Rome in 5ish hours??

[gooloobie]

Just realized we only have 5ish hours in Rome after the cruise but my plan is packed with sightseeing spots and eateries :(

 

Is it possible we go to Trevi fountain, Pathenon, Piazza Navona and St Peter's basilica in 5 ish hours?? Plus I want to grab pizza, gelato and coffee in 3-4 places. (We will be on DIY tour)

 

Thanks!

[cberge]

Just realized we only have 5ish hours in Rome after the cruise but my plan is packed with sightseeing spots and eateries :(

 

Is it possible we go to Trevi fountain, Pathenon, Piazza Navona and St Peter's basilica in 5 ish hours?? Plus I want to grab pizza, gelato and coffee in 3-4 places. (We will be on DIY tour)

 

Thanks!

No. Actually you could do all in 5ish hours if you walked by everything eating your pizza on the go as well grabbing a gelato and coffee going from one to the other.St.Peter's would put you away form the other sites and there is really nothing hurried about eating in Italy unless a takaway.I would pick one or two places you really want to see then allot your time for each to enjoy and plan another trip down the road.Just my suggestion. I am sure you will get a lot more repleis.Good luck.

[slidergirl]

I wouldn't recommend that. You could do a "National Lampoon Vacation" style drive by (I always remember when they are at the Grand Canyon and look for 2 seconds and get back in the car, or when they are at the Louve and go through in a couple of minutes), but you'd be subject to the whims of traffic and Lord knows how long it would take to get through all of that and back to the airport.

If you are flying that day out of FCO, I would say to go to the airport and check your bags. Then, get a cab over to the town of Fiumicino and hang at the beach, eat at one of the restaurants, and go back to the airport.

[JLC@SD]

Just realized we only have 5ish hours in Rome after the cruise but my plan is packed with sightseeing spots and eateries :(

 

Is it possible we go to Trevi fountain, Pathenon, Piazza Navona and St Peter's basilica in 5 ish hours?? Plus I want to grab pizza, gelato and coffee in 3-4 places. (We will be on DIY tour)

 

Thanks!

Do the 5 hours include travel from ship to Rome and back to airport, as this will take time.

 

......and what do you plan to do with your luggage.

[rmurray847]

Do the 5 hours include travel from ship to Rome and back to airport, as this will take time.

 

......and what do you plan to do with your luggage.

These are my questions as well. Assuming the 5 hours is literally the time you are able to just be a tourist, you COULD do much of what you suggest. It wouldn't be ideal, of course.

 

First of all, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain & Piazza Navonna are relatively near each other. You could easily do those, plus enjoy a couple of food stops. If you want St. Peter's in the mix, then it gets trickier. I'd start at the Trevi and work my way gradually toward St. Peters (Pantheon would be 2nd, then Piazza). The issue with St. Peter's is the line getting in. (You can get there in 20 minutes walking from Piazza Navona, we did it last summer.) But there are security lines to get into St. Peter's and they aren't always short! You could eat up nearly an hour just getting in, or it could take 15 minutes. Once inside, I find it hard to envision taking less than 45 minutes, even moving at breakneck speed. It's HUGE and is crammed full of things to look at.

 

If I HAD to do your plan, I'd say (if my clock started at the Trevi). 20 minutes Trevi, 15 minutes to Pantheon, 30 minutes AT Pantheon, 15 minutes to Piazza Navona. 10 minutes at Piazza. Grab food there (not the greatest food on earth, but lots of choices with great people watching. 45 minutes to eat.) Grab Gelatto to go. That puts you at 2:15 minutes, I believe. Let's say halfway through your time. Stroll some of the backstreets with your gelatto. Nice shade and nice atmosphere. Allow 30 minutes to get to St. Peter's, eating your gelato along the way. Worse case scenario, you've taken 3 hours to get to St. Peters. Worse case, you have an hour in line to get in. That leaves you an hour to rush through St. Peters. There you go, 5 hours. If the line is shorter, you can use the extra time to a) spend more time enjoying St. Peters or b) find a place for coffee/snack. The pickings are not great around St. Peters and it takes several minutes just to walk through the square.

 

I assume you know St. Peter's does NOT include Sistine Chapel. That's a whole other deal, and you would NOT be able to swing that as well.

 

My scenario assumes you have the full 5 hours and that your luggage is somehow magically waiting for you.

[movc]

You probably won't have time to go inside the Vatican museums or the Colosseum but should be able to go inside St Peter's (any lineup goes quickly since its only a security check) and see most of the popular sights. There is a one day itinerary at cruiseportwiki dot com.

[gooloobie]

Thanks so much for the advice!!

Never know it takes that long to get in...would it be worse if it's a Sunday??

I really want to get up to the top part of the basilica where you can take an overview of the entire Vatican. Does it take even longer??

 

What if I just tour around St. Peter's Square and take a quick picture, I guess it can spare 1-2 hours for grabbing few more pizza and gelatos ?:p

[gooloobie]

For luggages, I read that we can have our luggages stored somewhere in the train station concierge ?? Is that true?

 

I wouldn't put them in lockers if there are though, too much of a risk....

[JLC@SD]

For luggages, I read that we can have our luggages stored somewhere in the train station concierge ?? Is that true?

 

I wouldn't put them in lockers if there are though, too much of a risk....

 

What time does your ship arrive and what time is your flight. With this info, others can provide more helpful information.

 

Your ship will come into Civitavecchia and a train can be taken to Rome. But if it is a local train, it will take longer. More than likely the train will take you to Rome's Central Station (Termini Station) which is away from the sights you want to see.

 

You can probably store luggage there, we have not done this, but other posters might be able to give you advice. From Rome's Central you can take the Leonardo Express to the airport.

 

But you need time to make these connections and time to travel. And you need to allow time in case you miss a connection or if the train is not leaving at the time you want to leave.

 

So if your 5 hours is calulated like ....ship arrives at 8:00 am and the flight is 5 hours later say 1:00 pm ....you can't do it.

 

If your ship arrives at 8:00 am .....allowing at least 2 hours to take train to Rome and check luggage .....5 hours in Rome .....and allow 2 hours to collect luggage and take train to airport, with 2 hours to check in for a 6:00 pm flight.....say 10 hours from ship to flight ......you can do some sightseeing in Rome.

[D4]

Thanks so much for the advice!!

Never know it takes that long to get in...would it be worse if it's a Sunday??

I really want to get up to the top part of the basilica where you can take an overview of the entire Vatican. Does it take even longer??

 

What if I just tour around St. Peter's Square and take a quick picture, I guess it can spare 1-2 hours for grabbing few more pizza and gelatos ?:p

 

What month are you going? If you are there at a really off-season time, then you might be able to go to the dome of the Basilica. First you have to go through the security line to get into the Basilica. After that, the line to get to the dome can easily take an hour or more, even during months like April which isn't as busy as the summer months. They intentionally move that line slow to limit the amount of people at the top of the dome at one time.

 

Getting into the Basilica will take longer on a Sunday if the Pope is giving his Sunday noon address out his window. (Previous Popes have left the Vatican to escape the summer heat.) That brings large crowds to St. Peter's Square and then to the Basilica. I would expect even larger crowds over the next few years because of the new Pope.

 

I'm also curious what time your flight leaves and where it is going to.

 

If you're willing to spend extra money, I recommend hiring a private transfer service such as RomeCabs or RomeInLimo. They could pick you up from your cruise at an early time, put your luggage in the trunk, and take you around Rome and then bring you to the airport for your flight. This would be the easiest method for you (tell them what you want to see and they'll figure out the best order and no worries about your luggage), but expensive. But it would really make the most of your short time in Rome.

[movc]

Your ship will come into Civitavecchia and a train can be taken to Rome. But if it is a local train, it will take longer. More than likely the train will take you to Rome's Central Station (Termini Station) which is away from the sights you want to see.

 

If you bought a BIRG ticket, you can ride the metro on the same ticket as the train. Easy to get to Colosseum, close to the Vatican and Spanish Steps from Termini but watch out for pickpockets on the metro.... actually everywhere....

[gooloobie]

What time does your ship arrive and what time is your flight. With this info, others can provide more helpful information.

 

Your ship will come into Civitavecchia and a train can be taken to Rome. But if it is a local train, it will take longer. More than likely the train will take you to Rome's Central Station (Termini Station) which is away from the sights you want to see.

 

You can probably store luggage there, we have not done this, but other posters might be able to give you advice. From Rome's Central you can take the Leonardo Express to the airport.

 

But you need time to make these connections and time to travel. And you need to allow time in case you miss a connection or if the train is not leaving at the time you want to leave.

 

So if your 5 hours is calulated like ....ship arrives at 8:00 am and the flight is 5 hours later say 1:00 pm ....you can't do it.

 

If your ship arrives at 8:00 am .....allowing at least 2 hours to take train to Rome and check luggage .....5 hours in Rome .....and allow 2 hours to collect luggage and take train to airport, with 2 hours to check in for a 6:00 pm flight.....say 10 hours from ship to flight ......you can do some sightseeing in Rome.

 

Our ship will arrive in Civitavecchia at 5am and we will be taking the train at 8am to Rome Termini. I think it's an express train as my bf told me we'll arrive in Rome Termini at 9am. We'll be leaving Rome Termini for the train to Milan at 2:30pm latest. Our flight will be 7:20pm from Milan back to Hong Kong..

 

So that sums up to hopefully 5 hours in Rome.

 

Do trains in Rome normally don't leave on time??

[gooloobie]

What month are you going? If you are there at a really off-season time, then you might be able to go to the dome of the Basilica. First you have to go through the security line to get into the Basilica. After that, the line to get to the dome can easily take an hour or more, even during months like April which isn't as busy as the summer months. They intentionally move that line slow to limit the amount of people at the top of the dome at one time.

 

Getting into the Basilica will take longer on a Sunday if the Pope is giving his Sunday noon address out his window. (Previous Popes have left the Vatican to escape the summer heat.) That brings large crowds to St. Peter's Square and then to the Basilica. I would expect even larger crowds over the next few years because of the new Pope.

 

I'm also curious what time your flight leaves and where it is going to.

 

If you're willing to spend extra money, I recommend hiring a private transfer service such as RomeCabs or RomeInLimo. They could pick you up from your cruise at an early time, put your luggage in the trunk, and take you around Rome and then bring you to the airport for your flight. This would be the easiest method for you (tell them what you want to see and they'll figure out the best order and no worries about your luggage), but expensive. But it would really make the most of your short time in Rome.

 

We will be in Rome on 5 May at 9ish and I have to catch the train latest at 2:30pm for my flight at 7:20pm in Milan back to Hong Kong..

 

What about just going to St. Peter's Square?? Will there be a long queue just getting in the square but not the Basilica??

[euro cruiser]

The crowd dissipates fairly quickly after the Pope makes his address.

 

When you say a 2:30 train, do you mean from Termini on the Leonardo Express? Could you take the local train instead of going back to Termini? Also, do you need to stop somewhere and pick up your luggage and still be on that 2:30 train?

[CathyCruises]

It sounds like they plan to leave their luggage at Termini (yes this is possible but beware there are sometimes lines to wait in) and would have to get back there to board the train to Milan.

 

I am concerned about a 2:30 train to Milan to catch a 7:20 flight--without looking up the timetable, is that adequate to get to Milan, then get to the airport with time to check in for a flight to Hong Kong?

 

And in my opinion, if you are not going to go inside the basilica, I wouldn't go that far out of your way just to go to St. Peter's Square. I'd concentrate on the other things you want to see and eat!!!

[Hlitner]

Am thinking you might want to further limit how many places you try to see in a few hours. Your trains will probably be on time. But once you arrive in Rome you will have a long hike through the train station (the trains from Civitavecchia usually are on a track that is very far from the main station entrance) that can take more then 10 min. Not sure about any 8:00 am train but there is a regional train at 8:02 which arrives at Rome Termini at 9:23. This means that by the time you make the long walk through the station and check your luggage it will be close to 10. You will need to be back at the station by 1:30 since you must allow extra time to retrieve your luggage (if there is a line it can be slow). So, you will have about 3 1/2 hours which is not much time in Rome. You probably should prioritize your plans and make adjustments as you go.

 

Hank

[gooloobie]

Thanks again for the insightful advice!!

 

euro cruiser: Yup. We have to get our luggage back from the concierge in Rome Termini so I guess it's more practical we get back at 1:30pm instead of 2:30pm in case of a queue.

We have already booked the "High Speed Train" from Rome to Milan so won't be taking the local train...I'm a bit confused over here.. Is the local train station and "High Speed Train" station two different places??? Any useful maps of the places?

 

Hlitner: Is there a map showing where the trains from Civitavecchia stops and the main station entrance? How long can the queuing takes up??

 

CathyCruises: My bf did most of the transportation planning so I misread our flight as 7:20 instead of 10:20pm, so we should have enough time :p. Doesn't help with our tight schedule in Rome though...

I'm a Catholic so I hope to at least have a glance of the square... might consider cutting St. Peter's Square with your advice though. Perhaps leave it for the next cruise :D

[euro cruiser]

Sorry, I confused you because I hadn't read every post in the thread before responding and I thought you were headed to the airport from the Vatican, not to Termini.

 

Having waited quite a while to retrieve my luggage from the left luggage office at Termini, I think it's wise to be there well ahead of your train, at least 30 - 45 minutes.

 

The tracks where the regional trains from Civitavecchia stop are about three city blocks southeast of the main tracks, but still are in the same building. As you exit the train from Civitavechhia look for the signs for the left luggage office (deposito bagagli), it is located on the same side of the station as the tracks you'll arrive on, but is one level down.

[euro cruiser]

You can see a map of Termini station here: http://www.romatermini.com/it/map/

 

If you choose "Piano Binari" and look in the upper right you'll see tracks 25 & 26, which is where the regional trains from Civitavecchia usually come in.

 

And this page of the web site gives you information about the left luggage office, its hours, prices and locations, and what the signs look like: http://www.romatermini.com/it/servizi/dettaglio/deposito-bagagli

[Loonbeam]

Just for perspective, when we were there in October, the line Post Security to get into the Basilica was approximately 30 minutes. The line for the dome was 1.25 hours when we asked. Then it took us 45 mins to move through the basilica due to crowding...

 

This was a Wednesday afternoon. There was an audience that AM that may have inflated crowd levels. We won't discuss the crowds in the Vatican museum.

[D4]

We will be in Rome on 5 May at 9ish and I have to catch the train latest at 2:30pm for my flight at 7:20pm in Milan back to Hong Kong..

 

What about just going to St. Peter's Square?? Will there be a long queue just getting in the square but not the Basilica??

 

Anyone can walk into St. Peter's Square without going through security UNLESS the Pope will be making an appearance. His Sunday address should be at noon. I would assume that if you arrived 12:30 or later that you would no longer have to go through security to just walk into the square.

 

The crowd does dissipate quickly after the address, but a huge portion of those people head for the Basilica. I always leave the area and go somewhere else in Rome to avoid the crowds.

 

I highly recommend that you at least see St. Peter's Square and the exterior of the Basilica. Pictures don't do it justice!

 

Since you are so short on time, it would be worthwhile to use taxis to get to the farther away sites such as the Coliseum, the Vatican, and back to the train station.

[CathyCruises]

What would be PERFECT is to hire a driver to pick you up at the port, drive you to Rome and all the sites you want to see, keep your luggage all day, and drop you at Termini at 2:10 for your 2:30 train!! Try Rome in Limo or Rome Cabs; get a quote and see if it works for you. You could do everything you want!!

[D4]

What would be PERFECT is to hire a driver to pick you up at the port, drive you to Rome and all the sites you want to see, keep your luggage all day, and drop you at Termini at 2:10 for your 2:30 train!! Try Rome in Limo or Rome Cabs; get a quote and see if it works for you. You could do everything you want!!

 

I totally agree and already suggested that but I don't think the OP is interested in that approach.

[JLC@SD]

Our ship will arrive in Civitavecchia at 5am and we will be taking the train at 8am to Rome Termini. I think it's an express train as my bf told me we'll arrive in Rome Termini at 9am. We'll be leaving Rome Termini for the train to Milan at 2:30pm latest. Our flight will be 7:20pm from Milan back to Hong Kong..

 

So that sums up to hopefully 5 hours in Rome.

 

Do trains in Rome normally don't leave on time??

Have you checked the Rome to Milan trains (the trip is 300 miles). It appears that the 2:40 train (Rome to Milan) is a 3 hour trip.

 

And Milan's international airport (Malpensa) is also way out ot town .....you will have another long train ride (at least an hour) from Milan Central to Malpensa.

 

http://www.malpensaexpress.it/en/malpensa-express/timetable.aspx

 

To see Rome you will be taking 3 trains (with time at the stations to meet them) that day.

 

Have you considered seeing only Milan ....with a train trip ......Civitavecchia to Milan .....and then the Malpensa Express to the airport.

 

Since your flight is out of Milan at 7:20 pm .....I would not do Rome .....or I would leave Rome much earlier than 2:30.

[gooloobie]

Have you checked the Rome to Milan trains (the trip is 300 miles). It appears that the 2:40 train (Rome to Milan) is a 3 hour trip.

 

And Milan's international airport (Malpensa) is also way out ot town .....you will have another long train ride (at least an hour) from Milan Central to Malpensa.

 

http://www.malpensaexpress.it/en/malpensa-express/timetable.aspx

 

To see Rome you will be taking 3 trains (with time at the stations to meet them) that day.

 

Have you considered seeing only Milan ....with a train trip ......Civitavecchia to Milan .....and then the Malpensa Express to the airport.

 

Since your flight is out of Milan at 7:20 pm .....I would not do Rome .....or I would leave Rome much earlier than 2:30.

 

 

I've misread the e-ticket of my flight :p. It should be at 10:20pm instead of 7:20pm....so basically I have to catch the Express Train which leaves for Milan at 3pm