Pre-cruise transport & Hotel in Civitavecchia

[MonocacyCruiser]

Topic: Getting from Rome's Airport to Civitavecchia and staying in hotel.

 

My wife and I did a transatlantic cruise on Celebrity's Equinox in November, 2011. We flew in to Rome's FCO airport the day before the cruise and spent that night in Civitavecchia. This turned out very well!

 

From the airport we took a bus, then train to Civitavecchia. To get the bus at FCO airport is easy, just follow the signs that lead you to the bus. The bus that we took was "L'autonoleggio Tirreno, Linea G.T. Roma-Fiumicino e. viceversa" The fare was €6 and took about 30 minutes in heavy traffic. This bus takes you to the "Roma Ostiense" train station. From there we caught a train that ended it's journey in Civitavecchia. It was easy to buy a ticket at a ticket vending machine in the train station and we had a short walk to Track 4. A word of caution: this walk included going down, then up, about 25 steps. I didn't look for an elevator, there might be one. The fare for the train was €4.10 and the ride was about 70 minutes.

 

Another option would be to take a train to Rome Termini and then board another train for Civitavecchia. This is just a little more expensive, takes a little longer, and requires a very long walk between trains in Rome Termini.

 

In Civitavecchia we stayed at a very nice "bed and breakfast": The name of the place is Villa Susanna. For room only, no breakfast, we paid €65. The address is Via Giacinto Bruzzesi in Civitavecchia. It was a short walk from the train station. The room was spotless and very quiet with a nice bathroom. We were given a warm welcome by Luige and he explained our options for dinner, an ATM, and how to get to the port in the morning. I used GoogleMaps to get me to the hotel and did not have much trouble finding the place in spite of the fact that hardly any of the roads in Civitavecchia have street signs and neither did GoogleMaps. I would suggest that you contact the hotel at: http://www.susannabedandbreakfast.com/ and then ask them for turn by turn directions.

 

The nice thing about staying here, instead of in Rome, is that you don't have to take a train or taxi from Rome, you can just walk from the hotel to the port.

 

For those able to carry or roll their luggage for short distances I think that this is the best way to get to Civitavecchia. I've only spent one night in Civitavecchia, if I do this again I'll stay with Villa Susanna again.

[euro cruiser]

Any particular reason you took a bus from the airport rather than the train to either Trastevere or Ostiense?

[MonocacyCruiser]

>>>Any particular reason you took a bus from the airport rather than the train to either Trastevere or Ostiense?

 

Good point! When I left home it was my intention of taking the train that you mentioned, or even to Rome Termini. However, the day we got to Rome-FCO was the day of the transportation strike. At the time, we thought that the trains would not be running for an hour or so. So, we checked on the bus and found that it was running and would leave the airport as soon as we paid our fares and got on the bus. Had there have been a longer wait we would have explored the train option.

 

Now that I tried the bus/train combination I'd use it again for a trip from FCO to Civitavecchia.

 

Although the train would provide a more comfortable ride and would have a more reliable travel-time, I think that the bus is less expensive and it's easier to deal with luggage. With the bus, the driver puts the luggage under the bus and pulls it out for you at the only stop. You don't have to bring your luggage into the passenger compartment like you do with the train. You don't have to keep you eye on it either.

[euro cruiser]

Although the train would provide a more comfortable ride and would have a more reliable travel-time, I think that the bus is less expensive and it's easier to deal with luggage. With the bus, the driver puts the luggage under the bus and pulls it out for you at the only stop. You don't have to bring your luggage into the passenger compartment like you do with the train. You don't have to keep you eye on it either.

All good points, and why I prefer to use the bus when going from FCO to Termini, but I wouldn't have thought of it for Ostiense. Thanks for sharing.

[kuldalai]

In Civitavecchia we stay at Hotel Miramare which rates well on Trip Advisor . Book on line direct with the hotel website to avoid paying commissions via other agencies .

[MonocacyCruiser]

>>>In Civitavecchia we stay at Hotel Miramare ...

 

What is the location? Close to port and train station?

How are the rooms? Breakfast included? Any other nice features?

How much does does is cost to spend a night?

 

Thanks, kuldalai, for the suggestion.

 

Roger

[pete_coach]

While the train and the bus and the walk and the free port shuttle are all noce, after an overnigher from North America, a nice limo ride to the hotel is really worth it. Yes, it is about 120or so Euros but, when planning a European vacation and cruise for almost a year, surely one can budget in a bit of convenience?

As for hotels in Civitavecchia, we stay at the Hotel San Georgio. Very close to the port entrance (a block away from the free shuttle) and across the street from the beach. A great place to unwind and lose some jet lag. http://www.sangiorgiohotel.biz/en/index.htm

I have found that booking with hotels directly almost always gets you as good a price as with an online discounter plus, you get a room that they keep for their customers as opposed to an undersold room they pawned off to discounters. Often amnities are greater whe booking through the hotel as well.

[cruisemom42]

While the train and the bus and the walk and the free port shuttle are all noce, after an overnigher from North America, a nice limo ride to the hotel is really worth it. Yes, it is about 120or so Euros but, when planning a European vacation and cruise for almost a year, surely one can budget in a bit of convenience?

 

I could budget for it, and I'm sure most anyone could. It's just a question of value and priorities. Frankly I just don't think a limo ride is worth the $$$ for me. If someone gave me the 120 euros, I'd still spend it on something else -- like a couple of really nice dinners in Rome, or a special tour of somewhere new to me. And if I spent that money and someone gave me another 120 euros......well, I still don't think the limo ride would be what I'd spend it on.

 

On the other hand, my parents, at 79 and 85 years of age, it's a no brainer -- they should take the limo. But it's not a "one size fits all": there are plenty of folks who are happy to take a train ride, walk a few blocks and at most tackle a flight of stairs up and one down to save 100 euros that are better spent elsewhere. I've never felt that I'm making some kind of sacrifice to save the money. :confused:

[pete_coach]

I could budget for it, and I'm sure most anyone could. It's just a question of value and priorities. Frankly I just don't think a limo ride is worth the $$$ for me. If someone gave me the 120 euros, I'd still spend it on something else -- like a couple of really nice dinners in Rome, or a special tour of somewhere new to me. And if I spent that money and someone gave me another 120 euros......well, I still don't think the limo ride would be what I'd spend it on.

 

On the other hand, my parents, at 79 and 85 years of age, it's a no brainer -- they should take the limo. But it's not a "one size fits all": there are plenty of folks who are happy to take a train ride, walk a few blocks and at most tackle a flight of stairs up and one down to save 100 euros that are better spent elsewhere. I've never felt that I'm making some kind of sacrifice to save the money. :confused:

Sorry, don't take my comments personally. As you offered your experience and opinion, I offered mine.

I don't like to waste money either but, paying for a limo for 120 euros instead of dragging my 2 or more large pieces of luggage up and down some steps to a train or bus platform (as you must in Civitavecchia), or dragging them into or out of a bus depot train station and then from the station to the hotel (or pay a taxi) may very well be worth the money? No sacrifice, just value for money.

Yes, it is not an, as you say "one size fits all" solution and that is why I offered an alternative and included the price.

[cruisemom42]

Sorry, don't take my comments personally. As you offered your experience and opinion, I offered mine.

I don't like to waste money either but, paying for a limo for 120 euros instead of dragging my 2 or more large pieces of luggage up and down some steps to a train or bus platform (as you must in Civitavecchia), or dragging them into or out of a bus depot train station and then from the station to the hotel (or pay a taxi) may very well be worth the money? No sacrifice, just value for money.

Yes, it is not an, as you say "one size fits all" solution and that is why I offered an alternative and included the price.

 

No problem; I wasn't taking it personally. Just misunderstood the gist of what you were saying because of the generic "one" in your sentence. I agree that one can budget for it, if one wants to, but not that it should be something every one would strive for.... ;)

[Hlitner]

We have to agree with using the train or the bus/train combination from FCO to Civitavecchia as long as you are capable of handling your luggage. For us its not a matter of money but more principle. We just hate paying the big bucks to get to the port when there are other options that can save us about 100 Euros. We can then go out and blow 100 Euros on dinner and tell ourselves that it was really free :)

 

Hank

[MonocacyCruiser]

One of the things that I like about travel is that I get to see how people in other parts of the world live. Included in this is how they get from place to place.

 

On the bus or train I get to watch or even talk to people that are going to work or school, visiting friends, or are also on vacation from all parts of the world.

 

A limo ride can insulate the traveller from that experience. The bus from the airport, a little less, so. The train from Rome to Civitavecchia puts you in the thick of things, an easy-going view of a part of life in Italy.

 

And, it's not at all like the pick-pocket-express trip that you can experience on the city bus between the port and the Naples main train station. That's a whole-different kind of cultural experience.