I’m planning to travel a bit in the north of Italy the week before my cruise and then head to Civitavecchia for the ship. How far away from Civitavecchia would you consider staying and still have time to catch the train to board the ship? I know Rome is a close option, but I’m curious about other places that might be further away but still easy to get to by train. Any advice or ideas? I’d love to explore options outside Rome.
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u/Ridgemit
How far away from Civitavecchia would you consider staying and still be able to catch the train to board the ship? Rome is an obvious choice but I would like to also explore options further afield. Background: I already have plans to travel a bit in the north during the week leading up to cruise.
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The train system in Italy is pretty good, but there were delays during my trip – two out of the six trains I took were delayed. One was delayed by a little, but the other was delayed for almost two hours. It can be frustrating when you’re stuck on a delayed train, especially if it’s a long one. I didn’t know much about all the options when it comes to the trains, but I do know that when our ship was rerouted to Civitavecchia instead of Livorno, the only way to get to Florence was to go from Civitavecchia to Rome, then switch trains to get to Florence. Personally, I’d stay in a place with a direct train to Civitavecchia, or somewhere close enough that I could easily take a taxi if something went wrong. Also, it’s a good idea to have solid travel insurance in case anything happens with the train schedules.
We stayed in Rome. I thought about taking the train, but I heard it gets really crowded when the big ships are leaving. You have to carry all your luggage, and the aisles are packed with everyone’s bags. Plus, the train station is still a bit of a walk to the ship. If you can, I recommend private or shared ground transport. You’re on vacation, so you might as well enjoy the extra comfort!
Here’s a map of Italy. Civitavecchia is on the coast near Rome. You can look at the map to get a sense of the area and then check train times to see how long it takes to get there. Honestly, unless you know Rome well, it’s your best bet for the two days. Otherwise, you might spend too much time traveling around and not enough time at the port. Rome is a little over an hour away from Civitavecchia by train.
https://www.italymagazine.com/themes/custom/italy/images/map_of_italy.pdf
@Drew
Thanks for the map and insights. Just to clarify, I was more interested in how far people are willing to go from Civitavecchia, rather than the logistics (which I can look up). I’d love to hear about personal experiences, especially if there were any travel problems along the way!
We stayed in Rome and then took a shared shuttle to the port. It worked out well for us!
If you have time before the cruise, I recommend visiting Turin or Bologna. Both are easily reachable by train and are beautiful cities with lots to see. But for just two days before the cruise, I think Rome is your best bet. Last time I cruised from Italy, there was a train strike, so being able to take a taxi to the port was really helpful. All Italian cities have less touristy spots to check out too, if you’ve already seen the major sites. Have fun!