Civitevecchia DIY to Rome - Comments, suggestions, etc?

[cruiser4321]

Just came across this and wanted to say thanks for all of the great suggestions! I have been trying to figure out what we will do in Rome. As of now, we will take the train to St Peter's, go inside the basilica, and then walk to the Colosseum (and then do Trevi Fountain, etc). I wanted to end in Rome so we could take the train back and have a good chance at getting seats. Does this seem like a feasible option? Or should we plan on doing Trevi, etc before the Colosseum?

 

And one final question - how strict is the Vatican with the dress code? I remember going there a few years ago in shorts and did not have a problem, but everyone seems to indicate that they have gotten stricter. Any experiences?

 

Thanks for all of the help!

[cruiser4321]

Or in the alternative, does anyone have a suggestion on har bus route to take to get us to the colosseum? I've come across at least 5 different routes and got overwhelmed! Thanks!

[cruisemom42]

And one final question - how strict is the Vatican with the dress code? I remember going there a few years ago in shorts and did not have a problem, but everyone seems to indicate that they have gotten stricter. Any experiences?

 

Thanks for all of the help!

 

I can't honestly say that I think they've gotten stricter; they have always been pretty strict. Of course, it is subject to whoever is on guard that day, but if you were able to enter the Basilica previously wearing shorts, consider yourself lucky. It's not very common.

 

Or in the alternative, does anyone have a suggestion on har bus route to take to get us to the colosseum? I've come across at least 5 different routes and got overwhelmed! Thanks!

 

I can't give the bus info, but if you are a small group, you might consider just getting a taxi at the stand outside St. Peters colonnade to the Colosseum; probably wouldn't cost more than 10-12 euros and saves time. Note that you can only fit 3 persons max in most Rome taxis though....

[cruiser4321]

Thanks for the quick response! I just realized that we will be there on a Wednesday and the Basilica will be closed in the morning - looks like we'll be doing the Colosseum first and then making our way over to the Vatican at the end of the day!

[SSAA33]

Thank you for your suggestions! It would be impossible planning DIY ports without all the experts here :)

 

We're not planning on spending too much time at Piazza Navona, Trevi & Spanish Steps:

Piazza Navona will just be a pass-thru on our way to Pantheon (or to St. Peters if we go in the opposite direction); Trevi just a quick photo-stop like you all suggested (plus maybe a gelato stop :D); & Spanish Steps is just something I really want to see since we'll be so close - I guess I didn't really think of it as too much out of the way since we can catch the metro from Spagna to Colosseo. But if we have to skip Spanish Steps, would we catch the metro from Trevi to Colosseo?

 

Does anyone know how much time we can expect to spend at The Colosseum, Forum & St. Peter's? I'm sure it's impossible to say exactly how much time at each but I'm just trying to get an idea of how much to schedule.

 

Is there lines to get into St. Peter's?

Assuming we purchase our Colosseum tickets in advance, is there still a wait/line to get in? Line at the Forum?

 

So we're now seriously thinking about switching our route to:

Colosseum & Forum -> Spanish Steps -> Trevi -> Pantheon -> P. Navona -> Vatican (St. Peter's)

Taking the train to Ostiense in the morning and back from Roma S Pietro in the evening.

Would we save time going this route as opposed to Vatican first??

The one concern as some of you mentioned - would the train be super crowded by the time it gets to Roma S Pietro? Are the late afternoon trains to Civi generally crowded with cruisers going back to port?

 

Or stick to original plan:

St Peter's, Vatican -> P. Navona -> Pantheon -> Trevi -> Spanish Steps -> Colosseum & Forum

Take the train to Roma S Pietro in the morning and back from Ostiense in the evening.

Although Ostiense won't be as safe as Termini seat-wise, I'm hoping we can at least find seats in the first few cars.

 

Votes, pro's/con's for the 2 routes will be very much appreciated!

A: St Peter's, Vatican -> P. Navona -> Pantheon -> Trevi -> Spanish Steps -> Colosseum & Forum

B: Colosseum & Forum -> Spanish Steps -> Trevi -> Pantheon -> P. Navona -> Vatican (St. Peter's)

 

Planning on updating our itinerary (with walking directions, maps, train schedules, etc) accordingly this weekend.

[SSAA33]

PS. It looks like the walk from Trevi to Spanish Steps is only a little bit longer than Trevi Fountain to Trevi Metro station. Is this correct or am I looking at it wrong??

[cruisemom42]

Thank you for your suggestions! It would be impossible planning DIY ports without all the experts here :)

 

We're not planning on spending too much time at Piazza Navona, Trevi & Spanish Steps:

Piazza Navona will just be a pass-thru on our way to Pantheon (or to St. Peters if we go in the opposite direction); Trevi just a quick photo-stop like you all suggested (plus maybe a gelato stop :D); & Spanish Steps is just something I really want to see since we'll be so close - I guess I didn't really think of it as too much out of the way since we can catch the metro from Spagna to Colosseo. But if we have to skip Spanish Steps, would we catch the metro from Trevi to Colosseo?

Regarding the metro -- you can do this, certainly but remember you will have to get off one line at Termini and get on the other; the walk takes a little time and the wait for a second train. Not sure if it would equal out; perhaps you'd save a little time on the Metro -- on the other hand, it's a very pleasant walk.

 

Does anyone know how much time we can expect to spend at The Colosseum, Forum & St. Peter's? I'm sure it's impossible to say exactly how much time at each but I'm just trying to get an idea of how much to schedule.

 

I am a bad one to give estimates on time (huge history buff). I think for your average person 30 minutes inside the Colosseum (plus time to walk around it a bit and admire, take photos of Arch of Constantine, etc.).

I'm going to suggest this re: the Forum: For many people who are NOT really into Roman history, the Forum can be rather confusing and hard to figure out. It does take a while if you want to go through it (like an hour, minimum). However, you can get a bit of an overview just by walking past it and looking down, without entering. You may want to consider it....

On the other hand, going into the Forum is something I wouldn't miss for thoses who ARE history addicts. You definitely need some type of guide, podcast, map, etc.

St. Peter's -- 45 minutes to an hour (again, for someone who has average interest) for the Basilica.

Is there lines to get into St. Peter's?

Assuming we purchase our Colosseum tickets in advance, is there still a wait/line to get in? Line at the Forum?

 

There ARE security checkpoints both at the Colosseum and St. Peter's basilica. At the Colosseum they've always seemed to move pretty quick. At St. Peter's it can be slow at certain times of the day.

 

So we're now seriously thinking about switching our route to:

Colosseum & Forum -> Spanish Steps -> Trevi -> Pantheon -> P. Navona -> Vatican (St. Peter's)

Taking the train to Ostiense in the morning and back from Roma S Pietro in the evening.

Would we save time going this route as opposed to Vatican first??

The one concern as some of you mentioned - would the train be super crowded by the time it gets to Roma S Pietro? Are the late afternoon trains to Civi generally crowded with cruisers going back to port?

 

Crowding -- it depends on the time of year (high vs. low season) and the number of ships in port. Most of the time things seem to run smoothly. A few times, during the height of summer and when several large ships are in port (like 5 or 6), we've heard reports here of trains being quite crowded in the late afternoon.

 

Or stick to original plan:

St Peter's, Vatican -> P. Navona -> Pantheon -> Trevi -> Spanish Steps -> Colosseum & Forum

Take the train to Roma S Pietro in the morning and back from Ostiense in the evening.

Although Ostiense won't be as safe as Termini seat-wise, I'm hoping we can at least find seats in the first few cars.

 

Votes, pro's/con's for the 2 routes will be very much appreciated!

A: St Peter's, Vatican -> P. Navona -> Pantheon -> Trevi -> Spanish Steps -> Colosseum & Forum

B: Colosseum & Forum -> Spanish Steps -> Trevi -> Pantheon -> P. Navona -> Vatican (St. Peter's)

 

Planning on updating our itinerary (with walking directions, maps, train schedules, etc) accordingly this weekend.

 

 

See my comments above, in green.

 

In terms of whether to go with your Route A vs. Plan B, either is very feasible, so I would suggest you base it on whether your group is more interested in the Colosseum and ancient Rome, or in the Vatican? If the former, do route B with the Colosseum/Forum first. If the latter, do route A. This way you'll ensure that you have an appropriate amount of time for what you're most interested in seeing.

[SSAA33]

Yep, I've kinda put Spanish Steps at the bottom of the list, because its no big deal & a little out-of-the-way. But if you're going to include it in your planned itinerary, altho' on the map its a long way from Colosseum it's actually super-quick & easy by Metro. And walking to the Metro at Spagna (right alongside the Steps) is almost the quickest way from the Trevi to Colosseum

Piazza Navone is no big deal - fine if you pass through it heading from Vatican to Pantheon but although its only a few minutes from the Pantheon, IMHO it's not worth the time if its not on your route.

A taxi hailed on the street on Rome to get you back to Civi is a very poor Plan B.

If you're reduced to that, negotiate a fixed price rather than the meter, though it'll be expensive, €150+ ?, & don't let the guy know the urgency before you're under way or the price will be even higher.

But by road at that time of day is likely to take longer than the train, so make the 4.12pm train your Plan A & a later train your Plan B.

Cruise (Crown Princess Venice/Greek Islands/Rome) went very well. Very very hot, but we'd seen the hot & dusty places - Acropolis, Ephesus, Pompeii - on previous trips so we were pleased to by-pass them in the heat. Rome was showery, almost ideal.

JB :)

 

I'll definitely plan to keep our stop at S.Steps short and mainly use it as a route between Trevi & Colosseum by metro as you suggested.

P. Navona will be pass-thru as well - maybe stop to sit & rest a few minutes if we're tired.

I really hope we don't have to resort to a taxi to Civi! You're right - we'll aim for the earlier train that gets into Civi at 5:11 as Plan A and fall back on the later one only if we miss the first. Maybe getting back to Civi by 5:11 will also give us a chance to swing by the farmer's market there (if it's open in the evening).

Glad you had a good trip! I can't wait till we're visiting these cities for a 2nd time and can follow some 'off the beaten path' routes :)

[SSAA33]

Starting with the Colosseum and ending with St. Peter's really makes good sense and it is probably the path most recommended on this board to DIYers looking for a general Rome overview.

I just thought I'd mention, since we are talking about Plan B options, that on a port day in Rome (or any other city where I might have the info), I tuck a piece of paper into my wallet, pocket, or whatever that has the name or names of popular drivers that are often mentioned on these boards -- just in case, they may be able to arrange something for you quickly.

And that piece of paper should always include the contact information for the port agent; in the unlikely event that you might miss the ship, you should call them. They can facilitate things such as getting your passport off the ship before it sails, etc.[/quote]

 

Thank you for those suggestions!

I had planned on keeping the port/ship contacts with us since we're DIYing all the ports. Will we find this information when we get on the cruise - on the 'princess patter' perhaps? This is our first cruise :confused:

Good point about keeping the driver contacts! I will look through the threads to find a few for each port - Maybe we can get a good last minute deal once we'r there!

[SSAA33]

Cruiser4321 - When will you be in Rome? Let us know what route you decide to take and share your experience with us.

Have a great trip!

[SSAA33]

Another vote for walking from St Peters, and not going back to that train station. It really is a lovely walk..

Dont take a rose off anyone! Steps can be missed (in my opinion) Dont take a chance on the last train. A few weeks back one did indeed break down and everyone was stranded. The ship did wait because there was so many of them, but thats not to say it always will. In fact, normally they wont wait..

 

Thanks Suzieana!

I am glad we learned about the walking to P. Navona option here. Exploring cities on foot is always the most enjoyable. The bridge sounds really nice! IF we're tired and want save our energy for walking the rest of the day - we may walk up to the bridge & take the Express #40 to Piazza Navona as Euro Cruiser suggested.

Thank for the tips for avoiding scams!

We will take everyone's advice and take the earlier train. It might even give us a chance to stop in a supermarket in Civitavecchia on our way to the port.

[John Bull]

PS. It looks like the walk from Trevi to Spanish Steps is only a little bit longer than Trevi Fountain to Trevi Metro station. Is this correct or am I looking at it wrong??

 

On foot nine minutes from the fountain to Spanish Steps / Spagna metro, plays eight minutes to Barberini metro (designated Trevi)

 

 

True to form, Googlemaps notes Spagna metro the wrong place :rolleyes: - I've corrected it here:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Piazza+di+Spagna&daddr=Piazza+di+Trevi+to:Barberini,+Piazza+Barberini,+Rome,+Italy&hl=en&ll=41.902501,12.491305&spn=0.010652,0.02208&sll=41.900987,12.483709&sspn=0.001872,0.00276&geocode=FUZvfwId13i-ACH45phgsYYKoikVbpkjVWAvEzH45phgsYYKog%3BFWNbfwIdznm-AA%3BFellfwIdHZG-ACFJdW4OtkghJCmTLJPEq2EvEzFJdW4OtkghJA&oq=Barberini&t=h&dirflg=w&mra=dme&mrsp=1&sz=19&z=16

 

JB :)

ps Ship's shore agent contact details should be in the day's Princess Patter

[SSAA33]

In my opinion, you can save time by skipping the Spanish Steps. If you've got the time to chill there for awhile, doing some people watching and some browsing in REALLY expensive stores...that's one thing. But to just say you've seen it...not worth it.

Also, if you do decide to walk to Piazza Navona (I agree with this suggestion), you might want to keep on walking. Pantheon & Trevi are honestly NOT that far from Forum / colisseum. In my experience, it took us 30 minutes to walk from Pantheon to Colisseum, and we were not going fast because we had more time in Rome. This would give you a tiny chance to soak up a little Roman ambiance. The neighborhoods around these Roman areas are kind of quaint.

 

Thanks!

I'm thinking that we should come up with a timed schedule for the day and if by the Spanish Steps point, we are running 'behind schedule' we will skip. It sounds like everyone here agrees that it should be on the bottom of our priority-list!

Good point about walking to Colosseum. I guess the connection at Termini and switching metros might take just as long (or longer) as walking so we will include this option.

[SSAA33]

CruiseMom - Thank you so much for your detailed response!

 

I forgot to take the connection/switching metros at Termini into consideration! We will keep both the walking & metro options in case we're tired. I do like the idea of exploring more of Rome on foot though!

 

You guessed right - we don't know too much about the Roman Forum history. I was planning on downloading Rick Steve's podcasts but it may be a good idea for us to just see it from the outside. An hour might be too much time for us to spend there.

I can see myself spending some time taking pictures at St' Peter's because the architeture always fascinates me but I would think 45 mins would be enough.

Hopefully the wait to get into the Basilica won't be too long when we're there! I'm guessing late afternoon is a better time than 9:30ish in the morning?

Thanks for your thoughts about which route to choose! I guess we need to assess which one is a higher priority for us.

 

What about climbing the Cupola at St. Peter's? Is it worth it or too time consuming for our schedule?

The view of Vatican City from there sounds nice - especially since we won't be going in to the Museums.

[SSAA33]

On foot nine minutes from the fountain to Spanish Steps / Spagna metro, plays eight minutes to Barberini metro (designated Trevi)

True to form, Googlemaps notes Spagna metro the wrong place :rolleyes: - I've corrected it here:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Piazza+di+Spagna&daddr=Piazza+di+Trevi+to:Barberini,+Piazza+Barberini,+Rome,+Italy&hl=en&ll=41.902501,12.491305&spn=0.010652,0.02208&sll=41.900987,12.483709&sspn=0.001872,0.00276&geocode=FUZvfwId13i-ACH45phgsYYKoikVbpkjVWAvEzH45phgsYYKog%3BFWNbfwIdznm-AA%3BFellfwIdHZG-ACFJdW4OtkghJCmTLJPEq2EvEzFJdW4OtkghJA&oq=Barberini&t=h&dirflg=w&mra=dme&mrsp=1&sz=19&z=16

JB :)

ps Ship's shore agent contact details should be in the day's Princess Patter

 

Of course.. I can't remember how many times I've been thrown off by Googlemaps when it comes to detailed city directions!

Thanks for correcting it!

I guess noting down the shore agent contact is one of the things we can't do during pre-planning...

[rebeccalouiseagain]

It really depends what time of year you go to Rome. In summer, there are tremendous crowds which will slow you down at the train stations, subways, hop-on-hop off bus, etc.

 

There is a cruise ship train now that takes you to the Vatican. This is a good way to go if you don't want to pay the $ 89 per person for the ship bus ride.

 

http://www.smartcruisetours.com/index.php/faqs

[SSAA33]

Thanks, Rebecca :) I did look into the cruise ship train initially but it looks like it doesn't run on the Thursday we're there (either that or it's full because it's not available on the calendar).

Hopefully the crowds will be a little smaller when we're there in early-September!

[John Bull]

 

There is a cruise ship train now that takes you to the Vatican. This is a good way to go if you don't want to pay the $ 89 per person for the ship bus ride.

 

http://www.smartcruisetours.com/index.php/faqs

 

Well found, rebeccalouise, take a gold star.:)

 

Cruiselines have chartered trains in the past, but at the same hefty prices as their bus transfers.

 

But this seems to be an independent operation organised by a local agency in co-operation with Trenitalia, & at €16.60 standalone or €35.50 coupled with Rome ho-ho buses it's priced between the Trenitalia BRIG stopping (& often over-crowded) trains & the cruise lines' chartered transfer trains/buses. Other combos available too.

 

Hopefully it will prove to be a successful and useful service

 

JB :)

[cruisemom42]

It really depends what time of year you go to Rome. In summer, there are tremendous crowds which will slow you down at the train stations, subways, hop-on-hop off bus, etc.

 

There is a cruise ship train now that takes you to the Vatican. This is a good way to go if you don't want to pay the $ 89 per person for the ship bus ride.

 

http://www.smartcruisetours.com/index.php/faqs

 

On the plus side, it guarantees you a seat. On the minus side, its later departure means you'll get less actual time in Rome. I'd rather take my chances and prolong my day in Rome but I understand others value the security of knowing the train will run and having a secured place on it.

 

Of course, the train is not guaranteed to wait for you at the end of the day so any user must still be mindful of the time.

[jonlow]

It really depends what time of year you go to Rome. In summer, there are tremendous crowds which will slow you down at the train stations, subways, hop-on-hop off bus, etc.

 

There is a cruise ship train now that takes you to the Vatican. This is a good way to go if you don't want to pay the $ 89 per person for the ship bus ride.

 

http://www.smartcruisetours.com/index.php/faqs

 

 

thank you so much for this information. I have read that you need to take the fast track train at the train station, and not inside the port, does anybody know if the port shuttle takes you all the way to the station?

[euro cruiser]

does anybody know if the port shuttle takes you all the way to the station?

No, the port shutle drops you at the fort. From there to the train station is less than half a mile (about five or six blocks).

[jonlow]

Well thank you. We are planning on using taxis in Rome. Will we be able to get a taxi to go from the fort to the station?

[euro cruiser]

Well thank you. We are planning on using taxis in Rome. Will we be able to get a taxi to go from the fort to the station?

I think you will have a hard time finding a taxi to go a half mile.

[SSAA33]

Thanks again for all the great suggestions!

 

So after some back & forth, we decided Colosseum first makes most sense (we're going to purchase our tickets in advance..would hate to miss it if it's last).

 

Euro cruiser - I'm hoping you can help me out with the Express #40 bus stop location from Piazza Navonna to Piazza Pia?? Where would we catch the bus to go in that direction?

We're planning on walking from P. Navonna to St. Peters but want to include the bus option in case we're tired and it might save us a few mins if we're at a slower pace by that time :)

[euro cruiser]

The #40 is an express bus so the closest stop is a little further down Corso Emanuelle II, at Chiesa Nuova. There's also a taxi stand at Chiesa Nuova if you decide you'd rather go that way. This stop is a third of a mile from the southern end of Piazza Navona.