Rome Airport to Civitavecchia

FCO-Fiumicino
Civitavecchia

Why not just stay in Rome for those 3 nights?

ETA
OP has edited original post so now this doesn’t make any sense

Christine H. Thanks for jumping in

I get very stressed over missing the ship and like to stay close to the port. For me, that is one of the most difficult parts of cruising: getting to the port

I am old and I have difficulty now with directions and maps. Rome is so large that i fear getting lost while trying to get around. I think that it would easier for me to stay in port and book all day excursions that pick me up at the hotel and take me back.

Also, I am on a tight budget and think that the hotels in Rome might be more expensive than what I get in the port

I just came back from Rome and a cruise out of Civitavecchio. I agree, stay in Rome! Hire a car to take you to Civitavecchio the morning of the cruise. I paid about $130 for this.I can give you the name of the driver I used.
We stayed in Civitavecchia for one night and it was one night too long, in my opinion!

P.S. I'm also from Boston (well.....north of Boston)

Bostonphil, Civitavecchia is famous among travel agents for being annoyingly remote from Rome. Some first-class Rome (not luxury) hotels offer a free limo to Civitavecchia if you stay three nights or something like that. But for those unwilling to hump there by public transportation, the car service expense is simply, a given for that port. The end.

Whether your boarding (embarkation) begins at noon, 1, or 2, there is simply no possibility of missing your departure with a Rome private car service picking you up at 10AM.

I personally found the long, roundabout, paver and cobblestone walk from the Civitavecchia train station to the port's shuttle bus terminal to be sweaty and annoying, and I have good knees. Note that you CANNOT take a taxi from the train station or your hotel TO the side of the ship. You have to take a free 49-passenger bus run by the port, with steep steps, to the ship-side. (I don't know the disability rules, however. Obviously some cruisers can't handle the steps.) Make sure you are getting on the right 49-passenger bus for your ship. They don't all go to all ships in port!

You might find that the (even more expensive) SHIP's limo pickup product DOES go to the side of the gangplank, but that requires careful research I can't do for you.

Whatever you think you will save on the hotel, you will spend on lengthy excursions "back" to Rome. (I should admit that Civitavecchia is much closer to FCO than it is to Rome!)

Civit...... is a common, commercial cruise port with several ships often in port. It has little to offer in ambience or sightseeing. Civit.. is not tourist destination with lots of tourist so you will not find excursions company making loops of hotel pickup. If you were going to do day excursions to Rome you would need to be fairly close to the train station so that you can get to Rome on your own. There is no hotel in the cruise ship docking area that I am aware of unless it was built in the last two years. The probability of day excursions from Civit... to Rome is very remote. Am I trying discourage you from spending three days in Civit... YES!! There is nothing there.

On arrival take the Leonard Express train to Termini. There are a number of nice hotels, restaurants, etc., within a three to five block walking distance from the station. Or take a taxi to a hotel in the same area. Fixed rate 50 euro. We have used Hotel Sonya and Aberdeen. Excellent hotels with excellent breakfasts.

There is a huge TI in the train station (Termini) where you could arrange your excursions. Second on the far north side of the plaza in front of Termini are the booths for all of the hop on/off tour business. It is a busy area with lots of people coming and going but perfectly safe.

For your cruise ship you can take a train from Termini to Civit... It is a commuter run with three to four trains an hour taking between 45 minutes and an hour fifteen. All depends on the number of stops the train makes. It is easy for every old people -- we have made that run four, maybe six times and I am over 80. Once at the Civit ... station there are taxis, shuttle buses, taking people to the port entrance. It is even walkable and you will have lots friends headed in the same directions. You cannot get lost. If you are on a tight budge, staying in Civit.... is not the way to save money.

I have to agree with the PPs. Stay in Rome. Nice hotels are available at most price points. Official taxis have a fixed rate from the airport into central Rome, and there are many private car services that can easily get you to Civitaveccia on your embarkation day. Hiring a private driver and guide for 3 days worth of touring from Civitaveccia will easily eat up any savings from a cheaper hotel. Plus, you won't have a lengthy drive twice a day just getting to and from Rome.

I would recommend looking at the Cruise Critic website, and in particular the Ports of call forum for Rome. You should find recommendations for car services, hotels, and tour guides.

I would suggest that you stay in Rome for the first two nights. Civitavecchia is +40 miles from Rome. Depending on the traffic conditions you could be in the vehicle + 2 hours each way. Then, on the third day travel to Civitavecchia in the afternoon and stay at a hotel across from the entry to the cruise port. Please note at the entrance to the cruise port you board a shuttle bus to the ship's berth.

Thank you all for the great information, some of which I did not want to hear.

You have convinced me. I will be staying in Rome.

I had been doing some research even before booking this cruise and have become familiar with the Termini station. It sounds like it is fun and convenient and helpful. Termini sounds very central and I like the idea of a hop on hop off bus.

I am taking a cruise to Alaska next week and once home, I will begin my very serious research for this cruise.

I am going to try to find a hotel that offers shuttle service to the port. I just bet many cruisers stay in Rome and take a shuttle from the hotel to the port.

I am a member of Marriott Rewards. Maybe they have hotels in Rome.

I am going to read the posts again and respond some more later.

I am going to try to find a hotel that offers shuttle service to the
port. I just bet many cruisers stay in Rome and take a shuttle from
the hotel to the port.

I am a member of Marriott Rewards. Maybe they have hotels in Rome.

Of course there are hotels within the Marriott umbrella of hotels in Rome. At least half a dozen are within a mile of the city center, and thus a very short cab ride from Termini. Be careful in your selection though; some of the Marriott brands are quite a bit further out.

And while most cruise passengers stay in Rome pre and/or post cruise, you will be hard pressed to find a hotel that provides shuttle services to the port, since it is quite a long drive. And cruisers are a very tiny minority of tourists staying in Rome. There is really no incentive for hotels to provide that service. However there are plenty of shuttle or car services that you can hire.

..... I am going to try to find a hotel that offers shuttle service to the port. I just bet many cruisers stay in Rome and take a shuttle from the hotel to the port....... As CJ stated you will NOT find a hotel in Rome with a shuttle service to the port --- too far and too expensive. She is absolutely correct. Often some cruises will have pre and post packages for passengers either arriving early or staying late. That could be an option. So it is either a private driver around a 130 euro or the train. Second go to cruise critic for your ship and see if you can find someone willing to share the private driver. Good luck.

I have been doing a lot of research and watching YouTube videos.

I was very impressed with Termini. It looks to be the size of an airport.

I researched the Marriotts but they are very expensive and I did better when I researched hotels on booking.com. I found some good hotels at good prices. Eventually I will be asking for opinions about certain hotels but it is too early for that.

Getting to the cruise ship is going to be so difficult. Everyone is right. No hotel in Rome offers shuttle service to the port. I think that I am going to take the train to Civitavecchia and then take the bus or whatever else. And then there are stairs, up and down .... it is enough to make a person book a cruise from elsewhere. I watched a few youtube videos of cruisers going from Rome to their ship and I got exhausted just by watching the videos.

A private driver does not fit into my budget. It is just me.

To be continued.

Thank you all for your feedback and input.

You know, no hotel in New York City offers a group shuttle to an airport. And the outside shuttle companies have all withered away, post Covid. But people still come to visit NYC, and pay $100 or more (with tolls and fees) so for a car service from Newark (EWR.) Or they take a bus or mass transit, to a location with local transit access to the hotel. That's typically "a three-seat ride."

My main reason for posting again is to point out that the train to Civitavecchia stops at other stations besides Termini. You might find a cheaper hotel (I mean, away from Termini) with access to one of those stations. There are express and local services to Civitavecchia, so not every train makes the same stops. Perhaps the hardest thing about taking the train (after handling your own luggage) is buying the ticket at an unattended ticket machine. I mean, it's not hard if you have done this kind of thing before, but it's intimidating the first time, and may require a Chip and Pin credit card. Or, your regular credit card may go through, because the ticket is so incredibly inexpensive. I think our train to Civitavecchia was around $3 in Euros.

Have you been to Europe before? In many cities, the area directly around the train station feels a little sketchy to some visitors. It's often the greyest and dustiest part of downtown. In fairness, I haven't been to Termini in ten years. On that last trip, we stayed at The Inn At The Spanish Steps, and got one free black-car transfer (FCO or Civitavecchia) by booking 3 nights. (I know, it's baked into the room rate!) I don't see that offer on their website today. In fact, they have broadened their business model into something more than just hotel rooms.

I wonder (because I know nothing about it) if you have learned any good potential ways to get from FCO to Civitavecchia, if you go back to that plan. I would expect that it's not easy, and might be an expensive cab ride, because a cab at FCO really wants a fare to midtown Rome. There might be a local bus, but it may stop at an employee locker-room building, and not at the air terminals. I mean, no airport is really set up for non-downtown destinations. So a cab for that short distance could be more than you expect it to be. He probably has to return empty to FCO, and get back in the line to get a big fare to downtown Rome.

As I remember, the cruise company (bus) transfer to FCO and the cruise company transfer to downtown Rome are both over 100 Euros. That's not a free-market price, but it's an ... indication.

I also wonder if the sole good reason for staying in Civitavecchia might be the increased chance to find one of the few car companies that might have permission to take you directly to the ship, out on the pier? But if you stay at a cheap hotel, with a temp-teenager behind the front desk the day your arrive, will that really help? With modern port security, it's kind of unlikely, anyway.

EDIT: Thanks for your comments, sorry if I seemed to be pressing you for a reply, I didn't mean that at all. There is a half-hourly (when we were there) from the Civit.... train station to the Port's shuttle bus circle that I wrote about. I do not believe the port picks up at the train station. Naturally, a train full of travelers is more than will fit on one bus. I'd have some taxi phone numbers printed out in my pocket.

Hi Tim,

I just booked this cruise yesterday and am in learning mode.

I am leaving next Tuesday on another cruise to Alaska and will do more research on this cruise after I get back.

My plans, at this very moment, are to stay in Rome for three nights, maybe four, and then take public transportation to Civitavecchia.

I will go to Termini and then take the train. Then, I guess there is a shuttle bus that takes you to the port for an additional fee and than a free shuttle that takes you to your ship. It sounds like a lot of work.

Some persons have said it is very easy to get to the port from the train station. Some persons have walked. Others have completely opposite views.

Some people seem to think it is not to bad and others have a different opinion.

I have read reviews that say Civitavecchia is one of the most beautiful ports in the world Some tourists say that it is beautiful and interesting. Others say the opposite. Most persons who have posted on this discussion have negative feelings about Civitavecchia.

So I am sticking with staying in Rome for a few nights and taking public transportation to the port.

I will also be taking public transportation from FCO to Termini.

I am discovering some shuttle services from FCO to Termini or perhaps hotels in Rome.

Thanks for your feedback. To be continued

I have read reviews that say Civitavecchia is one of the most
beautiful ports in the world

Far be it from me to argue with anyone else's opinions, but.... whaaaaat? Civitaveccia is an industrial port. I've seen some beautiful ports in my day, but Civi is not one of them. Google Image Civitaveccia and look at the online images of the port area.

Perhaps the reviews were referring to the beauty of Rome, which is where everyone on a cruise stopping at that port goes.

AGAIN ----CJ is absolutely correct. Sometimes there is a problem on travel site where people post from reading other travel sites and guidebooks but no real experience. I call that -- Posting what you think you know when you should be posting from your actual experiences. Someone who claims that Civit... is a beautiful port has never been here or their standard for beautiful is different than most others.

We have boarded in Civit four times in the past 12 years and once it was a stop on one of our cruises and we have been in Rome several other times. And we have NOT boarded since they changed the entrance to the port a couple of years ago. A question that hasn't been asked or answered is how luggage will you have. When we cruise we have a total of 3 rolling carry on. That is one more than normal since we do carry some extra clothes and shoes for the ship. But we can easily handle the three bags between the two of us. If you have a lot of luggage or big bags, then the luggage can be a problem. If you are concerned about directions and the logistics of using public transit, then I would strongly suggest you use Cruise critic to find someone to share expenses for a driver. We use CCritic with good success to find other couples for private guides and driver at port stops. It is a good resource.

When you arrive at the train station in Civit.... you should be able to see your cruise ship -- it is that close. For us there has always been another if not two additional ships in port so you have a lot of people headed to the port. The shuttle bus was the last time 1.25 euro but I am sure it is higher now. The big problem with the shuttle bus is that the line is long and it may take two or three cycles to get on. It takes you to the port entrance where you board your ship's shuttle to check-in. I would allow about three, maybe four hours to get from Rome to your check in point.

I have copied and am now pasting something about Civi ... that is on line. I should add that it was posted by Celebrity Cruises and it was a long article about Civi ... so some marketing and PR is involved.

"The Rome cruise port is located in the coastal town of Civitavecchia, which is part of the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital. It’s one of the most stunning Italy cruise ports to visit."

I may be able to find some more things that I have read on line about Civi ....

The following is a review from Trip Adviser

One of the most attractive ports in the world.
Review of Civitavecchia Port
Reviewed October 10, 2020
This must be one of the most beautiful ports in the world. It’s quiet and charming and there’s even Roman ruins!. It is an attractive 30 minute paved coast walk to the port entrance from the train station if you are getting on a cruise. We spent a nice evening here, there’s a supermarket to stick up on along the broad walk stroll.

The above was from a cruiser named Margaret from New Zealand.

There are other reviews like this about Civi ... on Trip Adviser but there were others that gave Civi... poor reviews.

No one who has responded to my post on Rick Steves has said anything about Civi ... being beautiful and easy to get to the actual cruise ships.

Maybe things will improve by next September as far as getting to the actual cruise ship.

So to try to answer some of the many responses and comments that I have not yet been able to get to.

I did some research on hiring a private car from Rome to Civit ... Most of the sites I went to base the fee on two passengers minimum so it would cost me more than $130.00. Some reviews are favorable and other not so, such as "driver cancelled last minute" or "driver was an hour late".

There do seem to be some shuttle buses from termini but I need to do more research on those companies. I think one is something like Siti

I, too, travel light. I take one small rolling bag and a carry on and a small purse which I out in my carry on for the plane. I will probably have a couple of shopping bags from Rome because the cruise lines are more generous about what we can carry on than the planes.

I bring a few pieces of clothing and change out the whole time. When I get to Rome, I might buy some new pieces of clothing and throw out what I have been wearing.

I expect that there will be many many people going from the train station in Civit ...towards the cruise port. I am sailing on a new ship, The Viva, which is part of the new Leonardo line offered by Norwegian. This line is built in Italy rather than Germany and while it is a large ship, it is smaller than the mega large ships. I was supposed to sail on The Viva August 2023 but the ship had to be cancelled due to supply chain problems. Hopefully it will be ready for late September 2023.

Notice that I have already learned to type Civit or Civi rather than keep trying to remember the whole name of the port. I am learning.

I have been watching youtube videos about Rome and Civit ... even one or two trying to get from Termini to the cruise port and or the cruise ship.

to be continued

bostonphil17, I just posted this in another thread:

It has been 7 years since we did the same thing. We arranged for a private transfer, a large van for 6 of us, from hotel door to the ship and later from ship to the airport. If I recall, the average price per person was very affordable. If there are only 2 of you, you can google "private transfer or shuttle FCO Civitavecchia" and you can find a company which can group you in with 4 to 6 people to share the cost of the shuttle; you can email them and discuss arrangements. You can also go to cruisecritic.com and look up the specific forum for your cruise and find other people in the same situation as you to share costs. You can also do the same to share shore excursions; it is cheaper and more fun to be in a small private tour group than to be on a huge cruise tour bus. There will literally be 1000s of people in the same boat as you.

bostonphil17, for example, if the private transfer or shuttle charges $130 for two of you, they will probably charge the same if they fill the van with 4 more people, so you can decrease the average cost per person accordingly.

We used RomeCabs and they were excellent.
https://www.romecabs.com/
We used cruise critic to find others that might want to share a ride to the port. We split the cost and it was very reasonable.

Most cruises lines offer a coach transfer from the cruise hotel to the port, but you don't necessarily have to stay at the cruise hotel. Last time I did this it was $60. It isn't cheap, I realize, but it is completely painless. They put your luggage on the bus, you get on, enjoy the ride, and arrive at the terminal stress-free. I agree that staying in Civitavecchia isn't that much fun, and certainly not conducive to day trips to Rome. Staying in Rome will allow you to tour for less, too. At the end of the day, the cost probably comes out in the wash. Do what makes it easiest for you.

Hey, wanderlust thank you. Could you please say whether your $60 "cruise" transfer was allowed onto the pier, shipside, at Civitavecchia? And I guess, what year was that? I admit that I have a slight grudge against the Civita bus circle, because it was insufficiently clear to me which port-operated busses went to which ships. We also sat in a (yes, whale-hugging) shut-off bus that had a stifling interior, for what seemed forever. We thought about missing our boarding time, despite what seemed a reasonable arrival time. Especially when our bus stopped at a different ship, before ours.

I also think some posters have overstated the proximity of the Civita rail station and the Civita port bus circle. (I hesitate to write "terminal".) We found it a hot, sunny slog, with many uneven pavers to roll over, and one route had a (flashy new shorline "walk") staircase! I do not recommend walking unless you travel with a light carryon with wheels. And the wheels will take a beating. Being able to "see" your ship means nothing when it is a 1/2 mile bus ride from the bus circle.

Hi Tim, Yes, the cruise-supplied transfer coach left the hotel and pulled right up to the terminal, where dropped our bags curbside. As far as I know, at that time, no transportation, public or private, could pull up directly ship-side because that's a restricted area. I can't believe that access has gotten more lax. But, it wouldn't have mattered anyway, as we had to check in at the terminal (for a photo, shipboard pass, passport check, etc.) before boarding, From the bus to the terminal and onboard (via a skywalk-like contraption) in about 20 minutes. When was it? I'd say probably 6, maybe 7, years ago. I'm sure it would cost more now, but you can't beat it for convenience. I've lost count of how many transatlantics we've done as well as the ports from which we arrived or departed. In the past few years, a lot more ships are beginning/ending at Barcelona, with a scattering in Lisbon and Southampton. The last time we sailed from Civitavecchia was 5 years ago.

I am really glad you replied, because I have to question the accuracy of my 2016 and earlier data. We left (and returned) on a Windstar ship from Civita in June, 2016. Now, our ship only had 200-300 passengers, and put its own gangplank down to the wooden pier. But we transferred from what I keep calling the "port bus circle" to the pier where that gangplank was. There were other small ships at that (general) location.

I wonder if you are reporting a long-term and more conventional departure from a two-to-three story, modernistic cruise terminal, for ships with thousands of passengers? If so, I wonder if Windstar still uses a pier-side departure. (We have been on same-size Windstar trips from such terminals, such as Tokyo.)

Yes, my experiences have been limited to those ships in the 2,000-3,000 passenger range, except for a couple of Azamara cruises which sailed with about 500 passengers, all departing from more modern, multi-story facilities. I've never been on a small ship similar to Windstar. Someday, maybe, I hope! I haven't seen a ship that small in any port I've visited, so I'm not sure how they would be accommodated. With the way security issues are these days, I can't imagine they'd be permitted to drop a gangplank at a major port..