Overcrowding on the Civitavecchia to Rome trains

[uktraveller]

We have just returned from a Med cruise (Brilliance 12-24 Sept) and took the advice on this board about buying a BIRG ticket and taking the train from Civitavecchia to Rome. Whilst it was a cheap option for getting to Rome we did, however, experience serious overcrowding in both directions and it was not an enjoyable trip.

When we arrived at the station for the 8.40 train there were hundreds of people already waiting on the narrow platform and the train, when it arrived, was already full. We had to stand, crammed in and hot, for the entire length of the hour long journey. Our return journey to Civitavecchia was no better and was also full on it's arrival in S Pietro station. We actually spent most of the return sitting on the stairs of the double decker train, as that was preferable to standing for another hour after walking around Rome all day.

If you have problems with crowds and heat, or problems standing for extended periods, you may well want to look at different options.

[Susan-M]

Thanks for posting about your train experience, and sorry to hear what a challenge it was.

 

It was a crowded day to be in the port of Civitavecchia. One cruise calendar shows the following ships in port for the day that you were there:

 

Norwegian Jade

Brilliance Of The Seas

Voyager Of The Seas

Constellation

Ocean Princess

MSC Lirica

Thomson Destiny

 

Passenger capacity total: 14,878

 

For planning DIY days, I like to check a cruise calendar to see what other ships are in port and the times that they are there, but with that many ships, I'm not sure it would be easy to work out a plan that didn't involve crowded trains. I wonder if the 8 a.m. train was any better?

 

p.s. a link to the site that I used. Click on the port and the month that you'll be there.

[GSPLover]

We have just returned from a Med cruise (Brilliance 12-24 Sept) and took the advice on this board about buying a BIRG ticket and taking the train from Civitavecchia to Rome. Whilst it was a cheap option for getting to Rome we did, however, experience serious overcrowding in both directions and it was not an enjoyable trip.

When we arrived at the station for the 8.40 train there were hundreds of people already waiting on the narrow platform and the train, when it arrived, was already full. We had to stand, crammed in and hot, for the entire length of the hour long journey. Our return journey to Civitavecchia was no better and was also full on it's arrival in S Pietro station. We actually spent most of the return sitting on the stairs of the double decker train, as that was preferable to standing for another hour after walking around Rome all day.

If you have problems with crowds and heat, or problems standing for extended periods, you may well want to look at different options.

 

On a port day when there are several ships in port, this can and will happen. On the other hand we have done this same trip many times when there were only a handful of people in the car we were in.

 

It is best to check in advance to see how many ships are in port the same time as you are. On our upcoming cruise, in our port stop in Venice, there are seven other ships in port (all disembarking/embarking) - it will be a zoo! If this were the situation in Civitavecchia, I'd probably opt to go withh the slightly more expensive IC or EScity trains as they will tend to be less crowded.

[uktraveller]

Hi Susan, yes there were a lot of ships in Civitavecchia that day. Everyone we spoke to who had used the different timed trains had the same experience. We did wonder if having a large Italian ship in port with us had increased the number of DIYers?

It did not detract from a fantastic cruise overall, but we would be very wary of doing it again.

[uktraveller]

On a port day when there are several ships in port, this can and will happen. On the other hand we have done this same trip many times when there were only a handful of people in the car we were in.

 

It is best to check in advance to see how many ships are in port the same time as you are. On our upcoming cruise, in our port stop in Venice, there are seven other ships in port (all disembarking/embarking) - it will be a zoo! If this were the situation in Civitavecchia, I'd probably opt to go withh the slightly more expensive IC or EScity trains as they will tend to be less crowded.

I shall be sure to check the ships in port info carefully in future.

I think one of the contributing factors on the return was a very delayed IC train. Some people at our meet and mingle had reservations on the intercity but because it was significantly delayed they had to buy another ticket and switch to the local trains.

[hubofhockey]

Susan, according to that link you provided, our ship (3,652 passengers) will be the only ship in Civitavecchia that day. It's for next year and I don't see Princess or Celebrity ships listed for any day in August of 2011 and I know each line has ships in the Med in August. How reliable is that site? I am relieved that we miss the NCL Epic by a couple of days. We are bringing our two kids (13 & 11) along with us and I wouldn't look forward to standing the whole way with them. I suppose I could check the Princess schedule. Of course, if the Ruby Princess and Celebrity Equinox are both in the same day as our ship (Carnival Magic), it will be a tough one.

[Susan-M]

Ljberkow, Cruisecal (a pay site) might be your best bet. You can subscribe monthly or annually.

[hubofhockey]

Thanks Susan. It's possible that the site will update Princess, Celebrity, and RCCL ships closer to the cruise. I could spend 15 minutes and search those lines and get a pretty good estimate of how busy the port will be. It's probably not worth it to sign up for a pay site. We'll just make plans to get off the ship ASAP. It might be the same situation for getting a hydrofoil from Naples to Capri first thing in the morning.

[HeinBloed]

Well 9.00 EUR for one full day... and start to count how many cruisers would like to use this great offer...

 

To relax the situation:

 

there are trains

 

in transit via Civitavecchia - so other passengers are in the train once the train arrives in Civitavecchia

 

and

 

originating in Civitavecchia (starts outside the platform hall - platfor 1 binari and 2 binari).

 

We used one of those trains plenty of space were available when we went for Rome.

 

Furthermore we used for the return a IC-train. It was a handfull of Euros but with reserved seats. Very comfortable with air-condition and restaurant car. It does not stop on the way to Civitavecchia (just Rome Ostiense).

 

We booked the tickets on internet and you get free (mandantory) seat reservation.

 

For additinal comfort and space we used 1st class.

 

Never return from S. Pietro as here the train is already full.

 

It works if you do some planning and investigations and not just follow all others.

 

Regards

HeinBloed

[uktraveller]

 

Never return from S. Pietro as here the train is already full.

 

It works if you do some planning and investigations and not just follow all others.

 

Regards

HeinBloed

 

We did actually did do plenty of planning before we went and the vast majority of posts on these boards advise buying a BIRG ticket and using local trains. There are also many recommendations to visit the Vatican in the afternoon and then return by train from S. Pietro.

I posted our experience to warn others about the possibilty of overcrowding as I had not read about this likelihood when doing my own research.

[hubofhockey]

Thanks HeinBloed. I read where roundtrip non-BIRG is 9 euros. We will probably take cabs when we need in Rome (there will be four of us). If we can reserve seats in advance, that makes sense. How much extra is first class?

 

Len

[GSPLover]

Some people at our meet and mingle had reservations on the intercity but because it was significantly delayed they had to buy another ticket and switch to the local trains.

 

The tickets for the IC train could have been used for the Regionale. Does not work the other way around.

[maryann ns]

It certainly depends upon the time of year and the ships in port. Your point is well taken. We were there in November and four of us had an entire train car to ourselves.

[HeinBloed]

Thanks HeinBloed. I read where roundtrip non-BIRG is 9 euros. We will probably take cabs when we need in Rome (there will be four of us). If we can reserve seats in advance, that makes sense. How much extra is first class?

 

Len

 

InterCity Train:

 

11.50 EUR in 1st class incl. seat-reservation

9.00 EUR in 2nd class incl. seat-reservation

 

Few regional trains also offers 1st class:

 

07.00 EUR in 1st class - free seating

 

to make a "BIRG" complete:

 

a "BIG" covers for 24 hours Rome City Transport like the BIRG-ticket: 4.00 EUR.

 

2 x 14.00 EUR in 1st class on IC + 1 x 4.00 EUR for City Transport = 32.00 EUR (regular fare).

 

which is still cheaper than a ship's excursion.

 

If you book at least 2 weeks ahead in internet you can get 30% discounted saver tickets:

 

8.00 EUR for 1st class on IC... one way...

 

But if you are planning to do HoHo-Bus in Rome you do not need the 4.00 EUR but you do not need a BIRG-ticket either:

 

2 x 4.50 EUR in 2nd class in Regional trains....

 

Alternative to the train:

 

http://www.cotralspa.it/PDF_Orari_Comune/Civitavecchia.pdf

 

There is also a bus service leaving from Porta Tarquinia which is about 15-20 minutes walk to the port entrance.

 

The bus service ends at the Metro station Cornelia.

 

Page 14 Rome-bound bus

Page 26 Civitavecchia-bound bus

 

Or a transfer service:

 

110 EUR one-way:

 

http://www.autonoleggiomz.it/booking.php

 

2 x 110 EUR is still cheaper than the ship's transfer...

 

Regards

HeinBloed

[Hlitner]

We agree that Civ to Rome can be very crowded and keep in mind it is not all because of cruise ships. Most of us going into Rome choose to go early in the morning which also coincides with the normal commuter rush hour (this regional line is essentially a commuter train for those who work in Rome). As to the idea of taking the faster IC trains, we have never been a fan of this because there are far fewer IC trains, you do need reservations, it really is not much faster than the regional train, and these trains can often fun quite late. Regarding this last point you need to keep in mind that these IC trains are coming from a long distance which often results in long delays. We have seen cruise passengers standing on the "Civ" platforms waiting for their IC train while the regional trains come and go. Also keep in mind that IC trains do not stop at all the local Rome stations. I will illustrate with an example....there are currently regional trains departing Civitavecchia at 7:33, 7:59, 8:41 and 8:59. But the first IC train does not even get to Civ until 9:17 (if its on time) and arrives in Rome at 10:14. Most cruise passengers can make the 7:59 (we have often made the 7:33) which arrives at Rome Termini at 9:20 or a full hour before the first IC train. And if you prefer to get off at the S Pietro Station (closest station to the Vatican) that 7:59 arrives at about 9:00 whereas the IC train does not even stop at this station.

 

Hank

[hubofhockey]

Thank you Hank. Our Ancient Rome tour in starts at 10:30 am. I guess we'd like to be on the 7:59 train and then walk around or even leave some time to find the meeting place (Trajan's Column). Hopefully, we'll find seats on a regional train. But the most important thing is saving $hundreds and getting to Rome.

[KirkNC]

Wow, that is a lot of passengers dumped in a port. When we went last August there were two ships and us so maybe about 5,000 passengers. One advantage we had was we docked at 7:00 while the other ships docked at 8:00 so we were on the early train and had seats with no problem. On the way back we got on at San Pietro and had to stand for 3-4 stops until the commuters Hank mentioned thined out some. The OP is correct that in most discussions on this board, the possibility of this over crowding is not really talked about much.

 

Kirk

[graymadeb]

FUN, FUN! There will be five (5) ships in port the day we are there 10/27/10 and it's the same day the Pope is having an audience!

 

Lots of togetherness. All part of the experience. Attitude is everything!

[hal2000]

Susan, according to that link you provided, our ship (3,652 passengers) will be the only ship in Civitavecchia that day. It's for next year and I don't see Princess or Celebrity ships listed for any day in August of 2011 and I know each line has ships in the Med in August. How reliable is that site?

 

I don't know about reliability in general, but I found for our upcoming cruise that the cruisett site mentioned above indicated that in most ports we would be the only ship, but when I checked a different free site (cruisetimetables) it listed several additional ships. You might try that site as well to see if you can get more information.

[sk84fungirl]

Thanks for posting about your train experience, and sorry to hear what a challenge it was.

 

It was a crowded day to be in the port of Civitavecchia. One cruise calendar shows the following ships in port for the day that you were there:

 

Norwegian Jade

Brilliance Of The Seas

Voyager Of The Seas

Constellation

Ocean Princess

MSC Lirica

Thomson Destiny

 

Passenger capacity total: 14,878

 

For planning DIY days, I like to check a cruise calendar to see what other ships are in port and the times that they are there, but with that many ships, I'm not sure it would be easy to work out a plan that didn't involve crowded trains. I wonder if the 8 a.m. train was any better?

 

p.s. a link to the site that I used. Click on the port and the month that you'll be there.

 

Thanks so much for sharing. We are in port April 19th. Using your link, it appears as though Norwegian Jade (our ship) is the only one in port. This is great info as we try to determine whether to DIY or schedule a tour.

[sk84fungirl]

I don't know about reliability in general, but I found for our upcoming cruise that the cruisett site mentioned above indicated that in most ports we would be the only ship, but when I checked a different free site (cruisetimetables) it listed several additional ships. You might try that site as well to see if you can get more information.

 

I'm sure it is the USER, but I could not figure out how to determine what ships are in port with us next Spring. I see departures, but nothing else. Actually, our date of 4/19 was not on the calendar at all. Any insight into what I am doing wrong with my search?

[hal2000]

I'm sure it is the USER, but I could not figure out how to determine what ships are in port with us next Spring. I see departures, but nothing else. Actually, our date of 4/19 was not on the calendar at all. Any insight into what I am doing wrong with my search?

 

I'd bookmarked our ship, so it took me a bit to figure out how I got it in the first place! From the site I gave you start with your departure city and pick the date that you're departing. [up at the top it says that these are Departures from that city.]. This is the itinerary for your ship.

 

Then you have to look port by port on the specific day (so it's more tedious than the cruisett site). For example, from the link for your itinerary above, you can click on the link to Citavecchia and then click on the date April 19. [This time, up at the top of the page, it says that these are cruises visiting those cities.] In this case, it shows one other ship in port with you: the Sovereign. (It lists the Jade twice, once as part of the 12-day cruise and once as part of the 21 day cruise.) Then you look at your itinerary again [i initially went back two pages, but then realized I could use the itinerary on the page I was looking at], pick the next port (Piraeus), choose the date (April 21), and there's one other ship: the MSC Musica

[listed twice, since there are two overlapping itineraries].

 

I hope this helps!

[GSPLover]

I'm sure it is the USER, but I could not figure out how to determine what ships are in port with us next Spring. I see departures, but nothing else. Actually, our date of 4/19 was not on the calendar at all. Any insight into what I am doing wrong with my search?

 

It has been my experience that cruisecal is the most reliable of all the resources for what ships are in port. Yes it is a paid service but you can sign-up for one month and then cancel before the month is up.

 

By the way, I just checked your cruise and you are the only cruise ship in port that day.

[euro cruiser]

Never return from S. Pietro as here the train is already full.

This is simply not true. Lots of us have taken the train from S. Pietro and did NOT have this experience.

 

Obviously, it does happen that the train is full. It also happens that it is not.

[daryleann]

hal2000: I was a bit confused looking at this site but - wow! Your explanation was very interesting and so was my findings! I had 'learned' that we would have one ship in port (Rome) for Nov 2nd, but now I see that there will be 3 others - and one docks at 6 am. :( Guess we will be in the same boat - oops, I mean train.:rolleyes:

We will have been in Rome for a pre cruise visit so were hoping to take a little later train to avoid the crowds. This says that one ship docks at 8 am and the Cunard ship is there 'full day' so guess we will also have a bit of a crowded train.

Thanks for the link... I will never assume again :eek: (Guess I should check the other ports.)