to Rome when there were several issues with our train from Pisa to Rome. The train coming into Pisa was delayed north of us. Even when it got to Pisa they weren't sure how long it would talk to get to Rome due to an incident on The tracks south of Pisa. The train station staff were very helpful in getting us re routed we knew to have a back up plan. my college roommate lived there for a few years post, she said things get delayed and to know our options if we were on a set schedule

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We did the flight rt from Rome. Took the train to Venice after spending a few days in Rome. Split our Venice time per/post cruise. Train to Florence. Then hit Pisa on the last day on or way back too Rome the night before our flight home.

 

Only thing with the train don't count anything to close time wise. We ended up going back top Florence and down to Rome when there were several issues with our train from Pisa to Rome. The train coming into Pisa was delayed north of us. Even when it got to Pisa they weren't sure how long it would talk to get to Rome due to an incident on The tracks south of Pisa. The train station staff were very helpful in getting us re routed we knew to have a back up plan. my college roommate lived there for a few years post, she said things get delayed and to know our options if we were on a set schedule

 

 

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sound like Amtrak lol!