Squeeze in Vatican City quickly?

[drevil0208]

We will be in Rome in June on the NCL Epic.  We arrive at 6AM.  Currently we have the Colosseum booked for 10:25.  Just wondering, how long does it take to walk around Vatican City and check out St Peters Basilica?  We have no interest in a detailed visit, just basically want to walk around and maybe check out the basilica.  Could you do that in an hour?  We would be arriving there at about 8:45 on a Tuesday.  Would it be advisable to arrive earlier than that to avoid lines at security?

[slidergirl]

I don't believe you mean Vatican City, but maybe St. Peter's Square.  Someone else may say otherwise, but there really isn't much to see in Vatican City itself other than the square, the Bascilica and the museums.  I honestly wouldn't think there would be enough time to wait to go into the Bascilica itself.  

[euro cruiser]

If you can get there earlier, I would.  The line at St. Peter's is just for security and it moves along but it can be long.

 

You can walk the entire basilica and get a good overview in an hour.   

 

How are you planning to get to the Colosseum from St. Peter's?  That will determine what time you'd need to leave the area to make your 10:25 booking.

[drevil0208]

Most likely the Metro as it seems it's about 30 mins including the walk to the station according to google maps, as opposed to 45 mins walking.  However, if we had time, we would probably walk.  

 

So I'm guessing we would want to leave the Vatican area around 9:45 to allow a bit of a buffer.  

 

And yes, we basically just want to have a quick look at the Basilica and St. Peters Square.  

 

 

[euro cruiser]

If you're going in by train I'd get on the first one possible to give yourself as much pad as possible.

 

The metro does work for this transition but it's a bit of a walk from the basilica to the nearest stop (900 meters/one half mile to the Ottaviano stop) and you have to change lines at Termini.  I think you may be underestimating how long this will take, I would assume 40 - 45 minutes and be pleasantly surprised if it takes less.

 

Bus would take about the same amount of time but you'd also have to make a change (bus #64 to Largo Argentina followed by #87 to the Colosseo).  It's a little less walking as the bus stop is quite close to the basilica.

 

I know that google maps estimates this two and a quarter mile walk taking 45 minutes but that doesn't reflect the reality on the ground, the traffic, the crowds on the sidewalks, the time to cross streets, etc.  And all of that assumes you don't make any wrong turns.  I would assume an hour if you want to walk and again, be pleasantly surprised if you get there faster.

Edited May 19, 2022 by euro cruiser

[MeHeartCruising]

I would suggest you get to St Peters’s Square as early as possible.  Enjoy the views of the Colonnade     And go thru security when you can to go into St. Peter’s Basilica.  Enjoy that and then splurge on a taxi to take you to your appointment at the Coliseum.  It’s a further walk than you would think and the metro isn’t all that close either.  Taxis are pretty cheap.  Just make sure the meter is running and you have Euros. 

[cruisemom42]

To add on to what the above poster said, there is a taxi stand at the foot of St. Peter's Square, just outside the colonnade. When you have a short time and want to avoid time-takers such as a wrong turn in your walking directions, taxis make good sense and can drop you right where you need to be for your tour. 

 

A few years ago the going rate from St. Peter's to the Colosseum area was around 12-15 euros depending on traffic and route. I suspect given recent price increases that it's a few euros more now but still a good deal on a short day -- it's just one of those situations where time is more important than money (to a reasonable extent).

 

[luckybecky]

On 5/18/2022 at 7:27 PM, euro cruiser said:

 

 

... the reality on the ground, the traffic, the crowds on the sidewalks, the time to cross streets, etc.  And all of that assumes you don't make any wrong turns.  I would assume an hour if you want to walk and again, be pleasantly surprised if you get there faster.

 

I would strongly agree with this assessment. One of the happiest accidents of my life was a wrong turn in Rome. We walked for what seemed like miles, encountering amazing churches (one with a wedding in progress), the Circus Maximus, Palatine Hill, and finally arriving at the Colosseum from the long way around. But it took hours. Fortunately we had time and were not on a strict schedule.

 

If I were in Rome on a cruise (and remember Rome is at least an hour+ from the ship), I don't think I would be trying anything as ambitious as this poster. The Colosseum (and Forum), OR St Peter's (and Sistene Chapel), but not both -- unless on a ship sponsored excursion. It's going to be really hard to pack all that into one day DIY off the ship, learning to navigate the public transit, ticketing etc. If on a ship excursion where they provide transportation and guarantee your on time return to the ship, then yes.

 

Also be aware that St Peter's basilica is a separate experience from the Sistene Chapel and the Vatican Museums. A quick visit to the basilica is great, but also maybe a letdown from what the full experience could be, climbing to the top of the dome and seeing the museums including the Sistene Chapel.

 

When we were there, a train between Rome and Civitavecchia broke down, endangering the return of quite a few passengers. They made it back, but it was a close and stressful call.

 

Sorry, I don't want to be a downer, but what the author wants to do in one port day seems to be pushing it, to me.

[carlmm]

On 5/18/2022 at 3:46 PM, drevil0208 said:

We will be in Rome in June on the NCL Epic.  We arrive at 6AM.  Currently we have the Colosseum booked for 10:25.  Just wondering, how long does it take to walk around Vatican City and check out St Peters Basilica?  We have no interest in a detailed visit, just basically want to walk around and maybe check out the basilica.  Could you do that in an hour?  We would be arriving there at about 8:45 on a Tuesday.  Would it be advisable to arrive earlier than that to avoid lines at security?

How do you get there? Train or NCL transfer or?

What else do want to do that day? Is there a reason to do St. Peter's before the Colosseum?

 

If these two are the only sights you want to see, I would revert the order. What ever delay you have at the basilica or on the way migth endanger your booking at the Colosseum.

Any way, on a tight schedule, I would second the recommendation on using a taxi, by far the easiest and quickest way.

[bonsai3s]

drevil0208...what time do you have to be back?

* Every advice given above are accurate...we've learned so much ourselves.

 

Just waned to share our recent experience at Civitavecchia (Odyssey of the Seas.)

 

* It has been a few years, but we've done the DIY from Civ to Rome a few times...I was confident, but a bit too ambitious. (St. Peter's - Castel D'Angelo - cross the Tiber River - Piazza Navona - Pantheon - Trevi Fountain - metro to the Collosseum - metro to Termini - Termini to Civitavecchia.)

 

* Our first problem was: All passengers must be back at the cruise terminal before 3:00pm. With the one hour train going to Rome and another hour to get back...we didn't have much time.

 

* Off the ship by 6:30am. Found the free shuttle to the gate. The shuttle did not leave until 7:00am...about a dozen passengers (some with luggages).

 

* The free shuttle bus drop-off area was no where near the gate we remembered. The drop-off area was at least half a mile from tbe gate. It was difficult navigating/walking around the terminal. A couple of frustrated passengers, with luggages, decided to take a taxi.

 

* We finally made to the Civitavecchia train station...got our BIRG tickets and was on the 7:44am train to Rome.

 

* We got off the San Pietro (St. Peter) station...and about a 10 minute walk to St. Peter's Square. The queue/line to go through the security was extremely long...it wrapped around one side of the square...about an hour to get through.

 

* We knew our plan was too ambitious...so we decided to spend our time at St. Peter's Basilica...catacombs, attended mass, went up the dome, and the bookstore...and lots of pictures.

 

* Afraid to miss the ship, we walked back to the San Pietro Train Station and got on the 12:32pm train back to Civitavecchia.

 

* We had a few more "hiccups" that were specific to our ship...but we did make it back onboard on time.

[cruisemom42]

7 hours ago, bonsai3s said:

Just waned to share our recent experience at Civitavecchia (Odyssey of the Seas.)

 

 Very much appreciate you sharing your experience on the ground.

 

It's true that there is a new drop-off point for the shuttles; it is supposed to be temporary. Honestly seems like they keep making it more difficult to exit the port and get to the train station on your own!

[mapleleaves]

The new shuttle drop off point is Varco Vespuci.   On a map it doesn't look far from the previous shuttle stop at Largo Della Pace.  But distances can be deceiving.

Map of the Port | Port Mobility Civitavecchia

 

The Epic doesn't leave Civi until 7pm so the OP has a pretty decent port time.

 

We used a taxi to get around within Rome .... a couple of 10E cab rides was well worth the time they saved us.

[drevil0208]

On 5/20/2022 at 7:35 AM, carlmm said:

How do you get there? Train or NCL transfer or?

What else do want to do that day? Is there a reason to do St. Peter's before the Colosseum?

 

If these two are the only sights you want to see, I would revert the order. What ever delay you have at the basilica or on the way migth endanger your booking at the Colosseum.

Any way, on a tight schedule, I would second the recommendation on using a taxi, by far the easiest and quickest way.

We will get the train there.  We don't want to spend a lot of time at the Vatican.. just walk around and see St Peters Square and the Basilica if we have time.  I thought the lines to get through security at the Vatican would be worse if we did after the Colosseum.  I figured if we were there by like 8:30 it wouldn't be as long?

[euro cruiser]

The new drop off point isn't far from the old one, just further into the port rather than the town.  How much time it adds to the walk depends on whether they do anything to make the walk easier, right now you have to cross traffic in a couple of places that weren't designed for pedestrians.  There is security fencing preventing you from taking the most direct route, following the roadway adds 350 meters/two-tenths of a mile to the walk to the station.  From the current drop off point at Varco Vespucci to the train station the walk is now 1.8km/1.1 miles.

 

It looks like this is only an issue for those on the really big ships that need to dock at 25, smaller ships at 10-13 should be able to walk out of the fort exit.

 

It will be good to hear more on-the-ground experiences as the season ramps up.

Edited May 24, 2022 by euro cruiser

[Ride-The-Waves]

The question reminds me of my spouse's experience driving through New York City as a child:  "look up and see the Empire State Building!"  You cannot expect to experience any culture, much less one as beautiful and complex as Rome, doing a "drive by."

[slidergirl]

3 hours ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

The question reminds me of my spouse's experience driving through New York City as a child:  "look up and see the Empire State Building!"  You cannot expect to experience any culture, much less one as beautiful and complex as Rome, doing a "drive by."

Yet, for some, just doing the "drive by" or the "National Lampoon Vacation" view is all they need so they check the box.  It's a choice between quantity and quality.

Edited June 5, 2022 by slidergirl

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, slidergirl said:

Yet, for some, just doing the "drive by" or the "National Lampoon Vacation" view is all they need so they check the box.  It's a choice between quantity and quality.

 

I'll never forgot one woman who used to post here a long time ago. She explained that driving by the outside of the Louvre was sufficient for her; she didn't need to go inside....

 

I just can't fathom that rationale, for a museum of all places. 😳

[bonsai3s]

28 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I'll never forgot one woman who used to post here a long time ago. She explained that driving by the outside of the Louvre was sufficient for her; she didn't need to go inside....

 

I just can't fathom that rationale, for a museum of all places. 😳

Oh my!

 

* During my younger days, my goal was to visit all of the major (and small) museums around the world...hard to believe but I missed the British Museum because my beautiful wife wanted to buy a shirt at Hard Rock London.....so fast forward a few years and we were in Paris. My beautiful wife asked to visit the Louvre...I took her by the glass pyramid, and I said "queue is way too long"...and we never made it inside. No British Museum for me, no Louvre for her. 

[Torquer]

I think the OP is being way to optimistic and risky on what can be done in one day on your own.  On our first visit to Rome, we took the ship's shore excursion.  This was only our second cruise ever so we did the ship's tour since we were worried if a private tour company would get us back to the ship on time, given how far Civitavecchia is from Rome.  It was a hectic day but a good introduction to Rome.  Years later, we were on a cruise that ended in Civitavecchia and we then spent 3 days after the cruise exploring Rome.  The only site that we actually duplicated between the two trips was the Coliseum, and that was because it was included in a package deal with the Forum, that we purchased through our hotel's concierge.

 

If I had to do it again, I would have done a guided tour by a private company, instead of from the ship for our visit.  But other than that I would strongly encourage a guided tour for your one day in Rome.  You will see much more, be less tired, and definitely less stressed about getting back to the ship on  time.