Going to the western mediterainian

[CaribJoey]

Hi Every1,

 

I have some of questions for all of you if you don't mind,

 

I am Going to the Mediterranean for the first time

 

1st: transfer from the ship to the airport do you book that on board or get your own taxi?

 

2nd: shore excursions the ship or on your own?

 

I actually changed my trip to come in a day earlier so that I can stay at a hotel right next to the Vatican for less than half the price that Norwegian had for an OK hotel 25 miles from Rome with bad reveiws

 

And last question what airline do you use from JFK or Newark

 

I have always booked them through NCL but since I have seen alot cheaper prices . It makes me wonder. all of your help will be much appreciated

 

Joe

[Love my butler]

If you book anything thru NCL, excursions, transfers, hotels etc, you will overpay. Usually by a lot.

[Blondie008]

Mediterranean - which port are you leaving from? Which cruise?

 

As well as US air companies you might want to check lines such as KLM (via Amsterdam) and British Airways (via LHR or GTW) Using UK or another country in Europe as a gateway is often the cheapest flight option. KLM can be really good. Schipol airport is a great gateway for Italy.

Depending on time of year however, always keep in mind that if you dont book a fly cruise package - give yourself that extra time for any problems or hold ups.

When we cruise the Caribbean in winter - its always cheaper to book our own air but in general we dont - as its much too risky.

Continental do a mega cheap flight into Glasgow and Edinburgh - (from Newark) also good gateway for cheap flight onwards to some ports in Europe. For example plenty cheap Barcelona flights if that port is an option.

Lots of options - worth researching as long as you allow yourself that exta leverage for any delays.

[4774Papa]

Hi Every1,

 

I have some of questions for all of you if you don't mind,

 

I am Going to the Mediterranean for the first time

 

1st: transfer from the ship to the airport do you book that on board or get your own taxi?

 

2nd: shore excursions the ship or on your own?

 

I actually changed my trip to come in a day earlier so that I can stay at a hotel right next to the Vatican for less than half the price that Norwegian had for an OK hotel 25 miles from Rome with bad reveiws

 

And last question what airline do you use from JFK or Newark

 

I have always booked them through NCL but since I have seen alot cheaper prices . It makes me wonder. all of your help will be much appreciated

 

Joe

We do occasionally take the NCL excursions after comparing them to private tours.

However, we have never used the NCL transfers to or from the airport.

It sounds like you are flying into Rome.

There are threads on getting from the ship to city, etc.

 

Here is one that I copied some time ago.

 

Rome Review - How we covered all of Rome in a day on our own

We recently spent a day in Rome from Civitavecchia (can anyone actually pronounce that?) and here's how you can easily avoid some lines and cover all the sights in a very effective and efficient way on your own.

 

Our plan was the result of the research here on this forum and from other sources, and so is nothing original, but it is a good validation that some of the advice I found was truly beneficial.

 

Getting to the train station

 

This is covered well elsewhere but it's worth a recap and a few special notes.

 

The ships dock in the Civitavecchia port which is extensive. Shuttle buses take you from your ship to the port entrance (near the castle). What was a bit confusing and annoying the day we got off our ship, was the fact that we were among the first off at 7:30 hoping to catch an 8AM train into Rome. However, at 7:30, the pier was a bit disorganized. There were several shuttle buses parked but it wasn't at all clear which one was leaving first. None of the bus drivers spoke a word of English and the only person on the pier from the cruise ship didn't really know what was going on either. Once a mass of people started to collect near the buses, one of them opened the door and let people aboard. Then we had to wait several minutes until the bus was full before it departed. All of this meant that we were dropped off at the port entrance about 7:55. According to my schedule there was a train to Rome at 7:59 and the next one wasn't until 8:40. I was obviously a bit concerned and annoyed that we would probably miss the 7:59 and end up on the 8:40. However, I had read that trains are notoriously late, so we double-timed it to the train station.

 

From the port entrance it's a short 10 minute walk along the water front to the Train Station (5 minutes if you walk fast). When you see a road angled upward to the left, take that to get to the trainstation at the top of the road.

 

Catching the train

 

The train trip to Rome is well covered in many places on this forum, which I can summarize as follows:

- Buy a BIRG ticket from the newsstand at the train terminal (or at a shop along the way). The ticket machines in the train station will have a line of people.

- Validate your ticket using the yellow ticket box or risk a fine

- Check the monitors for the next train leaving Civi for Rome Termini and what "Bin" or platform it's on

- Go to that platform using the undergound tunnel

- Wait on the platform in an area clear of crowds so you have a fighting chance of getting a seat

 

If you don't know what a BIRG ticket is, that's a Rome transit ticket that costs about 9-Euro and covers your travel for the day on trains, metro, and buses. You can search the forums or web for additional information on the BIRG ticket.

 

Check train times using the Trenitalia site

 

Use stations Civitavecchia and Roma Ostiense (one way) for the date and approx time you desire. You will see a time table that shows the trains and the length of journey. Don't bother to buy reserve tickets online - they only work on certain trains and the BIRG is a much cheaper and better way to go.

 

Some additional advice based on our experience:

In our case, we arrived at the train station at about 8AM after double-timing it from the port. When we arrived, a train was sitting on the near platfrom... we thought we were lucky having caught the 7:59 train before it departed. Without really thinking, we quickly purchased BIRG tickets and along with several others, tried to board it. However, the conductor realized we were tourists and didn't let us on. At first we were confused and annoyed, but that caused me to check the monitors. Of course the train to Rome was not leaving on platform 1, but platform 3 and it wasn't supposed to be here for another 5 minutes. So had we got on that train, we would have ended up going the completely wrong direction. The moral of the story is, no matter how pressed for time you are, take time to check the monitors and make sure you know what platform your train is on and when it's leaving.

 

Avoiding Lineups

 

There are three potential line ups you will want to avoid (thanks to others who've posted similar advice in the past - it saved us a ton of time!)...

 

1. Coliseum tickets: The line up for Coliseum tickets can wrap around the building. I can only imagine that by 10AM it can be an hour or more long. Don't waste time in this line. Buy your combo (forum/coliseum/palentine) ticket at the Palentine Hill ticket office which is half a block south of the Coliseum. There is absolutely no line up there.

2. Vatican Museum tickets: The line up for the Vatican museum tickets can wrap around the Vatican wall... Again, I can't imagine how long the wait in this line is, but I would guess an hour or more. Buy your Vatican Museum tickets in advance online. I suggest picking the 2PM time slot for the day you are in port based on my walking itinerary below. Print the voucher out and take it with you. Proceed right inside without waiting in line and save valueable time.

3. Entrance to St. Peter's Basilica: This line is to clear security for St. Peter's Basilica and it can wrap all the way around St. Peter's square. This line up is probably visible from space! Even if you don't plan on going to the Vatican Museum, but still want to see St. Peter's Basilica, I would recommend buying Vatican Museum tickets online, swallow the added cost, and in doing so, you bypass both the museum and the Basilica line. Enjoy the museum (or breeze through it if it has no interest to you) and when you get to the Sistine Chapel, use the group tour exit to land yourself in the Basilica secured area without having to wait in the security line (since you already cleared security to enter the museum). At the back end of the Sistine chapel, there is the regular tourist exit on the left and the group tour exit on the right (with your back to the altar). Take the right exit. If there is security there, just blend into one of the tour groups there to get through. You will decend a long stair case and end up at the Cupola ticket line (short) which you can join if that's on your todo list or go down to the Basilica from there.

 

Walking tour - the most efficient way to see all the sights

 

There are plenty of alternates to this, and you can obviously plot your own route, but this particular itinerary and route was planned with a lot of thought and consideration. The primary goal was to cover all the key sights in one day without killiing ourselves. It assumes you can get off the ship around 7:30AM and don't need to be back on board until around 8PM. You may need to cut or adjust accordingly if your ship's time in port is different.

 

Besides seeing everything easily in a full day, it has a few other side benefits:

- You won't be among the massive crowds that opt to visit the Vatican in the morning (although I'm not sure they are any better in the afternoon when several ships are in port on the same day)

- You will avoid some walking late in the hottest part of the day when you are most tired

- You will see all the sites that have opening hours while they are open

- You will be able to skip the least important sights at the end of the day if you're short on time

- You will have a seat on the train back to the port at the end of the day

 

My recommended route is shown on the attached map.

 

The blue line represents a rough walking route, red lines represent metro travel

 

I'm not going to explain what these points of interest are. They either need no explanation or Google and Wikipedia are your friends in that regard.

 

1. Start by getting off the train at Roma Ostiense station.

2. Walk to Paramide metro station through the tunnel and ride to the next station, Circo Massimo

3. Walk up the street and notice Palantine Hill on your left... mid-block buy your combo ticket at their ticket office (see avoiding lineups above)

4. Proceed to the Arch of Constantine and the Coliseum

5. Enter the Coliseum without waiting in line as you already have a ticket

6. Head to the Forum and explore that using your combo ticket

7. Leave the forum via the north west corner and come around a large building there to get an excellent vantage point of the forum from above at street level

8. Head out front of the giant white marble monument to Victor Emmanuel II

9. Proceed to the Pantheon by zig zagging up the streets

10. Enjoy the Pantheon (free)

11. Head to Piazza Navona for lunch. If you followed this itinerary so far, you will probably arive here around noon and you will want to leave here around 1:15 or 1:30. There are lots of sidewalk cafes, arts and craft vendors in the square, amazing architecture and a few beautiful fountains.

12. After lunch (around 1:15 to 1:30), cross the bridge towards the Supreme Court building and then pass by the Castle of St. Angelo

13. Head towards the Vatican, but before entering the main square, turn North and head around the wall to the Vatican Museum Entrance. With your pre-purchased ticket in-hand, proceed directly inside without waiting in line. If you follow this itinerary, buy tickets for 2PM.

14. Enjoy (or not) the extremely crowded museum and Sistine chapel (there are some stunning rooms but they are hard to appreciate in thick crowds). Exit through the group entrance (see Avoiding lineups above)

15. Head up the Cupola (top of the Basilica). You can pay either 7-Euro for an elevator ride part ways (and climb 350 stairs) or 5-Euro to climb all 550 stairs. It's probably worth the extra 2-Euro to save your energy.

16. After the Cupola, you will end up in St. Peter's Basilica (see Avoiding Lineups above).

17. Head out through St. Peter's square and the main gate of the Vatican but turn north again and retrace your earlier route but instead of going to the Museum Entrance continue north a few blocks to the metro station.

18. Use your BIRG ticket for the Metro and Watch out for pickpockets - this is where they like to operate

19. At this point it will probably be around 4PM. If you still have time left in your day (see below about calculating what time you need to leave Rome), take the train to Spagna and complete the rest of the itinerary outlined below. If you are short on time, you can simply skip one or both of the last two points of interest and continue on the metro to Termini to catch the train back to port.

19. Exit the metro at the Spanish Steps. Good designer shopping is in this area if you prefer and have time.

20. Work your way to the Trevi Fountain.

21. Get back on the metro at the nearest station and head to Termini

22. Exit the Metro at the Termini train station.

 

Calculating when you need to leave Rome

 

Be sure to work backwards from your required back on board time, subtracting 15-20 minutes for getting from the train to the ship and subtracting the duration of the train ride. Then I would pick the train leaving before the last one that meets your schedule needs. This gives you some added buffer in case the train is late or something else happens. Of course, if you get to Termini earlier than planned, just take the next scheduled train.

 

Example:

Back on board: 8PM

Train to ship: 20 min

Train Ride: 65 min

Leave Rome by: 6:35PM

Last train before this: 6:28PM

Train before that: 6:00PM <- Shoot for this train

 

Returning to the Port

 

At Roma Termini station, check the monitors for the next train to Civi or talk to the ticket agents in the station. Your BIRG ticket covers your return trip. It may be a 10-15min walk from the main terminal to your train platform so be prepared if you are trying to catch a train that is leaving in minutes or are cutting it close to your required departure time.

 

Check train times using the Trenitalia site

 

Use stations Roma Termini and Civitavecchia (one way) for the date and approx time you desire

 

You will see a time table that shows the trains and the length of journey

You should find that trains run about every half hour or so around the end of the day.

 

Summary

 

We had a fabulous day, saw everything we wanted to without being stressed, and did so without spending much money at all.

 

I hope this helps and saves you from feeling like you need to spend a lot of money on a private/ship tour in order to see and enjoy everything.

 

Our total cost for this day was:

BIRG: 9

Combo ticket: 12

Vatican ticket: 14 (purchased in advance)

Cupola ticket: 7

= Total: 42-Euro per person plus food/drinks

 

ANOTHER

 

Train schedule

http://www.ftroute.com/ItalianTrains.htm

 

Rome from Civitavecchia (by train)

(all mass transit below, excluding cabs, is included in a 5-zone BIRG ticket)

 

Shuttle busses (Free) will take us from the ship to the port entrance (5 minute ride). From there it is a 10 minute walk to the train station (across the street, turn right, and walk a few blocks to the train station). Once we get dropped at the port entrance (old castle gates), keep the water on your RIGHT and walk four blocks, the station will be on your left.If there are long lines of cruisers already there purchase ticket at the Tabacchi (newstand)or go past the Tabacchiinside the station and buy the BIRG tickets (regional transportation) ticket. This ticket covers the round trip train fare (on regional trains only) as well as all public transit in Rome for the day). We can also buy a BIRG ticket at a coffee shop for €9.50 without having to wait. These tickets would cover the round trip train ride to Rome as well using the Rome metro and bus system all day. The core service is broadly a twice hourly service on commuter style trains taking around 70 minutes to travel the full route (Termini).

 

DO NOT forget to time stamp your tickets before getting on the train. There are little yellow boxes on the platforms where you time stamp your tickets.

 

The BIRG ticket is half a Euro more than buying a regular train ticket and a one day Rome metro pass, but it’s worth the extra cents to get it done with one purchase. We probably wouldn't be able to buy the one day Rome metro pass (called a BIG) in Civitavecchia, so you'd need to stop and get that once you are in Rome.

 

24 hour, 5-zone BIRG (regional train Civitavecchia-Rome, plus all transit in Rome for the day) = €9.50

 

Morning trains: 7:33, 7:59, 8:41, 8:59

 

The 8:41 is a faster train; it makes fewer stops (7 vs. 12 for the 8:59)

 

Traveling from Civitavecchia a typical train will stop at San Pietro (40 mins), Trastevere (50 mins), Ostiense (55 mins) and finally Termini (70 mins). San Pietro is around 10 minutes walk to the Vatican and St Peter's Square. Trastevere is the interchange for a frequent airport train to Fiumicino Airport. Ostiense is an interchange with the Rome Metro which can take you direct to the Coliseum.

 

We should try very hard to make the 8:41 AM train to Rome(or even better, the earlier 7:59 AM train, if even possible with disembarking at 7:30 AM?). A free shuttle bus will take us from the ship berth to the port entrance. We will have to walk 10 minutes the rest of the way to the train station.

 

We should reach the Rome Ostiense train station by 9:37 AM (00:56 travel time) on the 8:41 AM train. The 7:59 AM train reaches Ostiense at 8:09 (01:08 travel time).

 

Taxis: Taxi fares in Rome are regulated. The initial fare is €2.80, and then the taximeter (always make sure that it’s turned on!) adds €0.92 per kilometer. Cabs usually can’t be hailed on the streets like in other cities, but are found at taxi stands, where you are expected to get the first one in line. Roman taxicabs are white, with a “Commune di Roma” sticker on the side door. Be sure to get hold of a registered (official) taxi, which will save you at least 50% of the fare and lots of trouble. The taxi drivers in Rome expect a tip of about 10%, depending on the service.

From: George and Ginny Griffith

Sent: Sunday, April 03, 2011 11:57 AM

To: George and Ginny Griffith

Subject: Re: rome shuttle

 

 

 

http://www.hoteltraiano.com/

Triaino looks the best but more expensive than Sunbay

Also, Sunbay Park Hotel 100euros for double

Hotel class

 

Via Aurelia Sud, Km 67,500, 00053 Civitavecchia, Italy

"Coming and Going from FCO - Rome, Italy

From Arlene Fleming,

 

Arriving in Rome

 

Navigating FCO (Rome, Italy) = Chaos. This is a busy airport. For many travelers FCO is the first point of arrival for an Italian adventure or a mediterranean cruise. Given a busy airport, tips on navigating through are always in order!

 

Breathe deeply...this is an airport that bursts with passengers. So we'll look at arriving and departing from this Italian hub.

 

If you are arriving from other points in Europe, you are likely to arrive and depart from Terminals A or B. From overseas? Terminal C.

 

Customs is a fairly rapid process. It seems a quick gaze at your passport and you are done.

 

On the arrivals level there are several shuttles and taxis (approx 40 euro to the city center). If you are taking the train (Tren Italia), you will need to go to the departures level, continue outside, and look for the pedestrian overpass that will take you to the train station.

 

You have 2 choices to take you to the city center.

 

If you are taking a cruise from Civitavecchia you have an inexpensive option with the train. Where taxis charge between 130-140 euro to the port, the train is a fraction of that cost. You simply go to the ticket counter and purchase a 5 euro ticket to Trastevere and purchase a Trastevere to Civitavecchia ticket (3.70 euro )

Departing Rome

 

When departing FCO if you are checking luggage prepare for a long wait. Show up at least 3 hours prior to an international flight.

 

No luggage? I suggest going to the airline's 1st class line if it is not too busy. Because I usually travel with carry-on only, I can attest to using this strategy with a few airlines.

 

The airlines like to put security stickers on passports so make sure you have one before proceeding to your gate.

 

After making your way to the gates area, a decent capucchino can be purchased at one of Rome's airport cafes to enjoy as an alternative to the coffee served on board as you bid Ciao to Italia."

 

 

 

 

 

http://realrometours.com/Ancient-Rome-Small-Group-Tour.html

Ancient Rome tour

Tour Fees:

 

Adults €59

Students €54

Children 7-17 €49

Children under 7 Free

 

Ticket included in tour fee.

 

 

http://www.romewalks.com/

 

 

 

Just to reiterate what other say about planning what you do.

 

I would say to focus on what you are interested in. Personally, my main interest is on the Ancient Rome rather than the Renaissance or Vatican. On my last visit, we did a half day tour of the Vatican Museums including the Sistine Chapel and whilst it was enjoyable I'm glad that I kept it until my second visit.

 

I guess I'm saying that with three days - decide carefully what you would like to do and whether your focus is on the ancient side or the Church/Art aspect.

 

If you are an Ancient like myself, I would recommend the following:

Obviously Colosseum and Forum, but do find some time for the wonderful Palatine, which is probably my favourite and sometimes overlooked.

Baths of Caracalla

Pantheon

The fantastic Capitoline Museums.

The Via Appia - for a more relaxed day, you could take the Archeobus or the 118 local bus and stroll along for ancient tombs and ruins as well as the Catacombs.

 

For Church and Art related I would recommend the following:

 

If possible a Scavi tour of St Peter's - may require putting a request in several months in advance but allows you to walk through the streets of 1st and 2nd century Rome. Our favourity tour in Rome.

I enjoyed St Peter's more than the Vatican Museums. A volunteer guide from the Vatican seminary gave a tour (tips only) which really brought the history of the Basilica to life. Perhaps it was the difficult to understand tour guide in the Vatican museums, but we were exhausted by the time we got to the Sistine chapel.

 

Love St Peter in Chains located near the Forum which contains the famous Michaelangelo sculpture of Moses.

 

Hope you have a fantastic stay in this city - our favourite place in the world.

And hope you can have a second, third, fourth...... visit in the future.

 

 

We went to Tarquinia from Rome on the way to our cruise ship in October. We used Rome Cabs which took us first to the Etruscan tombs - very interesting - I think we had about an hour there but if you are really into checking out every single tomb, you could spend more time looking around. They then took us into the town and dropped us near the museum so we could look around at our own pace and also we had time to walk around the quaint little town. Then we were taken to a beautiful location for wine and olive oil tasting and lunch....I am sorry I do not remember the name of the place but it was some of the best food I've ever had! Our group of 8 were the only English speaking folks there. They had to bring in their 1 English speaking employee just for us and she explained both the wine and olive oil making processes, did our wine and olive oil tasting, took our lunch orders, took us downstairs to where they made their liquers for sampling, and took us to their store. It was a grand way to start our cruise. It was 125 euros per couple for transfer from Rome to Tarquinia to the ship. Lunch (which was substantial and included wine) was only about 23 euros per couple---well worth the money.

 

http://www.romeinlimo.com/etruscan-tour.htm

[Aurora2143]

Hi Every1,

 

I have some of questions for all of you if you don't mind,

 

I am Going to the Mediterranean for the first time

 

1st: transfer from the ship to the airport do you book that on board or get your own taxi?

 

2nd: shore excursions the ship or on your own?

 

I actually changed my trip to come in a day earlier so that I can stay at a hotel right next to the Vatican for less than half the price that Norwegian had for an OK hotel 25 miles from Rome with bad reveiws

 

And last question what airline do you use from JFK or Newark

 

I have always booked them through NCL but since I have seen alot cheaper prices . It makes me wonder. all of your help will be much appreciated

 

Joe

 

We're going in September on British Airways. It was weird when I was trying to book these flights, they weren't available through the airline (sold out) but I was able to book through RCCL. Also, we have booked several tours through Viator.

[CaribJoey]

Thank you so much for your valuable information and yes I will be in rome 3/14/2014 but proably not take the train My DW hates taking trains.

 

Also as far as the flights were looking for non stop out of jfk or newark and also we are arriving 2 days earlier.

 

keep the info comming this is great.

 

 

Thank you all

 

Joe

[Mysticks1]

I used Rome Cabs for our transportation in Rome. They picked us up from the the Airport and took us to the hotel. From the hotel to the port back again on the return trip. On this cruise I coordinated travel with our Roll Call group so we could share the rides to and from the port. Rome Cabs was wonderful in helping me organize the different groups and the hotels that were close together. Their rates were competitive with all the others and the service was great. I highly recommend them. I dealt directly with Stefano.

[Aurora2143]

Thank you so much for your valuable information and yes I will be in rome 3/14/2014 but proably not take the train My DW hates taking trains.

 

Also as far as the flights were looking for non stop out of jfk or newark and also we are arriving 2 days earlier.

 

keep the info comming this is great.

 

 

Thank you all

 

Joe

 

Where are you wanting to fly into? British Airways has direct flights from JFK to London Heathrow Airport.

[CaribJoey]

Where are you wanting to fly into? British Airways has direct flights from JFK to London Heathrow Airport.

 

 

Rome

[Aurora2143]

Rome

 

Looks like there are several airlines that have non-stop to Rome from JFK. Iberia, British Airways, American Airlines, Alltalia and some others.

 

Go to one of those travel booking sites that can show you a whole list.

[L2S]

This is a great help for me. This will be my first time to cruise outside of the Caribbean.