I want to share my experience of taking the train from FCO airport to Civitavecchia yesterday, 14 October 2022. To let you know now, I'd never hesitate to do it again and will never take a taxi. I got a quote of 160 euros for a reserved shuttle and have heard taxis are between that and 180 euros. The trip takes a little more than an hour. I paid 11 euros and it took me an hour and forty minutes to take the train.
EVERY train station had elevators to get me from one level to the next. Even the older train that I was one only had two steps that I had to deal with. There were plenty of seats and while they didn't have the best cushions (or any) it was a comfortable ride. On the newer train there was a display that showed the stops and the time it would occur. The older train announced stops in Italian and English.
Here is what I did:
Upon leaving the baggage claim at FCO airport, I followed the signs for the train. The symbol is on a large directional board hanging from the ceiling showing the direction of restrooms, car rental, departure gates, taxi's... It is the only one with a yellow background. and looks like a train on the tracks.
They lead me on about a 3 to 5 minute walk to where there was a set of ticket machines. They are red and say Leonardo Express (in white letters). Behind these and slightly to the right is a set of 3 elevators. I took one to the top level. I was on ground level (level 0) and took it to level 2. This is clearly marked outside the elevator and inside there is a sign too.
Once I existed the elevator, I turned left (again, just following the signs) and I used four or five moving sidewalks for a eight or ten minute walk to get me to the trains station. The entrance is clearly marked and has a slight downward slope. Right in front of me as I got in the station were a row of four ticket machines. There was a staffed window to the right but I chose to use the machine. I chose English and had to enter the first six letters - C I V I T A - to get the name to come up. Once selected it showed me the upcoming trains and I selected the next one. I paid with my AmEx but it takes all major credit cards.
The machine printed out my ticket which showed the train number. I walked over to the tracks and had to scan the QR code on my ticket to enter. Once inside there was a ticket stamp machine that I used to "validate" the ticket. I inserted it and moved it to the left (just as the arrow on the machine indicated). It stamped it.
I looked up and saw the train number in lights on the train right in front of me. I walked over and got on-board, found a seat with room for my luggage too. There were no stairs here. It was a new train and had a wonderful display of the upcoming stops and when we'd get there. The train was delayed about 5 minutes and this was displayed but the time at the stop didn't change. So next to the stop would be the scheduled time and then +5.
As indicated on my ticket, I got off at Trastevere station, six stops. I came in on track 6 which is marked as the FCO airport train. There was an elevator that took me down to a tunnel connecting all the tracks. Inside the tunnel was a display screen that told me my connecting train would be on track 2. I had 20 minutes between (even with the delayed departure from FCO). I could have made it in less than five minutes.
When my second train came I had to go up two steps. I could have gone down two steps into another section but wanted to sit up higher. This train was older and didn't have the display screen but they announced all the stops in Italian and English. But I knew (from past experience) that my stop was the end of the line. Those two steps were the only steps I had to deal with.
Once I got off in Civitavecchia, I used the elevator to go to the tunnel and then ascend to where I could exit the station.
From the time I landed to walking into my hotel was 2 hours and ten minutes. It cost me 11 euro rather than 160 euros.
