Beware of some 'rip off' taxi drivers in Rome

[yoj13]

Hi,

I hope my post will help all those tourists who are about to commence their holidays embarking in Rome(Civitavecchia) We have very recently returned from a cruise which commenced and ended in Civitavecchia. We made friends with 2 American couples who had opted to take a taxi from the airport to the Rome main Railway Station. They were really taken for a ride - one couple paid Euros120 and the other Euros140. This is outrageous. The correct fare from Fumicino airport is Euros 30 and from Ciampino airport is Euros40. Please, please ask for the fare cost BEFORE you get into the car. Alternatively, there will be a shuttle bus service waiting directly outside the arrivals hall - cost Euros6 per person - one way. Depending on traffic, it will take approx 45 minutes to get to the Railway Station.

The train ride to Civ is very pleasant, takes approx 1hr 10mins and is direct and costs Euro4.50. I realise that not all passengers will want to use the DIY way, but please be very wary of these rip off taxi drivers.

[Leejnd4]

You might want to post this in the Europe forum, where it will be seen by more people who cruise out of Civitavecchia than just the Celebrity cruisers.

 

Also, I wanted to mention that it's a good idea all over the world to ALWAYS ask for and agree upon a taxi price up front - especially on regular routes such as airport-to-train station or airport-to-port. Rome is not alone in having unscrupulous taxi drivers who will take riders to the cleaners if given the opportunity.

[gracecarmo]

yoj13: where can I find more information regarding the airport shuttle you mentioned, for 6 E. pp? I tried a google but it only came up with private cars etc. (to the train station).

Thanks for the heads up....we always are aware anyplace we go that tourists are rather vulnerable.

[yoj13]

Hi,

The bus company you will be looking for is Terravision. www.terravision.com. You can either book online or just pay the bus representative at the airport. If you are flying into Fum airport there is also the Leonardo express which will take you into Rome. This takes 35 mins and runs every 30 minutes. I haven't used this mode of transport myself as we always fly into Ciampino airport. Another helpful site is www.italyheaven.co.uk. You will gets lots of info from this site. It appears as though there is a special offer on terravision tickets at the moment and it appears they are now Euros5!!! Hope this helps.

[tonyd285]

When we visit Rome we always use Bob's Limo Service. You can find them on the Web. Bob is an American who married and Italian woman and lives in Rome. He started his limo service several years ago. Nice vehicles, polite drivers and relatively reasonable prices (for Italy).

[Napi's Mom]

We signed up beforehand with the one that advertises 30E Airport to hotel for 2....was there waiting when we arrived, carried our bags to his Mec. taxi, spoke great english, was a young man and carried our bags into hotel...and gave a commentary on the sights as we traveled! Just make reservations beforehand:)

[Iamthesea]

Hi,

I hope my post will help all those tourists who are about to commence their holidays embarking in Rome(Civitavecchia) We have very recently returned from a cruise which commenced and ended in Civitavecchia. We made friends with 2 American couples who had opted to take a taxi from the airport to the Rome main Railway Station. They were really taken for a ride - one couple paid Euros120 and the other Euros140. This is outrageous. The correct fare from Fumicino airport is Euros 30 and from Ciampino airport is Euros40. Please, please ask for the fare cost BEFORE you get into the car. Alternatively, there will be a shuttle bus service waiting directly outside the arrivals hall - cost Euros6 per person - one way. Depending on traffic, it will take approx 45 minutes to get to the Railway Station.

The train ride to Civ is very pleasant, takes approx 1hr 10mins and is direct and costs Euro4.50. I realise that not all passengers will want to use the DIY way, but please be very wary of these rip off taxi drivers.

:eek: Gosh! We paid 170 to ride all the way from FFC to Civitavecchia in a private van...and there were 6 of us!

[KY Deb]

We signed up beforehand with the one that advertises 30E Airport to hotel for 2....was there waiting when we arrived' date=' carried our bags to his Mec. taxi, spoke great english, was a young man and carried our bags into hotel...and gave a commentary on the sights as we traveled! Just make reservations beforehand:)[/quote']

 

What is the contact info for this? That is a great price. I was just quoted 60E from another recommended co. Thanks!

[KenM]

and I thought that New York was bad....:)

[FinelyCruising]

I'm not sure I understand this...I have looked at fares from the airport to Rome, inside the city, and they are not in this range at all. I have to go and look at the location/distances again to be sure I am comprehending the details that are presented. I might not have the point straight in my head and it may be a destination other than inside the city. Hopefully so to explain the discrepancy in fares commonly associated with airport into Rome.

[bububr]

Is 11 euros pp from what I can remember and it is a nice ride and very safe. There is a local and an express. From there you can connect to Civitavechia for another 12 euros? and just a bit more for first class 17E?

 

We did the trains from the airport to the hotels and to the ports. The public transportation is VERY good, unlike here in the states.

 

However it is important to purchase your tickets before getting on the train as there is a huge ( 50E ) penalty for not having them. Also you must validate your ticket in the machine before you board.

 

We did this with two large bags, two medium bags, and two carryons. Its a bit tricky at first, but once you've done it...its a breeze.

 

Dave:eek:

[FinelyCruising]

Airport to Rome Main Train via Taxi....

[CaroleLee]

When we visit Rome we always use Bob's Limo Service. You can find them on the Web. Bob is an American who married and Italian woman and lives in Rome. He started his limo service several years ago. Nice vehicles, polite drivers and relatively reasonable prices (for Italy).

 

Would you have the exact website?

Thanks

Carole