euro cruiser

Is this the end of your cruise or a port day? Also, where will you be headed to? You may not need to buy the train ticket in advance.

Sounds fine to me. The first fast ferry from Molo Beverello (adjacent to the cruise port) departs at 8:05, so you should have plenty of time to get your tickets. You can buy your return tickets at the same time, or wait until you're on Capri to do that. Since you're planning to return at midday, rather than at the last minute, you shouldn't have any trouble getting the return tickets. The crossings that arrive just before the cruise ships depart do sell out, those you cannot wait to purchase. You can read about things to see and do on Capri here: Capri: All You Need To Know | Boat Tours, Ferry Tickets, Hotels They offer good information on this site, but don't buy any tickets through them, the fees they add are practically usuary.

The folks who post here and on Trip Advisor are generally very helpful and knowledgeable, so if you're in doubt about the actual service provider, just make a post and ask. Someone will send you to the official site.

Another option for a quiet day would be to have lunch at Lake Bracciano, which is about an hour from the port by car, a bit longer by public transportation. There are lots of nice restaurants, some with lake views.

Or, for a really off the wall option, you could get on a train and head to Naples to give yourself two days to explore the area. Trying to cram Pompei and the Amalfi Coast into one day doesn't give you much time at either place.

It would be interesting to know the cost of this service from RCI. The basis for comparison is 6 euro, the cost of the port shuttle to the train station.

Yes, that's the three block walk I mentioned. This is only relevant for regional trains, the IC and Frecce trains leave from the main track head. The track announcement is usually about 15 minutes prior to departure. Each train has a "planned" track but changes can and do happen, so knowing the planned track is only a starting point, you must wait for the announcement. The first time I took a train in Italy (more than two decades ago, but the same thing could happen today) the planned track changed at the last minute and I didn't hear the announcement (I didn't speak a word of Italian at the time). I wound up in Naples when I intended to go to Florence.

Part of the confusion arises because there are two completely different areas where cruise ships dock at Civitavecchia, about two and a half miles apart. Berth #25, which is usually where the biggest ships are located, is over a mile north of the Largo della Pace entrance/exit. You are not allowed to walk from this berthing location. The rest of the cruise berths are out on the spit, near the fort/southern entrance/exit (Varco Fortezza). You can walk from here into town, there are marked pedestrian walkways. The furthest out quay is #13 north, from here to the train station is about one and three quarter miles on foot. The closest in one is #12 south, from here to the train station is about one and a quarter miles on foot.

The details say that the tour enters the Roman Forum, the Colosseum and St. Peter's basilica IF the security lines are not too long. In other words, they've given themselves an out if the crowds mean you'd stand on line too long. No tour avoid the security lines, and that's the holdup. You might get actual experience with this tour if you cross post on the RCI board. September is still high season in Italy, but it's a tad less crowded than June, July, and August.

It would be absurdly expensive to pay for private transport to go one or two miles (depending on your berthing location). The free port shuttle bus takes you to Largo della Pace, which is one mile on foot from the train station. For six euro per person you can take the port mobility bus directly from your ship/the cruise terminal (again, depending on berthing location) to the train station. Civitavecchia Train Station | Port Mobility Civitavecchia

From my earlier post. The depot is a two-story brick building with a blue sign over the door that says "biglietteria - deposito bagagli - sala attesa

I'm sorry, I don't know about that.

Maybe you're just a bit ahead of the curve? This is the public bus line from Trieste to the airport. The start of the line, Piazza della Liberta, is about 450 meters/one-third of a mile on foot from the cruise port. Note that this is the winter schedule, check again closer to your date to get the summer/fall schedule that will be in effect when you are there. Linea-G51_Servizio-extraurbano_Inverno-2023-2024_modifiche-dal-25-09-2023.pdf (aptgorizia.it)

The place to ask for shares is the roll call for your sailing.

No, there is no new train station near the port. There is a new entrance to the Municipio/Porto metro station, which you can take to Napoli Centrale. For many people the train is an easier option because the stations are known and fixed, no need to guess if you're getting off at the right place, as you sometimes do with a bus in an unfamiliar place. I completely understand that, but in this case the stop is easy to identify because, as I said, it's the first one after leaving the autostrada, there's a big sign that says "Camping Spartacus", and because if you tell the driver where you're headed he'll shout out the stop (in my experience, anyway).

I think the public SITA bus is the easiest and most comfortable budget option. Of course a car service is the easiest, but also the most expensive. The bus depot, Varco Immacolatella, is about four-tenths of a mile on foot from the cruise port, within the port area. There is a ticket office right there, so getting tickets is easy. The bus drop off in Pompei is on Vio Plinio, you'll know it because it's the first stop after the bus leaves the autostrada and returns to surface roads. The stop is right in front of a place called Camping Spartacus, it's easy to find on a google map. From the stop to the main (Porta Marina) entrance to the ruins is a short walk of about two-tenths of a mile. The stop for the bus returning to Naples is directly across the street. Buses run every day except Sunday. There is a departure Monday-Saturday at 8:00 that arrives at 8:35, well before opening time of 9:00. The fare is 3,30 euro each way and you can purchase both outbound and return tickets in the morning at the depot. To see the depot on a google map look at these coordinates: 40°50'30.0"N 14°15'28.3"E Bus schedule here: 0 (sitasudtrasporti.it)

I have been where you are, leading a group of older folks, so I can sympathize with your situation. Pack lots of patience! It's pretty rare to find an apartment in Venice at ground level due to flooding, do you know how many stairs they'll have to climb to access it and if everyone is able to do so? I'm asking not to suggest you change the accommodations, but rather that I've found that managing expectations is an important part of a trip like this.

Honestly, with that many elderly people and luggage the train isn't your best option. You'd do better with the bus, where the luggage is stowed underneath and you don't have to deal with it. Also with the bus you are guaranteed a seat, which is not the case with a regional train (which is most of the trains between Venice and Trieste). The bus takes the same amount of time as the train and costs the same or less, but to get everyone on the same bus you'll need to buy all of the tickets together ahead of time as they do sell out. https://www.flixbus.com/ As for your stay in Venice, insist that everyone pack a small bag for the short stay and check everything else at Piazzale Roma (the end of the road, literally) rather than carry it with you. That's the only way that I can see this working. The golden luggage - Storage number 1 in Venice

For what it's worth, the most comfortable option is the Frecce. There is one at 11:57 that arrives to Civitavecchia at 12:40. If you purchased now the fare would be just under 10 euro, about double the cost of a regional. There is an earlier IC at the same fare if you're in a rush to sit around the terminal in Civitavecchia (9:57 arrives 10:43).

If they haven't loaded the buses into the system when you purchase your ticket don't worry about it. As long as a cruise ship is departing there will be buses at the train station and you can pay the driver (not the normal practice in Italy). They don't have Uber in Italy as you understand it (amateur driver with a personal car). Some cities have contracted with Uber to use the app locally but it just connects you with a professional driver. What type of driver depends on the city and the contract they created. For example, in Rome you are connected to a car service, in Naples you're connected to a taxi consortium.

For future reference, be aware that April 4 2024 in Italy is styled as 4/2/2024. Day/month/year I don't know why they are not showing the bus right now but I wouldn't worry about it. Regional trains make more stops than IC or Frecce trains so they generally take a little longer to make the trip. Also, and more importantly, IC and Frecce trains are seat assigned while regionals are not. The seat assigned trains can only carry as many people as there are seats, while the regionals will just keep pushing people in. There is no need, nor any good reason, to purchase regional tickets in advance since they can't sell out and the price never changes. On the other hand, prices on IC and Frecce trains changed based on availability so you can save by purchasing in advance. Also note that the Lazio regional tracks, the ones you'd use to take a regional train to Civitavecchia, are three full city blocks from the main part of the station. The IC and Frecce trains depart from the main track head in the station.

The 3:30 (15:30) train from Lucca connects at Viareggio to the 3:58 (15:58), which arrives to La Spezia Centrale at 16:49 (4:49 pm). The train before that which makes sense (there are a couple of really long rides, which only gain you 25 minutes earlier arrival to La Spezia) is the 2:30 (14:30) that arrives at 3:50 (15:50) after a change at Viareggio. This is a little more expensive because the Viareggio to La Spezia segment is a Frecce. Driving doesn't save you much time (about 70-80 minutes by car, vs. 80 by train) but it has the benefit of leaving you at the cruise terminal, avoiding that one and a quarter mile walk from La Spezia Centrale.

Check out Auto Europe, they often offer the best package of car and insurance. Cheap Car Rentals from $6/day! Best Rate Guarantee | Auto Europe

Bologna would be simpler, if only because you'll have just one transportation segment. Italo offers a non-stop early morning train that gets there in just over two hours (6:30 - 8:38).

One other note, when using the metro in Rome you tell direction by the last stop on the line. For example, when you get on Linea A and are headed to the Vatican, follow signs for Battistini, the last stop in that direction. You can download and print the map of the metro, regional rail and tram lines in Rome here: mappa ferro e tram (feb 2024) (atac.roma.it)