Rome to Venice

[sarshecky]

I am on a Celebrity cruise that ends in Rome next June. We are not spending time in Rome, but instead going to take the train to Venice. The cruise docks at 5:00am. Not sure how early we need to be off the ship. I'm going to book a private driver to take us from the port to the train terminal.

 

There is a train that leaves at 1:25. Will that be enough time to get there but not have to spend hours waiting for the train? There is a different train company that has trains departing on the hour-11am, noon, 1pm but they are more expensive.

 

I appreciate any advice. Thanks.

[Twickenham]

There is a different train company that has trains departing on the hour-11am, noon, 1pm but they are more expensive.

 

I appreciate any advice. Thanks.

 

The bolded part confuses me. Trains for next June aren't available to be booked yet. Where are you seeing pricing? If for different dates, then pricing could very well be different for the date you want. If some sort of booking site, well it's usually best (and cheaper) to book direct: http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en and http://www.italotreno.it/en. For more info on trains in Italy (and the rest of Europe), check out this site: http://www.seat61.com/Italy.htm#.VkOPQrerS70

 

To answer your question, the 1:25 can easily be made, and you would probably end up waiting a couple of hours. I'd probably be aiming for a train around 11 am-ish.

[sarshecky]

I was looking at eurorails.com.

[CruiserBruce]

Book at trenitalia dot com. That is where fares will be best. The lowest fares will be available 4 months prior to travel date, when the fares are released.

 

It appears you mean you have a private vender to take you from the ship to Termini, the main train station in Rome. If so, I agree, a 11ish train is fine. You do know you could take a train from the port to Venice, right? You would be connecting in Rome, and it would be much cheaper than hiring a private transfer from Civi (port) to Rome Termini.

 

You might want to do some reading on this board. There are many threads on train travel in Italy, with a good number of knowledgeable and experienced people here.

Edited November 11, 2015 by CruiserBruce

[sarshecky]

I did not know I could take a train right from the port! Thank you! I will definitely do some research.

 

How would I get from the port to the train? Is it walking distance?

 

If fares aren't released until 4 months prior, why can I book on eurorail.com? Is that a reputable site?

[euro cruiser]

Eurorail routinely sells tickets in anticipation that the new schedule won't be dramatically different from the old one. If there is a change they'll simply ticket the closest train to the one you originally booked.

 

Unless you can't relax without having this nailed down far in advance there's really no reason to book it now. Wait until Trenitalia is ready to sell you the ticket and purchase it directly.

 

As for departing from Civitavecchia, the train station is one mile from the port exit. Not far without luggage but uncomfortable with it. There is a local bus option, however.

 

Note that most of the trains between Civitavecchia and Rome will be regional trains, which means no reserved seat and the potential of overcrowding. They've greatly reduced the morning express trains so you might be better off with the private transfer to Rome if you don't want to deal with the regional train.

 

You'll be shoved off the ship by 9:30 AM so I'd plan on an earlier train to Venice, why waste half the day?

[CruiserBruce]

I did not know I could take a train right from the port! Thank you! I will definitely do some research.

 

How would I get from the port to the train? Is it walking distance?

 

If fares aren't released until 4 months prior, why can I book on eurorail.com? Is that a reputable site?

 

If you do that promised research, you will find you will need to take a free shuttle to the port gate, then either walk or take a bus for less than 1 euro to the Civi train station. Or, you can get a cab from your ship, if you can convince the cabbie to do the short run.

 

Eurorail.com is a secondary seller, like the very commonly used RailEurope. They are legitimate, but they add a mark up to your fare. I don't know the amount, but it seems noticeable, like greater than 10%, for sure.

[bearette]

The train station is walking distance from the port but you can take a bus. The bus tends to be busy coming off a cruise so with my two kids in March we just walked. Took 20 minutes but I walk slowly while my husband speeds, plus we had luggage.

 

The biggest issue at the train station is that there is no elevator. People are nice and if they see you struggle will help with luggage, but there is no one dedicated to this task. Pack light and plan on doing it yourself. We managed with two large backpacks one suitcase and a double stroller.

 

I didn't go to Venice so I can't help you there but the trentia site and trip advisor can help you figure out the best way to get there.

[hkto]

Buy combined Civitavecchia-Venezia ticket online from trenitalia.com They start selling 90 days from departure. The sooner you buy the better is the price (presently the cheapest category is Super Economy). Do not buy Cartafreccia fare as this card is for Italian residents. Total journey (with Roma Termini transfer) is around 5.5 hrs.

 

Without rushing I'd budget around 1 hr to reach to Civitavecchia station from the cabin (disembarkation, port shuttle & 15-20 min walk from port gate to station). Civitavecchia train tend to park quite far from Venice trains in Termini so another may 10 min walk is needed there

[Langoustine]

Good advice about the Cartafreccia fare option; I've seen Americans get bolloxed up booking this when the conductor comes around. And don't miss the little box on the Trenitalia site that gives you the option to choose your own seats on the Rome-Venice leg of the journey (and possibly from Civitavecchia to Rome, depending on the train you book). I recommend getting two window seats facing each other over the table; Italian trains change direction frequently when pulling out of intermediate stations, and that way one of you will always be facing forward. I've also ridden Italo Treno in Italy, and while their seating options are different, they have amazingly high-tech toilet facilities.

Edited November 11, 2015 by Langoustine

[sarshecky]

Thank you all for your tips!