Car return in Civitavecchia

[Softball20]

Hoping to get some advice from some of the regulars.

 

On our upcoming Reflection cruise we are going to be driving in from Florence on the morning we sail. There will be four of us with cruise luggage, so I'm hoping that the my husband will be able to drop us off at the port with the luggage and he and my friend's husband can go return the car. I've rented a car from the local Hertz agency there before, so I kind of know where it is, although it's been a few years. As they will be without luggage when turning the car in, will they be able to walk from the rental agency to the port or should they just get a taxi? I'm thinking it should be close enough to walk; just looking for confirmation.

 

Thanks!

[euro cruiser]

Hertz is near the train station so it's just about a mile walk to the shuttle bus stop off Via Turco.

 

They can also walk into the port at the old entrance/exit near the fort but I don't know about getting a shuttle to your ship from there. They should be able to as there is long term parking there for cruise passengers, and those folks would need a way to get to the ship, but I can't say for sure.

Edited January 6, 2017 by euro cruiser

[Softball20]

Thanks for the reply. So it sounds like at some point they will need a shuttle??? Maybe it would be easier if they just got a taxi from the Hertz location.

[vickykay]

Are you renting the car in Florence? We are thinking of doing the same for our TA in Nov. Would appreciate any information. Thanks.

 

vicky

[euro cruiser]

So it sounds like at some point they will need a shuttle??? Maybe it would be easier if they just got a taxi from the Hertz location.

It's likely that a shuttle will be required, it all depends on where the ship is berthed. There are a couple of close berths but the rest are pretty far out so odds are a shuttle will be needed. A taxi directly to the ship would be the easiest method, for sure.

[Softball20]

Are you renting the car in Florence? We are thinking of doing the same for our TA in Nov. Would appreciate any information. Thanks.

 

vicky

 

Actually, we are picking the car up at the airport in Rome when first get there. We are driving to Florence where we will stay for three days pre-cruise before going back to Civitavecchia. It's a tad convoluted, but we really wanted to be in Florence instead of Rome this time. We looked at doing the train both ways, but this seems easier. We also looked in to doing two one-way rentals: FCO to Florence when we get there and just turn in the car in Florence and then picking one back up at the end of our time in Florence to go to Civitavecchia. The cost for the three day rental was, as I suspected, better than doing to separate rentals. There is parking near our apartment in Florence, so the car will just stay there until it's time to go back to Civitavecchia.

[euro cruiser]

The cost for the three day rental was, as I suspected, better than doing to separate rentals. There is parking near our apartment in Florence, so the car will just stay there until it's time to go back to Civitavecchia.

It will be tempting to leave your cruise luggage in the car and only carry what you need for the short stay to your apartment but I urge you not to do this. It's never a good idea to leave anything in a car, even if it's out of sight in the trunk.

[Softball20]

It will be tempting to leave your cruise luggage in the car and only carry what you need for the short stay to your apartment but I urge you not to do this. It's never a good idea to leave anything in a car, even if it's out of sight in the trunk.

 

Nope - we would never do that - but thank you for the reminder! Lucky for us our apartment is on the ground floor so it will be easy [relatively] to get our cruise luggage in.

 

I also noticed your other response, by the way. It looks like the taxi will be the easiest. Thank you.

[vickykay]

Thanks!

[Hlitner]

One "bummer" about the port at Civitavecchia is that it is a closed port (for security purposes). You can walk in and out of the port with no problem, or take a taxi in and out of the port. Licensed tour providers can also drive into the port. But you CANNOT drive your rental car into the port (unless the security guards are all asleep). So, you have 2 decent options (which Euro mentioned). 1. Drop your luggage (and at least one member of your party) at the shuttle bus stop at Via Turco. On our last two visits, the shuttle buses would not drop or pick up by the old port entrance (near the Fort) although this entrance can be used to enter the port for purposes of walking all the way to one's ship.

 

The other option is to simply return your car to the appropriate agency office and have them call you a taxi (which can take you directly to your pier).

 

Having driven all over Italy (more then 10,000 miles) we will echo Euro's comment about never leaving luggage in your car. We will admit to sometimes breaking our own rule, but it is in places that we know well and feel secure. And in those situations we do take our valuables with us. Many a tourist has had their luggage stolen out of cars. And to take it one step further, if you are diving on a main highway and stop at a rest stop...one person should generally stay with the car (gypsies will sometimes work these parking lots). There is one infamous rest stop on the highway between Rome and Naples where gypsies take their task to very high levels. But the last time we stopped at that place, there was on old Italian guy (very big and strong guy) who sold "protection" for your car for a couple of Euros. This guy is a true entreprenaur and probably makes a decent living :). Normally, DW and I take shifts with the car why the other one of us goes inside to use the rest facilities and buy some food.

 

Hank

[euro cruiser]

There is one infamous rest stop on the highway between Rome and Naples where gypsies take their task to very high levels.

Yep. Acquaintances of mine, Italians currently living the the States and who know better, left their minivan and went into the rest stop only to discover, twenty minutes later, that everything they brought with them for the entire summer was gone.

[Softball20]

Thanks for all the good tips -- I knew you guys would have answers. I actually like the taxi from the rental agency for all four of us better.

 

Donna