Getting to Rome - bus or train?

[Livingatthetip]

My husband and I are going to be on Oasis of the Seas in September, and will be stopping at Civitavecchia. We want to go into Rome and enjoy maximum time there. We have been before so not wanting to do a tour, just want to enjoy the city on our own.

 

I can't decide which transport option would be best, other than I don't want to do the ship's over-priced tours/transport.

For all options, I'm not worried about getting back to ship in time, as it will only leave at 8pm.

 

Option 1:

Regional train:

Our ship arrives at 7am. I would love to be able to make the 7.58am regional train, but not sure if we could do that? Otherwise 8:42 train, arriving 9:48 in Rome. Would then get the 5.12pm train return, so would have about 7 hours in Rome, possibly 8 if get the early train. Downside: I've heard the rush-hour trains are very crowded, and might not get a seat, or even not get on the train at all and have to wait for next one?? Especially as our ship is huge, I'm concerned this may be a problem.

 

Option 2:

New Express train:

Pro: can book seat in advance, guaranteed a spot.

But only leaves Civ station at 9:35 (arr Rome 10:27) and departs Rome at 4:30pm - so 6 hours to explore.

 

BUT my big issue with either train option is the potential for train strikes. We have been stuck in Rome before on a strike day, and had to walk an hour or so to the Colosseum, but in Civitavecchia we would not have the option to walk! I have heard that you can see the "strike schedule" in advance online, but not sure how far in advance or how reliable that is? Or what alternatives there are if there is a strike? (especially since there are 5500 people or more on OasisOTS).

 

Option 3:

"Rome on your own" bus - I've have found a bus option for 23 euros return (smartcruisetours.com). That would leave Civ port at 9.30am, but could take longer to get into Rome depending on traffic, we may only arrive at about 11am. Then it says that it leaves either 4 or 4.30pm, meaning we may only have 5 hours in Rome.

Pros: guaranteed, no potential for strike.

Con: Quite a bit less time in Rome, especially if bus gets stuck in traffic.

 

Any advice/opinions? What would you do?

[cruisemom42]

It's a shame that you were impacted previously by a strike -- I'm sure you feel "once bitten, twice shy". But in reality, strikes are not as common as many people think, and they are almost always announced in advance. The Italian site (link below) is very comprehensive but of course in Italian and it helps to both understand Italian and the nuances of what the various strikes mean. What is the actual day of your stop in Civitavecchia?  Rail strikes are more common on weekends. 

 

My own preference would be to use the regional train. If you are diligent about being ready to get off the ship the moment it is cleared, you should be able to make the earlier train, and that will without a doubt leave you the most time in Rome. The problem I'd have with the other options is the amount of time you'd be wasting before you even get started.  By starting immediately you will get the jump on many of your fellow passengers, although you are correct that the train may still be crowded with commuters. 

 

Ministry of transportation website listing all strikes (some are subsequently canceled):  http://scioperi.mit.gov.it/mit2/public/scioperi

 

From another site it looks like there may be a 24-hour rail strike on October 1, but I see nothing that would impact your travel in September. However, it's best to trust the official site. 

[dogs4fun]

I would be inclined to take the regional train (that is how we always get into the city when we arrive by ship). Even if you don't make the 7:58, there is a Regionale Veloce (fewer stops) at 8:42 that arrives Rome 30 minutes after your first choice.

You can be assured of getting a seat on the return trip if you board at Termini. In fact, you'd probably safe boarding prior to San Pietro as that is where a lot of passengers usually get on the train.

[euro cruiser]

The trains that are guaranteed to run in the event of a strike are during commuting hours so that would work perfectly for you.  They don't change and you can see them on the Trenitalia web site here:  https://www.trenitalia.com/content/dam/tcom/allegati/trenitalia_2014/in_regione/Regionale Lazio_sito_mar2019.pdf

 

The Civitavecchia line info starts on page 6 of the above.

 

The odds of this happening are pretty small but it helps to know what your options are.

[euro cruiser]

There is also a public bus option that we rarely discuss here, but it exists.

 

The Cotral Braccianese depot is one half mile on foot from the port shuttle bus stop, so it's half the distance as the walk to the train station.

 

There are departures Monday - Friday at 7, 7:20, 7:50, 8:40 and 9:30 AM.  The bus takes you to the Cornelia metro station on line A in Rome.  The same 5-zone BIRG ticket that you would use for the train works for the bus.

 

There are returns at 14:40 or 16:40 (as well as others).

 

There are also buses on Saturdays and Sundays.

 

The trip does take longer than the train at one hour, forty minutes.

 

Again, probably not anyone's first choice but good to know as an option.

 

https://servizi.cotralspa.it/Orari

[Livingatthetip]

Thanks so much, fantastically helpful advice from all of you. Makes me much more confident to go for the regional train option and hopefully have a lovely long day in Rome!

Edited June 3, 2019 by Livingatthetip

[Livingatthetip]

3 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 What is the actual day of your stop in Civitavecchia?  Rail strikes are more common on weekends. 

 

We're there on a Thursday, so hopefully we'll be ok 🙂