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Please explain Civitavecchia for a 1st time visitor


debrouillarde
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After reading posts on CC about construction at this port I would appreciate some clarification.

 

Is it possible to walk from the ship to the main gate or must you take a shuttle bus? Is this shuttle provided by each cruise line or by the port authority? On our day at Civitavecchia there will be 4 ships in port, 10,000+ potentially moving bodies!! :D

 

Are there certain private shuttle services that can pick you up and drop you at the ship or do they all wait at the drop off point of the port shuttle? We don't have any mobility issues, I was just trying to judge the different pricing I'm finding for shuttle service at Civitavecchia and the amount of time I should allow to reach public or private transportation.

 

Thank you for providing any information or comments for this port. Deborah

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Shuttle buses are provided by the port authority and are required (in most cases) in order to get to the port gates.

 

Some, but not all, private car services have permits allowing them to come right to the ship to pick you up.

 

Not every passenger will be using the shuttle buses, as a fair number still prefer to take ship tours.

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Just to add that we have never had a long wait for a port shuttle--they seem to come very frequently and are definitely faster than walking. With the construction, I'm not even sure if you COULD get to the 'main gate'.

 

I've never taken a private shuttle on a port day (always use the train) but for debarkation, the shuttles pick you up right at the ship.

 

If you do take the port shuttle, you will get off almost a mile from the train station. There's a bus you can take that runs every 20 minutes from there to the station for .80 E unless the price has changed since I was there a few months ago.

 

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.

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Am surprised that nobody mentioned the ongoing construction project which has temporarily closed the main port entrance. We have no idea when this entrance will again be functioning for cruise ship passengers...and since it's Italy we doubt in anyone knows :). But if you get to the port and that entrance is closed they use the auxiliary which is located somewhat further from the train station and downtown.

 

Hank

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Am surprised that nobody mentioned the ongoing construction project which has temporarily closed the main port entrance. We have no idea when this entrance will again be functioning for cruise ship passengers...and since it's Italy we doubt in anyone knows :). But if you get to the port and that entrance is closed they use the auxiliary which is located somewhat further from the train station and downtown.

 

Hank

 

I did!

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When you exit the ship, you will see a number of buses. Most of them will be for shore excursions. You may have to wait in line for the port’s shuttle or you may be directed to where it’s waiting (ask where it is if you don’t see it). Sometimes they wait for the bus to fill up before it leaves.

 

(They used to drop you off in front of the Forte Michelangelo). As others have stated, currently, you are dropped off in a parking lot where you will catch a local bus for .80 Euro. {When we were there, a man was selling the BIRGS, cash only. I waited to buy mine in the Tabbachi shop at the train station, but I’m curious if the BIRG would have been valid on the local bus, saving .80 Eur.}. The bus will then take you to the train station. {Some opt to walk. Even though I had been there numerous times, I was not familiar at first with how to walk from the parking lot to the train station, although we walked back. I would not recommend walking for a first time visitor.}.

 

You asked how long all of this will take. It just depends on if you have to wait on the shuttle, and then for the bus to fill up, and then time to buy your ticket for the local bus and possibly waiting on it. I know this is figuring high, but it could take 45 minutes or more. It could take much less.

 

Another issue is the return journey, if you are taking the train. When we were there, there was only 1 local bus waiting, but there were hundreds of passengers. We then opted to walk back to the port shuttle drop off (although there was a quicker pick up point than where we had been dropped off that morning…..search the boards for the Civitavecchia Shuttle thread and I give details on that shuttle stop and another poster has uploaded photos). {Tip: if you take the train, try to sit toward the front, as passengers tend to board the back cars first as they're closest to the station doors.....it can be hard to get a seat, especially with that many in port when you're there!)

 

Civitavecchia and Livorno are ports that take a while to get to the train station, but the ultimate destinations are so worth the effort!

 

Enjoy Italy!

Edited by syesmar
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If I wanted an easy day in port I wouldn't hang around in Civitavecchia, it's a working town and not all that well set up for tourism. I'd get on the train and go one stop south to Santa Marinella, a resort town, and spend the day there.

 

Some info about Santa Marinella: http://www.prolocosantamarinella.it/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5&Itemid=112

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