If you only had two hours in Rome...

We plan on taking a transfer tour from the airport in Rome to the cruise terminal in Civitavecchia. We should have about 4 hours total, but I understand that half of that will be spent driving from the airport to Rome and from Rome to Civitavecchia. I understand that traffic around Rome can be bad. (We will be there on a Monday, around 10:00AM to 2:00PM). This will be our first time in Rome.

When I think of Rome, my first thought is of the Coliseum, so I would like to stop there if possible. Would we have time to go inside, or should we just take a few photos outside and move on? How long does it typically take to visit, and where is the best/fastest place to buy tickets?

I've read that the Trevi Fountain is being restored and it is due to be completed in the fall. I wonder if late August is considered "fall." Is it still worth a visit?

We haven't booked our tour yet, but the tour company I'm considering is Smart Cruise Tours. I contacted them and they said that it would not be very much time, but that they could do it. Another tour operator told me that 4 hours is not enough time. The only other option I've found is one that only offers a 2 hour transfer tour, so we would only be able to drive by the sights.

The reality is you have really no time to see Rome.

The drive into Rome will likely be around 45 minutes and from Rome to the Port could be 2 hours.

Basically you could drive around Rome and see sites from the outside and take some photos. With such a little amount of time I would not stop to go into any of the sites but just view them from the outside.

I also hope you are allowing enough time to get off the flight, collect your luggage, get through immigration where there can be a long line. What time does your flight arrive?

Keith

With that little bit of time, I wouldn't even attempt to do any sightseeing. If you go straight from the airport to Civitavecchia and traffic isn't bad and you find yourself with an extra hour or two before cruise check in ends, find a bar (coffee shop) or cafe to stop and have an espresso or a gelato and just people watch and soak up the atmosphere. We generally do that for a bit in any new city we visit.

It is doubtful that you'd have time for meaningful inside visits, and may well be pretty rushed overall. As for the Trevi Fountain, given the limited time you'd have (if you have any time at all), it is imho NOT worth going by if it's still being restored. (We were there last fall during the restoration, but also had visited previously.) It's been drained of water, and scaffolding is up. You can see this for yourself (and monitor the progress of the work) on the live web cam.

https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/lazio/roma/fontana-di-trevi.html

You might do best with a driving tour around the city, stopping outside such places as the Colosseum, the overlook of the Forum, St. Peter's, etc. (assuming there's time), and getting some sense of the city. Then you should go back someday for a real visit. :)

Quite frankly though, I'd be concerned about getting to the ship in time. What time does your ship sail, and what is the last boarding time? Given the traffic, I would not cut things too close. What's the basis on which you use 2 PM as your cut off for touring?

Are you actually flying in the day you sail? Have you already booked your flight? If not, can you arrive at least a day earlier?

I love Rome more than just about anyone, and this plan is madness.

There are too many opportunities for trouble with such a small margin of error: your flight could be delayed, your baggage could be late getting off, you could hit traffic either enroute to Rome or to Civitavecchia.

Also, I have to say that there have been some reviews posted here on CC of folks using Smart Cruise Tours that have had problems with their car not showing up or showing up late. :eek: This is not a scenario you want to deal with on arrival at the airport with such a short time to get to your ship.

The problem is that Rome is not on the way to Civitavecchia -- you'd basically be going out of your way.

We haven't booked our tour yet, but the tour company I'm considering is Smart Cruise Tours. I contacted them and they said that it would not be very much time, but that they could do it. Another tour operator told me that 4 hours is not enough time. The only other option I've found is one that only offers a 2 hour transfer tour, so we would only be able to drive by the sights.

You got one honest answer: There is not enough time.

You had a good suggestion before. If you haven't booked your flight, try flying in a day ahead of time. Then you can spend a few hours in Rome.

Or take a tour from the airport to ONE of the following: Ostia Antica, Cerveteri, Tarquinia or Bracciano. All on the way to the port and all very doable in the in the time you have.

You got one honest answer: There is not enough time.

 

You had a good suggestion before. If you haven't booked your flight, try flying in a day ahead of time. Then you can spend a few hours in Rome.

 

Or take a tour from the airport to ONE of the following: Ostia Antica, Cerveteri, Tarquinia or Bracciano. All on the way to the port and all very doable in the in the time you have.

Good suggestions! I am a big fan of Ostia Antica, and you'd have just enough time to give it a good look.

Just book another trip to Rome and the area...really 2 hours is crazy. You gave to allow for traffic etc. and it does not make any sense whatsoever.

You got one honest answer: There is not enough time.

 

You had a good suggestion before. If you haven't booked your flight, try flying in a day ahead of time. Then you can spend a few hours in Rome.

 

Or take a tour from the airport to ONE of the following: Ostia Antica, Cerveteri, Tarquinia or Bracciano. All on the way to the port and all very doable in the in the time you have.

emmtee-

I just noticed that you will be there on a Monday. I am afraid you are out of luck in all the suggested visits. They are ALL closed on Mondays. Plan another trip.

Thanks for your responses. I wish we could fly in a day ahead, but the flights were not my doing and there isn't anything I can do to change them. I'm just trying to help out with researching tours. Our flights were booked through the cruise line (HAL). This entire trip was an opportunity that came up at the last minute, and I'm just trying to do the best I can with the time I've been given.

We are scheduled to arrive at 8:50 AM and the tour operators I contacted all seemed to agree that it shouldn't take any longer than 40 minutes to an hour to collect our luggage and go through customs, so I'm estimating that we could meet the driver at 10:00. Our ship sails at 4:00, and I understand that we need to be there at least 90 minutes in advance, so I'm rounding up to two hours, so that's 2:00 PM. That leaves 4 hours. The e-mail from Smart Cruise Tours indicates that the drive from the airport to Rome would be 30 minutes, and the drive from Rome to Civitavecchia would be another 90 minutes. That leaves 2 hours to drive around Rome. Even if we can't do anything more than take pictures from the van, I think we will do it. None of us has been to Rome before, and sadly, I don't know that any of us will have the opportunity to return.

The other tour operator that I was considering is Rome-Airport.net. They say that the "effective duration" of their tour is 2 hours, but I don't really see how any touring could get done when the drive to and from Rome totals 2 hours.

emmtee, you can certainly do it as we mentioned by just driving around for the two hours with a few stops for photos.

Be sure to think through lunch if that is important to you. Obviously you have not time to stop but just think through bringing a snack with you or something if that is important to you.

And realize that with all the good planing in the world you are subject to things out of your control such as whether or not your flight is delayed.

Do pad the time it takes to get from Rome to the port just in case of more traffic, etc.

Have a great time and a great cruise.

Keith

Thanks. Maybe we'll plan a full two hours for the drive from Rome to the cruise port to be on the safe side. Of course, making it to the port on time is the most important thing, but since we'll be traveling 16 hours to get to Italy, it would be a shame not to take a couple more hours to at least see a little of Rome.

Of course, if our flight is seriously delayed, we'll go straight to the cruise port. I'm more worried about issues with the connecting flights, or cancelled flights, or our flight arriving in Rome so late that we can't get to the port in time even if we go straight there. Since the flights were booked through HAL, I presume they would be responsible for making alternate arrangements for us? I wish I had been able to talk to them myself. My mother booked the flights, and the agents at HAL assured her that these flights are fine and nothing will go wrong. My mother just took their word for it, but since I didn't speak to them myself, I'm not that confident.

Thanks for your responses. I wish we could fly in a day ahead, but the flights were not my doing and there isn't anything I can do to change them. I'm just trying to help out with researching tours. Our flights were booked through the cruise line (HAL). This entire trip was an opportunity that came up at the last minute, and I'm just trying to do the best I can with the time I've been given.

 

We are scheduled to arrive at 8:50 AM and the tour operators I contacted all seemed to agree that it shouldn't take any longer than 40 minutes to an hour to collect our luggage and go through customs, so I'm estimating that we could meet the driver at 10:00. Our ship sails at 4:00, and I understand that we need to be there at least 90 minutes in advance, so I'm rounding up to two hours, so that's 2:00 PM. That leaves 4 hours. The e-mail from Smart Cruise Tours indicates that the drive from the airport to Rome would be 30 minutes, and the drive from Rome to Civitavecchia would be another 90 minutes. That leaves 2 hours to drive around Rome. Even if we can't do anything more than take pictures from the van, I think we will do it. None of us has been to Rome before, and sadly, I don't know that any of us will have the opportunity to return.

 

The other tour operator that I was considering is Rome-Airport.net. They say that the "effective duration" of their tour is 2 hours, but I don't really see how any touring could get done when the drive to and from Rome totals 2 hours.

Thanks for coming back and providing more specific info re your itinerary. I have to say that I'd be nervous about not getting to the ship on time, given traffic in Rome itself and the distance between Rome and Civitavecchia. But only you can determine what level of risk you will tolerate and how much time to leave yourself for getting to the ship.

If you are going to do this, please check out the tour operators very carefully. I just did a quick search on here for Smart Cruise Tours, and found a post earlier this year from Cruisemom42 (who posted on this thread above and who really is one of the Italy experts on this board) whose assessment of this company (based on the reviews of others) is that they are hit or miss.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2156168&highlight=smart+cruise+tours

I do a good bit of reading on this board, and can't recall seeing the name Rome-Airport.net before. (Again, I have no personal knowledge about them one way or the other.)

Companies on here that get mentioned repeatedly and have consistently good reviews include Romeinlimo.com. (We used them five years ago for a private shore excursion from Civi to Rome on a port call and they were terrific.) Also Rome Cabs (have not personally used them). See, e.g.:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=986987&highlight=romeinlimo

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2026414&highlight=rome+cabs

Again, please check the reputation of the companies very carefully. Don't book just based on price, and do be a little skeptical of what you may read on Trip Advisor. I trust what I read here on CC much more.

I hope it all works out for you.

emmtee-

good luck with your times. The times given to you by Smart Cruise are highly optimistic and may work in ideal conditions, say at 3 am, not likely in the middle of the day. Allow extra time.

Also, check Italy Shore Excursions/Italy Driving Guide. The owner-driver Joe Magnosi is extremely reliable and knowledgeable. His company is also used as a subcontractor by various high-end travel agencies for their clients. He has two websites:

italyshoreexcursions.com and italydrivingguide.com

info@italyshoreexcursions.com

We used him last this past May and have always been extremely impressed by his services. It is worth checking with him too.

Have you checked with HAL? They may offer a tour/transfer option?

I'd be very careful with only a two hour window. When we were in Rome, we often sat on the bus for over an hour in traffic getting from one site to another.

I'm from Los Angeles California and very used to TRAFFIC, but you really can't believe the traffic in Rome until you actually witness it.

Sorry photo didn't post. Upload of photo failed twice, so guess you won't see the photo.

If you still are interested in trying to see something of Rome, I'd suggest the following:

1) Get a VERY reputable transfer agency -- again, there have been comments about Smart Cruise Tours and, well, with your tight schedule I would not want to have any 'stress' points in my plan.

2) The Colosseum seems to be right on the "path" of the way most cars arrive into Rome from the airport, so I'd keep that as one of your sights to see. A very brief stop and you can get a few photos of the Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine and the Forum all from about a block or two of walking.

3) Pick a maximum of one more thing. I sincerely doubt Trevi will reopen by August. Suggest having your driver drop you at the piazza in front of St. Peter's Basilica for a few photos there maybe.

4) Set a maximum "out the door" time at the airport after which you will just abandon the plan to sightsee in Rome and head straight to Civitavecchia.

And for a maximum reality check, look at Rome in the Maps app of your cell phone before you leave the airport. Use the traffic option and look at all the red lines into and around the city!

In fact, Rome is 9 hours ahead of your time in Phoenix. If you want to get an idea, real time, of what traffic might be like in Rome at 10:00 am on a Monday, use your Google maps or your traffic app this Monday at 1:00 am your time.

And for a maximum reality check, look at Rome in the Maps app of your cell phone before you leave the airport. Use the traffic option and look at all the red lines into and around the city!

In fact, Rome is 9 hours ahead of your time in Phoenix. If you want to get an idea, real time, of what traffic might be like in Rome at 10:00 am on a Monday, use your Google maps or your traffic app this Monday at 1:00 am your time.

This Sunday at 1 AM!

This Sunday at 1 AM!

Yes, stay up late this Sunday night, but at midnight it becomes Monday. So the time to check is Monday at 1 AM.

Happy 4th!

Yes, stay up late this Sunday night, but at midnight it becomes Monday. So the time to check is Monday at 1 AM.

Happy 4th!

Oh right, duh. Sorry.

I really appreciate all the suggestions, and I'll look into the other tour companies. I found "Rome-Airport.net" based on a comment I read somewhere on CC, but according to my notes, the website that was actually mentioned was travelonline.org, and when I found that website, I clicked on something and "Rome-Airport.net" came up. Apparently, the two sites are affiliated, and the Rome-Airport site has a few certificates of excellence from TripAdvisor. I had checked with Rome Cabs and they said that we would need to arrive by 7:00 AM to have time for their tour. HAL has a transfer tour, but we don't arrive early enough to take it - the description says people taking the tour need to arrive at the airport and have collected their bags by 9:00 AM.

I'll definitely take the suggestion of keeping track of the travel times on Google Maps. I'll even do it for several weeks so I have more data to go by. I keep late hours, so it's not a problem to stay up. (I'm typing this at 4:30 AM). :o

I really appreciate all the suggestions, and I'll look into the other tour companies. I found "Rome-Airport.net" based on a comment I read somewhere on CC, but according to my notes, the website that was actually mentioned was travelonline.org, and when I found that website, I clicked on something and "Rome-Airport.net" came up. Apparently, the two sites are affiliated, and the Rome-Airport site has a few certificates of excellence from TripAdvisor. I had checked with Rome Cabs and they said that we would need to arrive by 7:00 AM to have time for their tour. HAL has a transfer tour, but we don't arrive early enough to take it - the description says people taking the tour need to arrive at the airport and have collected their bags by 9:00 AM.

 

I'll definitely take the suggestion of keeping track of the travel times on Google Maps. I'll even do it for several weeks so I have more data to go by. I keep late hours, so it's not a problem to stay up. (I'm typing this at 4:30 AM). :o

If a reputable company like Rome Cabs says you aren't early enough, and if you aren't early enough for the transfer tour given by your own cruise line, perhaps there's a message there for you. I'm sorry if this is not what you want to hear. I would be very interested to know what Romeinlimo tells you.

If a reputable company like Rome Cabs says you aren't early enough, and if you aren't early enough for the transfer tour given by your own cruise line, perhaps there's a message there for you. I'm sorry if this is not what you want to hear. I would be very interested to know what Romeinlimo tells you.

My thoughts exactly!

Just sitting in a Piazzo (?) is great since you have no time.....hey, I love Rome more than the poster (cruise mom) who challenged anyone to love it more than him/her!

Just sitting in a Piazzo (?) is great since you have no time.....hey, I love Rome more than the poster (cruise mom) who challenged anyone to love it more than him/her!

I think cruisemom42 may love it more because she knows it's a piazza. :)