Ship-sponsored or Independent in Rome?

[#eurovirgin]

My husband and I are going on our first Mediterranean cruise the first week of April. I'm researching which cities we can safely plan our own excursions and which cities where it would be best to rely on ship sponsored excursions. We enjoy doing things on our own, but obviously don't want to waste our day trying to figure out travel. So tell me about Rome...is it a good place to go independent? I'm not sure where to start. I noticed the ship sponsored trips are SUPER pricey. But I also know there is some distance between the dock and the city. So I'm wondering if ship sponsored is the best bet...

 

[easyboy]

Try http://www.romeinlino.com for independent or shared tour

 

 

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[cruisemom42]

Basically you have three options:

 

Expensive ship tour: Generally moves slower than the other options and costs more. Only real "advantage" is the ship's promise to wait for its own excursions (barring unforeseen issues) if they are late. However, rest assured most private tours recommended here are extremely professional and -- after actively participating on this board for 10+ years I have not yet heard of anyone being left by one of these companies...

 

Private tours: Generally these are smaller groups with your own car or van. The cost can be expensive for two, but becomes reasonable if you can get a group of 6 or 8 together to split the cost. Some groups require you to get your own group together (via your roll call, for example). Others have come up with ways to help get groups together via a shared tour website.

 

Private tours often can help you see more, but the temptation is to try to see TOO much. It can end up being a case of "20 minutes at the Pantheon, 10 minutes at Piazza Navona, an hour at the Colosseum" etc. -- so much that it becomes a blur at the end of the day. Sure, you have the photos, but how much of it do you really remember?

 

Independent Sightseeing: By this, I don't mean the overpriced transportation offered by the ship into Rome (will drop you off and pick you up) -- I'd avoid that as it cuts you short time-wise versus getting up and off the ship when it first arrives and getting into Rome using the train.

 

Yes, Rome is not very close to Civitavecchia, it's an hour more or less by train. There are numerous posts on this forum on how to get to the train station from the (large) port -- it's not hard but it does involve a port shuttle to the port entrance and then a bit of a walk OR a city bus to the train station.

 

If you plan well, you can see a lot in Rome on your own. There is a train ticket which covers your round trip fare plus use of the buses and metro in Rome for the day. The cost is very cheap at 12 euro (at least, that was still the cost in May). Just ask for the "BIRG" ticket.

 

Plus, I find if I have planned and researched a city before I get there, I remember so much more of what I see.

 

At any rate, I think most Italian ports are possible by independent touring -- other than a few specific instances, such as seeing the Amalfi Coast (private tour is best here, for several reasons)...

[margob111]

I second Rome in Limo. I used them for 3 ports, including Civitavecchia, in 2011 and actually have been emailing them since yesterday planning for our cruise in May. Have nothing but good things to say about them.

[John Bull]

// ............... I don't mean the overpriced transportation offered by the ship into Rome (will drop you off and pick you up) -- I'd avoid that as it cuts you short time-wise versus getting up and off the ship when it first arrives and getting into Rome using the train. .......... .. //

 

Another disadvantage with ship's "Rome on your own" transfers, apart from the excessive cost, is that the drop-point is the same as the pickup-point.

So at the end of the day you have to double-back to where you were dropped. This is the case whether the ship uses a fleet of buses or a specially-hired train.

If you take the local BIRG train you can ride into one Rome station, eg Ostiense for the Colosseum and return to Civi from a different Rome station eg San Pietro from the Vatican.

 

And yes, you do need to plan your day - there's lots to see and you don't want to be wasting time fumbling with a map & trying to figure how to get from A to B.

 

JB :)

[#eurovirgin]

Thank you! I noticed the Rome on Your Own tours are very pricey for just a drop off & pick up! No thanks. I do kinda like the idea of doing it on my own. I just get overwhelmed with all the details on getting from port to train, etc. There seems like a lot of info. I plan on getting the RS guide to ports ASAP.

One thing I want to add: my husband and I are not "try to cram it all in" people. We know that will be tempting. BUT we do not want our vacation to be insanely hectic. We accept the fact that we will not see it all on one day in Rome. So I need to figure out what are MUSTS for us...

Edited December 17, 2016 by #eurovirgin

[George C]

Another vote for Rome in limo, we had 6 people on private tour all from our roll call. Need to get 6 to 8 people to cut the cost

[#eurovirgin]

Basically you have three options:

 

 

 

Independent Sightseeing:

 

If you plan well, you can see a lot in Rome on your own. There is a train ticket which covers your round trip fare plus use of the buses and metro in Rome for the day. The cost is very cheap at 12 euro (at least, that was still the cost in May). Just ask for the "BIRG" ticket.

 

This sounds great! Website?

[cruisemom42]

This sounds great! Website?

 

Here's a good summary from Tripadvisor on the various options; train is described first:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g187791-c151384/Rome:Italy:To.And.From.Civitavecchia.Port.html

 

I would not recommend the "Cruise 'Fast Train'" -- like the ships' bus transportation to Rome and back, there is only one run and it tends to cut short your time because it is timed to the arrivals/departures of ALL the ships in port that day -- some of which may leave earlier than yours.

[mydreamvacation]

We have been going to Italy each summer for about 15 years now. Often we take a Med cruise for part of our three week stay. Generally we avoid cruise line tours unless they are just a transfer to do a town on our own.

We avoid cruiseline tours as they are always a big crowd. Because there are so many people you can't see and do as much as you could in a small group. Also you are held to their predetermined itinerary.

We have been to Rome more times than I can count but each year Stefano who owns both Stefano Rome Tours [http://www.stefanorometours.com]and Rome Cabs [http://www.romecabs.com/] has always been able to come up with something unique for me. This past summer we visited the villages around Lake Bracciano it was just beautiful and we also went in the castle. It was a picture perfect day one I never would have thought of.

 

I would suggest contacting him and talking about what is most important to you. Instead of wasting your time on a crowded bus or waiting for some slow walkers or people who don't follow directions (there are always a few in every group) that will be eating up your precious time in Rome you can have a tour customized just for your own needs

[slidergirl]

Thank you! I noticed the Rome on Your Own tours are very pricey for just a drop off & pick up! No thanks. I do kinda like the idea of doing it on my own. I just get overwhelmed with all the details on getting from port to train, etc. There seems like a lot of info. I plan on getting the RS guide to ports ASAP.

One thing I want to add: my husband and I are not "try to cram it all in" people. We know that will be tempting. BUT we do not want our vacation to be insanely hectic. We accept the fact that we will not see it all on one day in Rome. So I need to figure out what are MUSTS for us...

 

This is just my opinion...

If you are thinking of the Vatican Museums for a "must see", pair that with a trip into St. Peters Basilica and that would take up 3-4 hours. If not, pick maybe 3 "must see" places and spend time having a leisurely lunch, walking around taking in the atmosphere of Rome. A bit of the historical sites are bunched up in the Centro Storico and easily visited. The Rick Steves book (while I personally do not like his books) gives some good ideas for DIY visiting of Rome. Visit the Colosseum and Forum/Palentine Hill area then walk through Campo di Fiori to the Piazza Navona area and on to the Pantheon area. Another quick and easy walk gets you to the Trevi Fountain. That will fill all your time and provides a nice walking experience through Rome.

[Softball20]

We have been going to Italy each summer for about 15 years now. Often we take a Med cruise for part of our three week stay. Generally we avoid cruise line tours unless they are just a transfer to do a town on our own.

We avoid cruiseline tours as they are always a big crowd. Because there are so many people you can't see and do as much as you could in a small group. Also you are held to their predetermined itinerary.

We have been to Rome more times than I can count but each year Stefano who owns both Stefano Rome Tours [http://www.stefanorometours.com]and Rome Cabs [http://www.romecabs.com/] has always been able to come up with something unique for me. This past summer we visited the villages around Lake Bracciano it was just beautiful and we also went in the castle. It was a picture perfect day one I never would have thought of.

 

I would suggest contacting him and talking about what is most important to you. Instead of wasting your time on a crowded bus or waiting for some slow walkers or people who don't follow directions (there are always a few in every group) that will be eating up your precious time in Rome you can have a tour customized just for your own needs

 

Another vote for Rome Cabs and Stefano! They have lots of options and are extremely reliable and professional. We've used them several times for tours and transfers.