How realistic is it to take the train from Roma Termini to Civitavecchia & hope to arrive by noon on a Sunday with three cruise ships embarking?
Then, to return on a Sunday with the same three cruise ships disembarking from Civitavecchia to Roma Termini, catch the Leonardo Express to FCO & fly out at 2:45 pm?
We will have our train tickets purchased before embarkation.
Should I be nervous?
Since there are two to three trains an hour, you make it easy. You may have to stand but you will have lots of company. Just be in the first wave off on Sunday morning.
According to the Trenitalia website, there are only about four Regional departures from the port to Roma Termini on a Sunday morning that will work for me.
Average about once per hour.
I checked porttimes.com & it shows around 12,000 disembarking passengers.
From Rome to Civitavecchia, you have several choices. First, there are seven train on a Sunday from Rome Termini (beginning at 6:09am) that will get you to the Civitavecchia train station by noon. Note that the train station is 5 long blocks to the port entrance. It's a bit of a walk. There should be a shuttle bus from the port entrance to the ship. The regionale (R) train costs 4.50Euro and the ICPlus train costs 8.50Euro. The regionale train is like a bus - no seat reservations. The train doesn't sell out. If no seats, you stand. It's a 1hr. 20min journey on the R train.
CLICK HERE to see what I see.
Second, you can take a bus from the Rome Tiburtina train station. Third, you can take a taxi.
On the return, it's a different story as there is most likely a pecking order as to who disembarks first (the higher-paying passengers first). If you get off early, you can make your way to the train station and get on the train. However, if you get off late, it could be problematic and you might have to share a limo service to Rome Termini or better yet, a limo service from the port directly to FCO. For international flights out, you will need to be there 3hrs early. The limo service is not cheap.
CLICK HERE for the limo website.
Larry, I can tell you have not been on a cruise. There is no automatic "pecking order". The ship does try to stage an orderly departure by controlling the number of people departing per 15 to 30 min intervals. Sometime prior to the end you can request a departure time and mostly likely that is the time your receive. The time is also tied to your luggage off loading if you have the ship off load your luggage. Since we have only carryon luggage, we can depart anytime. If assigned a departure time that does not work, we just ask for a change of time and it has always granted. Cruise ships are very cooperative as they are very interested in getting you off quickly.
We have made that run four times. Two times we did have to stand most of the way back to Rome. But the key is to pre purchased the return ticket so that you can walk straight to the track because most of those 12,000 people will be standing in line to buy a ticket. If Jill gets off within the first hour or so of departure, she will be fine in catching the trains back unless, of course, she has massive amounts of luggage -- then the struggle will be greater.
They start disembarkation at 7:00 am, but I was told by the cruiseline that is for the passengers who purchase their (outrageously expensive) cruiseport to airport transfers.
I'm assuming the earliest we may disembark will be 8:00 am.
I plan to take two carry-on size bags. Hubby is a different story.
Jill - I'd talk with the cruise line about disembarking... I've been on the IC Plus through Civitavechia a few times and seen folks at 10 AM waiting for the train into Rome... You are correct; If you purchase a flight WITH your cruise you DO GET preferred disembarkment (I used to do consultant work with travel agents)...
But if you tell them you have a earlier flight the major cruise lines are more sympathetic. I'd hate to be standing on the train platform at 10 or 11 AM!
Good Luck!
Ciao,
Ron
