FunInTheSun9

Can I also purchase a BIG ticket ($6pp euro) at the Civitavecchia station, and will it cover regional train transport (FR-5, FR-1) from Civitavecchia to Roma S. Pietro, and Roma S. Pietro to Parco Leonardo? If so, I may just purchase two BIG tickets to cover each day (buses/metro in Rome the second day too) and not have to worry about buying multiple tickets.

You can buy tickets from the machines at the stations or from manned offices where they exist (Civitavecchia has a ticket office, Roma S. Pietro does not, as I recall).

 

 

 

You can check the prices on the Trenitalia web site: http://www.trenitalia.com

 

 

 

Use a date this week to see the prices, they don't show up very far in advance but they don't change either.

 

 

 

Also, use the Italian terms for the stations.

You rock! Thank you eurocruiser.

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The train from Civitavecchia to Roma San Pietro is €4,60.

 

The train from Roma S. Pietro to Parco Leonardo (one ticket) is €2,10.

Quick follow-up: Are the two tickets mentioned above purchased via the machines in the station only (or news stand, tobacchi shop, etc.)? Is there a website that can tell me rates between stations?...I get different rates when I google search.

The train from Civitavecchia to Roma San Pietro is €4,60.

 

The train from Roma S. Pietro to Parco Leonardo (one ticket) is €2,10.

Thank you!

Should we purchase the €12 BIRG ticket while in Civitavecchia for use the next day (28th) in Rome? Or will the €7 BIG work from Parco Leonardo station to Trastevere and back, with buses/trams/metro in between? I think we can get the BIG at the Parco Leonardo station.

It appears to me, based on past posting history, that this poster is promoting his/her own transfer service. (Click on past posts and you will see what I mean....)

Interesting...I was about to start looking into expensive transfer services. Thanks.

I am still grappling with how to arrange transport in advance between the Port, Rome, and our hotel near FCO. Problem is I can't seem to get a straight answer on train ticket costs. Has anyone done this via train that can answer, or know how to get accurate train ticket costs?...

We arrive in Civitavecchia on April 27th after our 14 day TA, and we have an AirBNB near the Parco Leonardo train station (just outside of FCO) for two nights. The plan is to visit the Vatican on the 27th, and spend the day walking Rome on the 28th, before flying out the morning of the 29th.

For transportation on the 27th, I'm thinking of either:

1. Taking the train from Civitavecchia to San Pietro, pay to store our bags at CityInLoop outside of St. Peter's square ($7 euro/bag) and tour the Vatican. Then catch dinner, pick up the bags, and take the train to Parco Leonardo station. Does anyone know how much this would cost: FR-5 regional train from Civitavecchia to San Pietro, train from San Pietro to Trastevere, then catch FR-1 train from Trastevere to Parco Leonardo?

or

2. Take the $20 euro Smartcruisetours bus to FCO and taxi to the AirBNB near Parco Leonardo station, drop the bags at the AiBNB, take the train the San Pietro station (Vatican) and back. Any idea on train ticket cost from Parco Leonardo to San Pietro and back?

Option #1 gives us more time in the Vatican (2 extra hours or more!), but we have to deal with baggage/backpack in tow before we arrive there. Maybe not the best idea with pick-pockets around, though we'll only have the bags while on the train.

On the 28th we will go into Rome on the FR-1 regional train from Parco Leonardo to Trastevere, use buses/trams/metro to get around Rome, and then take the FR-1 back from Trastevere to Parco Leonardo. I was thinking that a $12 Euro BIRG ticket may work best to cover all transport costs on this day - though I am still a little skeptical that it will work on the FR-1 based on some posts I have read. Will the BIRG work for this?

Hoping someone may have clarity. Open to recommendations. Thank you.

My daughter drinks many water bottles in one day. We have the classic package. Can she just get bottles as she drinks them? At any bar?

Yes. She can get as many as she likes. Just one at a time from any bar.

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You can purchase tickets 90 days in advance directly from their website: http://www.sagradafamilia.org/eng/tickets/index.html

Thank you!!

Just a note to be sure your timing is realistic. Allow enough time to get from Piazza Navona to the luggage pick-up place, with the understanding that a lot of restaurants don't open until 7:00 pm and service is generally leisurely.

Ah, I was hoping you would chime in Cruisemom! Had no idea that restaurants opened so late, so thank you for that input.

We will probably head back to the apartment then after the Vatican. There is a mall nearby the apartment (both the apartment and mall are a short walk from the Parco Leonardo station), but any restaurants there probably won't compare to dining in the Piazza!

Do you agree that it is OK to use our BIRG pass to get to Parco Leonardo? (San Pietro-Trastevere-Parco Leonardo)

Yes, the 5-zone BIRG, the one you need for Civitavecchia to Rome, will work to get to Parco Leonardo. It only requires a 3-zone BIRG.

 

The zone map is here: http://www.atac.roma.it/files/doc.asp?r=1643

 

I'm assuming you are doing this for convenience, because it's actually cheaper to purchase the individual tickets for this unless you're planning to use a lot of transit in Rome during the day.

 

Also, if you're doing this at the end of a cruise what will you do with your luggage all day?

Excellent. Thank you! I had seen several older posts that the FR1 was off limits to the BIRG pass because of the airport - but others that it's OK as long as you are not going to/from the airport (which we are not).

Yes, we are using the metro, buses, etc. too while in Rome. We are planning to check our luggage in at CityInLoop for $7 euro per bag. They are between the San Pietro station and St. Peter's, so close to our first tour stop. Plan is to pick the luggage up before their 8:30pm close time after eating dinner in Piazza Navona.

I may have provided too much detail in the original question, so here's the net version:

Is a BIRG ticket enough to travel between the Civitavecchia and Parco Leonardo stations? ...and also from Parco Leonardo into Rome and back?

Thanks!

We are finishing our TA and arriving in the Port of Civitaveccia on the Reflection on April 27, 2018. We want to spend the day at the Vatican, and afterwards go to our AirBNB next to the Parco Leonardo train station. I have a couple of transport logistics questions:

1. Are these the trains we take?:

* Regional FR-5 from Civitaveccia to the San Pietro Station.

* Then after the Vatican board the FR-5 or FR-3 at San Pietro to get to the Trastevere station.

* Switch to the regional FR-1 train at Trastevere station to the Parco Leonardo Station.

2. Can we use a single BIRG ticket per person purchased at the Civitaveccia station to do this?

3. The next day we plan to tour all over Rome (trains, trams, buses, subway - everything). Can we buy a BIRG ticket at the Parco Leonardo station to go into Rome on the FR-1? Or should we buy a second BIRG ticket when in Civitaveccia to use the next day for this?

4. Is there any problem using the BIRG ticket on the FL-1 when you are NOT going to or from the FCO airport?

I've been searching cruisecritic and elsewhere for hours, and have been receiving conflicting info. Mostly regarding the BIRG being OK or not OK to use on the FR-1 when not going to/from FCO. Hoping someone that has traveled recently or who knows the system well can help.

Sidenote: We will be storing our luggage at the CityInLoop shop near St. Peter's for $7 euro/bag so we can go directly to the Vatican (vs. wasting time/money dropping them at the Parco Leonardo AirBNB and back tracking).

Thanks!

Am from the UK! Sailing on Celebrity Constellation to Middle East/India in March. Interested In pre-purchasing the unlimited internet package. Anyone who has done this or knows the answer, please could you tell me whether:

 

a) it’s worth the money?

b) exactly how it works?

c) do you literally buy the package and then there are no other costs, you can then just use the internet on your device exactly when you want to?

d) can you use it on multiple devices?

e) how does it compare to phone provider costs/services at Sea??

 

Thank you in advance :)

 

 

 

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a) Subjective. Yes, if you feel the need to stay connected. I found it to be reasonably fast in Alaska, have not used in ME/I.

b) Once signed in via initial web-browser page, you have access to internet as you normally would at home.

c) Yes. Pay once and done.

d) Yes, but only one device at a time unless you buy multiple packages.

e) Not sure, as that depends on your specific wireless carrier and roaming plan. However, the likelihood of receiving a cell signal when out at sea is low unless the ship is close to shore/cell tower. 99% of the time the ship's internet service is the only one available when at sea.

Travel insured just paid my recent claim in full on the first try. Can't beat that.

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Pre pay whatever u can.

 

You can change the day of the service anytime. That's what we did. If you do register for spa svcs, do it via Celebrity and not Canyon Ranch. Canyon Ranch does not have the ability to charge your account prior to sailing.

 

Wait for a special on the internet and yes, prepay it!!!

 

 

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Good advice.

Side question: I have heard of celebrity offering internet specials on their website on occasion, but I never seem to catch them in time. Does anyone have any idea if there is a way to be notified when they are available?

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Yep. Just off the Reflection. Same itinerary.

 

 

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Thank you!

Do you recall if the VAT applied to anything purchased, including services (i.e. spa, internet, etc.)?

We were going to use OBC once on board to purchase spa and internet access, but if there is a 20% or so uplift for the VAT, then will buy on the website beforehand - assuming the VAT can be avoided this way.

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We are on the Reflection in June 2018 on the Italy and Greek islands itinerary. Are we subject to the VAT at every port, and the entire time we are on the ship during the cruise? I believe every port is in the European union: Civitavecchia, Naples, Valletta, Messina, Mykonos, Santorini, Rhodes, and Athens.

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Booked and DONE! Upgraded to Delta Comfort+ too while we were at it.

For our extra arrival and departure days, we are thinking about taking the train from FCO to Tivoli on arrival and spending the night there before coming back to Rome for several nights prior to the cruise departure. On our extra day before returning home we will stay the night near FCO airport and either walk and dine in Fiumicino or take the train into Rome.

Thanks again everyone!

Update: I have been watching the airfares daily since this post, sometimes multiple times a day. I have decided that 60K miles per ticket RT is my target, as I now have 125K miles in my account so 60K will cover two tickets in full. A couple weeks ago I was about to book a non-stop ATL-FCO outbound with a 1-Stop return, but took too long to decide that the 4.5 hour 1-stop layover was OK and the fare went up before I could lock it in. Fares have been 80-125K miles since.

Yesterday there was another great mileage fare offer, so I called Delta and was able to put it on 24-hour hold until 11pm tonight. It is a 60K mile non-stop ATL-FCO outbound AND non-stop return RT fare on flights #64/#65 (!)...but it is the day before and day after the dates we really want to travel. I know folks have advised that it is still early and I'll probably get this fare on the actual dates I prefer (Sunday June 3 out, Monday June 18 return), but I think that a 60K mile award ticket for non-stop RT is a great rate - and adding two more days at the beginning and end of our trip will cost more in hotel/meals, but allow us to spend more time in Rome, both of which we can afford to do.

So, as much as I would rather have this fare on our preferred travel dates, I think we can live with more vacation time...UNLESS there is some historic data out there that there is a GOOD chance our preferred travel dates will likely yield a similar rate later and we would be foolish to book now.

One thing for sure, once I book I'm not looking back - it will drive me further up the wall.

Thank you to everyone that has replied over the course of this post. Your feedback has been very helpful.

Thank you for your reply posts to date.

For the reasons Cruisemom42 states, I think it wise to fly direct from the USA to FCO - however I have no trouble flying first from ATL to another U.S. city with better FCO fares (like possibly JFK or DTW). Even a stop in LHR concerns me more than doing any USA city connection, and I think we'll want to keep the trip to one stop at the most in each direction. Once my entire outbound/return trip is within the 330 day schedule window, I'll look into both RT and one way options in this manner.

I think the suggestion from easyboy to wait until 8-10 months out to book is valid for cash purchase fares, while using mileage points is something that has to be booked earlier while seats are available at the lowest mileage rates. I have 105K Delta points that I was hoping could cover two miles+cash fares, but now for June looks like it will only cover one fare.

It is unfortunate that the May rates are so much lower than June - but that's the breaks. I should have known that June was the beginning of the peak season, and fares would accordingly increase. Makes sense now.

Bo1953, I will definitely look into booking through the cruise line using Celebrity ChoiceAir. I expect though that any booking will be on a heavily restricted ticket, without any reciprocal rights with other airlines should there be travel issues, resulting in potential significant delays. That said however, it may be worth the risk if the ChoiceAir Business Class fare was near the same as main cabin rates when purchased direct from the air carriers. Will look into that too. Maybe do Business Class on the outbound (so can rest during the night flight), and main cabin on return to save a few dollars. Will have to play with the options a bit once the fares come more into focus when all travel dates are within 330 days. I will call ChoiceAir on the phone, as I understand from pouring through posts here and on FlyerTalk the past many months, that a Rep on the phone often has fares/options that are not visible on the ChoiceAir website.

Net: June travel looks to be a bit more expensive than I had hoped, and for how we choose to travel. If nothing else changes, it is likely that I'll: 1. Use the miles for one Delta fare (non-stop or 1-stop in USA), and buy the second via cash; or 2. Use ChoiceAir if Business Class is within a few hundred dollars of the main cabin fare on the outbound.

If I do option 1, may not wait until Aug-Oct 2017 (8-10 months out) to buy that second fare - may be better to just lock it in the same time the mileage fare is booked to ensure we travel together and close everything out. ...Though that said, I do understand that Delta has had great Black Friday fares in the past, hmmmm. Talk about rolling the dice!

If do option 2, then have to decide if use ChoiceAir on the return too, or book direct with the air carrier (if do Main Cabin).

Will begin crunching through it all here later this month once all travel is inside 330 days. Fun times ahead. Booking the cruise was simple compared to this!

Thank you again for sharing your experiences and suggestions. You have provided more perspective, and it is appreciated. I also plan to let you know what we decide to do, as maybe this will help someone else that sees this post down the road.

Ciao!

Our June 8, 2018 Italy & Greek Isl (Eastern Med) cruise on the Reflection is booked and we are now focusing on airfare from ATL-FCO. I'm getting concerned because the fares or mileage points needed are very high.

We are traveling June 3th outbound, and June 18th on the return. When I looked a month ago using May 2018 placeholder travel dates in ITA Matrix, Kayak, and Delta.com the rates were near $1K per main cabin ticket ($1,100), or 60K miles. This was for 1-stop fares (DTW and others), but the Non-stop was decent too (same $1,100 cash). Now that we are within 330 days for the outbound trip, the one-ways alone are well over $1K ($1,474 today, and higher) and 105K miles. Yikes!

What do I do once the return date is also within the 330 day carrier schedule window and the rates are still so high for a roundtrip fare? Do you usually use miles ASAP no matter what due to limited mileage seats, or else wait for a fare dip (hopefully) and purchase using cash? The Celebrity ChoiceAir rates are better, $851 RT; but I expect them to be heavily restricted.

Any thoughts/experiences? Thank you!

I prefer jockeys over briefs!

Just kidding.

Best bet is to leave the valuables in the cabin safe and take bare minimum off ship as needed for the port you are in/activities planned. Seapass card and any credit card or cash is simply in my front pocket. Never have had an issue in three decades of travel worldwide.

Then again, maybe I'm just lucky.

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Best to do the exchange in Europe. I opened a Schwab High Interest Yield Checking account solely for this purpose. It comes with a Visa Debit card that charges no transaction fees, refunds any ATM fees (though I understand there aren't any in Italy), and uses the inter bank exchange rate - so they are not making up for the loss of fees by giving a poor exchange rate. Any real (not TravelEx) ATM will work with the card. The debit card has both a chip and a magnetic strip - so it works anywhere. Best deal available to exchange USD to Euros. Will use on our upcoming Med cruise out of Civitavecchia (Rome).

I did the fax, like you have. Given how long they took to respond to a fax, I would figure it is probably never for snail mail. :-) So after a lot of research and digging I found a diamond. Since you are from the USA, go to the website for

 

 

Bishops’ Office for United States Visitors to the Vatican.

I am not sure if I am allowed to put web addresses in this forum. So google that place. Navigate to About the Visitor Office. Along the right menu there is a Papal Blessing Request. I got a response within 24 hours.

 

And yes, you are correct about the ticket pick up. They put your name on the list. You need to bring the email confirmation to the office to pick the Tuesday before the Papal Audience.

 

I planned the trip around the Papal Audience - a treat for mom. So I was determined to get the tickets. :-)

The website says to submit requests to visitorsoffice@pnac.org. Done & sent! This is great. Thanks for the lead!