Rome Express All in One Day excursion

[jem16]

Can someone confirm whether or not the Rome Express excursion ( ie the one that goes by train) actually has a tour within the Vatican City?

 

The tour seems to suggest that you go to the Vatican in the afternoon after lunch but I want to make sure that it includes a tour.

[Cariad21]

Hi

 

I did this tour last week and by the time we got through the queues at the Vatican we literally walked in one door and out the next. We barely had time to look around before having to race back to the train station. It was so disappointing particularly having spent 90 minutes at lunch! :mad::mad: Personally I'd have been much happier getting a slice of pizza in a cafe and having more time at the Vatican. Coming back on the train there were quite a few unhappy people.

 

Wednesdays, the Pope speaks to the crowds so it is very busy and the guides have no way of knowing beforehand how many people will be there. You may be lucky or you may not.

 

Other than that, the train is a lovely way to get to Rome and I thoroughly enjoyed the walking tour in the morning. The other thing to keep in mind is that the Trevi fountain is being renovated. It is behind perspex with a walkway going across the front but the queues were so long there was no time to go across.

Edited September 22, 2014 by Cariad21

[dronnygirl]

I'd recommend doing Rome on your own by train. We did this and had a wonderful day, seeing all the major sites. We got off the train at the Vatican and did it first so there was hardly any queue. The key is to get off the ship as soon as you can and get the first train, then don't leave it to the last train coming back. The cost was 12 euros return and it was very easy. If you are interested, I could let you have a full itinerary of what we did.

[jem16]

Hi

 

I did this tour last week and by the time we got through the queues at the Vatican we literally walked in one door and out the next. We barely had time to look around before having to race back to the train station.

 

Was the tour actually an organised part of the whole trip or was it a case of being dropped at the Vatican and left to do your own thing?

 

The reason I ask is that those on a specific organised tour of the Vatican seem to skip the queues as they have a specific time to be there.

[jem16]

I'd recommend doing Rome on your own by train. We did this and had a wonderful day, seeing all the major sites. We got off the train at the Vatican and did it first so there was hardly any queue. The key is to get off the ship as soon as you can and get the first train, then don't leave it to the last train coming back. The cost was 12 euros return and it was very easy. If you are interested, I could let you have a full itinerary of what we did.

 

It's something I might have considered once I had looked into it all. However my friend, in particular, is not happy with the DIY trip as she feels she would be clock watching all day and worried that something would go wrong with the return journey and we are back late and miss the ship.

 

However I would be interested in your itinerary though.

[maystar08]

We did this excursion the first week in september it`s a great one to do but there is a lot of walking involved,there isn`t a tour of the vatican city included it`s just into st peters square and the basilica,cariad 21 i think you were unlucky if your lunch took 90 minutes as i think we were at lunch for about 50 minutes or so, although we did have a delay of about 45mins on the train going into rome so maybe they cut the lunch time short for us.We also enjoyed the train journey as it cut the travel time in half and was very relaxing.

[jem16]

there isn`t a tour of the vatican city included it`s just into st peters square and the basilica

 

Thanks. It looks like this may not be the tour we want then as we specifically want to visit the museums and the Sistine Chapel.

 

It looks like the Classical Sights & Vatican City is the tour we need. That's a pity as I would have like the train journey.

[maystar08]

Thanks. It looks like this may not be the tour we want then as we specifically want to visit the museums and the Sistine Chapel.

 

It looks like the Classical Sights & Vatican City is the tour we need. That's a pity as I would have like the train journey.

Yes gem i`d say that`s the one you you need to look at for the sistine chapel.

[dronnygirl]

This is an extremely easy and cheap way to see Rome on your own. The 3 main points that make this day relaxing and enjoyable are:

An early start – be in front of the cruise ship trips

Planning before you go so that you are not dithering what do when you get to Rome

Leave plenty of time for the train back to Civitavecchia as Termini is a very large station

We left the ship at 7.15 am and the shuttle bus was waiting at the bottom of the gang plank to take us the 5 minute journey out of the docks. The bus dropped us off and we walked to the right, around the corner to a kiosk where we purchased tickets to Rome. Tickets are 12 euros each for return journey or 16 euros for the non-stop faster train, however faster train was booked up. They will give you a timetable with your ticket. We took the 08.02 train and arrived at 8.55 am at Rome St. Pietro station. We got off there and walked round the corner to the Vatican. As it was early, there was only a small queue which was moving quickly. 10 minute wait and we were in St Peter’s Basilica (free of charge). Came out of Basilica and decided not to go to Sistine Chapel as you have to go through the Museum and it is a long walk. With limited time, we preferred to try to see Coliseum instead.

Walked towards Castel St Angelo and across the Pont St Angelo. We then took a left turn and walked by the riverbank to the next bridge and turned right, across the road, and we saw a sign for Piazza Navona. Followed sign into Piazza. This is a large open space with 3 fountains and lots of artists painting and plenty of cafes.

Took route out by the middle fountain and followed signs to Pantheon. Again another square with plenty of cafes. Was able to sit in Pantheon to rest our legs!

Then followed route to Trevi Fountain. Very busy square. By this time we were hungry and stopped for lunch in a cafe just off the square. Paninis 4 euros which we thought reasonable.

Moved out of square and toward the Coliseum. We came out at a large crossroad with the Coliseum straight in front. However, the forum is just across the road and it is best to purchase tickets from the Forum for both sites (12 euros) as there was only a 5 minute queue at the Forum, whereas we waited 25 minutes for tickets at the Coliseum. Walked around both.

We had seen all we wanted to see by 3pm so had an ice cream and headed for the underground station opposite the Coliseum as we wanted to take the 16.12 train from Termini back to Civitavecchia to get us back to ship by 17.30. The underground was very easy and we only waited a couple of minutes for a train – 2 stops to Termini Station.

At Termini we had to go up stairs to the main station. This is a very large station and you have to watch the notice boards to see which platform you require. Civitavecchia train was platform 28 and we could only see platforms 1-24. Saw a sign for 25-29 and followed. Then had to walk a good distance to these 4 platforms. We arrived just in time for the 15.45 train which arrived at Civitavecchia at 17.00. Leave plenty of time as this is a very large station and easy to miss signs.

We walked back from the station along the sea front which was very pleasant with cafes and ice cream places, to the shuttle bus back to the ship.

We had a fabulous and cheap day out. We did not stroll along as we wanted to fit so much in but kept walking and did all we wanted.

When we compared notes with people who had done the ships trips, they had paid £78 each and had spent a lot of time waiting for people who turned up late at rendezvous and didn’t see as much as we had.

The trains are clean and comfortable with upstairs if you want a good view. They appear to run on time. However, beware that they sometimes change the platform at the last minute e.g. when leaving Civitvecchia we were told platform 1 but as the train approached we were told platform 3 – just follow everyone else!

Would really recommend this but you will need to keep an eye on the time – don’t miss the train back.

Keep the phone number of the ship with you in case of an emergency. Good luck.

[jem16]

Thanks dronnygirl - very helpful.

[jem16]

Yes gem i`d say that`s the one you you need to look at for the sistine chapel.

 

 

 

Thanks.

 

Thomson's have also onfirmed that the Rome Express doesn't do a specific tour of the Vatican.

[joeholiday2]

Great write-up Dronnygirl. Thanks.

 

For those going this year the drop off point in Civi has changed, they drop you off near the fire station (unless they have changed it back recently) and that's an extra 20-30 mins walk.

 

We actually walked it back along the quayside as it was quicker than going to the new shuttle pick up point and waiting for the bus.

[maystar08]

Dronnygirl that`s an excellent write up,i just wish we had your confidence to do a trip like that on our own as we would save ourselves a few quid:)

[muffinman1]

I,ll be doing the ship tour as my luck I,ll end up in Pompeii covered in ash and miss my ship lol:D