Civitavecchia Travel Forum

Looking for advise on how to best travel to Citavecchia from Rome on August 1st/2008.

Best is a chauffeured limo. If you are asking price wise and cheapest, then take the train.

Can you recommend a reputable and reasonably priced limo service?

Larry's hedging on the answer because we don't know enough about your circumstances...how many of you are there? How much luggage will you have? Are young/old/mobile are you? How easily stressed are you (say, by traveling by train in a strange country where you don't speak the language)?

Both of his answers are right for the right persons...

Bill

I speak the language and we are two people with large luggage. We are mobile...(except after a couple of glasses of wine)...

"I speak the language and we are two people with large luggage. We are mobile...(except after a couple of glasses of wine)... "

hahaha...I used to be more mobile dopo il vino, ma...;-)

Well, as Larry said, the train is FAR cheaper than a limo, but more effort. You have to
1. get from your hotel (or the airport) in Rome to one of the stations in Rome (the train to Civitavecchia stops at Termini, Ostiense, Trastevere, and probably some others)
2. take the train, managing your luggage on and off the train by yourselves
3. get to the dock from the station in Civitavecchia - not a long walk (15 minutes?) but can be difficult with luggage. note that at least part of the year, there is a shuttle, and there should be taxis year round.

Add all this up on your fingers, and you see that the total cost may be 20-30 euro(?) (depends on the taxis fares at each end, the train fare is something like 5.50 euro each, I think - look it up at www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html). Compare this to a reserved limo - if you can get one for the 2 of you for 90 euro which takes you direct from your hotel to the dock with the driver helping you with the luggage, is saving 60 euro worth the hassle? (I am guessing on the fare - check sites like www.airportconnection.it for a service recommended by other VTers).

Having never taken a cruise, I can't answer with direct experience, but I know that when I travel with the official spousal unit and we are just arriving in a town (so, we have much luggage), I always rent a car or take a taxi to the hotel, even if public transportation is available...it just isn't worth the stress...we can travel cheap the entire rest of the trip, but, for me, at least, going cheap at certain times isn't worth the stress...of course, it depends very much on who you are...we are in our 50's and I lived in Rome when I was younger, so the language and the system aren't the problem, it's the handling of the luggage by both of us and the time and stress required by taking public transportation in such a circumstance...does that help?

Bill

Bill, I am impressed. For me, when cruising(which is fortunately often), I like to arrive at the dock as relaxed as I can. Cruising is not cheap and I know that many cannot afford the expense, but to have a driver with a car makes the start of a cruise, as well as the end of a cruise, more complete. When in Roma, to and from the airport to the suites where my wife and I stay, to the dock in Citavecchia for when we cruise out of Roma (have done it three times), we use Roma Limo service and the owner/driver, Sandro. I have listed this so many times I feel that I am part of Sandro's business, but I'm not. I was just pleasantly surprised at the effort he took to make sure my wife and I enjoyed the ride. No luggage lifting, on time, stops for cappuccino or a snack. Sandro speaks excellent English and has a wonderful demeanor. As I done so many times, check out his website: www.romalimo.com Say hello to Sandro from Travelgourmet in sunny Southern California.

"Bill, I am impressed" Ah, Larry, I am afraid to ask...impressed because we are in our 50's, or that we are not as mobile as we used to be after a little wine? ;-)

Bill

Impressed that you admit it. ;-)

thank you both...

we will likely opt for the limo option....sounds like the way we would want to experience our first cruise...