Rome Termini to Civtavecchia

Please could someone advise me on how it's best to travel between Rome Termini and Civitavecchia to embark on my cruise.

Many thanks

If you come over to the Italy board, here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=595

you will see all sorts of info on transport options there.

If you are at Termini, and can manage your luggage, the first choice would be take the train.

Here you go:

http://europeforvisitors.com/rome/civitavecchia/rome-to-civitavecchia-by-train.htm

Thank you kindly for these invaluable links. Much appreciated :-)

If having more info makes you feel even more comfortable about taking the train from Rome, go to Youtube and try this search phrase:

"how to take train from Rome to Civitavecchia"

I did and got several hits. Looks like pretty much the same ones I got when I did a Med cruise out of Rome in 2012 & 2013. Taking the train turned out to be easy and, unless you have mobility problems, the walk from the train station to a Civitavecchia hotel or to the port (where you catch a bus to the ship) was easy, not to mention pleasant. On my 2013 cruise I got more adventurous; flew into Milan and took the high speed rail to Rome where we stayed a few days before our cruise. It was a great experience.

We did this three months ago. It's very easy to take the train from R to C, but we were confused because the train's sign said "Torino". We didn't want to go to Torino??? but it turned out C was a just a stop on the way to the final destination. We asked and got a helpful answer in the train station in Rome.

Be aware that when the train stops in C, you are deposited with your luggage and must then take your luggage down many steep stairs. You cross under the tracks, and must then haul your luggage up the same number of steep stairs. We saw no elevators - you have to manhandle your luggage down, then up.

We would have been happy to pay a cabbie almost anything to take us to the ship after this, but there were none. We took the public bus, which required more luggage hauling. As for the walk to the port, I would not say it looked easy to me. Kind of a forced march. If you want more details, email me at lwilliams at thelearningdomain dot com. You can do it, we did. And I would be happy to give you details of how it went.

Lindy

The easiest way for us given luggage and our age, i.e., 85 and 68... is to hire a car service... we use Romecabs.com - cost of 130 euros for 2 each way, well worth for us. We have gone in and out of Rome 6x or more over the years... would not do it any other way.

If you come over to the Italy board, here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=595

 

you will see all sorts of info on transport options there.

 

If you are at Termini, and can manage your luggage, the first choice would be take the train.

Bruce

Thank you for the link.

Biggest problem we had when taking the train was other cruisers in our roll call calling us names (and worse).

At Termini you can buy the ticket €5 from a ticket machine with an English button, hard to be more straight forward.

The regional train to Civitavecchia leaves from a platform WAY far away from the main area of Termini, so it's a bit of a hike. If you go downstairs at Termini, there are moving walkways to get to Platform 27 (binari 27 in Italian). The express trains (which are a tiny bit more money 10-15, leave from the main part of the station, and are 10-15 mins faster, but really we're talking 40mins vs 55. Also Termini isn't your only option, the train stops at a number of other regional train stations (Ostennse, S.Pietro etc.. sorry about the spelling there), check trenitalia.com for more details.

At the Civitavecchia end, you may need to take your luggage between platforms (down stairs, under tracks, up stairs), but if you're not in a rush it's a huge savings over the €120 typically charged for a private transfer. From the station to the port it's a level 4 block walk to the port entrance. at that point the port run a shuttle to the actual ship (the port itself is massive, and people aren't allowed to wander around in the port area).

Recently there has been some construction at the port, and the entrance has moved (temporarily), I would expect it to be back in place soon; but best to check with someone who has been there more recently than us (a couple of years back)

If you have a fairly active roll call for your cruise, you could raise the possibility of sharing a van with two or three other couples - that would give you a very comfortable ride right to the ship: no lugging bags on station platforms, on and off train, getting to - and on and off - bus; for about 30 euro per person.

Of course it would be difficult if you were coming into Rome that morning by train (why else would question be about getting from Termini?). But, if you are doing the sensible thing and staying in Rome the night (or more) before, it is the best way. RomeCabs and RomeinLimo (both have web sites) are reliable.

Of course - you should talk it up on your roll call - along with many other topics.

Scottbee. The entrance has moved, and quite a long distance. As of October, it is close to a mile from the entrance to the port. And the walk is not level. Until the entrance moves again, I wouldn't recommend trying to walk with luggage.

navybankerteacher, that's an excellent suggestion. A shared van would be a great idea, and that's what we did on our return to Rome via Civitavecchia. Wish we'd done it both directions. That trip from Termini to the port was the most difficult experience of our whole cruise. The train car from Termini was packed full of other cruisers, most with very large luggage which was standing in the aisle - there was nowhere else to put it. We had to climb over these suitcases (hauling our own) to get to our seats halfway along the car. Then, as described, getting off the train and to the port was so difficult.

I would pay quite a lot to avoid that experience again.

If you do decide to take the train from Termini, I would suggest that you book in advance for one of the inter-city trains and pay the few (and it is only a few) extra euros to upgrade to first class, you will have an allocated seat and lots of room for luggage. The trenitalia website is comprehensive and relatively easy to use, with English translations.

If you do decide to take the train from Termini, I would suggest that you book in advance for one of the inter-city trains and pay the few (and it is only a few) extra euros to upgrade to first class, you will have an allocated seat and lots of room for luggage. The trenitalia website is comprehensive and relatively easy to use, with English translations.

Trenitalia is phasing out the IC trains, unfortunately. On the current schedule there are only a couple each day between Termini and Civitavecchia and the price is between €9 - €15, depending on when you purchase and the class of seating. There is slightly more room in first class for luggage but I would not describe it as "lots of room".

There are a few more Frecciabianca high speed trains to choose from throughout the day (five or six each day). The prices on these trains range from €9 - €20 and, again, there is slightly more room but if you travel with lots of luggage it's going to be an issue.

The trains are Frequent and fast, clean and comfortable, but when you have bought your ticket you must prestamp it in the yellow box on the platform.

Inspectors are on every train and failure to follow this procedure results in a heavy fine.

Direct trains also from San Pedro station closest to the Vatican

The trains are Frequent and fast, clean and comfortable, but when you have bought your ticket you must prestamp it in the yellow box on the platform.

This is only true for regional trains. All other trains (that is, those with specific seat assignments) do not need the ticket to be stamped.

We didn't want to start our cruise tired or cranky from getting our luggage up and down steps, having to have to watch everything closely, including the signs, etc. We hired a car service. YOu can go to the roll call and see about sharing the car and the cost. Made it so easy.

If you do decide to take the train from Termini, I would suggest that you book in advance for one of the inter-city trains and pay the few (and it is only a few) extra euros to upgrade to first class, you will have an allocated seat and lots of room for luggage. The trenitalia website is comprehensive and relatively easy to use, with English translations.

When is your information from? We bought the highest category of ticket from Rome to C this last Oct. (months in advance from Trenitalia website), and we got a train car that was stuffed with cruisers, with large luggage blocking the aisles (and nowhere else to put it). To add insult to injury, when we finally dragged our suitcases over all the luggage parked in the aisle to our own (reserved) seats) there were two people sitting in them. They were very reluctant to be told to move to their own seats, and only did so when we waved our tickets in their faces and demanded to see theirs.

No train staff ever appeared in the car. We purchased the highest-priced tickets we could. It was a cattle car. Perhaps things were different when you last travelled. My information comes from late-October 2014.

When is your information from? We bought the highest category of ticket from Rome to C this last Oct. (months in advance from Trenitalia website), and we got a train car that was stuffed with cruisers, with large luggage blocking the aisles (and nowhere else to put it). To add insult to injury, when we finally dragged our suitcases over all the luggage parked in the aisle to our own (reserved) seats) there were two people sitting in them. They were very reluctant to be told to move to their own seats, and only did so when we waved our tickets in their faces and demanded to see theirs.

 

No train staff ever appeared in the car. We purchased the highest-priced tickets we could. It was a cattle car. Perhaps things were different when you last travelled. My information comes from late-October 2014.

No need to be defensive. People traveling at different times of the day and of the year can have very different experiences.

I took the train to Civitavecchia in late 2013 for a cruise. I didn't make a reservation, just traveled on the regular milk-run train. I departed Rome after lunch (at a time neither locals nor tourists were likely to be in a rush to use it) and did not have a problem finding a seat or a spot for my luggage.

cruisemom, being honest is not being defensive. While others may have experienced roomy cars and an easy ride on the train to C, we did not in mid-October 2014. We took the train in the late morning from Rome to C (having connected from a "fast" train from Venice). The first leg of this trip was very pleasant and easy. The second, from Rome to C was a really difficult experience, as I have described.

CC is a place where people can recount their experiences, and readers can draw their own conclusions. Conditions can change, and someone's recollections of a trip a few years ago may not match up with the way things are on the ground now. I read everything I could find on CC and Trip Advisor before deciding to take the train from Rome to C, and nothing I read suggested we would run into the problems we did in Oct 2014.

I'm just giving my information as honestly as I can, as you give yours. Our experiences were different. Readers will make their own minds up about whether they want to take that train while loaded down with their luggage. I know I wouldn't do it again.

Thank you everyone for all the excellent advice.

We have decided to take the Regionale train as it seems the most cost effective @ 5 euro per person thus the 100 euro saving will make for a very nice dinner out in Rome :D

I came across this excellent and informative site which I think are worth sharing:

http://europeforvisitors.com/rome/civitavecchia/rome-to-civitavecchia-by-train.htm

and then google Ron in Rome! He also has some wonderful advice accompanied by some great photographs

:)

p.s. wassup4565, I think when you underline words in a comment, it could possibly be read it as being defensive/abrupt. I thank you for sharing your honest experience, it is appreciated.