Traveling from Rome to Civitavecchia

Hey thanks Steve!! Another question - what about luggage. We will have more than the usual because we will be in Italy for 4 months. I want to be sure that I am not counting on a train ride and have someone say ARE YOU KIDDING WITH ALL THESE BAGS?? Any words of wisdom on that?? Thanks!

This question is frequently asked and answered so you might use the seach for more detailed answers.

You did not indicate where you were dropping the car. There is train service between Civit.. and Termini. Basically a commuter run. There are three to four trains an hour (not one every 40 mins) taking between 45 mins and 1:15 depending on train and time of day. Fare will run between 8 and 12 Euro depending on the train. There is a 1.10 E shuttle bus between the train station and the port entrance. But my experience is that the line is always very long and it is quicker to walk. You can probably see you cruise ship for the train station. The walk seems further than 400 yards but it is an easy 15 min, maybe 20, walk.

Packing light will help with the train because, unfortunately, the Cvit... line uses tracks 27 and 28 which is in the far, far, far right hand corner (as you face the tracks) of the station. It is several blocks from the front of Termini to the tracks. If returning to Rome after the cruise, buy RT tickets because the lines to purchase tickets in Civit.. can be very long.

Melanie - Steve is totally correct - the most inexpensive way is definitely by train. And, as he mentioned if you have wheeling capability it's very easy. At the port you can literally walk to your ship with you luggage and/or take a ship's shuttle.

Have a Great Trip, Greg

Not all cruiser, Steve, with the exception of our first cruise, we do all our cruises with three carryon size bags.

Melanie: Are you aware of the Schengen zone visa limitations of 90 days only for a visit? You say you are planning 4 months in Italy, but perhaps you have an EU passport.

Thanks to all who gave me great responses. I am not going to pack alot of luggage for a cruise!! As I said, I will be in Italy starting in January. I will be packing for life for 4 months. I have no idea how people pack with "just a carry-on bag". I will easily fill most of a small bag with just cosmetics, hair stuff and medications. Clearly it is much easier for men (no make-up, hair gel, curling iron, shoes for different occasions, pants vs. skirt vs. dress). I fully intend to pack as light as possible but must bring a lot of stuff with me that I cannot purchase abroad (such as medications). I also realize that I must get a Visa to stay longer than 90 days and am working on that now. With all this said, I appreciate the options given by so many experienced and smart travelers. I now know that there are other cheaper options to get where I need to go. Again, many thanks!

I can see your mind is set on taking a lot of luggage no matter what we say. That is OK, because most traveler do not believe they can get on less until they have actually done it. I seriously believe that parking light is both mostly psychological or attitude along with some learned behavior. We just returned from a 33 day European trip which include a 17 day cruise and our packing was no different than our six day trip to Florida last week.

BUT, on our first trip to Europe 18 years ago the two of us took more STUFF than our family of four took on our last family trip two years ago. That trip 18 years ago was a nightmare with the luggage, dragging across cobble stone streets, trains, up and down stairs, etc. And the famous words, "NEVER AGAIN !!!". It took a couple more trips before we found that we really could get by just using a carry on each. Now it is second nature and we don't give it a second thought but secretly smile to ourselves when we see someone struggling with a lot of luggage -- And they too, shall see the light.

While packing light is great, I just hope those of you who do pack as light as you are claiming leave room enough for LOTS of fragrances for those reuseable clothes!

Thanks for your comment Steve. I too have wondered what the clothes look and smell like for the people that brag about their light packing. I am planning to take 2 checked bags and a carry-on for a 4 month stay. This time goes from winter into spring and a cruise at the end. I am not trying to win the pack light award, but would like to enjoy my time spent in Europe dressed in a way that makes me feel good. So, to each his own. (For those who have asked - yes I have obtained the Visa required for this long visit).

Sorry, I meant to reply to Robert, not Steve!!!