Is it possible to walk from Civitavecchia train station to Ship

[bcscot]

Read this -- it's really the simplest way:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=51133116&postcount=1

 

Too much worrying on here about whether or not there is an intermediate stop and whether or not you can walk.... :cool:

 

But sometimes the little details can be very important, depending what you want to do!

 

Graham. :)

[bcscot]

We also want to address the post about flying in 1 day early. Although we have stayed in the vicinity of the airport (FCO) including staying at the very convenient Hilton...this is not something we ever recommend for the night before a cruise! The airport hotels are fine for those who have an early flight the following morning...but make little sense for those taking a cruise the following morning. The problem is that the airport hotels are not in great locations when it comes to just looking outside, going to a nice restaurant for dinner, etc.

 

So, we suggest that those flying-in a day early either stay in Rome (this is reasonable if you arrive at FCO early in the morning and want a day/night to enjoy Rome) or simply go directly to Civitavecchia. While Civitavecchia is not paradise, it is actually an OK town with a waterfront promenade, some shops, and a reasonable selection of restaurants/cafes...within walking distance of most of the popular hotels. So rather then being stuck at a place like the airport Hilton where the dinner options are very expensive and limited....you will be able to enjoy a nice dinner at an Italian restaurant (some with sea views). And when you wake up on your embarkation day, you can relax, enjoy a nice breakfast, and head over to the port at your leisure. For those who decided to spend the night in Rome, they can either arrange for a private transfer to the port, take the train, or just grab a taxi.

 

Hank

 

Currently at FCO waiting for the shuttle to the port. We stayed at the Hotel Tiber, Fiumicino, last night, a lovely hotel in a scenic area by the sea, with lots of restaurants and a handy airport shuttle. This is a great option if you arrive too late to justify travelling into Rome. We would certainly do it again.

 

Graham. :)

[Bobal]

 

What a great post - this ought to be a sticky on this forum. Thank you, even though I knew how to do it this information is invaluable for all those coming here looking to find out :)

[euro cruiser]

But sometimes the little details can be very important, depending what you want to do!

Yes, so you should assume that there are no intermediate stops and make your decision based on that. The Port Authority does not want cruise passengers to use the fort entrance/exit but they can't prohibit it so they are doing what they can with the transportation to achieve their goal of getting most cruisers to use the Largo della Pace entrance/exit.

[Bimmer babe]

So, we suggest that those flying-in a day early either stay in Rome (this is reasonable if you arrive at FCO early in the morning and want a day/night to enjoy Rome) or simply go directly to Civitavecchia. While Civitavecchia is not paradise, it is actually an OK town with a waterfront promenade, some shops, and a reasonable selection of restaurants/cafes...within walking distance of most of the popular hotels. So rather then being stuck at a place like the airport Hilton where the dinner options are very expensive and limited....you will be able to enjoy a nice dinner at an Italian restaurant (some with sea views). And when you wake up on your embarkation day, you can relax, enjoy a nice breakfast, and head over to the port at your leisure. For those who decided to spend the night in Rome, they can either arrange for a private transfer to the port, take the train, or just grab a taxi.

 

Hank

 

That's exactly what we are doing: staying at the Hotel Traghetto in Civitavecchia arriving on Oct 5 and leaving on a cruise on the 8th.;)

[steamboats]

I´m back from my trip. We´ve been to Civitavecchia on a Sunday (Sep 25th to be exact). Our ship docked at 13S. At 12 a MSC ship docked and at 11 the Saga Pearl II. We went out and asked the shuttle driver whether he does stop near the Forte and he said no. I do speak a little Italian and there was also an Italian tour guide who translated from English to Italian. So definitely no misunderstanding. I saw the bus stops at Bramante (BTW there is nothing but a parking lot and no tourist information) and Molo de Bicchiere on the other side.

 

Actually we walked to the train station and it was about 30 min walking (and we were walking pretty fast). So I do not recommend this.

 

On the way back my DH wanted to take ship photos so we walked all the way back again. We waited at the Molo de Bicchiere together with other people from the MSC ship. Actually we stayed in that area for about 45 min and not a single shuttle bus passed by during that time period (for none of the three ships docked there). So we walked back. We spent some more time on the balcony observing the "traffic". The only shuttle bus arriving at our ship was shortly before "all aboard". But I don´t think that many passengers of our ship did even make use of the shuttle bus (349 pax next to the 2 of us).

 

So yes, you can walk. But I won´t really recommend it. It´s not prohibited to walk. Shuttle busses do run frequently for larger ships but not for smaller ones. Shuttle busses obviously do not run as frequent on a Sunday. At least in the morning they do not stop near the Forte but at Largo della Pace only.

 

steamboats

[euro cruiser]

Steamboat's experience underscores the point that the only reason a shuttle bus would stop at the stop near the fort is to pick up or drop off passengers with cars in the lot, so therefore it will only happen when a ship is embarking or disembarking. Day trip passengers who aren't on a ship tour or having a private car service pick them up have only two options, the shuttle bus to Largo della Pace/Via Turco or walk.

 

The furthest out berth (#13) is a mile and three quarters on foot to/from the train station, the closest one (#10) is about a mile. The stars would have to align perfectly for the shuttle bus to the local bus to get you to the station as fast as or faster than you can walk from that closer berth (assuming three miles per hour as a normal walking rate); however, you expend a fair amount of energy in the process which you may need for a full day of walking around in Rome. It's something to consider but you do trade off energy for time.

[steamboats]

Actually the MSC ship did have an interporting stop in Civitavecchia. But of course when we were waiting it was already 4 pm which is a little late for checking-in (the ship left at 6 or 7 pm).

 

steamboats

[Grant2000]

We've walked from the Civitavecchia Cruise Port to the Civitavecchia Train Station a couple of times and it was not a problem, unless one has lots of luggage!

 

There is a laundromat located approximately half-way between the port and station, which is a good place to wash clothing after a two-week TransAtlantic crossing!

 

Civitavecchia is actually not a bad little town, if you want to stay there prior to departing on a cruise.

 

http://cruiseports.ca/italy/civitavecchia-cruise-terminal.html

[wieslaw]

Hi,

thanks for the link - the map is and will be very helpful. We will not be walking to the port / ship - the hotel provides the shuttle (free) to the ship.

But we will be looking for a place to eat dinner - probably a place that serves good pizza ...... and the map shows lots of restaurants and they seem to be close to the hotel that we booked.

Edited October 7, 2016 by wieslaw

[EricJ]

Ok, am hanging my ole head in shame :eek: That being said, pity the poor infrequent cruiser/traveler who reads this thread and tries to understand how they should get from ship to train station.

 

I am a poor infrequent cruiser/traveler who thrice read this thread and is trying to understand how I should get from train station to ship. I've been all over the port's website, I saw the other thread, and I watched the Youtube video about how to catch the Argo bus.

 

I've used this port twice before and walked between ship and train. I can't believe they now want us to take two buses to cover <2 miles. But it seems they may have made it harder to walk. To make matters worse, I will probably arrive during the Argo bus's 2.5-hour lunch hour. Does anyone know how to find out which ships use which berths? I'll be on Pacific Princess, if that helps.

 

As someone else asked, do taxis regularly serve the train station? I wonder if a taxi can drop us at the ship or will they get stopped at the gate. Are they even willing to take passengers on such a short trip? I notice they will not accept disembarking cruise passengers that are only going to the train station. I guess taxis prefer to (and are permitted to) wait for the passengers going to Rome.

 

Thanks in advance for any additional info anyone might have.

[thunes]

 

As someone else asked, do taxis regularly serve the train station? I wonder if a taxi can drop us at the ship or will they get stopped at the gate. Are they even willing to take passengers on such a short trip?

 

We were at this port in August 2016. We walked from the port gate to the train station after taking a short shuttle from the ship. The walk took under 20 minutes.

 

On our way back, we took a taxi due to time constraints. We tried to order a taxi to wait for us, but we were told they hang out at the train station which was true. Not all drivers are allowed through the port gates, but ours was. We paid 20 euro which is overpriced, but we were very tight on time.

[steamboats]

Does anyone know how to find out which ships use which berths? I'll be on Pacific Princess, if that helps.

 

Check out the port website. Currently the direct link doesn´t load for me. But scroll down on the linked site. You will see "Ship Arrivals and Departures" on the bottom of the middle colum. Click there (hope it loads for you). There you can search by date. But sometimes they change the berth on a short notice. So on Sep 25th we were supposed to berth at 12S and actually had 13S (which is farther out). With your ship you pretty likely berth on the 10 to 13 side and not at 25.

 

steamboats

[EricJ]

We tried to order a taxi to wait for us, but we were told they hang out at the train station which was true. Not all drivers are allowed through the port gates, but ours was. We paid 20 euro which is overpriced, but we were very tight on time.

 

Thank you for that info. That's now my backup plan in case of heavy rain or tired feet. That does seem a bit expensive, but such is life.

[EricJ]

Thank you Steamboats. I can't get that website to work at the moment. I'll try again on a weekday (as if shutting down the port's web service on weekends makes sense).

[yoolykeme]

NO NO NO NO NO!

 

DO NOT walk to the ship from the train station!!!!!!!!!

 

My mom and I took the train back, as mentioned in this thread. We wanted to check out the port city, which really wasn't worth it. You can enter into the port area pretty easily, and we thought that there was a shuttle at the gate or something. Guess what?

 

THERE ISN'T ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

If you walk into the port from the train station, YOU WILL WALK BACK TO THE SHIP. it's like a 2 mile walk. Luckily, I was able to flag down a bus that was shuttling back a group of excursioners, who let us in.

[Venusian]

I was going to take the bus but I couldn't find the stop' date=' and didn't see the shuttle come to the train station in Civitivecchia, so I walked. Is the stop on the same street as you exit the train station in Civitevecchia?[/quote']

 

How long was the walk?

[lisiamc]

We just embarked on Azamara Journey on Friday 7th October, and stayed overnight in Civitavecchia the night before. Because our B&B was very centrally located, we thought we'd walk to the port. It was only a short walk to the fort entrance, and when we told the man at the entrance gate which ship we were on, he told us to walk around to the back of the fort. We did, and after a brief search, managed to find the bus stop, where we waited. And waited. And waited some more.

 

The bus stop has no shelter or shade, and it got really hot standing in the sun. Several buses came into the port area, but most were already full, and none stopped at that bus stop. After about half an hour, a bus did actually stop. When we told the driver which ship we were on, he frowned and pulled out his phone. It turned out that Journey was not docked on the side with the other cruise ships, but on the other side, with the ferries. We would have to get to the other, main entrance of the port, near the Hotel Traghetto, and get a different shuttle from there. Luckily, the driver kindly took us over to the main entrance after he dropped off the passengers at the other ships. He phoned ahead, and the shuttle driver was waiting for us, and we were able to easily transfer ourselves and the bags to the shuttle and continue on.

 

I don't know how often they dock cruise ships on the "other" side of the port where Journey was, but if you are tempted to try walking into the port from the fort entrance, make certain you know where your ship will be docked, or can see it before you go in. Don't rely on the man in the gatehouse as we did, since it seems he really didn't know anyway.

 

And even if you are on the usual side of the port, you may wait quite a long time for the shuttle, like the passengers waiting to go to the other ships who were there with us. I think it would have taken the same amount of time for them to walk all the way to their ships as it did to wait for a shuttle to finally stop for us.

 

Next time, we will definitely spring for a taxi!

[cruisemom42]

After all the recent back and forth discussions on this, I admit to finding myself confused. (Perhaps because I haven't embarked from Civi for a couple of years now...)

 

Isn't it easiest for all passengers arriving by train to go to the new staging area for the port shuttles (e.g., NOT the one by the fort) and then take the appropriate shuttle to their ship from this central point??

 

I understand some want to continue to use the fort stop, but given the vagaries of everything we've heard here, it just doesn't seem like a good option for most. Too much uncertainty as to where ships are docked and which shuttles go by this area (and whether they will even stop). In addition, as you point out, they might already be full from picking up passengers at the primary stop/staging area.

 

I'd suggest for people arriving by train the best option is the local bus to the staging point, then the free shuttle to your ship. (Regardless of docking location.) If arriving by train during the (somewhat incomprehensible) mid-day hiatus, a taxi from the station may be the best option -- with added plus that some may be able to take you directly to your ship.

 

For people staying locally, I've always read that a fair number of hotels in Civi either provide a free transport or will help you arrange a taxi if needed. Unless you are walking distance to the new staging area, that's what I'd suggest.

 

Wow -- and Civi used to be so straightforward!! :eek:

[Bobal]

I'm confused by the OP's description of berthing where the ferries stop. My understanding (and I've sailed from or called into Civitavecchia at least once every year for the last 5 years) is that ships will currently berth at the long dock (which used to be the only place ships stopped). These are numbers 12, 13 and 14 on the port map http://www.civitavecchiaport.org/civitavecchia-port-map/. This is where, to my knowledge, Azamara always docks.

 

Some ships in recent years have docked much further out - No 25 on the port map. Generally these are larger ships which are starting or interporting in Civitavecchia, as this has the largest terminal building.

 

It seems to be pretty clear that there is only one port bus stop for cruise ships - the one on Largo della Pace despite the fact that the port authority details seem to imply the bus stops elsewhere (sometimes!). A recent cruiser confirmed that there is no interim stop yet some cruisers seem determined to still try and catch a bus by the port.

 

We were in Civitavecchia in June this year (docked at no 12) and decided to catch the port bus and see what happened. It took us all the way past the old fort and all the way back away from the town to the port bus stop at Largo della Pace. There was clearly no interim bus stop. On the way back we walked back to the ship as the walk to the bus stop would have been as long as the walk back to the ship.

 

However, no doubt this discussion will rumble on....and on....and on

Edited October 10, 2016 by Bobal

[lisiamc]

I'm confused by the OP's description of berthing where the ferries stop. My understanding (and I've sailed from or called into Civitavecchia at least once every year for the last 5 years) is that ships will currently berth at the long dock (which used to be the only place ships stopped). These are numbers 12, 13 and 14 on the port map http://www.civitavecchiaport.org/civitavecchia-port-map/. This is where, to my knowledge, Azamara always docks.

 

Some ships in recent years have docked much further out - No 25 on the port map. Generally these are larger ships which are starting or interporting in Civitavecchia, as this has the largest terminal building.

 

It seems to be pretty clear that there is only one port bus stop for cruise ships - the one on Largo della Pace despite the fact that the port authority details seem to imply the bus stops elsewhere (sometimes!). A recent cruiser confirmed that there is no interim stop yet some cruisers seem determined to still try and catch a bus by the port.

 

We were in Civitavecchia in June this year (docked at no 12) and decided to catch the port bus and see what happened. It took us all the way past the old fort and all the way back away from the town to the port bus stop at Largo della Pace. There was clearly no interim bus stop. On the way back we walked back to the ship as the walk to the bus stop would have been as long as the walk back to the ship.

 

However, no doubt this discussion will rumble on....and on....and on

 

Journey was docked at 25 on your map. (Good map, by the way!). All the other cruise ships (five or six of them) were docked between 8 and 13.

 

There is a bus stop with a huge sign identifying it as a shuttle stop just before you reach berth 8.

[steamboats]

Cruise ship docks are along the outside pier and numbered from 10 to 13 (see the map).

 

The other dock is 25 where a tent type check-in hall is located. Usually the larger ships do dock there.

 

The shuttle from Largo della Pace to 25 has no interim stop. The one to 10-13 (actually each ship has separate shuttle busses) should have a stop near the Bramante parking lot (on both sides). But obiously they only stop there during certain hours or when a ship is embarking/disembarking passengers at 10 - 13 so the passengers might use the Bramante parking.

 

But actually there is no shuttle bus going from Bramante to 25 (only to Largo della Pace where you have to change the shuttles).

 

steamboats

[lisiamc]

After all the recent back and forth discussions on this, I admit to finding myself confused. (Perhaps because I haven't embarked from Civi for a couple of years now...)

 

Isn't it easiest for all passengers arriving by train to go to the new staging area for the port shuttles (e.g., NOT the one by the fort) and then take the appropriate shuttle to their ship from this central point??

 

I understand some want to continue to use the fort stop, but given the vagaries of everything we've heard here, it just doesn't seem like a good option for most. Too much uncertainty as to where ships are docked and which shuttles go by this area (and whether they will even stop). In addition, as you point out, they might already be full from picking up passengers at the primary stop/staging area.

 

I'd suggest for people arriving by train the best option is the local bus to the staging point, then the free shuttle to your ship. (Regardless of docking location.) If arriving by train during the (somewhat incomprehensible) mid-day hiatus, a taxi from the station may be the best option -- with added plus that some may be able to take you directly to your ship.

 

For people staying locally, I've always read that a fair number of hotels in Civi either provide a free transport or will help you arrange a taxi if needed. Unless you are walking distance to the new staging area, that's what I'd suggest.

 

Wow -- and Civi used to be so straightforward!! :eek:

 

I think that is very concise and sensible advice! We were lured by the short walk to the Fort Entrance, (Ingresso Varco Fortezza on the map, with what appear to be shuttle bus stops nearby) and we would have been so much better off just getting a taxi.

 

Placement of the ships at the dock seems a bit random. Journey was one of the smaller ships in port that day. I'm not sure how many other ships were embarking/disembarking passengers, and how many were just there for a port call.

[bobloblaw007]

We embarked on the NCL Epic from Civ last week. I wanted to share my experience getting from the train station to port. I had done my research prior and knew about the options (shuttles and walking). It was a very easy walk from the train station to the ship. It was birthed at #12, and we walked by a smaller ship on the way there, so your walk may even be shorter depending on where your ship is. The pathway is well marked around the fort and through the port gates. It is smooth and safe from cars. I think if you walk to the port shuttle stop, you need to navigate the sidewalks, curbs etc. which could be more difficult. The whole walk from cruise ship to train station is exactly 30 minutes. We would certainly recommend it to anyone who can walk 30 minutes OK. But you need to do your research in advance and have a map.

[bobloblaw007]

Hi everyone, I just replied in another thread on this board but I thought I'd copy my post again here since it is relevant.

 

We embarked on the NCL Epic from Civ last week. I wanted to share my experience getting from the train station to port. I had done my research prior and knew about the options (shuttles and walking). It was a very easy walk from the train station to the ship. It was birthed at #12, and we walked by a smaller ship on the way there, so your walk may even be shorter depending on where your ship is. The pathway is well marked around the fort and through the port gates. It is smooth and safe from cars. I think if you walk to the port shuttle stop, you need to navigate the sidewalks, curbs etc. which could be more difficult. The whole walk from cruise ship to train station is exactly 30 minutes. We would certainly recommend it to anyone who can walk 30 minutes OK. But you need to do your research in advance and have a map.